On a sunny Friday in December we went to visit Mama Ann. Visiting Mama Ann always includes some outdoor time and usually a walk over to the garden. (You can just see Mama Ann’s house through the woods in the photo, above. Her wonderful creek is just between this swing and her house. We know how blessed we are to enjoy Mama Ann, continue to learn her love of nature and play all around her yard).
This day we had the pleasure of Aunt Mary Ann accompanying us. We noticed the beautiful camellia blossoms dropping.
Camellia bushes we consider an evergreen. But Mama Ann also has all sorts of tall pine trees and ivy. Plus, wonderful, naturally curved secret passages.
And it was Aunt Mary Ann that noticed the bees all-a-buzz around this camellia bush.
It was a like a spring day, the bees were so busy!
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Another sunny afternoon, in our backyard, we noticed the anoles sunning themselves. Can you see three different colors here on the overturned flower pot? They posed so well for me.
This one didn’t mind Eldest Boy holding him. See how he’s shedding a layer of skin?
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And, on a not-so-sunny December day, we went on a field trip to our state capitol to visit Nana there. We saw all types of displays. Several of the displays highlighted our state symbols. The nature of our state! (In addition to the live oak, cherokee rose and butterflies we also marveled at an enormous shark’s tooth – our state fossil.)
Just goes to show that even the week or two before Christmas we can fit in some nature study and enjoy the outdoors!
And the promptings from the Handbook of Nature Study monthly Outdoor Hour newsletters and seasonal ebooks bless us tremendously. Won’t you join us in the new year?
Doesn’t look much like winter with all those pretty camellias, buzzing bees, and lizards. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your lovely entry encouraging us all to get outside this week.
At first I only saw one of the anoles on the flower pot, too funny.
These pictures are amazing. I especially like the anoles. My kids would have been thrilled with that find. 🙂