Nature Walk

**Nature Path**

I have mentioned before that we have a nature area right across the street from our house. There are several pathways that lead to the pasture and nature walks from various areas of our neighborhood. In the middle the walk it opens up to several huge pasture areas. On our walks the kids have been finding all sorts of yummy treats and beautiful things to look at.

The first find was a honeysuckle plant/bush. Neither Drew or the kids had ever tried it so we began picking and sampling the ends of the flower. Now every time they see the flower they run up and pick the flowers as fast as they can!

***Honeysuckle Flower***

Then the kids came back with these long weed looking things. Luke said Tetyana told him it was onions and they were just munching away on them. I took a better look at them and realized it is garlic! They grow all over the neighborhood and look like weeds! Yesterday they ate so much they stunk! I have told them they couldn't eat anymore for awhile!

***Luke with his garlic***
***Fresh Garlic***

The third thing they found were some berries that look like long raspberries that grow on a tree. I looked them up today and I think they are mulberries (anyone know??). They are almost ripe. I think next week we will find them all ripe and ready to eat. Across from the tree we found blackberry bushes.

I remembered these well from living in Portland. When we first drove through Oregon we saw them on the side of the road and couldn't believe fruit that tasted so good grew wild (we grew up in LA and Las Vegas!). After living in Portland for several years we figured out that blackberry bushes are a pain and are a wild weed you can never get rid of!!!

We found tons of berries that weren't quite ripe yet but in a couple of weeks I think they will be very tasty!

***Mulberry Bush??***

***Blackberry Bush***

When we first moved here it looked like it was snowing all the time because this white stuff was blowing off of the trees. We found the tree that this stuff blows from. Maybe it is a Cottonwood? I told you we grew up in the desert! ;0)

***Snowy Tree***

Yesterday we saw a fawn in the back yard by the creek. We also had a bunch of deer on our property in Portland and thought it was so neat in the beginning until they began eating all of our plants! The kids were very excited to see her though. There is something about seeing wildlife right in your own backyard that is so thrilling!

And the last natur-y thing we have found a lot of is birds! In Orlando we had a nest of baby Cardinals. The father was so beautiful. We have seen several Cardinals here, Blue Jay's and these two tiny little birds who come to our porch each night at dusk. I see them sitting on the roof ledge and fly all over together. I haven't found their nest yet. They are super cute except they poop all night long! We just put a rubber snake up on the ledge and they haven't been back yet.

I can't wait to see what we will find tomorrow in our new backyard!