seeing nature from skis...

What a lovely backdrop for nature... a snowy base with a fresh, crisp frost!

The outdoor scene this morning was one that couldn't be

passed up, especially since we have been

meaning to get out skiing this week!

The intricacies of the tiny frost particles were incredible!

This is an awe that cannot be appreciated from a distance.

The ice crystals protruded from the branches like pine needles.

(The camera gives a glimpse, but there is nothing like

the naked eye for this kind of detail!)

Even more incredible was the symmetrical form

of each individual crystal, when looking even closer-up!

and another neat thing from today's walk...

was the little bitty tracks someone spotted at the lakeshore. Raccoons and mice, the kids guessed?!

One small square

We set out to do the small square, but realized that there wasn't much activity on the floor of the woods this late November day! We did notice that there are still a number of different things to be found in just a little area, even without the insects. We did see some more beaver work and, like always, enjoyed the fresh, crisp air of late fall in MN!

Wow, what a topple!

It was a beautiful scene where the beavers had been at work!

We appreciated the bit of color in the dullness!

Checking our location...

Always need to plan for little one tuckering out.

The ongoing collections.....

The kids collected a bit of nature for our table again since

it was dry this week. We are past the 'collections challenge' but everything

was wet that week. We usually end up on some sort of bunny trail

anyways. Collections never cease to accumulate in our house though.

A few more pics from this week...

Older kids were sneaking around and running circles in the woods. I guess they had been using signs when they got out of hearing range of one another. (We have been studying frontiersmen.)

Levi was hiding around every corner he came to.

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother..."

Nick trooped up & down many hills, but tuckered out a couple times. He kept telling me he's going to run up and run down the hill. He learned about tree roots hidden under the leaves!

And look who fell asleep by the time we got out! Here he was waking up as I set him down. (Just getting over the chicken pox.)

Did we see some neat things on our walk this week?!

The cattails are going through some changes.

Something has been busy here....

"I can see teeth marks!"

"Hey, they have been working all along the shore."

The only thing cooler than seeing all these signs of the beavers would be to see them in action!

Big changes in October!

The woods has taken on a whole different hue! By Oct. 26, virtually all is golden!

Must be a slow-growing tree! Look at the number of rings in such a small trunk!

The mighty oak... nothing quite like it. Even with the leaves disappearing, the branches alone make such an awesome picture!

The farmers around here lost some precious harvest time with the fall rains!

Hopefully they can get it all out before the snow flies!