
This week’s nature challenge was to spend time exploring your own backyard. Now, most people might think “eh, what nature is there in suburbia? Well, besides mice.” But, the kids and I spent about an hour just looking at the various bits of nature in our very own suburbian backyard.

We were having some nasty weather last week, with tornadoes hitting central Ohio. But after it was all over, this was left behind...

Caterpillar vs Spider. The caterpillar lost.

Some wildflowers

More wildflowers

The view from the backyard

As summer turns to autumn, our Queen Anne's Lace is turning to seed

More wildflowers

This little guy was building webs in the blackberry bushes

Another bunch of wildflowers

Just a couple months ago, these were tall, green, and full of the juiciest blackberries

Some purple berries on some really tall bushes--these are on the other side of the fence from us, but there are a whole lot of them in one grouping. And the plants are tall!

Some more plants seeding

More things from the neighbor's yard. These seeds look all nice and fluffy. But, once they spread, they make thorny plants right in our lawn. So these aren't my favorite.

A big spider--it's really pretty

Birds flying over the farm down the street

Some flowers in the front garden

More flowers in the garden

Fuzzy little caterpillar

More grass seeding

Jedi holding a toad

Closeup of the toad

View from the front yard--a million birds always come to eat the seeds, bugs, and grass

The nature explorers...Jedi (almost 7), Monkey (3 1/2), and Bitty Bug (20 months) And me. But you're not getting my age. 😉

Goofy children

My baby bug