~ guilty pictures ~

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I believe I've mentioned that we have a new kitten?

Her name is Cirra - short for Cirrus,

 named for the swirling stripes and belly spots that resemble cirrus clouds.

I just received my camera changer in the mail (thanks Dad!)

and found these guilty pictures from the girls.

They'll get a little talking-to about respecting furry family members......

By process of elimination, the copyright to all photographs in this post is held by Olivia. 

Cirra is in my basket of hexipuffs.

A second attempt is made to put the kitten in the basket. 

This time she won't pause for pictures....

Friends, family and online friends - is there anyone else who needs to be invited to my little blog?

Please let me know in the comments! :D

~carrie~

~ sunday hike: mcdowell nature preserve ~

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Well, we decided to take our Sunday Hike on Saturday,

and I decided I didn't feel like posting it until Wednesday.

We hiked the Shady Hollow Trail at McDowell Nature Preserve,

and then connected with the Cove Trail, 

for a nice, long (for kids) hike.

We found some of the first Spring ephemeral wildflowers!

I could go on and on about these, 

but I think I'll save botanical stuff for a separate post.  

Maybe I'll even get an in-focus picture of these little beauties, eh? 

Daddy knocks on this hollowed out tree to see if anyone is home.

It looks like the perfect flying squirrel residence, but we didn't see anyone.

Dead standing trees, called snags, are a very important part of the ecosystem.

Winter allows you to gaze through the forest.

This forest is not that old, 

but the fact that it isn't choked with saplings and invasive species is a good thing.

We come down the hill and walk along the shore of Lake Wylie for the rest of the hike.

Lela and Liv ran ahead, while Laurel took her time to poke among the stumps at the water's edge.

We pause to play and explore in a little cove.

Lela has found a catkin of some sort, washed up on the shore.

It was a bit more of a reddish color than this picture shows.

Many different trees produce flowers like these, and they're a lot of fun to play with!

In the little cove, the banks are steep and covered with beautiful mosses and lichens.

Their forms are exquisite and near-endless in variation. 

Below, little reproductive stalks lift the moss spores above the fray. 

Mosses have an other-worldly quality, at least to me.

I get my nose as close down to them as eyesight will allow,

and notice spider silk floating over what I imagine are tiny trails and burrows.

I feel as if I could stare at it for hours, 

gently probing,

and feel certain a little faery would poke her head up.

The mosses and lichens crowd each other, 

growing as closely to one another as they can.

Lichens are a fungus and an algae, growing together for mutual gain.

I imagine that their cooperative spirit is contagious, 

and the resulting neighborhood is friendly and helpful.

Maybe this little lichen sends up its little spore stalk (the cup-like object near the middle)

that can also double as a bird-bath for tiny faery-birds.

I can definitely see little pixies lounging around this acorn cap hot tub!

I have to move on from my magical macro world,

and unscrunch my back and legs.

Zelda is always watchful, and keeps her eyes on the girls.

She's just about the best dog in the world!

Laurel finds more spring wildflowers!

  A beaver scent mound marks territory....we're getting close to their dams! 

  

About the point on our hike, I ripped the end of my toe badly with a stick.

My eagerness to wear my Chacos on this warm afternoon.......

Walking around in a bloody sandal (yuck) 

meant that I missed taking pictures of the vast beaver activity along the creek.

Another post.....

Even more spring ephemerals!

I will be sharing more about these beauties soon.

  

 We rounded off our hike with a few minutes of creek exploration.....

 ......and grapevine swinging!

This is such a great park! 

If you're in the Charlotte area, you should definitely visit McDowell Nature Preserve!

~carrie~

~ the last 7 days ~

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~ local green peanuts were transformed into delicious boiled peanuts ~

 ~ lucas and lela ~

 ~ a tiny magical dew-covered feather ~

 ~ barred owls frequent our yard and we find feathers of them, and their prey, often ~

 ~ okra and cucumber harvest ~

 ~ orange-tipped oakworm moth, currently a pupa on our nature table ~

 ~ ants keep our crowder peas aphid-free ~

(When Liv was watering the crowder peas,

it caused one of the buds 

to suddenly burst open into a lovely lavender blossom!)

~ we began some gentle lessons, starting with some straight forms ~

Have a lovely weekend.......

~carrie~

~ fun with friends ~

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 ~ celebrating the 2nd birthday of a special little girl ~

 ~ visiting with kittens ~

~ mommas laughing ~ 

 ~ faery fireman ~

 ~ noticing my noise-sensitive daughter ~

  

 ~ birthday girl ~

 ~ boys entertaining the crowd ~

 ~ chocolate cupcakes with homemade vanilla icing ~

  

  

  ~ outside for slippery fun ~

 

 ~ the girls came back inside for rest and relaxing ~

 

It looks like kitten adoption is become more likely.

I have never seen girls so smitten!

~ carrie ~