Nature Study and Transitions

After removing a yucca that insists on crowding the lilac bush at the corner of the house, G1 and I cleared the native perennials that were already processed by the various forms of insects including bees leaving very little COLOR left.  The orange bush I bought from the County Forest Preserve several years ago was fascinating to examine.  The bush looked like this during the summer. Their catalog calls it Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa, and it sits on the east side of our house receiving full sun most of the day. 

 

Above is what it looks like in the Preserve's catalog when at its height of beauty in the summer.  We didn't get to see any orange yesterday and all the seed pods made the stalks heavy.  We trimmed the leaning stalks and found the seed pods could be opened.  Below we wanted to take special attention to the feathery wisps attached to each seed in the pod.  The seeds were lined up like a peacocks feathers.  This plant is native to the area and these wispy seeds help it get around. 

 

The transition part of this post relates to the fact that the math hurdle or vexations are past for now.  The long weekend found each G getting special math attentions from the Daddy.  Each student now is ready and willing to finish math expeditiously every morning after breakfast and Bible study. The rest of the day goes so well and tasks were finished in order to examine NATURE.