Janet

I planted two types of kale last year and it has wintered through -10 degree C temperatures and still produces delicious leaves. Right now the plants are flowering and there is an abundance of yellow. So, I decided to compare the two types. I have really taken them for granted. I know one plant provides small, 1 - 1.5 inch leaves, which are tougher, serrated, and the other provides leaves sometimes between 5 - 7 inches long. These are soft, papery leaves with tough leaf stems. Spending time allowed me to closely look at the leaf design and how each attaches to the main stalk. It also allowed me to compare the flowers and how the buds form then open. There were some similarities in flowers and both types had flowers of similar size and were yellow with only slight variation in colour. I know the pollinators like the flowers because I have seen some on there before. I looked carefully and saw the stamens in the centre, four in each flower on each plant. I laid out my page the same as Liz had done in her demonstration and this seemed to work well when comparing two plants.

Today is raining, a steady wet rain. I sat outside on our deck which is covered by a plastic roof and listened to the rain drumming on the top of a garbage can and tinkling on the top of the roof. The sound of water was loud, however, I also heard birds. My visible visitors were mostly pigeons and doves, landing on the wires, calling, flying and landing. I heard towhees and saw and heard crows. A robin perched on the top of the cedar tree. Rain drops are falling on the fresh leaves on our fruit trees and blossoms are falling to the ground. Lilac and Rosemary are in bloom. It is a very grey day, but not chilly, rising from 11 - 12 degrees C as I sat outside. I was surprised that 25 minutes had gone by when I returned indoors. Sounds and sights come easily to me. I did not taste anything, and smell was something I had to concentrate on...I smelled a very mild earthy smell, and I felt tiny spots of rain on my hands, which were likely splashes from the main drops on the deck. I sat on a dining room chair, which seemed ludicrously human! What a beautiful way to spend a while.

I have been receiving the Cornell Uni emails about birds for a few years and I get so many I usually skip them...sorry! However, Liz's one-hour demonstration of drawing a black and white warbler caught my eye and was very enjoyable, and I noted the offer of this course. Well, I looked into it and signed up. Here I am, happily. I am an artist and a birdwatcher, with very few paintings of birds to my name...so far. However, I have been enjoying painting mushrooms, leaves, blossoms and flowers. The idea of nature journaling appeals because I love plein air painting. It allows me to slow down and just be peaceful, note what is going on, see birds come and go, and watch weather changes and light and shadow play over water and headland. I like the idea of journaling each day for a month, and I like the idea of journaling to capture the essence of a trip. I think I prefer vivid pictures of varying sizes together with notes and arrows pointing to specific details, plus writing that runs around the pictures and down the page. I also like the idea of identifying what I have found and adding that information later. Briony Penn published her nature journal and from what I recall it was exquisite. (Here is a link to her book. It is not quite a nature journal per se, although, perhaps it is. Anyway, I think it looks exciting.)