Egg Dyeing

We'd already learned a little about pysanky during our Russia Unit (though they are Ukrainian, strictly speaking) so it was fun to try the techniques ourselves (sort of) (not that our "techniques," i.e. drawing on the eggs with white crayon, produce really anything close to those beautiful works of art). You can buy pysanky kits and use actual melted beeswax to create the patterns, but that seemed like something to try when the kids are older. :)  Here are some traditional pysanky symbols/patterns we learned about.

Anyway, we had the most fun dyeing eggs that we've ever had. As an adult, this has been a tradition I don't get too excited about, though I love hard-boiled eggs---just plopping the eggs in egg-dye seems like way too little fun for the bother/mess factor involved. But creating patterns and interesting color combinations made it engaging enough to be worth it. We painted some designs on the eggs with clear nail polish, as well as using the white-crayon method, and those turned out really pretty also. I especially loved watching Sam come up with designs for his eggs.

We also did onion-skin eggs, using this method, which turned out SO pretty. I want to try some of these other natural dyeing techniques too, sometime. 

The finished eggs---lovely rainbows of them. Ahhhh.

Lake Solitude Hike

Off from Silver Lake, there are a couple trails leading off to other lakes. We've always wanted to explore them, so this week, with some fellow hike-loving friends to keep us company, we tried the Lake Solitude trail. It was just right for kids (10 of them, to be precise): not too steep, not too rocky, and not too long or tiring. Unless you were carrying a heavy baby. The leaves were beautiful---though, as Andrea said, you really have to go every other day or so if you want to see all the colors. The underbrush had already changed and some of the trees weren't quite ready to change---but anyway, what we saw was quite sufficiently beautiful!

We were lucky enough to see two moose! They were on the same side of the lake as last time, but this time they were in the water.You can see them both in this picture.

Closer.

Eli forges ahead

After Miriam and Seb were done with the picture, Harriet figured out we were taking one, and smiled sweetly for it.

I love this. Children swarming on this rock like beetles.

I call this picture, "I, Cowen, have conquered this rock."

Nice pose, Emmeline

Aaa! So pretty I can't stand it.

Emerging from the forest into this gold light. Lovely.

A companionable rest.

We got to walk right under this ski lift, to great excitement among the group

The lake itself was really pretty. Only two of us fell in the mud.

Sweet Harriet was so cute on this rock. She's such a happy baby! But brace yourself, it gets cuter . . . 

Eeeee!

We had such a great time. What a beautiful hike!

On the way out, this stand of red aspens caught my eye. These same aspens were orange and red last year, too! Is it their location that causes it, I wonder?

We were hurrying off to get to Abe's choir concert, but I kept wanting to stop on the way down and take pictures because it was SO beautiful. "Don't let me stop," I'd say to the children. "We're in a hurry." And then, while they all yelled, "No, no, don't stop!" at me, I'd say, ". . . Oh, I just can't resist!" 

Millcreek Hike

I usually post all my pretty Fall leaf pictures on my other blog, but I guess they'll go both places this time. These are pictures from our hike in Millcreek Canyon. You have to pay ($3) to go up Millcreek, which stopped us from going for a long time, but now that I know how great it is, I don't mind paying. It's so lovely---the road is smaller than in the other canyons (not a big highway) and you feel a lot closer to the trees. Sometimes you drive through big tunnels of trees, which I love. And, since you've paid to get in, all the picnic areas are free (I think---at least the ones I've seen), which makes it actually cheaper than the Cottonwoods, if you're picnicking.

Anyway, the leaves were gorgeous. The weather all week has been just beautiful. Perfect for a hike.

Meadow at the top

There was a big round platform by the restroom here. I don't know what it was for, but Daisy and Sebby made use of it in the obvious way (running around in circles).

We were looking for several things on this hike. Sap was one of them. Mission accomplished!

We also wanted to find seedlings and saplings. The kids were very pleased when they found trees the same height as themselves!

I tried and tried to get a picture of this pretty spiderweb. This one only sort of shows it.

Lovely backdrop for a picnic!

Tree and Leaf Unit

Sebby said I shouldn't call this unit "Trees and Leaves" because leaves are already part of trees. He's right, but I'm calling it that anyway. And if this unit sounds like a gratuitous excuse to get outside at this time of year and see the Fall Leaves, it is. I love taking advantage of the season to learn about things we'd be wondering about anyway!

We discovered lots of interesting things during this unit. I remembered from my own school days that the autumn-colored pigments were in the leaves all along, just masked by the chlorophyll, but I learned for the first time that only the yellows and oranges (carotene and xanthophyll) are actually present all year. Red leaves appear when glucose is left in the leaves (from photosynthesis) rather than all used up when the weather turns colder. When the glucose is exposed to sunlight, another pigment (anthocyanin) is made, giving the leaf its red color.

We also learned that the largest living organism is a grove of aspen trees in Utah! Its name is "Pando," which means "I spread," which freaks me out just a little, but I'm okay.

The kids really liked this online quiz about things that come from trees.

This website has some interesting tree/leaf information. Every year I try to remember what kind of weather makes for the brightest leaves, but I always forget. So I was quite happy that this site told me:

A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions – lots of sugar and light – spur production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year.  

The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. Like the weather, soil moisture varies greatly from year to year. The countless combinations of these two highly variable factors assure that no two autumns can be exactly alike. A late spring, or a severe summer drought, can delay the onset of fall color by a few weeks. A warm period during fall will also lower the intensity of autumn colors. A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights should produce the most brilliant autumn colors.

We enjoyed extracting the chlorophyll from leaves (see here)

And I had the kids memorize this poem, which is one of my favorites:

Gathering Leaves
by Robert Frost

Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.

But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.

I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who's to say where
The harvest shall stop?