Book Review: Fifteen Minutes Outside-365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect With Your Kids

All those years ago when our family started implementing the idea to go outside for just fifteen minutes at a time, we could never have imagined all the things we would find to learn about and enjoy as we spent just a little time each day together in our own backyard.


Rebecca Cohen has written a gem of a book, Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids, which explores this idea even more as she made a promise to herself to get outside for at least fifteen minutes each day for an entire year...no matter the weather.

By month and season, Rebecca Cohen gives the reader a  comprehensive list of things to actually do outdoors during those fifteen minutes outside, providing suggestions to make it more enjoyable.

"Going outside with my family every day has changed my life. Instead of frantically running from task to task, I have learned to use the spaces in my schedule to look around, breathe deeply, and live in the moment."
Rebecca Cohen - 15 Minutes Outside

These monthly lists form the heart of this book and will inspire families for many years...no more wondering what to do outside or how to entice your children into stepping outdoors with you. You can keep this book handy and reference it on those days where you just don't feel like going outside but know that once you do you will be refreshed.

As a family, we are naturally happier when we are outside, learning and active together. It doesn't feel like a chore."

Rebecca Cohen - 15 Minutes Outside

Don't miss the opportunity to give these ideas a try. Currently the price of this book on Amazon.com is $10.19.....what a bargain. She has a free download list of  "50 Outdoor Activities for Busy Families" that you can use to get you started.

My copy of this book has found a spot on my nature shelf and its pages are marked and highlighted with things I want to try with my boys. Although the book is aimed at younger children, I found quite a few ideas to explore with my teens.

Rebecca aimed to keep the activities in this book simple, little or no cost, and to be enjoyed every day of the year. I think she hit the mark and this book will help nature loving families to enrich their time outdoors without much extra effort. Thanks Rebecca!


Along with the book, she has a wonderful product that I know you are going to love! She has created Curiosity Cards for you to use as starting points for conversations that can take place anywhere. These laminated cards on a ring can be stowed easily in a purse, backpack, or hooked to a stroller. I recently took these on a day trip with my family and we made use of the cards as a way to stimulate meaningful conversations about thoughts, emotions, dreams for the future, and just plain getting to know each other better.

• What would you like do more of every day?
• Find two things that feel different from each other.
• Look for animal tracks or signs of animals.
• What game could we make up right now?

These Curiosity Cards are a gem and I give them a big thumbs up for my fellow nature loving families. You will use these for a long time in your family. 

Don't miss Rebecca's website: Rebecca Plants. Here you will find lots of encouragement for getting outdoors with your family, including a whole series of videos to watch.

Rebecca has generously offered to supply a copy of the 15 Minutes Outside book to one of my readers. Use the Rafflecopter gadget to enter a random drawing for one copy of this exciting book. Hurry and enter the giveaway before midnight 7/27/12 and I will announce the winner over the weekend.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note that I was not paid for this review but I did receive the book and Curiosity Cards for free in exchange for my honest opinion.


Rebecca's products are a perfect compliment to the 
Outdoor Hour Challenge!

Playful Learning Ecademy - Through the Lens: Giveaway!

Playful Learning is a website that I love to just browse and be inspired by. Mariah Bruehl has such a wonderfully fresh style about everything she shares for families whether it is setting up learning centers, encouraging artwork, or helping us create wonderful experiences outside in our own backyards.

I recently reviewed her book, Playful Learning, over at The Curriculum Choice and I encourage you to pop over there and read more about this wonderful resource that you can use with all ages, all styles of learners, and keep as an inspiration reference in your learning book library.



Mariah is now offering online classes which she calls Playful Learning Ecademy. I am signed up with my son to take the next course which is Through the Lens. This course will use digital photography to inspire writing and art.

There will be four weekly classes which you can work through at your own pace. She will email you a video to explain the week's suggested activities and then you are free to complete the assignment as you have time with your children.

She suggests this course for children ages six through twelve (along with their grown-ups). My son is a little older than the age range but we thought it would be fun to test out this course and see how it inspires us in our outdoor time.

In order to take the course you need a digital camera, a way to print photos, and a blank journal. There is also the opportunity to share your work and to interact with other eCourse participants.

Through the Lens

It starts July 18 and ends August 8, 2012.

Cost: $68.00.

Would you like to have the opportunity to join the class? I am going to keep it simple.

Giveaway is now Officially Over

Giveaway for Playful Learning Ecademy: Through the Lens

Leave a comment and tell me which aspect of the course you are most excited about: digital photography, writing, art, journaling, or connecting them all together. One comment per reader please and make sure I can contact you after the winner is randomly chosen. You will have 48 hours to respond to the email and if I don't hear from you, I will choose another winner.

I will randomly choose one winner of the Through The Lens Ecademy course on 7/11/12 at noon. Make sure to leave a comment by then! Feel free to share this giveaway with your friends!

Update 7/11/12: Maria Mitchell is the winner of the 

Through the Lens Ecademy course! 

Congratulations!

Check out this upcoming Ecademy course.

Playful Learning Theory + Practice

Cost: $15.00






Please note that I am an affiliate for Playful Learning and I received this Ecademy course to try for free. My review of the course in August will be my honest opinion and I received no other compensation. 

Summer Nature Study: Something New Every Day

"Children are quick. In fifteen minutes, they will have finished with their sight-seeing exercise or imaginary picture painting. Other than that, an occasional discovery that the mother shows them with a name and maybe a dozen words about it at just the right time are all that's needed; the children will have formed an interest in something they can continue on their own. Just one or two of these discoveries should happen in any given day."
Charlotte Mason, volume 6 page 78

We spent our fifteen minutes everyday this week outside in our own yard. Here is a short list of the things we noticed and enjoyed from our time outdoors.

• There were robins in the grass after the sprinklers turned off.
• For the first time this year, we observed a tattered Monarch butterfly in our garden.
• Our sunflowers started blooming..some yellow, some orange, some almost brown.
• We noticed the first blooming morning glories in the front container garden.
• We saw Painted Lady butterflies and Western Tiger Swallowtails too. There were a few more but we had to pull out the field guide so we can identify them the next time we see them in the garden.
• The zucchini is blossoming.
• The Starlings are back and eating the little fruits off the tree on our fence line.Noisy birds.
• Hummingbirds in the butterfly bushes and the Red Hot Pokers. Amazing to watch.
• Day lilies, day lilies, day lilies!
• Big black bees in the lavender...had to cut it back off the walkway. 
• The winds on Tuesday and Wednesday were not cool at all...hot! The breeze on Friday was cool and from a different direction.

Those are just the discoveries we brainstormed as I was typing this up. This informal everyday noticing of nature related subjects taking just a few minutes a day adds such joy to our busy lives. As my boys grow older, I love that we have established this habit of noticing the seasonal changes and the cycle of life in our own backyard. You don't always need to do lots of talking and follow-up to make nature study meaningful. Sometimes it is just the time spent together and enjoying a moment during your day.

We truly do discovery something every time we make the effort to get outside.

Give it a try! The Outdoor Hour Challenge July Newsletter is going to have suggestions for nature study when it is hot and humid. Make sure to subscribe to this blog for your free copy of it the minute it publishes.

To subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study, you can enter your email in the box below and you will receive each blog entry in your email inbox. Thank you so much for reading and supporting this blog!

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I am submitting this entry to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival and if you have any entries you would like to submit, you can send them to this email address: charlottemasonblogs@gmail.com. The official blog carnival site is not working so you will need to send them directly to this email.

Great American Backyard Campout - Nature Study Style

It's a whole different world...your backyard at night.

I encourage you to open up a new level of nature study, done at night under the stars in combination with the Great American Backyard Campout!



Watch an introductory video!
June 23, 2012 - The National Wildlife Federation is sponsoring the Great American Backyard Campout and you are invited. From their website,"Spend the night under the stars with National Wildlife Federation and take your family’s first step into a lifetime filled with healthy, outdoor fun."



If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next?

My boys put their tent on the back deck during the summer.

I know that sleeping outdoors can seem scary and unfamiliar but overcoming the fear of being outside at night is worth the effort. You will realize there are some amazing things going on between sunset and sunrise right in your own backyard!

Combine nature study with an overnight backyard campout 

and you will build family memories that last a lifetime.

Prepare with some nature study ideas from the Outdoor Hour Challenge!

• #2 Using Your Words (Getting Started ebook)
• #23 Moths  and Summer 2010
• #24 Crickets and Summer 2010
• #49 Bats and Summer 2010
• Fireflies (Summer 2010 ebook)
• Stars and Moon (winter study you can adapt - Winter 2010 ebook)
• Sounds (Summer 2010 ebook)
• Night Blooming Flowers (Summer 2010 ebook)

Pick a challenge, read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study, and then look for an opportunity to apply what you learned. Keep it fun and always, always, always follow your child's lead if they find something they are interested in. You can follow up with a library book or a Google search in the morning.

Bring a few art supplies outdoors and your nature journal so you are prepared if you find something of interest. If you have a nature related storybook or a favorite outdoor adventure book, bring it out for some after dark reading with a flashlight.

More than anything else, be aware of your surroundings and use all your senses, when you can't rely on your vision...listen, feel, and smell the nighttime in your backyard. Try to spend a few minutes just sitting quietly in the dark if your children are able and see what you notice. Even a few seconds of quiet is good for younger children.

If you are new to nature study, you may wish to download and print out my free nature study guide:

Nature Study-Three Steps to a Better Nature Experience.

How about a free printable notebook page?

My Backyard at Night.

As part of this great event, I am teaming up with five other bloggers to promote getting outside and having fun with your children. All of us have put together some exciting, informative, and easy ideas to get you started planning your own Great American Backyard Campout for this coming weekend.

The tips in these posts will apply to any camping you do with your children so make sure to bookmark, Pin, and promote these links! We even started a Camping With Kids Pinterest board for you to follow and glean even more ideas as the summer goes by. I know for my regular readers the list below includes a few new faces and I encourage you to click over and visit these awesome bloggers who take getting outdoors with their children seriously. Leave them a comment and let them know you popped over from the Handbook of Nature Study.

1. Adventure Tykes – Melissa
2. Go Explore Nature - Debi
3. Hodgepodge – Tricia
4. Spell Outloud – Maureen
5. Tales of a Mountain Mama – Amelia

Nature Study - Living Science Beyond the Books

Every parent hopes their child receives a solid education in science. This is the case whether our children are homeschooled or attending a more traditional school. Many parents, including myself, know we received very little "real" science education growing up and when it comes time to teaching or supporting science learning in our children, we feel inadequate. This doesn't need to be the case.

Jeannie Fulbright wrote on the Apologia Blog, Overcoming the Fear of Science, which I read with interest. It got me thinking about how I have seen my own children gain a real, living science education using books and experiences.



For our family, providing the opportunities for science as part of our every day life has been as easy as opening our back door and doing some exploring together.  Books are a wonderful window to the world but true heartfelt science learning takes place when you learn about things you can see, touch, smell, and hear.



Birds in a book are great but birds in your very own feeder are a living and breathing example to learn from. We have found what works best is observation first and then facts. For example, we learned more by trying to identify these feathers...using a feather identification key for the first time, reasoning on which birds we see in our backyard, and then narrowing it down to a few bird choices.We had to learn the different kinds of bird feathers and make careful observations about color and pattern. So much to build on from just this simple feather find from our backyard.



Learning about pollen in a book is interesting but seeing it on a flower, watching a bee covered in it, and then perhaps looking at the flower pollen with a hand lens take it to a whole new dimension. Suddenly you care about the pollen...it means something. My son noticed the little yellow specks on these California Lilacs and we brought them inside for closer inspection...pollen! No wonder the bees are swarming around this plant in our yard!



Mr. A found this spider on a flower blossom and we spent some time watching it together. Direct observation of a spider takes the fear away and allows the awe to settle in for such an amazing living creature. Live and up close is the best kind of learning for science....books are there to support or to generate interest.

"Nature study, as far as it goes, is just as large as is science for "grown-ups". It may deal with the same subject matter and should be characterized by the same accuracy. It simply does not go so far."
Anna Botsford Comstock, Handbook of Nature Study

She supports the idea that beginning with nature study and observation we can build on those ideas and experiences and go farther with more formal science. For a complete picture of how she outlines nature study for families, read the introductory pages of the Handbook of Nature Study (pages 1-24).

"Adults should realize that the most valuable thing children can learn is what they discover themselves about the world they live in. Once they experience first-hand the wonder of nature, they will want to make nature observation a life-long habit. All people are supposed to be observers of nature and there's no excuse for living in a world so full of amazing plants and animals and not be interested in them."
Charlotte Mason, Volume 1

So, I think we are in good company. Thanks Jeannie for the insightful and informative post that got me thinking about this very important topic. We can provide or support science education in our homes if we remember to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Open eyes, open hearts, and then open minds...living science.



If you would like some help getting started with nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study, I invite you to read more about the Outdoor Hour Challenges that I offer each Friday here on my blog. The first ten challenges which will help you to become a better nature study guide are all gathered into one convenient ebook along with follow-up nature notebooking pages for you to print. I would love to help you get started on a more meaningful path of science learning.

Nature Study - 3 Steps to a Better Experience

"The Field Lesson. When planning a field lesson, three points should be kept in mind:
First. The aim, to bring the children into sympathy or in touch with nature, through the study of that part of nature in which they have been interested.
Second. The conditions out of doors, where the children are at home, where they must have greater freedom than in the schoolroom, and where it is more difficult to keep them at definite work, and to hold their attention.
Third. The necessity of giving each child something definite to find out for himself, and of interesting the children so that each will try to find out the most and have the greatest number of discoveries to tell."  Nature Study and The Child, Charles B. Scott, 1900.

I am finding that for my high school aged son there needs to be a different sort of follow-up to our observations...more than just a nature journal. He is using his past experiences with nature study and making some connections. This has led me to going back to the internet to research more closely how nature study develops into upper level science. I am finding it fascinating. I am excited to share my findings and show how I am implementing the ideas learned with my son as we go along (see the printable below).

"But true science work does not stop with mere seeing, hearing, or feeling: it not only furnishes a mental picture as a basis for reasoning, but it includes an interpretation of what has been received through the senses."
Nature Study for the Common Schools, Wilbur Samuel Jackman, 1891

This is the part of nature study I find most meaningful for my son. When he can take something he already knows and build on it with new information, he develops an interest. If I am merely telling him a fact, no matter how interesting the fact is, he is not as impressed. He needs to find the answers to his questions.

Pacific Madrone 

"Adults should realize that the most valuable thing children can learn is what they discover themselves about the world they live in." Charlotte Mason, volume 1 page 61

My research found that this pattern - observation, reasoning, expression - is nothing new or unique to nature study. This pattern is the process that all science is built upon. Watching my son work through the More Nature Study ebook challenges has brought this into focus for me. I wrote the challenges to include advanced study and just happened to present it in this three step pattern.



If you haven't yet downloaded and read my Nature Study-Three Steps To A Better Experience, I invite you to now. It outlines in simple form how to build a lifetime habit of meaningful nature study.

I am submitting this entry to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival and if you have any entries you would like to submit, you can send them to this email address: charlottemasonblogs@gmail.com. The official blog carnival site is not working so you will need to send them directly to this email.

Nature Study - Review Your Fieldwork

After the children have spent fifteen or twenty minutes at work in the field, it may be well to gather them together there, ascertain what they have discovered...The general review of what they have learned can, however, be conducted much better in the schoolroom than out of doors.....Encourage them to tell all they can about what they have seen, with as few questions as possible.....After the oral review, what has been learned in the field lesson can be fixed by a blackboard reading lesson. The statements should be obtained from the children, and should embody the important facts or thoughts gained out of doors This will not only review and clinch what the children have learned out of doors, but will give them practice in expressing their ideas clearly and exactly, and in relating ideas, or putting their statements in sequence or order.
Nature Study and the Child by Charles B. Scott

• Nature study does not need to take a lot of time and can be accomplished in a relaxed and natural way. 
• For young children, start off with just an oral review of their experiences out of doors. 
• As they get older, you can write some of their words on a white board for them to copy into their nature journal. 
• Eventually, after much practice, they will be able to complete all the review of their field work on their own.

Use the three steps to better nature study as outlined in my nature printable and your family will enjoy years of satisfying outdoor time.


Now a little blog business:
I forgot to announce the winner of the blog carnival/newsletter giveaway. All participants in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival were entered to win a copy of my very new More Nature Study Book #3 ebook that will release next week. I used Random.org to generate a winner.

The winner is Diana from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too. I will confirm with you your email address and send your copy on March 5, 2012. Congratulations!

Thank you to all who participated in last month's carnival!

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival- Nature Study Edition February 2012

Yes! We have a new Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival button! Click over to read about it at Fisher Academy International....she has the code for you to grab and the official announcement of the winning design and CurrClick prize!






Here we are in the middle of winter with its many splendors and wonders. Each season is something to savor...winter is the season that defines all other seasons. We look forward to the greening of spring, to the long days of summer, and to the colorful autumn hours spent readying for another winter. Charlotte Mason understood the value of nature study and I hope this carnival helps you in your family's outdoor studies.

Thank you to all the participants!



Nature Study

Angie from Petra School starts us off with their family Twig Study (part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge from the month of January). This entry is packed with outdoor goodness...their time outdoors, their study, and then their nature journals. Excellent example of nature study with boys.

Nancy submits her Shakespeare and Starlings entry for you to enjoy. She has put together a very interesting post which ties these two topics together. I invite you to read and see for yourself!

Michelle from The Holistic Homeschooler shares their interesting outdoor nature study related entry: Field Trip-Air Potato Roundup. This is a new to me topic that you will find interesting.

Lanaya from Gore Family News gives us their Nature Study Lately post to read and enjoy. She shares their family's nature study process...very nicely done!

Sarah from All That is Good has written and submitted her post Thinking Ahead to Nature Study for this edition of the carnival. Loads of information for you to glean from in this entry.

Barb from Harmony Art Mom (that's me!) submits Nature Study For High School Students - Reflections. This entry shares some thoughts from the Handbook of Nature Study and some practical tips for your family to apply as the years go by.

Patti from School Days Scrapbook treats us to a glimpse into their icy world: Tracks and Trails. I invite you to visit her blog and enjoy her beautiful wintery images.

Martha from Sunrise to Sunset shares their Outdoor Time entry from their Texas nature study. They look like they are going to have an early spring.

Tammy from Aut-2B Home in Carolina has complied their nature study projects for the carnival. Read all about their nature study ideas in her entry, Nature Study in a Ginormous Room. 

Leah from Home Grown Babies has put together a photo journal sort of entry as part of this nature study edition of the Charlotte Mason Carnival. I invite you to read her entry, I Love Days Like These.

Makita from Academic Celestia shares their Gall Nature Study with the carnival. She shares their large collection of galls...fascinating topic!


Other Charlotte Mason Related Topics

Tricia and her Middle Girl have started a series of acrylic paint tutorials. Be sure to check out their very first one: Cupcake-Acrylic Paint Tutorial. I love the color selection and the whimsy of this project. We all look forward to the next one.

Cindy from Our Westward Journey shares an Armor of God Object lesson with carnival readers this time around.

Michelle from The Holistic Homeschooler shares her very artistic daughter in her entry, Another Artist From My Home. What a treat!

Jimmie from Jimmie's Collage has written a thoughtful post and she shares it with you in this edition of the carnival, Homeschooling is Like Exercise. This is a great analogy and I invite you to read the comments as well with some additional ideas to apply.

Leah from Home Grown Babies has put together a living math post for the carnival: Charlotte Mason Maths. She shares some great ideas.

Click for free nature study related printables:

1. Cindy from Our Journey Westward
2. Maureen from Spell Outloud
3. Jimmie from Jimmie's Collage
4. Lauren from Mama's Learning Corner
5. Amanda from Hearts and Trees

6. Barb from Handbook of Nature Study

You are welcome to submit any Charlotte Mason blog entry to the next carnival HERE.



Don't forget the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 17-20, 2012!

Nature Study - Keeping the Spirit Alive

"Nature study aims to keep the observing spirit alive."

Nature-Study, a manual for teachers.

Nature study can become a part of your life. It can weave itself into your mind and heart....binding thoughts, facts, ideas, and emotions together. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that nature study can be your way of life, looking at things more intently. This sort of nature study education is not about facts but about a way of looking at life. It is a priceless gift we can give our children.

The desire to learn more about the natural world does become a burning spirit once it is lit. You need to know the names of things just like you know the names of your intimate friends. You no longer can restrict your days to the indoors and you can feel when you have been housebound too long with cobwebs starting to form on your nature journal. You realize you must get outside so you can breathe again. 

Nurture the Spirit

Look for the spot of sunshine, stand still, close your eyes, and let it warm you inside and out. Open your eyes again and see things with a fresh view. Better yet, look at things from your child's view. Draw them outside with you and then follow their lead. Teach them by example how being outside is an enjoyable experience and can be an adventure. Nurture in them that nature study spirit.




Scheduled Publish Date: 12/28/11

Knowledge Leads to Pleasure-My Heartfelt Thank You

"Knowledge is power. It is also pleasure or affords pleasure. Many students learn for the mere pleasure of learning. This is the case of the scientist who discovers the laws of nature or proves a theory, without a thought of their practical application. Even a child in the satisfaction of his curiosity has a similar feeling.

But we can get sweet and helpful pleasure also from the sensuous enjoyment of the beauty of nature's forms and colors, the songs of birds and the sound of running waters, the fragrance of the flowers and the smell of the earth and sea, the delicious flavor of fruit, the warmth of the genial sunshine, the touch of our feet on the ground, or the feel of the earth as we lie upon it. These pleasures of the senses, though not the higher kind, should not be neglected. Without them life would be much more matter-of-fact and uninteresting"
Nature Study and the Child by Charles B. Scott, late 1800's

I want to say that my life has truly been enriched by keeping this blog of our family's adventures. The knowledge we have gained about the natural world, seeing the creation of a loving heavenly Father, has indeed made our hearts full and life more sweet. But this blog would not be complete if it were not for all the wonderful people who have joined us along the way. The kinship of like-hearted moms who have helped create a place of sharing and encouragement is really the other ingredient to the Handbook of Nature Study blog.

Our woodpecker tree

The journey has been even more pleasurable as I have come to know many, many families from around the world who also take time to spend a few minutes each week outdoors with their children. I want to seize this opportunity to thank those who nominated the Handbook of Nature Study for the Best Homeschool Nature Study Blog again this year. This community has helped build a great nature study blog and resource. As the winner of the 2011 Homeschool Blog Award we can perhaps share our adventure with some new families who learn about the weekly challenges and start to participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Make sure to check out the other winning blogs when you have some time.

Kona and I say, "Thank you so much."

My thank you would not be complete without a word or two to my wonderful supportive husband and my four children, without which this adventure would never have started. Seeing the world through your eyes has made every moment more special. Thanks for putting up with your crazy nature loving mama. I look forward to many more years of adventures either with you at my side or as I hear of your own journeys out into the world.

2009 Family Photo - Under the Sequoias

Nature Study When You Travel - Kona Coffee Farms

Vacation nature study is a great way to learn more about the natural beauty and richness of a new place. We always try to include learning in our travel time and Hawaii affords some unique opportunities.

Especially for coffee lovers. Which I am....a lover of Kona coffee.

We visited two coffee farms on the Big Island of Hawaii and were able to tag along on a coffee tour at both places. The first farm was Mountain Thunder and we drove up the side of the mountain/volcano to try out their organic coffees. We met up with the tour and the first thing the guide showed us were the coffee trees.



Did you know that coffee continually blooms from February to October...at the upper elevation of this particular farm? You can have blossoms, green cherries, and red cherries all on the same branch. You harvest the berries when they are red so with coffee there is no one time harvest, it is a continual process.



We picked a few cherries ourselves, opened them up and tasted the sweet, slimy inside around the bean. There are normally two beans in every cherry (when there is only one round bean it is called a "peaberry"). The red skins are not wasted. They either compost them or make them into "Kona Red" which is a product rich in antioxidants. We were able to taste Kona Red tea and it was light and tasty.


Can you smell the heavenly aroma of coffee beans roasting? We were able to observe the whole process from bean picking to roasting at Mountain Thunder. Afterwards, we tasted coffee, sipping the steaming cups and delighting in the heady fragrance of the,100% Kona coffee. I chose a package of whole beans to bring home and enjoy here in California plus a box of dark chocolate espresso beans (haven't cracked the box yet...waiting).



Here was the resident cat at Mountain Thunder.....she looks like she needs a cup of the good stuff.


We also visited a coffee farm lower down in elevation. Greenwell Farms is a popular tourist stop and they were geared up for lots of tasting there. This was our second visit but our first time touring the farm. We were able to actually walk out and see the rows and rows of trees.



Here we saw the beans as "parchment" where they are drying in the sheds. They pull back the sliding roof and stir the beans. It was amazing how much work goes into a coffee bean to make my little cup of coffee. I know one of my readers is also a lover of Kona coffee and she drinks Greenwell Farms Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee (Hi Ellen!) but I am in love with their Chameleon Blend Kona Coffee. 


One last photo especially for Tricia over at Hodgepodge. Can you believe the size of these hydrangeas? These were along the road near Mountain Thunder and I thought of you when I saw them...had to stop to take a photo.


We really enjoyed the coffee farms on our trip but that was not the only opportunity we made for nature study related activities. I will post soon about our ocean adventures.