Reveling in the Tree Silhouettes of Winter

We had a break in our rain today and the sun came out for the first time in days. I have been keeping track of our rain totals and in our rain gauge I measured over fourteen inches in the past four days! It was a steady rain with strong downpours for periods of time...it was a lot of rain.

Today, I spent some time wandering in our backyard and noticing the trees. We live in a mixed conifer forested area so our yard has both deciduous and evergreen trees. The best way to share what I did for the tree silhouette challenge is to post lots of images.

The story really is about the trees. I encourage you to try to observe a bare winter tree both from afar and from underneath its branches. Look at the sky through the criss-crossing of the limbs. Take a photo and save it to compare the summer tree's shape.

"Children should also become familiar with trees at an early age. They should pick about six in the winter when the leaves are gone, perhaps an elm, a maple, a beech, etc, and watch them during the year."
Charlotte Mason, volume 1 page 52

 Try just one tree if you are overwhelmed by six. Keep it simple and fun for your kids. You may wish to visit this entry for more seasonal tree study ideas:
For The Love of Trees