Sharing Early Literacy Learning Journeys

Archive for the ‘Language Experience’ Category

Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves

These curves appeared in a sunny spot in the garden on consecutive mornings…

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An Eastern Garter Snake

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‘Eastern Garter Snake:  Probably the most commonly encountered snake.

Named after the fancy striped garters historically worn by men, they are

usually dark in colour with three yellowish stripes from head to tail, though

the pattern may be faint.’ With thanks to:
http://www.scisnake.com/download/snakesreferenceguide.pdf

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Good Grief! Where has Mrs Goose gone?

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Saturday, June 1st: A Canada Goose sits on her eggs
on a thin, log ‘island’ in the river.
How long has she been there?
… through wind and rain and ‘a terrible storm’.

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Friday, June 7th: Mr. Gander stands on guard whilst Mrs. Goose sits …

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and sits and sits and sits…
just like Horton, in Dr Suess’ Horton the Elephant.

Monday, June 10th: Good grief! Mrs. Goose has gone…
Where are the geese and their goslings?
I hope they are safe…

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One egg is left.
Is it The Ugly Duckling?
Will she be shunned by her brothers and sisters?
Will she become a beautiful swan?


Children’s books:
Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr Suess, 1962, London: Collins Clear-Type Press
The Ugly Duckling, Fairy Tale, Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark. First published, Nov 11th, 1843

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Children's books, Language Experience, Photography, Reading, Travel, Writing

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After the rain No. 2

After the rain…

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the eloquent Iris is dripping and  flagging…

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whilst the crystal, clear raindrops magnify the ‘lines’ on her long, lissome leaf.

Did you know…

the name Iris means rainbow?
Iris is the flower of the Greek goddess Iris who is the messenger of Love?
in the language of flowers Iris symbolizes eloquence?

With thanks to ‘the flower expert’

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Language Experience, Nature, Photographs, Writing

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What would Anne have called it?

Lilacs are prolific this spring.
Woodlands, roadsides and edges of fields are dotted with dark-lilac lilacs,
light-lilac lilacs and bright-white lilacs.

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White lilacs? I’ve only just learned of white lilacs.

Lilac Lane 2

In nearby woodlands, I wander on paths edged with fragrant lilacs.
I’m reminded of  Anne of Green Gables, one of my favourite children’s books.
I wonder aloud,
“What would Anne have called this path?”

Would Anne call it,  “Lilac Lane?” No. Too ordinary, like Diana’s Birch Path.

Lovers’ Lane… of Lilacs? No. She has a Lovers’ Lane already.

Lovely Lane of Lilacs? No. Lovely is not specific enough. But loveliest?

Loveliest Lilac Lane? No.

Luscious Lilac Lane? It’s a luscious fragrance that wafts by. Anne didn’t use ‘luscious’ – but she she learned  ‘scrumptious’ the day of the picnic.

Lavish Lilac Lane? Luxurious? Luxuriant?  No. But. lilacs are plentiful, pretty and pleasantly perfumed…

Longing lilacs? or Lingering lilacs?

Linger. Lilacs linger – especially in warm, spring weather. The fragrance lingers. And certainly Anne likes to linger…

Yes. That’s it… Anne may have called this path, Lane of Lingering Lilacs.

What do you think?

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What do you think Anne would have called the lilac framed path?

Montgomery, L. M. (1908). Anne of Green Gables.  Toronto: McClelland and Stewart-Bantam (Seal Books).

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‘Spring had come once more…’

“Spring had come once more to Green Gables – the beautiful, capricious, reluctant Canadian spring, lingering along through April and May in a succession of sweet, fresh, chilly days, with pink sunsets and miracles of resurrection and growth”  wrote Lucy Maud Montgomery (1908, p. 160) in Anne of Green Gables  – one of my favourite childhood books that I still read and enjoy today.

After a cool, capricious and certainly reluctant Canadian spring…

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we now have Anne’s ’empurpled’ violets…

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‘grass scattered with dandelions…’

Apple blossom

apple trees ‘showered over with blossoms’

Lily-of-the-valley

‘wild lilies-of-the-valley…’

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and one flower she doesn’t mention: the pretty purple-blue periwinkle.

Later in the book Montgomery says,  “… and then, almost before Anne realized it, spring had come again to Green Gables and all the world was abloom once more” (p.246).

Happily, now, at the end of May, I can also say, “Spring has come once more…”

Montgomery, L. M. (1908). Anne of Green Gables. Toronto: McClelland
and Stewart-Bantam (Seal Books).

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Children's books, Language Experience, Nature, Photographs, Reading

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After the rain…

After the rain,

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the dandelions’ delicate ‘fluff’ disappears
leaving a definite structure to admire…

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Language Experience, Nature, Photography

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A Turtle Takes a Walk…

A sunny morning walk from a pond at the edge of a woods… across a gravel road… towards a lake, reveals spring contrasts and camouflage…

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My dark, shiny shell contrasts with the grey/white gravel.

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A tulip stands alone, in new,
green growth on the forest floor.

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Bright, yellow daffodils dazzle midst old, brown cattails.

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Green and white trilliums make a spectacular ground
cover in contrast to the brown earth and rotting leaves.

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A motionless green and brown Leopard Frog is cleverly camouflaged
against old, beige grass of winter and new, green grass of spring .

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I bask in warm, morning sun on an old, black tyre by a dock.

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I stretch my neck as far as I can above the surface to see
if another Midland Painted turtle is nearby in the lake.

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Language Experience, Nature, Photography, Travel, Writing

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Trillions of Trilliums

Today I feel like Heidi may have felt when she discovered masses of wild flowers in the Alps – except I am in the woods when I come across masses of trilliums.

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Trillions of trilliums!

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One superbly formed flower… after another…

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But I don’t ‘gather great handfuls of flowers and
stuff them all into my apron’ like Heidi.

Instead, I photograph the brilliant white trilliums.

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When I get home, I learn three very good reasons for not gathering the wild flowers. One, trilliums bloom in April/May – a short time to enjoy their beauty. Two, a trillium takes up to 11 years to … (read more)

The trillium is Ontario’s Provincial flower or ‘floral emblem’.

Spyri, Johanna. (No date). Heidi: A Story for Children. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.

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Children's books, Language Experience, Literacy, Nature, Photographs, Travel, Writing

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