More on Oak Galls

I have started reading two "new" (to me), wonderful blogs by "Barb-Harmony Art Mom." She uses Charlotte Mason techinques and I love her blogs! She's inspired me so much in just the past few days I've been reading her posts. In fact, we started nature journals today because of her inspiration - though there have been others who've inspired me along the way. I guess I was finally ready and saw that sketching can take us beyond my photographs. When you sketch, you have to pay more attention to the details!

Anyway, she found an oak gall a few weeks ago and has done some research about them. It is so fascinating that these galls are actually houses for insects! Each type of house looks different, and she posted a link to a cool oak gall poster here.

Later this week, we are going on a nature walk with our local group and our topic happens to be trees. So, I'll be keeping a lookout for some galls. And, I hope to photograph... and sketch them!

Until then, here is a poem Barb shared from the Handbook of Nature Study:

"A green little world
With me at its heart!
A house grown by magic,
Of a green stem, a part.

My walls give me food
And protect me from foes,
I eat at my leisure,
In safety repose.

My house hath no window,
'Tis dark as the night!
But I make me a door
And batten it tight.

And when my wings grow
I throw wide my door;
And to my green castle
I return nevermore."