Polar Notes: Some Days We Just Like To Make Stuff

I have an extensive list of projects. One I crossed off my list this past week...woo hoo.

Amelia's Summer Scrapbook.

The problem...it was from 2012. :P

Since I am a collector of pamphlets, brochures and ticket stubs, I figured doing a quick album of our Summer travels would be a fun day or so project. I just got carried away.

GOOD NEWS: Now I got the idea...this years summer scrapbook should be completed that much quicker...eh...I think. Stay tuned.

Another project is almost completed. My niece Katie's daughter Olivia's 2nd birthday bash invite. Used her dog as the theme and dolled her up in Powerpoint...complete with a bone. Only need to finish making the envelopes and can check that off the list too. Quite cute I think!

Oh...have I mentioned we love the

Knee Hi Class at the Eagle River Nature Center?

Even with the clouds, I knew it was going to be a great class as we saw this big guy just before entering the center. There were actually 2 males munching on leaves...probably ready to fight at a moments notice.

Every Wednesday her backpack waits at the door. Usually filled with binoculars, her ladybug magnifying glass, a hat, a toy phone and her lunch.

This week they learned the art of Salmon Printing. Ms. Ute said it began as a Japanese custom to prove how large a fish was really caught. There wasn't a real fish for this project...but a rubbery one was just as cool.

For this project they used fabric paint (pink sparkly that Amelia loved) and strips of cloth. A dot of black for the eye and we headed outside for our hike, letting the salmon prints dry, to get a glimpse of the real thing. The Salmon had returned to the Nature Center! The kids saw them swimming by and their heads and fins popping up every so often.

A bear sign was posted for the Albert Loop trail...alerting all that the trail was closed. The bears have been waiting for this day to arrive all summer :)

Funny thing I have noticed. There are 2 ways to hike this short circle trail down to the Salmon Viewing Deck and back...to the Right or to the Left... and we have done both. Amelia gets VERY whiney at the end if we go to the left first. If we go to the right first, she makes it all the way around in a relatively jovial mood...as do the other kids.

I now know the reason...it is more uphill on the way back if you go to the Left. To the Right (although still uphill), not as steep.

Left = Grumpier for sure :)

She even went into the hollow tree (usually only looks at it).
Yes, that's a fashion scarf (mine to be exact) and new sparkly hello kitty shoes. What you don't see is the purse she is carrying on her left shoulder. Yep...she is all about nature.

She got to keep one of the Salmon Prints and when we got home we were inspired to make some of our own prints.

We have been gathering leaves like crazy for our leaf press, so we grabbed a few more for our painting project that afternoon.

We used acrylic on watercolor paper. Worked like a charm. You do need a clean piece of newspaper to put the painted leaf on so you get a clean print. (I kept forgetting this step :P)