Seasonal observations, nature notes, and homeschool reflections from the week outdoors.

Outside This Week July Featured Image

Outside This Week · July

We enjoyed warm sunny weather all week. We visited a local farm with animals and towering old trees, and walked through each of our neighbors’ yards to see what was growing there. Yellow Tiger Swallowtail butterflies filled our backyard, enjoying the early summer flowers.


What We Noticed

  • Tree trunks can grow sideways
  • Animals are always looking for food
  • Sun makes things feel hot to the touch
  • Apples are growing on trees, and some have already fallen to the ground
Pacific Northwest Red Crabapple Tree

Weather Conditions

Sunny and warm all week, with no rain.

We made sure the plants in our garden had plenty of water.

Child Planting Dwarf Cherry Seeds in Planter Filled With Soil

Field Notes

I planted ten dwarf cherry seeds that my neighbor gave me. The trees should take about 3 years to produce fruit and will only grow to about 4 feet tall.

His tree is already 2 years old and hasn’t fruited yet. I saved one of the cherry seeds instead of planting it.

Washington State Yellow Tiger Swallowtail and Butterfly Bush

Wondering About

I saw two yellow butterflies dancing in the sky. I wanted to catch them in my hands.

Were they fighting or mating?

Reading Together

  • National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry – J. Patrick Lewis
  • Snail Crossing – Corey R. Tabor
July Weekly field notes with Snail Book

Find our related seasonal book lists and story reflections at our blog: parMINDary.com


Return to the Field Journal main page to read more of our family nature observations.


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