Advent Earth-Care

Exploring the Amazon, looking for birds.

My theme for this first week of Advent is to "Cherish and care for the earth". I express my unity with nature at Advent in two basic ways:

• by offering small gifts of love and attention in recognition of all I receive from the earth
• and by finding joy and fulfillment in simply being alive, instead of in an excess of buying, eating, using, and wasting.

Agenda Today:
1. Go for longer walks
2. Work outside
3. Collect natural materials
4. Make bird feeder pine cones

1. Go for longer walks:

I've been trying to do more than tolerate the cold and wet of the season. I walk a mile or more every morning with my beautiful dog, Sadie, being careful to wear the clothes that keep me comfortably warm and dry. 

Today the rains have calmed. Sadie and I went on a long walk by the creek we lovingly call the Amazon, to watch for birds, and saw this beautiful heron right of the path!

2. Work outside: 

When the rain lets up I try to get a little yard and garden work done: Today I will harvest a little kale, rake leaves, and turn the compost.

3. Collect natural materials:
I have continued to collect greenery while I am on my morning walks, bringing home fallen branches of cedar and fir. I also look for pinecones and other natural materials to use to make gifts and decorations.

4. Make bird feeder pine cones:
Right now, because of the cold, the wild birds are looking for high energy foods. 

Peanut butter is high in fat and full of protein, and could be considered the perfect bird food. Be sure to get natural, no-sugar peanut butter, or use vegetable shortening as an alternative.

Supplies:

• 1 c. peanut butter or shortening, or a combination
• 1 c. oatmeal or cornmeal
• pine cones
• bird seed
• yarn or string

Yield: Makes 2 bird cones-

1- Mix equal parts peanut butter or shortening with oatmeal or cornmeal until well blended. (I used half a cup of each and it just covered this one medium-sized cone.)



2- Choose a pine cone. Cut a long length of string to hang the bird feeder, and tie around the pine cone near the top (about 3 sections down).

3- Use a butter knife to spread peanut butter inside the pine cone and around the edges.

4- Fill a bowl with birdseed. Roll the pine cone in the birdseed. 

Go out and hang it in a tree where you can watch from a window.