Keweenaw Bay ice begins to break up
When was the last time you took part in a Scavenger Hunt? The last “real” Scavenger Hunt I participated in occurred about 7th grade. Our science teacher brought a group of students to his home. We all received a list of items to find and return. The first team to make it back to the house with all the items won the hunt! (By the way, the teacher’s last name was Hunt, hmm, odd coincidence…)
Here’s your list.
You must go out in nature and find the following items. You can take a picture instead of bringing them to me.
1) Pussy willows (C’mon…if I can find a pussy willow, you can, too!)
Item One...view Spring Pussy willows...Ode to Joy!
2) Sumac or Wintergreen. Your choice. I have a photo of each. If there’s ABSOLUTELY no sumac or wintergreen in your area, please substitute. But don’t make it TOO easy. Find something a little surprising. Something enchanting. Something that makes your heart pitter-pat at least a tiny bit.
The first time I could photograph sumac this year! (drifts melted, you know...)
3) Birchbark. On the tree or lying on the ground. White or yellow. But make it birchbark and think about all the lovely and practical items one can craft from birchbark. Sing praises to the birch tree! (Scavenger hunts are really about praising what one discovers….)
Pretty piece of birchbark, hmmm? Just lying there in the snow.
4) Animal scat. Oh I’m sorry to add this to your list. But we’re talking about a Scavenger Hunt out in nature, aren’t we? So what’s abundant on the ground during the springtime after the snow melts? You got it. Scat. Please do not pick up. Photo only!
Deer Scat
5) An animal. (OK, it doesn’t need to be the same animal connected with your scat photo.) It can be a bird. A fish. A mosquito. Just capture a photo of it while giving thanks to the animal world. Fortunately or unfortunately, in my Scavenger Hunt, the scat came from the animal posted below:
We see you peeking through those trees, Mr. Deer.
That’s it. Five items. Wasn’t too hard, was it? Now send the photos to me in a green envelope (reminding of us spring) with your return envelope and I shall send you a small prize. Because we’re all winners when we go scavenging in nature, aren’t we? Especially when we have curiosity, love and joy in our hearts! 🙂
Opening the door, walking outside 
28 comments
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March 28, 2009 at 8:29 pm
melinda
that piece of birchbark is singing! do you see the profile? oh boy a prize. do i get one for finding the singing face?
March 28, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Carla
Ok, I am going to join your scavenger hunt. I already have all the pictures you mentions, though I may not have photo’d birch bark. I took three different scat pictures last week. Do those count. And I will send them to you digitally or by blog post, not in a green envelope. Can you send me my prize digitally too? If the prize was deer scat, I already have plenty.
March 28, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Gerry
Good job on the singing face! I accept the challenge. Must see what I can find in the next three days.
March 29, 2009 at 9:25 am
Cindy Lou
Pussy willows….one of my favorite signs of spring! Cute little pearly globes up against the brown….horray for spring!
March 29, 2009 at 9:28 am
Emma
Great idea! 🙂
March 29, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Leigh
great idea! I love it!
March 29, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Patty Sue
nice scat! looked nice and fresh – ! I need your address Kathy. I am taking a sketch book, not my camera – so how ’bout if I mail it to you like a traveling art journal and we can send it back and forth? You can send your postal address via email. okey-dokey artichokey? 🙂
March 30, 2009 at 8:40 am
centria
You guys crack me up. Thanks for playing (or liking the idea anyway!)
Melinda, ok, ok, you get a prize for the singing face. It took Barry to show me what you were talking about though. He was impressed too with you seeing it.
Carla, ok you can send digital photos. (the only ones who can send digital photos are those who are regular reader/commenters. One must limit the game somehow. Otherwise I might be sending out prizes to people in Africa, India, the Saharas and Alaska. lol….) Scat shall not be your prize. I am thinking about your prize & will let you know if it’s to be digital or not.
OK Gerry glad to see you’ve accepted the challenge! Keep me informed. You might qualify for the digital discount as well.
Cindylou, you are the only one here that probably appreciates those pussy willows as much as me. Aren’t they gorgeous? Aren’t they precious? Aren’t we leaping up and down for joy that THEY’RE FINALLY HERE!!! (i would have made a BIG DEAL about those pussy willows except I was already on the scavenger hunt theme so it took over…)
Emma and Leigh, oh thank you both! It’s weird though. I really didn’t come up with the idea by my self. I was walking out toward the mailbox and heard the words “scavenger hunt” in my head. And thought, YES! thank you Universe. (and even weirder yet, upon returning home, I opened the book I was reading and turned the page and the next paragraph talked about….ready for this?….scavenger hunts!) Don’t you love synchronicities?
OK Patty Sue Artichokey, I’M GAME! You send me your sketch book. But I’m not clear what I have to do….are you suggesting I SKETCH??? Oh no my dear, you don’t want to see stick-figures. Maybe like a collage-typed thingee? Oh how exciting. We’ll never grow old if we keep playing games. 🙂
Your friend, Kathy Sue
March 31, 2009 at 10:38 am
flandrumhill
Three questions:
Is there a deadline for the contest?
Can I respond in a blog post?
Why does Carla have so many scat pictures?
March 31, 2009 at 5:42 pm
centria
flandrumhill…deadline. oh my, you ask difficult questions. Shall we say…before Summer Solstice? Can you respond in a blog post…um….yes, I think so. It’s allowable, especially since you’re a regular commenter. If you weren’t a regular commenter, the answer would be no.
But the most difficult question of all…why does Carla have so many scat pictures? Well, she can correct me if she comes back to read. I’m guessing. It’s because she’s one of those head-over-heels nature lovers, like yourself. She’s someone who could probably teach us all about an easy and intimate relationship with the earth. Did you see her video earlier in the year about Stalking the Wild Vole? If you listen to her voice, you’ll get the idea why she’s photographing scat. She can’t help herself. She’s in love with Mother Earth in all her forms. That’s my guess, anyway.
March 31, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Carla
Flandrumhill, my interest in scat is old and relates to what Kathy said. But the reason I have so many scat pictures is so I can show them to Kathy.
March 31, 2009 at 6:35 pm
sahlah
I’m way behind – so first welcome home. I’m so pleased you had a wonderful family visit and now the snow is melting…
I smiled a big smile at your scavenger hunt. I’ll have to note the objects and see what I can find and post 🙂
April 1, 2009 at 12:04 am
Gerry
Mail call. Five treasures in a green envelope.
April 1, 2009 at 4:44 am
flandrumhill
Thanks for the answers. I’ll be back:)
PS Also will be checking out Carla’s vole video. Sounds like something I’d like.
April 1, 2009 at 7:23 pm
centria
Carla, that’s the only reason you have so many scat pictures, to show ’em to me? I don’t believe it! 🙂
Sahlah, thank you for the welcome home. Let me know what you find. And send me an email when you post them, just in case I forget to go looking on your wonderful blog.
Gerry, What can I say? You have done magnificently. You obviously get a prize. Email me your home address & expect something in your mailbox. (I don’t know WHAT yet, but you’re a winner. And the first one in, as well.)
flandrumhill…sounds good. You would undoubtedly like Carla. Another earth-sister!
April 1, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Gerry
Wait, wait – a real prize? And there we were hunting scat on the beach for the sheer joy of it–and, OK, in hopes of a prize. A virtual prize. Clearly this is working out better than we hoped. The Cowboy is overcome.
April 2, 2009 at 11:02 pm
A Spring Scavenger Hunt « Flandrum Hill
[…] I’ve participated in a scavenger hunt, so a spring challenge that was put forth by Centria at Opening the Door, Walking Outside seemed like a worthwhile pursuit. She required participants to come up with photos of the […]
April 3, 2009 at 7:30 am
centria
Gerry, your address is peering up from the email in-box. My head is still thinking. Don’t get too excited. As I told you before, Melinda is getting some garden dirt. (her request…a long story…it’s sort of a prize because she saw the face in the birchbark.) Nature is going to have to decide these prizes.
Flandrumhill, awesome! Anyone still reading these comments HAS to go over and see what she’s come up with. Her pussywillows are a little…challenged….but her scat makes up for it. I’m waiting for your address and Nature’s prize instructions too.
You guys are great.
April 3, 2009 at 8:57 am
Gerry
Garden dirt is good. Nature’s prizes are often good. However, we have received enough Snow Prizes to last us for awhile. Please add snow to the list with scat as items not to be sent through the U.S. mail.
I had to present a prize to Flandrum Hill, too. Really, what she did was special.
April 3, 2009 at 9:07 am
A bow to the Goldsworthy of Flandrum Hill « Torch Lake Views
[…] for more blogger playtime. You will recall that our U.P. neighbor Kathy held a scavenger hunt on Opening the door, walking outside—wherein the team of Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I were first to return with the required items, […]
April 4, 2009 at 7:42 am
centria
Gerry, no worries. No snow prizes. (you’d just open your little box and get a puddle anyway by the time it got down there) and no scat prizes. It was so nice of you to give Flandrumhill a prize too…the blog you did for her was lovely. This has been fun!
April 12, 2009 at 9:18 am
Easter basket « Torch Lake Views
[…] mood. Yesterday there was a cache of little presents in my mailbox—my prize from Kathy’s Spring Scavenger Hunt. It’s a whimsical Up North Easter basket if I’ve ever seen one. A Lake Superior […]
April 18, 2009 at 12:07 pm
flandrumhill
This was too good to not do again. My prize was awesome and very un-scatty (Thank you Kathy!) as was my Goldsworthy award 😉
What about a summer scavenger hunt? I’d welcome the opportunity to host it at my end with prizes of course.
I like the idea of a handful of natural items that can be found anywhere on the planet (well almost).
April 19, 2009 at 6:23 am
centria
HURRAY you finally got your prize! Un-scatty…oh you’re funny. I think a summer scavenger hunt will be fun and you are welcome to post it from your end. You can come up with the ideas and I’ll feature it here so people will know, as well, and we’ll all get our cameras and have great fun! Let me know later on (when the weather stays summer-like) and we’ll play again!
May 16, 2009 at 9:24 am
Meandering through Nature « Flandrum Hill
[…] information on the spring scavenger hunt hosted by Kathy at Opening the door, walking outside, see Let’s have a scavenger hunt! My spring hunt photos and submission can be found at A Spring Scavenger Hunt . […]
June 22, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Hey you all there’s a scavenger hunt over at flandrumhill’s blog! « Opening the door, walking outside
[…] exciting details. We had a scavenger hunt back in…excuse me, must go check…back in March. Those of us who participated had a marvelous time and wanted to do it […]
December 17, 2009 at 7:32 pm
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February 11, 2010 at 6:25 am
Well done, Kathy! « Grains of Sand
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