As I mentioned previously, I am already on volume 3 of nature journaling. For the second volume, I wanted to explore being sketchier, hoping it would help me get faster. I also explored a few other differences in this volume – whether attempting to get away from the “it must be perfect” (which is impossible for me anyway) or just thinking about page layout and such. A huge learning lesson here was that I prioritized painting over researching, and also prioritized being outdoors. Thus, while I had intended to include microscopic inquiry, by the time a dreary day came around, the plant I needed to study was no longer available. I may come back to these in the future, but for now the little squares are just a sign post to my changed priorities.

I began again with a title page, slightly different. Here I also glued in pressed plants that were a deep red color whilst everything else was vivid green.

The about section and a sketch unlike anything in the first volume.

I changed the monthlies a little bit.

I began with the usual earnest attempt to record scientific data and facts about plants.

And the attempt to be a bit sketchier.

I found out that grass during this season was a lot more interesting than when I first began. Turns out, unmowed grass is quite diverse!

The amount of mushrooms I discovered, after postponing mowing for the year. WOW.

This. This is my fugly cottonwood. You may be able to read that I wrote “I would defend this tree nearly with my life” and had denied the utility company to trim it. Now, said tree and its neighbors are being threatened to be cut down by the county – only they aren’t schedule to be? Conflicting reports. They’ve been vandalized with spray paint by county workers and that’s been a whole thing because the highway department hides behind bad communication (lack thereof…). I will seek legal ramifications if they touch my trees (they already widened the road once – how many easements are they allowed, I wonder?). If they do not respond about the spray paint soon, I will start there.

The coolest thing I have found to date is chocolate tube slime. What a surprise that was!

I nearly failed to notice a spittlebug – it registered to me as someone’s spit but then I realized that no one would be walking around my yard spitting and took a closer look!

I had a stalk of corn spring up, and that was such a delight! Eventually, I think the deer trampled it, but at least I got it recorded. This project has brought me lots of fun surprises. I can’t wait for the weather to turn again so I can head back out there.

Like volume 1, I’ve made a gallery specific to this if you’d like to see more. I won’t post volume 3 until it’s “complete”. I will say that it is even more of a disappointment in a way, as I came to realize I don’t enjoy the research as much as I’d hoped – only the artwork because I would rather be outside. But I’m trying to counter that with more perceptive recordings (smell, touch, taste, etc). Qualitative rather than quantitative. Subjective rather than objective. And second, I did nothing over winter. Months flew by and I hadn’t even touched it – so long that I had to give my fountain pen a real cleaning because the permanent ink gunked up! Doh!