geopsych's treasure hunt, year-round remix for the spoonies
Outside (own garden counts)
All year
1. Trees and plants:
a. Three different kinds of trees. The ones you can see from the windows count!
b. Find something growing where it's probably not supposed to. Think cracks in roads and sidewalks, "weeds" in otherwise organized plantings.
c. Moss, at least three kinds and/or in three different places.
d. Lichen, three colors and/or in three different places.
e. Mushrooms. If you see any, can you find three different ones?
f. Is it blooming? Is it seasonal?
2. Water:
a. What bodies of water are close to you? What is it, a stream, a pond, sea? Is it natural or artificial?
b. When it rains or when there's dew take a picture of or just look at the drops on a flower and on a leaf, or like a puddle with oil colors in it.
3. Stand in three kinds of places, for example by a river, high on a hill—that can be in a city (maybe a public space like a plaza or a town circle) or in the country (like an especially nice spot along a road or trail). Does it change during the year?
4. Beautiful sunrises and/or sunsets, from whenever you are. Go wild.
5. Different kinds of weather. Maybe pictures of a sunny or partly cloudy sky and a dark cloudy sky and maybe a picture of trees or flags being blown by wind.
6. Three or more kinds of birds, extra points for different types like songbirds vs ducks and geese vs herons or other stalking birds. Yes, pigeons count.
a. Using Merlin or just on your own get to know what bird goes with what song, do 3 if you can. Get it to the point that when you hear that song you know which bird is there. If you already know some, try to learn new ones.
b. Notice where birds spend their time: notice one kind you usually see on the ground, one kind you usually see in trees and one kind, if your area has them, that you usually see zooming through the air.
c. What it's doing in the different seasons? Eating, carrying nest materials, being newborns, migrating? Etc.
7. Any other animals. Watch and listen for insects and other small creatures, notice the ones related to a particular season, like cicadas and crickets. Pets count!
8. Whimsy against Doom™️. Look for anything (nonhuman) whimsical or cute or odd. Eyes on trees, shapes in the clouds, little animal friends doing cute things, rocks with peculiar shapes, something painted, something unusual, something that surprised you.
Winter
9. Three kinds of evergreen or leafless trees you can tell apart.
10. If you're in a place that gets cold, different kinds of ice, like icicles and puddle ice for example. If not, what usual form the water takes in the winter months near you?
Spring
11. At least three nature-type signs of spring that you personally like or find interesting.
Summer
12. That summer feeling. Notice one time when you're out or if maybe you're someone who can't get out much, one time when you're inside looking out, when you get that full feeling of summer.
13. Find an oasis. A fountain in the city or a shady stream somewhere, or a shaded bench along a lake or river. Mossy rocks with a little water flowing. What are the sounds? water flowing? birds singing? wind through the leaves? Savor that feeling of refuge.
Autumn
14. Find at least three species of tree or shrub leaves that have changed color, or at least three different kinds of colored leaves.
15. What about nuts: what kinds of nuts grow near you? If you're in a city look in some parks. Ginkgo berries count.
16. Falling and fallen leaves: experience them somehow. Walk under a tree while leaves are falling in a breeze or wind. Let them fall on you and all around you. Look for a place where lots of leaves have fallen and walk through them. Look especially for dry crunchy leaves that make lots of noise. So satisfying. Or can you rake some into a pile and jump in or let your dog jump in? Do you see leaves floating on water anywhere? Look closely at a bright one that has fallen on the ground. Hold it in your hand.
My additions to do inside (all year):
17. What scents and tastes do you connect with each season? Favourite foods, favourite beverages, etc.
18. Seasonal poetry and/or other medias. Is there anything you like to listen to/watch/read at specific times of the year? And why?
19. Is there anything traditional (generic or personal) or culturally typical to do in some times of the year where you live? Like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals, or faires, for example.
20. Is there anything inside your house you like to use specifically in one or more seasons? Like a tablecloth, a mug, a vase, a notebook, anything. Decorations counts!
21. Whimsy against Doom™️. What's whimsycal that you like to do to resist, make the life a little better, cheer you up, and generally to not let the bastards grind you down?
These might seem like a lot, but they're all suggestions, something to pick if you like and let where it is if not. And also bc I suck at formatting. If any other spoonie will find it fun or easier to do, or useful to help with boredom or anything else, then I'm glad!
For anybody interested in the og ones you'll find them at @geopsych's blog, or linked in the pinned post of my own.
I will be tagging the posts with #year round treasure hunt, #noticing stuff and #2k26 little projects. I'm excited!
Look! @mafaldinablabla put together a year-round treasure hunt from a bunch of mine and it's great. As they say, do as much or as little as you want. Include city things if you're in a city, indoor things and things from windows if you're inside a lot. Taking pictures of things you notice is optional as is journaling or drawing (or writing poetry or making music about them). Have fun with it. I don't think it's a plot or anything but the stuff we're bombarded with is so overwhelming that it's easy to get distracted from the real things around us and not really know physically where we are. Seeing the world around you is almost an act of defiance. Your attention is your power and it's yours to give.
