Global Warming???

I just read an article titled "Global warming hastens arrival of springtime," (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23709253/ ). The author, Seth Borenstein, cites some signs of Spring that are happening months ahead of time. For example, a butterfly that typically emerges in April/May has been spotted recently "fluttering" in California. He mentions that various trees are budding much earlier than usual. This reminds me of a situation that happened last year. Steve and I noticed that the Wisteria was loaded with blooms in early Spring. I never thought anything of the timing though. I just couldn’t wait to see the pergola covered in beautiful orchid tendrils. A week or two later we had a heavy frost….that was the end of all those buds. The Wisteria bloomed later…but it wasn’t the spectacle we originally anticipated.

With the calendar announcing Spring approaching, in less than 24 hours, I wonder how the plants and creatures will fare. On my morning walkabout, I noticed a sure sign of Spring, but now I worry that it’s way too early for the Bullfrogs to emerge. I didn’t have my camera with me at the time, so no photo today of the very healthy looking frog. However, I thought my nature loving friends would like to hear the sound of the backyard babbling pond. Steve just jump started the filters yesterday. The fish are quite active now that the water is moving.

For the Birds

What a beautiful weekend. I feel terrible that I am inside, but I wanted to post a clip of the birdhouses that Steve built and he and I painted. I just love his bird condo. Six families can enjoy this "old barn" facade.

The next short video is of the single family homes that I painted. Once I know what I'm doing with the airbrush, I'd like to sell them to support my craft habit.

Till next time....

It's a Sign

I'm not much of a housekeeper so I'm taking this as a sign from Alyssa and Jillian that I should hold off vacuuming for a while. I mean really...look how uncomfortable Alyssa seems. Her body language just screams, "take a break...go have some fun...take us outside and fill your pockets with biscuits!"
Your wish is my command.

Trees and a Little Reminiscing

It’s beginning to look like a pretty nice day. No jobs for school…however, I’ll make the best of the day. I have a house plant that needs repotting. A trip to Home Depot is in order for a nice clay pot and a fresh bag of soil. Oh, yes, the African Violets are complaining about stale soil and cramped quarters too. Hopefully I can find specialty soils at HD.

This morning, as I was looking for a (per diem) job, my mind drifted to ways I could motivate kids to write. I found some interesting sites which I have bookmarked, but one site stood out. It has beautiful pictures of trees and sun kissed wooded paths, poetry, folk tales, lessons, and much more.

My love of trees probably began when I was very young. Our family home was surrounded by fields and wooded areas. My siblings, neighborhood pals and I could explore for hours, with nary a house in sight. It could be scary if you were alone!
My best friend Brian (there weren’t any girls my age in the neighborhood) and I had a camp in the midst of a circle of Birch trees. The camp floor was a thick, green moss…more luxurious than any rug could ever be. We loved that camp, but like everything else, its time came to an end. Soon a road was built and many new homes sprang up. To this day I still think about that enchanting space in the woods. I would like to create an area somewhere in my backyard. Unfortunately acreage is something Steve and I don’t have. I might have to settle for a mossy area under some Pines.

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Please enjoy this site…… http://www.spiritoftrees.org/spirit_of_trees.html

Veronica

There's nothing cuter than a newborn foal. This is Veronica, born 2/18/09 to Melody. I'm not sure of the sire. My sister and brother-in-law have a herd of these adorable miniature horses. I believe they have some for sale. Check out the website. http://www.lanewayfarm.com

Utopia in Grade 5

One of the most exciting reasons to have my own classroom would be to allow children to really use their minds and natural curiousity to learn.
Check out this great video.

Checking In

It is a beautiful sunny day here in New England, though it's a tad too chilly to spend lots of time outdoors. Steve took the girls out for a walk, and I rode along on my bike. Both dogs are doing well. Alyssa does her usual show dog prance, but naturally for a fourteen year old pup, she got tired before we reached home. Jill is her usual "knuckle-head" self, always switching sides as if she is trying to trip someone.


February (Winter Break) vacation starts Monday. We don't have any concrete plans except for Wednesday evening. We are going to the Providence Performing Arts Center to see BB King and Buddy Guy. Steve is such a sport to say he'd go with me. I know he would rather be playing video games. The Rhode Island Flower Show begins Feb. 19th. We went last year...it's pretty small, but if you need to smell soil and fresh flowers, it's a good choice. If you go...don't forget to stop on Federal Hill for dinner.

Steve gets the cool guy award for helping me make earrings today. I was twisting wire by hand. He took over using a drill...it really sped up the process. We just need a better way to hold small gauge wire. So here is a picture of the earrings and a book mark that I made using the drill and three sizes of wire. I've also include a shot of a wire heart neclace and earrings, and a wirewrapped shell. I broke up the shell, tumbled it in sand and water, rubber stamped the image, and wrapped the piece with small crystals. As you can see, I need a close up lens (obviously) and some lessons on shooting jewelry.

I'll be posting soon...hopefully with some more interesting stuff.