Finally! ~ The Elusive Pileated Woodpecker

| March 26, 2008

  We’ve been seeing very small glimpses of him for a week now..but he was so quick to fly away, we could never really observe in detail.  But…sometime within the last week my son managed to hear and remember their call.  Here’s how I know…. Today, right when we were getting school started this morning, Alex jumped [...]

Outdoor Hour Challenge #6 ~ Nature Study is Science Brought Home

| March 25, 2008

    “Nature-study is science brought home.  It is a knowledge of botany, zoology, and geology as illustrated in the dooryard, the cornfield or the woods back of the house.” – Handbook of Nature Study, Page 21   This week we were to pick another item from our focus area to read to the children about, [...]

Squirrel Antics and Other Nature Noteables

| March 20, 2008

I sure wish I would have had my camera more handy today, the squirrels have been quite entertaining to the kids and I.  Evidently the words out among the squirrel community that I not only have squirrel feed, but also prime bird seed and homemade suet.  I’m not joking, I must have 15 or more [...]

Green Hour Challenge #5 ~ Making a List

| March 19, 2008

    Ok, I admit it, this week I just couldn’t do it…I just couldn’t drag us out in this weather! Last week it was truckloads of snow, this week we’re drowning in rain and mud. We made an honest attempt to go out in our backyard on Monday, but between the ankle high mud and [...]

Owl or Hawk?

| March 10, 2008

I’m thinking it probably was some sort of hawk, perhaps a Red-Shouldered Hawk.  I know the picture doesn’t help too much, but what do you think?     We had an absolutely beautiful nature day here today.  The temperatures were in the low 60′s, and the sun was out most of the day, beautiful!  We [...]