A water drop splash on a rainy day? Sure. This is a perfect project for a rainy day. Come with me, and we will step inside and have some tabletop fun. 1. Fill a clear 9” x 13” pan to the brim with...
Articles & Stories
Preparing Your Garden for Rest
One of the blessings most North American gardeners enjoy is the cyclical nature of the pastime. While I have written about the joy of season extension and greenhouse production, having a season of...
Delphinus, Sagitta, and Vulpecula
The Summer Triangle, a large triangle of bright stars (Deneb, Vega, and Altair), lies straight overhead on September evenings in the United States. Delphinus, Sagitta, and Vulpecula all lie in or...
In Our Skies, September 2021, Viewing Neptune
Just after sunset the night of September 14, the planet Mercury will be visible in the western sky just above the horizon. While it is only 26.8° from the Sun and, therefore, close to the horizon,...
The Unequal Equinox
I’ve heard it’s possible to balance an egg, or even a broom, on its end on the date of the equinox. There’s a good chance you’ve heard the same thing. It sounds incredible, but it’s true.There’s...
Attack!
A kite’s call sounded overhead. My family and I were walking in our neighborhood in early summer, near a tall old pine. I felt a rush of wind, and something tugged at my braid. I looked up to see a...
The Brave Honey Badger
Honey badger—does his name make you think of a cute and cuddly animal? A honey badger may be cute, but he is certainly not cuddly! This aggressive little animal (20-30 lb) is not afraid of anything!...
My Red-headed Woodpecker
I sat in the room with the door closed, the lights off, and the window open. It was 11:00 a.m., and we had been seeing the Red-headed Woodpecker at our feeders all morning. I had decided to try for...
Living Lights
My eyes were glued to the western sky as I searched the darkness for incoming lights. Although it was the fourth of July, 2021, I wasn’t watching a fireworks display, nor was I looking for an...
Announcing Nature Friend’s Birding w/Friends Contest, 2021
The month of September is a great month to go birding. Many songbirds, shorebirds, and raptors are migrating. Even early waterfowl migrants can be found at times. Our family does not normally have...
Treasures of the Forest
Treasure hunts are lots of fun, aren’t they? The suspense of knowing that something special is hidden, prolonged by the fact that it takes effort to find! It was with that sort of feeling that we...
Exploring Nature, Summer
Children in Iceland rescue young puffins at night that are attracted to town lights, and release them at coast in the morning.Watch for noctilucent clouds through August.Salmon are running in Alaska...
Our Wildflower Walk
On the first Sunday in May, Dad announced, “Let’s go to Rexmont for a drive on such a nice day.” “We could take our wildflower guide and a notebook,” I decided. “And let’s see how many wildflowers...
Comet-dust Streaks
I turned over from my back to my side. My husband was soundly asleep beside me, and yet I couldn’t drop off. Suddenly, a thought awakened me even farther. This was August 11, and I had read earlier...
Treasure-trove in the Woods
The day was perfect for my annual wildflower hunt. On a day like this, it was hard to decide—should I look up for birds or down for flowers? With my trusty Alpen binoculars slung around my neck, I...