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summer learning
Poetry Friday: The Fabulous Fungi of August
You may or may not have noticed but I took a break from posting to Poetry Friday last month. We moved in June, were settling in during July, and I started writing on Medium in August. I needed some change and I got it. But one of the most fantastic things I did in August…
Fungi Seen on Wisconsin Hikes: The Common and the Weird
We hiked a segment of the Timm’s Hill Trail yesterday. It was mid-day, and still very comfortable out. Donning jeans and t-shirts with an adequate dose of bug spray, on our hats and clothes, we set off just after 2 pm. Our yellow lab, Molly, was with us too. She loves the trail for her…
A Post on Hummingbirds and My Love Affair with Them
My post can be found on Medium.com (click the website link) today. As I previously informed my regular readers, I am taking a break from Poetry Friday for the month of August. Thanks! However, I am participating in the Sealey Challenge, so I am getting loads of inspiration and enjoying the poetry I’m reading (from…
Weird! Plants That Do Not Need Soil!
Have you ever heard of a plant that doesn’t need soil to thrive? There are a whole group of such plants! They are called epiphytes! You might know them as air plants. I first became interested in epiphytic plants when I was leading an after-school garden club for elementary students, years ago. Planning a holiday…
Authors Worth Collecting: Inspiration and Aspiration
I like to collect authors. These are people who write books with characters who stay with me, a storyline that engrosses me or offers such insight into history that I learn from the facts woven into the story. For me, these authors are people like E.B.White, Madeline d”Engle, Roald Dahl, and Mary Doria Russell, as…
Slice of Life: Native American Influence
Ever since an early age, I knew what the word Manitou meant. Manitou is generally understood to be Algonquin for Great Spirit. My mom, a teacher and a lover of vocabulary, was able to satisfy my curiosity when I asked, “what does manitou mean” when I was younger than ten. We lived by Manitou Road…
Monarch Monitoring 2022 Season: June Entry #1
I am all set to monitor for Monarchs this year! It is so exciting! Two days ago I saw my first monarch butterfly of the season fly over our deck in the late afternoon. An ideal day, sunny and warm, I shouted with glee as the monarch passed! Having already entered my milkweed observations to…
Getting Ready to Monitor Monarchs
Despite the generally cold and wet spring we’ve had, the milkweed has popped up in my gardens. The common milkweed is already about six inches tall and my rose milkweed has germinated even though it is still tiny. An unknowing eye would think it was a weed. I know better and didn’t pull it out….
Slice of Life Tuesday: Fear, Preparation, & Success
I slept fitfully last night. I had some mild anxiety about a presentation today – the first student presentation I’ve done since the pandemic started. Although I was confident with the information I was presenting and how I was presenting it (this took a little bargaining), there was still that familiar twinge of fear and…