Christmas is Coming!

Don't wait for the last minute to finish your Christmas shopping!  Here are the few books I've recommended in the past for you to consider when making your gift giving decisions. 

Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

(Egretta caerulea)

I accompanied my daughter to work on Wednesday, confident I could amuse myself while she toiled at her job.  Much to my delight, there is a trail behind the college that circles a small pond. 

As I quietly made my way along the well-worn path, watching and waiting, listening for anything and everything, I spotted this little head.

Freezing on the spot, I waited patiently as it slowly emerged from the vegetation.  Ah, yes, a Little Blue Heron!  My heart started to race as I stepped as quietly as I could to get a better view.  Don't see specimens like this in the far north  Atlantic Maritimes, and rarely in the marshes of Maine!  I felt pretty lucky because I know Little Blues are secretive, blend in well, and that I'm on the very western fringe of their range.

Standing approximately 2 feet tall, with a 40 inch wingspan, one might say that a Little Blue Heron isn't quite so little.  But compared to the Great Blue (Ardea herodias), it's name is significant.  The Great Blue Heron measures 36-55" from head to toe, and boasts a wingspan of up to 79"!

There is no distinction between the plumage of the male and female Little Blue Heron, but an immature is all white for approximately the first year.  Mother Nature, being as smart as she is, saw to it the immature herons remained white to enable them to feed alongside the Snowy Egrets, who tolerate them while they are white much more than when they turn blue.



Preferring freshwater swamps, lagoons, coastal thickets and marshy islands, it's a pity the Little Blue's choice of diet is small crustaceans (crayfish) because there were hundreds upon hundreds of damsel and dragonflies on and around this pond.



I don't know if you can see the dragonfly just above and to the right!
Some were as big as small birds!

 More on the lotta' odonata in the next post.  Hope you are having a nice weekend!

~karen

Check out more Nature Notes posts.

Thanks for hosting this meme, Michelle!

Sky Watch Friday/Above the Clouds

My journey to Texas was underway

as my plane departed Logan Airport

in Boston under rainy skies. 

The majority of the ride was spent

cruising above a solid carpet of clouds.

As we crossed the miles along our

westward path, the clouds began

breakingup little by little, until

there were only tiny wisps to be

seen here and there.

I flew Southwest Airlines and it was a pleasurable experience, smooth going from the moment I entered the airport until I collected my luggage and met my ride.  Is this where I mention the beautiful, warm, sunshiny weather?  

Check out more SkyWatch Friday posts!

 

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

It's that time of year again

to take my cue from my feathered friends

and migrate south for the winter . 

Tomorrow I journey from New England

to San Antonio, TX

to sponge off  visit my daughter

for a few months. 

Heaven forbid I don't have something

to keep my little hands busy! 

Luckily, there are many sewing projects

that are perfect for travel,

and hexies are my first choice to occupy my time 

during this trip. 

I always keep hexies on the ready

and use them in many different projects

throughout the year.  I like to take the time

to embroider different centers onto each flower

to give the finished product

an extra special look.

While rummaging through

some old quilt magazines,

I came across this project

in the June 2001 McCalls Quilting

magazine.  I am a big fan of

Grandmother's Flower Garden,

but thought this might

be more manageable,

and a bit more challenging

to construct. 

This is what I've accomplished so far.  I couldn't resist the urge to begin sewing the flowers together, even though they weren't all constructed.  By the time my plane lands in TX, I'll have all the flowers completed, ready to add them on.  Too bad I'll have to visit a local quilt store to purchase fabric for the basket and background. 

While I'm on the subject
of flowers, I can't resist
showing this beautiful,
November
Massachusetts rose!

Now, off to put the finishing touches on packing!

Serendipity in a Nutshell

I had the pleasure of attending a performance this evening at Stage Right Studio by a Massachusetts family who is dear to my heart.  I was blown away.  I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce to you The Flynns.  I hope you enjoy the performance.



I have been an honorary member of this family since birth.  My mother was best friends with their mother/grandmother.  But, as a young adult, I drifted apart from them after my mother's untimely passing in 1982, and for the next few decades my whereabouts remained a mystery to them.  Until one day, 6 years ago, I received a phone call from Little Sister.  Seems the family wanted my address to invite me to a 65th wedding anniversary celebration. 

"I'll give you Karen's address, but I doubt she'll come.  You see, she's up in Nova Scotia now."

"She is?   Where?"

"On a little island off the coast of Cape Breton called Isle Madame."

You see, I needed to escape, so one day I opened up a map of Nova Scotia, closed my eyes, and pointed my finger.  Where it landed is where I ended up!  And, where the elder Flynn's grandfather emigrated to from Ireland back in the 1800's.  Not only that, but they were on their way up the following week to continue their geneological research.

It is indeed a small world.  After all those many years, we were reunited, and I have been embraced ever since by this wonderful family.

That's My World! 

Afternoon Delight

Sometimes,

life just gets in the way,

repressing inspiration,

inhibiting motivation,
 until one comes upon a scene such as this. 

"Play, Incorporating Animistic and Magical Thinking Is Important Because It:

Fosters the healthy, creative and emotional growth of a child;

Forms the best foundation for later intellectual growth.

Provides a way in which children get to know the world

and creates possibilities for different ways of responding to it.

Fosters empathy and wonder."

-Rachel Carson
The Sense of Wonder

Photo stolen borrowed from
a friend.
Thanks, Michael.

A More Than Worthy Cause

Today, at Wren's site, I became aware of a program to assist children with the financial burden of their classroom projects.  As a former educator, I can appreciate the efforts of this website, http://www.donorschoose.org/, and applaud, not only their goals, but the ease in which they are making it possible for children to gain access to hands-on knowledge across the learning spectrum.

The classroom project that Wren is promoting involves frogs!  Oh, my!  I wish there had been such a project and as dedicated a teacher when I was in school.

There are many more classroom projects that need your support and the website is user-friendly.  So, if you choose to explore the possibilities, you may find a project in your locality that better reflects your personal interests and passions!  Or, you can go to Calling All Scientists: Frog Life on View Classroom Project at DonorsChoose.org and make the purchase of a new aquarium for this one teacher in Detroit, Michigan!!

Won't you take a few minutes to check it out?!?

And Wren, thank you for the heads-up.  To excite children about the wonders of nature fills me with delight.