Outdoor Mama

We did a little fishing this past weekend in the farm pond. Yes, it's stocked and catching a fish is just a matter of tossing in a line. (The fish have been known to bite on just a hook -- no bait required.)
But seeing the excitement in Toby's face was a good reminder that kids love fishing. He was extremely proud of himself for casting and reeling in his very own fish, as you can see by this shot. There's just something about bringing a fish to the surface, like you are witnessing a visiting alien. And what little boy doesn't like aliens?
I think we've got a little fisherman on our hands...

Well, an update.
She laid a total of five eggs...and hasn't come back since. We're all a little bummed about it, to be honest.
Strange enough, the first day she didn't show up was the first day Canada Geese moved in at the pond across the street -- coincidence or not? Anyone know?

It's not everyday your flower bed becomes nesting grounds for a mallard duck...

A few days ago, Toby and I found what we thought to be an egg on the side of the house. And, sure enough, it was. After some research, we figured it to be a mallard egg.

Mallards lay one egg each day until they have layed them all (around 10, usually), and then they return to the nest to sit for 26-30 days.

The next day, we went back out to see if there was another egg-- she could have layed that first one days ago and abandoned the nest, and we could have just missed seeing.

But, just as it should be, there was a second egg in the nest! (It's buried in the mulch and you can't see it in this photo, but you can really see that it is indeed RIGHT NEXT to our house!)


This morning when I woke up, I snuck outside crossing my fingers to see if egg number three would be there. And what to my wondering eyes should appear? MAMA DUCK!! Look at that brilliant camoflauge!

Stay tuned for more pictures and stories...

This was the question of the day.

Answer: YES.

Answer supplied by my dad, who in his South Carolina home caught a gecko and put it in some water.

Thanks, dad!

We're slowly approaching the one year anniversary of Snappy, the gigantic snapping turtle that crawled under our back deck to lay her eggs. (You can see the dark, poor quality video here: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/snappy-removal/3542902338).
Since then, we've learned a lot about snapping turtles and turtles of all sorts...

In Ohio, the box turtle is the only turtle that can pull it's head and arms completely in it's shell.

I didn't know that....but now I do.

My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas??? It no longer works. Instead she's serving nachos.

Poor, poor Pluto, we learned, isn't a planet anymore.

It's a dwarf planet. And it's got a messy orbit.

My kids are always asking me obscure questions, so that we have to look them up. i've decided to start posting the answers should anyone else have this problem. Today, Ellen asked why Pluto is no longer considered a planet.

Apparently, it was decided in 2006 what the real definition of a planet is. In order to be real planet, it has to, among other things, dominate it's orbit. And Pluto's not doing it's part to clean it's orbit, which is very similar to the way Ellen doesn't clean her room. Pluto's orbit is filled with asteroids and other such outer-space garbage, Ellen's room is filled with dirty clothes, notepads, and Barbie shoes.

Not only that, but Pluto's moon is nearly half it's size, so much that Pluto isn't the real 'boss' of the orbit, similar to the way that Toby is over half the size of Ellen and therefore doesn't let her rule the roost.

Who knew kids and planets could be so much alike?

In any case, we've got to change the old saying. I chose "nachos" but if someone else has a better idea, by all means chime in!

Here in Ohio we have just had our first springlike weekend of the year. Everyone in my neighborhood was outside, trying to make our mud-filled brown yards look a little better. It is a sign of spring.

Another sign of spring is that we are seeing robins again. And in the spirit of our birdie friends, this month's activity is just for them.

Birds make their nests in different ways. Some birds nest on the ground, others in trees. Some make their nests out of mud. Some make a dozen nests and let their mate pick the best one (philisophical question -- would this work in the human world?) But many birds make their nests in trees out of materials such as grass and twigs. Birds also use non-natural items to make their nests, such as string and fabric.

This month's activity is meant to help them along.

NESTING BAG

Items needed: Mesh potato or onion bagBits of string, yarn, fabric strips, grasses

How to do it:Have your scissor-lovin' kids cut up a bunch of yarn or string, and simply put it in the bag. Also collect dried grasses from your yard -- we pulled some of the dead leaves from an old day lily. Once your mesh bag is full enough, thread a piece of yarn through the mesh to seal it up. You'll want to make sure that it is full enough that birds can grab at the materials through the mesh. Once it's all set, hang it from a tree and wait to see if any of your yarn ends up in a local nest!