Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Phasmatodea

Guess what has been hanging around at my house this last week? As you can see it is a Walking Stick. Biologists call it Phasmatodea (sort of like a phantom) because it is almost invisible unless you find it on a screen or a board or something. it would be almost impossible to spot if it were on a branch because it looks like a stick.

I wonder if he is around now because the House Wrens are gone; our House Wrens had their babies and left. House Wrens eat bugs, grubs, worms and slugs. This walking stick obviously survived.


Another stick type bug is a Praying Mantis. This Mantis was hanging on the outside wall of a motel in a different state. He was out sunning himself and enjoying the morning on the sunny wall of the motel unaware that birds were flying around him looking for breakfast. If I noticed him there I suspect that a Grackle, Sparrow, or a Wren noticed him there also.


Would you like Syrup with that bug?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Home School Day

Today, the Tuesday after Labor Day was always the first day of Home School at our house, when my kids were in young. The definition of a school is "an institution for the education of children" or an "educational  institution". What better place to educate children than home. I know it is not for everyone and it is a great deal of work. However, to throw a group of children together, place in them in the same class room with the common thread of their gathering being that they were born in the same year, and expecting them all to learn the same way seems a little...I don't know; we chose homeschooling 

We started homeschooling when our kids were in the 4th and 3rd grade; Hank started first, Christal and Avery began the next fall after completing 2nd grade. So here is nod to homeschooling. I love birding and I am a photographer; what a great combination. I used to chase people around with a plastic camera and try to take their pictures when I was about 10 years old, (I still have some of the pictures to prove it). So now I chase birds around and take pictures.

Fall migration has begun, the Humming Bird will be leaving soon, but other types of birds will still be passing through. One of my favorite fall migration birds is the Yellow Rumped Warbler; they are more colorful in the spring time. Nesting all summer and taking care of fledglings (baby birds) takes a lot of energy and their color fades. There are lots of these passing through so keep your eyes peeled. They love bugs and stick to the trees more than feeders, but all birds need water and that is where I got this picture; at my bird bath. He is called a Yellow Rump because he has one.

So keep your eyes open, the birds are out there. Maybe you could start a list and see how many types of birds you see; we have birds all year long. It would be a good home school project. I will post more bird pictures another day.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Never Alone

I read a pretty good book this weekend called "Code Talker" about the Navajos who used their native tongue to develop a code that was instrumental in getting messages through during WWII. Ned was the native that told the story of the code talkers and their top secret role in the war. Ned was never alone he always had someone who was watching out for him; two actually, making sure that this small Navajo soldier made it. Ned told of the Islands of Bougainville, Guam, Pavavu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. "Code Talker" would be a good read for anyone but is likely geared for a teenager.

Ned Begay had a very important mission, very few outside of top brass and the Navajo code talkers understood what was really at stake; the mission was vital and Ned could not do it alone. Someone had to cover him and make sure that if at all possible the mission was a success. No Ned could not do it alone. When he ran up the beach listening to men falling around him, his priority was the radio and the messages he transmitted, someone next to him was helping to dig the fox hole that they would seek shelter in until they could advance and do it all again.

Georgia Boy, was Ned's guardian angel. Georgia Boy was the one who grabbed Ned by the shoulder and shouted to run through the water and across the shore; the one with the shovel who dug the fox holes, and the one who tried to keep others minds off of the insanity of the battle by talking about baseball. When Georgia Boy was shot, Ned grabbed him and dragged him to a fox hole. People need each other. When we see an important job in progress and another man or woman is struggling to accomplish it, join in the fight.

There is an old Simon and Garfunkel song that says, "I am a rock, I am an island." We are not meant to do things alone; every man doing an important job needs someone who will grab him by the shoulder and yell, "run, I am right here with you."I see men working, doing, trying, and words are nice but seldom enough.

A little boy was getting ready to say his prayers and when he was done daddy turned out the lights. The boy "pleaded don't leave yet daddy", dad tried to help junior understand that Jesus was with him in the room and he had nothing to be afraid of. The little boy was quiet a few moments and said, "I need a Jesus with skin on." Words are wonderful but sometimes we need to pour some of our own flesh and blood into others and be a real brother.

The Great Pumpkin season is near

Today is Labor Day and fall is in the air. I mowed my yard short. There are parts of the yard that will not need to be mowed anymore this year. The Great Pumpkin time of year is getting closer.

The other day I went to Two Rivers to see a good friend of mine who had surgery. I love books; used books. A really good place to find used books is in a Goodwill store. So while I was visiting and on the way home I stopped at Goodwill stores. I came across a used cookbook written by Charles M. Schulz; it was not until I got home that I realized that the book was a first publication with a date of January 1970.

Wow, I was a pre-teen back in January of 1970. It was around the same time that a neighbor of mine named Mark, first told me about Snoopy and Charlie Brown. I really wanted to get myself some books but we did not have a lot of extra money and I knew that paperback comic type books, were not on the list of priorities for our family budget. Anyway I bought this book the other day and thought I would share a recipe with you.



I have not tried this formula; I was a baker for almost 30 years and this recipe looks like it would make a real honest to goodness cookie. I think the oven seems a little hot and the time seems a little long but that is why you should make a test pan; even professional bakers do with a new formula. If you make changes be sure to write them down so you don't forget. 

As always cookies go great with milk or coffee; especially if you over bake them by mistake, then you just tell people that they are intended for "dunkin".

Encouraging Words

I am starting a brand new blog; again. My first blog was a few years back before my attempts at Facebook and other social interactive sites, now after trying those I am back to doing this. I promise not to take things too seriously; unless I change my mind, then I will. I do think that there is a desperate shortage of encouraging words floating around.


One of my favorite Bible characters is Barnabas. Barnabas was an encourager, and he gave people around him second chances. Encouraging words take on a life of there own sometimes, we hear or read things that mean a great deal to us and when the opportunity arises we pass them along. Like having children, words have children also; our hearts should be the fertile ground where more encouragement grows. Encouraging thoughts and words having children that we pass along to make someone else's life or day better because we spoke kind uplifting words into someone else.


I honestly believe that if Jesus were here walking with us He would say something encouraging to us. I have a very sweet grand-daughter who loves to encourage me. "You can do it grandpa"; I could be trying to lift her or just walking out of the house; "you can do it grandpa, yes see you did it". Jesus would very likely be the same; "you can do it Frankie, you can make it, yes you can". Then He would chuckle and say, "see I told you that you could". A pat on the back, a knuckle rub on the head, or a man hug and He is off to visit someone else. He would turn around for one last wave and say, "until next time."