volcano simulation

animal visitors

this spring Jeanne has brought home in rapid succession a several baby robins, starlings, and cardinals, frogs, toads and salamanders, and her current goal is to find and capture a baby bunny, but it was Laura who astonished everyone when she brought home a baby fox a few weeks ago. She saw the little guy by the side of the road one night earlier this month. Assuming that it had been struck by a car, she pulled over and picked it up, and it curled up and went to sleep on her lap during the drive home. Once she got home, we all began to wonder about the possibility of rabies, especially since it was not interested in drinking water or eating anything. It was restless and upset in the large cage we had ( a very big dog crate ), but it would settle down when Laura held it. The next morning she called animal control, and of course they wanted to test it since it had been handled by most of the family members, and the testing came back negative--- a huge relief!

homeschool sewing

A couple of weeks ago Jeanne and I sewed a dress ---

Jeanne picked out the pattern and the material and then the learning curve began --- for both of us!

Jeanne cut it out and I did most of the sewing, but we worked on it together and look at the results! It's amazing, 100% beginners luck!

as the Stevie Wonder song says: "isn't she lovely?'

Mimi went to prom a couple of weeks ago and she had a wonderful time. The prom was held in a country club out in Fauquier County. Maybe Mimi was wearing the tallest heels at the prom, or maybe not, but she certainly towered over mom, and almost over dear dad! :-) enjoy!

mimi's prom

link to the Manassas Journal Messenger article

http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/seton_video_wins_contest/7162/#

cbs early show

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4026293n

red wigglers

As Betty said, we are venturing into the farming business: worms, red wigglers, natures composters! And all under the kitchen sink, how about that? 500 worms are on the way, and Betty and I will divide them when they arrive.

Although there are 4000 species of earthworms, only 3 are composting worms. We are getting Eisendia Fedia, the common red wiggler worm. In general red wigglers produce 3-4 cocoons/week, and each cocoon produces 3 worms. From cocoon to adulthood takes about 5 months. So while they do reproduce it will not be at an alarming rate!

Our foray into vermicomposting begins with a worm bin. I am using a plastic container that was originally designed to hold photographs. Since it is long and narrow, it will slide easily under the sink. Today Peter and I will drill several holes in the bottom (the drill battery is currently recharging) The worm bin will sit on a tray which will be covered with aluminum foil for any drainage, and will be raised a bit off the tray as well to allow the container to drain easily. We will put some shredded, dampened newspaper into the bin as a bedding. Once the worms arrive (hopefully this week), we will feed them with household garbage: eggshells, potato peelings, apple cores, even stale bread etc,. It is a good idea to shred or pop the lot into a blender first. Not to toss in: cheese, butter, meat or oily products, and orange peelings. Also, keeping fruit to a minimum will reduce the fruit fly problem, as well as covering everything with damp newspaper. Red wigglers eat 1 to 1 1/2 times their weight every day.

Each time you feed the worms, you top with a layer of additional bedding, and moisten overall.

Soon the worms will begin to reproduce and produce "black gold compost" for the gardens! I am looking forward to seeing "the quiet multitudes" and beginning the farm venture. Although Johnny, Laura, Mimi, and Teresa have expressed their doubts and derision, Jeanne and Peter are excited, too. Kenny is amused :-).

More news from the farm as it develops....

bumblebee facts and possibilities

This morning while reading the lovely book, "A Blessing of Toads" by Sharon Lovejoy I enjoyed the beautiful prospect of our garden filled with bumblebees this summer! Some interesting facts:

1) bumblebees are named from the the Middle English word bumblen (to hum), in German the bees are called "hummels", and latin Bombus.

2) they have a higher metabolic rate than hummingbirds, with wings beating more than 200 times a second--isn't that amazing?

3) they are wonderful pollenators, and are invaluable guests in greenhouses.

4) they will be out and about on the coolest, wettest days and are found far north in the alpine regions.

5)skunks are one of the few animals that find bumblebees tasty, stings and all.

6)bumblebees nest in abandoned mouse nests, and can be encouraged to set up housing in a buried teapot or an overturned clay pot with a hole drilled in the side and a piece of slate on the top. bumblebees like nesting materials of dried grasses and lint.

7) the queen bumblebee sets up housekeeping in the spring when she emerges from hibernation and the colony she produces survives only one season.

8) the honey that a bumblebee colony produces is eaten by the newest members as they develop.

9) the pollen basket (corbicula) on the back legs of the queen and workers is surrounded by inward-curving hairs to hold the pollen in place. A bumblebee can carry a load of pollen 20 percent of its body weight, as Lovejoy says, that's a lot of groceries in one basket!


Last summer Ken's basil garden attracted many bumblebees, I wonder how many had nests nearby? This year I will try to entice some queens with a teapot or two or an overturned clay pot, and look forward to our new neighbors!

Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday we remember Jesus' real presence in the Holy Eucharist.

The gang on their way to the Holy Thursday Mass. Peter and I stayed home because he had a fever.

March madness

we have had our own version of March Madness!

and sometimes the underdog wins....:-)

Buddy

jeanne and buddy enjoying a happy moment! We got buddy in January--he's been great!

Studies at Great Falls

Today Jeanne and I got to spend 2 hours at Great Falls learning from E-an Zen, world renowned geologist, and Keith Tomlinson, Botanist, as they led a group of homeschoolers on a tour of the area. Dr. Zen, in the photo above, is an Octogenarian who is energetic, an enthusiastic teacher, with a wonderful sense of humor and a comprehensive knowledge of the natural and human history of the Great Falls area. He took off down the path as we set out, and soon outpaced everyone in the entire group. He is wonderful teacher and positively brilliant.

As you can see from the high water marks noted over the last century, 1996 was the last year that the flood waters of the Potomac River reached major flood stage. The highest level, 1934, is pretty awesome! Dr. Zen explained that usually major floods occur on the Potomac every 10 years or so, so we are due!

Mr. Tomlinson pointed out several interesting plants and trees along the way. One of the interesting points that he made was that botanists have retrieved seeds from the windswept, stunted trees growing in the rocks along the river gorge. Scientists planted these seeds in optimum conditions to see how the plants would grow, and all of the plants were stunted in their growth, too, indicating that these plants have evolved specifically for growing in harsh conditions, whether they are in harsh conditions or not.

It was a beautiful day!

Peter Parker on the loose

All Hallow's Eve

Of course, "All Hallow's Eve", i.e. Halloween, is the eve of All Saints Day, when the Church celebrates the communion of saints, known and unknown. Holy Family Academy has a big parade of Saints before the end of the school day on Halloween, when the kids present their essay on the life of the saint they've chosen, and get to dress up, too. This year Peter chose that good Bishop from Ireland, St. Patrick. Like the bare feet?

laura's new address!!!!!!

> Lasdun Flr 2 Block H Room 11
> Gilbert Murray Stamford
> 18 Manor Road
> Leicester
> LE2 2LH

Johnny watching Monday Night Football on the lap top

smiles at falcons

today we went to Falcons Landing to visit with Nonie and Nano. Here follows 3 giggles we got.

At one point during the conversation (mostly between me and the folks) I turned to Jeanne and said, "Now, don't go blabbing this around." Nano smiled at Jeanne, and said, "Keep this under your hat, Jeanne, even when you aren't wearing one."

Later Nonie said to Jeanne, "would the wee one like to pick the dinner up with me?" Nano said "wee one?" To which Nonie replied with a grin, "Well, she is the wee-ist one here!"

Finally, I can't remember what prompted Nonie to exclaim, "What a bunch of idiots!" But then Nano replied, "We're not a bunch of idiots, 'two' aren't a bunch!"

But I do thank God for a nice visit and a jolly time!

Sahara musings

This week in Jeanne's study of history, we learned that the area west of Egypt has actually been studied by archaeologists. What they have found (a multitude of ancient seeds, pollens and bones) indicates that at one time the Sahara was verdant, covered with plants, animals, people, streams and rivers. Strange, isn't it, that it is almost completely inhospitable to life now?

Mimi mused, "Garden of Eden?".