WISE Kids-The Next Generation.

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, we are so lucky to live so close to a wonderful state park with such great programs!  For years the boys attended Nature Story Time with Naturalist Julie, and as each one has outgrown the program, they have moved on to WISE Kids.  Today was the start of the 2014 edition of WISE, with Charlie being the last of my boys left in the program.  

Today the kids hiked on Horizon Rock Trail...

...down Tallus Slope Trail

 and onto Meadow Valley Trail, with a stop at "The Squeeze" and a little rock humor.

"The Squeeze" is simply a narrow rock passageway, fun to squeeze through for kids and adults alike.

 And here Charlie is picking the nose of a rock formation. Always time for gross humor on a hike!

 

Another successful WISE Kids adventure!

Harbinger Of Spring?

We spotted this Robin hopping around the snow this morning.  Hopefully we'll have a big melt soon, so he can actually find some food!

Along The St. Croix

Well, that's more like it!  Forty degrees above zero means perfect weather for a family hike on the Ice Age Trail!

The snow was perfect for a snowball fight, and we were even treated to the pleasant splashings of a stream as it joined the St. Croix river.   A beautiful afternoon for an outing!

Brrrrrrthday

The extreme winter weather we've had during December and January has kept us all inside more than we would like, but being hearty Midwesterners, we Pile on the Wool and Carry On.  Today though, is different.  Public schools in Minnesota and across much of Wisconsin are closed due to freakish wind-chill temperatures that freeze flesh in under five minutes and kill you dead if you're not careful! Sheesh.  Last night at around midnight, the temperature with the wind chill was 60 below zero.  Yep, that's right, -60 °F!!  Our side door blew open in the strong winds, and it took several tries to get it to latch closed again.  I have never felt such a frigid cold! 

Right now it is something like 45 below, and the furnace is running constantly.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so we did what any self-respecting tundra dwellers would do; we boiled some water, grabbed a super-soaker and let winter have it! 

(P.S.  It is my birthday today.  I swear, Next year, I am moving my birthday to July so I have some reasonable chance of pleasant weather for a picnic, or a hike, or a BBQ or a lovely soiree around a campfire with friends....)

Not Back To School On Eagle Peak

The past few days have been wonderfully sunny, yet fall-like cool, and far too nice for staying inside.  We like to take advantage of these days in September by abandoning all schoolwork and heading for one of our favorite spots- Interstate Park. This visit, Will chose  Eagle Peak as our destination.  

The switchback trail to Eagle Peak climbs 120 feet in elevation, but is by no means arduous. It is beautiful, and provides the highest view in the park of the river valley.  

But the views below aren't the only attraction of Eagle Peak.  Exposed basalt underfoot shows striations that were formed by glacial meltwaters more than 10,000 years ago.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch while lounging on that basalt at the peak, and I even brought along a few goodies as a "Happy Not Back To School"  surprise.

New T-shirts for Ben and Will...

...and a new Webkinz friend for Charlie.  

We're looking forward to more of these "Not Back to School" days before September is up!

Just Two

We were in the right place at the right time to see two of the babies launch themselves successfully from the nest today.  Now there are just two left, and they are enjoying the extra space...

I had hoped to snap a picture of the fledgelings with my camera as they sat on the porch steps before taking flight, but I couldn't find a way to get close enough without scaring them.  Maybe I'll have better luck with the next pair.  And if that doesn't work out, I noticed that a Barn Swallow is now building a nest in another area of the porch.  We just may have to spy on her, too! 

Almost Ready To Leave The Nest

The babies are all feathered out, and looking like plump birds now instead of fuzzy dinosaurs.

Bird Cam

The bird cam Ben worked on the other night is up and running.  Now we have a perfect bird's-eye view of the goings on in the nest.  Pretty cool.  The babies are growing big quickly, and I don't know how all four will manage to find room in that little nest in the coming days!

Mrs. Robinson

A few weeks back, a robin started building a nest on a speaker we have on our front porch.  We've been keeping an eye on her as she has been incubating the eggs, and just a few days ago we finally spotted four tiny, fuzzy-headed babies!

Mrs. Robinson, keeping the babies warm.

Both mom and dad have been busy ever since, in a non-stop worm- gathering frenzy, keeping the little cheepers full.  It is absolutely hilarious to see their big beaks wide open begging for food. 

The nest is up high, so I haven't been able to snap any good photos of the babies quite yet, but hope to do so soon, as they get a little bigger.  In the mean time, Ben is installing a little web cam across from the nest, which hopefully will work to let us spy on the happy family from a better angle.  

Stay tuned for updates!

Hive Inspection

It has been a few weeks since we set up our bee hives for this year, and this past weekend we decided to inspect to make sure the queen is alive, thriving, and doing her job.  

When doing this type of inspection you look to see if you can spot the queen, check for brood cells (chambers containing larva), and check for larvae themselves.  We didn't spot the queens in either hive, but we didn't check each frame of bees for her.  We try to disturb the hive as little as possible.  We did however see many brood cells and larvae, so we are satisfied that all is well.

In pulling out one of the frames, a larger brood chamber was damaged and unfortunately, a bee pupa fell out of its chamber.  We left the pupa on the bottom of the hive, but before we had finished with the inspection, a worker hauled it outside, where I picked it up to examine it up close.  Looks just like an adult bee, only colorless. 

 I think it is beyond cool, but the rest of my family are not so impressed.  They just shudder and walk away.  What do you think?

Just Another Thursday In May

In Wisconsin.

 

When will it ever end?!?

This Absolutely Has To Be The. Last. Time. It Snows This Spring!

Calendar says April 23rd, but it seems more like January 113th.

You Will Snow-bey!!!

 

WINTER WILL BE EX-TERRRRR-MINATED!!!!!!

Nice Weather We're Having

Charlie and I built a snowman today.  

He is quite proud of it!

Yes, it is April. 

 

  And we are still building snow people.

 

Oh, the humanity! 

 

Longest Night Of The Year

Solstice/Doomsday Fire - 2012

Snow Day!

We have a week and a half left before Christmas break, and I swore we'd get some good work done between now and then.  But they just want to go outside.

My exciting lesson plan just cannot compete with 16 inches of powdery fun. What's a homeschool Mom to do?

Hello Winter, Welcome Back...

 For better...

 Or worse...

We're at 6 inches and counting...

December Hike

There is a pretty good chance for snow this weekend, so we decided to head up to our local state park to get in one last hike on the leaf-strewn paths. 

 No matter how many times we walk these woods, we always find some new feature to explore.

Gnome Home?

Accident Waiting to Happen?

The Profile of a Tree Creature?

Hopefully, the next time we are on this path, there will be a luxurious blanket of white, we will be on skis or snowshoes, and enjoying a moonlit sky...

Friday Fieldtrip-Crystal Cave

When planning out our school year, I always try to keep Fridays in September and October open for field trips and hanging out with friends.  This time of year is gorgeous in our area and we really would be foolish not to take advantage of beautiful fall days when winter looms so near.  

Today was certainly one of those great fall days not to miss, so we grabbed some friends and headed to Crystal Cave, an attraction about an hour's drive from us.  It was certainly a gorgeous drive, with fall colors in abundance!  

 Crystal Cave was discovered in 1881 by local farm boys, William and George Vanasse.  It was commercialized in 1942.  Here's a shot of some of the ramps and stairs that lead you through the cave.  At the lowest point we were 72 feet underground.

While the whole cave tour was quite interesting, we all loved seeing the numerous slumbering Little Brown Bats!  So completely cute and sleepy!

 

 OK. I am really crazed-looking here, but look at that tiny cuuute bat!!!

Charlie looks a little unsure...but the bat is so darn cute!

The Stalagtites and Stalagmites looked so cool, but we were instructed not to touch.  (I really wanted to, but didn't. Unlike those ancient Greek Urns a few years back at the Science Museum. Shhhh.)

 Cave photography is not my forte, so I don't have a whole lot to share, but rest assured, it was all very cool and cave-like.  I did get some action shots of the boys...

The most elusive of cave creatures, this wild Ben darts away just as our cameras snap a shot.

A Little Brown Charlie hanging from the cave ceiling.  Oops! Looks like we woke him up!

Always dapper, Spelunker Will gives us his best catalog pose.

 So, we didn't spend all of this gorgeous day inside a cave.  After our hour-long tour, some of the kids did a gem-panning activity, before we headed off on a hike through the woods.   Will thought the gem-panning was very cool, and he had fun identifying all his stones afterward.

Great, great day out together.  Memories to keep us warm for the winter!