Nature’s Villains and Heroes

(For pictures: click HERE. For video of Ranger Tim talking about turkey vultures: click HERE.)

Hello everyone. I’m Olivia the Owl coming to you from National Wildlife Radio. If you missed our weekly show last night, I’m posting the transcript of the interviews that took place. I had a wonderful time interviewing many villains and heroes that you might encounter in nature. I hope you enjoy them. Stay tuned next week because I will have another great show!

Transcript:

Olivia: Welcome to the National Wildlife Radio. Tonight I will be interviewing a lot of interesting guests who have an impact on the world around us. Our first villain tonight is Wilma the Wooly Adelgid. Welcome Wilma!

Wilma: Thank you Olivia for having me here tonight. You picked a great time actually because I had just finished some tasty hemlock when you called me.

Olivia: Hmmm. Yes, well, Wilma, please tell us more about the wooly adelgid and your life. Our guests are very interested in why you are destroying their forests.

Wilma: Well, I don’t really consider it destroying because I see it as my way of life. I don’t mean to be the villain because I can’t help it if I love those hemlocks! First of all, let me tell you how we arrived here. My ancestors arrived in the 1950s in the Shenandoah Valley on ornamental hemlocks from Asia. They loved it here so much that they headed north and spread out. Of course, they didn’t get really established and noticed until the 1980s when we started cleaning out all of the hemlocks in our path. We lay eggs in this wooly waxy stuff to protect them. If something tries to eat them, they will spit them out. We can lay two generations of eggs in five months around March to May. In June and July the eggs are laid but stay in hibernation. By the end of November, those developed from larva become adult and start feeding. Temperature drops, light changes, moisture changes are signals to become adults and begin feeding so more eggs can be laid in March.

Olivia: How do you move from tree to tree?

Wilma: We move on small mammals or catch a ride on the wind or raindrops. Sometimes birds will give us a lift without knowing it too. Of course we don’t let them know we are catching a ride because we are usually eating away their home.

Olivia: So, you think that you cannot be stopped. Is that true?

Wilma: Yes. Scientists are introducing some beetle from Japan that will take us out but we will find ways to outmaneuver them. Our families are banding together to find a way to wage war against them and no one will know how we will do that.

Olivia: Well, thank you Wilma for coming on our show. Hopefully one of our staff will show you out. (whispers: And hopefully that beetle from Japan is waiting for you outside that door!) Our next villain is Cindy the centipede. Welcome Cindy!

Cindy: Thanks Olivia. I’m glad to be here.

Olivia: Tell us about your day yesterday. You had some excitement?

Cindy: Oh yes. Ranger Tim brought a group of students out to find invertebrates on the forest floor. They sifted through the leaf stuff on the ground and found lots of interesting things such as ants, spiders, millipedes, snails, slugs, worms, red velvet mites, yellow jackets (and their nest), and earwigs.

Olivia: It sounds wonderful. Now, would you tell us the difference between you and a millipede? You both look so much alike to me.

Cindy: Well, centipedes are venomous and we kill our prey. Plus we have one leg per segment. Millipedes are poisonous and have 2 legs per segment.

Olivia: Well, thanks Cindy for being here today. One of the staff will show you the way out. And please don’t kill Millie the Millipede. She is quite frightened of you. Now our next guest is a good friend Teddy the Turkey Vulture. Some people think he is a villain and others think he is a hero. Hello Teddy!

Teddy: Thank you Olivia. I’m so glad to be here. Yes, some people feel that I’m a villain because I’m not as pretty as other birds and because I find eating dead stuff delightful! Hmm, is that a dead rat over there in the corner?! Oh, sorry, I get so easily distracted.

Olivia: Ummm, oh yes, well Teddy, let’s leave lunch for later, okay? Will you share with us some information about the area where you live?

Teddy: I live in the Blue Ridge Escarpment which is an abrupt change in elevation from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the piedmont. As the temperature changes, so does the flora and fauna. Moisture increases. Right now in the fall you will see a lot of blooming asters including White Snakeroot, New England Asters and Goldenrod.

Olivia: It seems like there are a lot of visitors at Caesar’s Head State Park right now. Can you tell us why they are there?

Teddy: Yes, they are there to see the Hawk Migration and many are volunteers to count how many hawks go through here.

Olivia: And how do you feel about this hawk migration?

Teddy: Well, a lot of us local birds have mixed opinions. Many feel aggravated because these hawks come in and take over the best homes and eat a lot of the food that is available. In fact, some may even bully the locals and eat them for dinner. The songbirds usually fly about early in the morning before the hawks get lively so they don’t get eaten. Others like me are just used to this happening and don’t let it bother us. Usually during this time, I find lots of extra food and even invite the relatives to visit to help eat on the buffet.

Olivia: Why do these hawks come here and how do they know where to go?

Teddy: This area is famous for the thermals that occur and make it easy for birds to get lift in order to fly longer distances. In fact, this area is well advertised in many of our aviary travel magazines! It is kind of nice to live in a tourist attraction I guess. Now, when migrating, the hawks have an internal compass, use the sun and light, as well as follow their buddies so they know which direction to go. Of course the ones that are too old, too sick, get lost, or give up and die become dinner for me! Yummy.

Olivia: Well, we appreciate the information you gave us Teddy and we hope to see you again soon (but hopefully not as dinner). Now our last guess is Penny the Praying Mantis. Hello Penny. Where did you encounter a group yesterday?

Penny: Hi Olivia. The same group that Cindy saw came over to Bald Rock Heritage Preserve to look at the area. I guess I surprised them when I hopped on Ranger Tim’s shoulder to get a better look at what he was talking about.

Olivia: Oh, and what did he share with the group?

Penny: He showed them different types of lichens (crustose, foliose, fruiticose, squamulose), citrus grass, and Appalachian Fame Flower. The group seemed very interested in the things they saw here. Of course some were fascinated by seeing me even though I’m not native to this area. Ranger Tim was glad that I wasn’t choosing him for a mate since I’d have to kill him! LOL

Olivia: Yes, I’m glad you didn’t have to kill the ranger Penny. Rangers are our friends and seem to understand our role in nature. I’m sorry to say we have run out of time for this show. I want to thank all of our villains and heroes for joining us. And until next time, have a great week!

(Having students act out different characters is a great way to learn information. Writing the character’s script would be a great way to improve reading and writing as well as integrating content. Have you ever done this with students? If so, how did it work? What advice would you give?)

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original photo by Pat Hensley

From the Diary of Darren the Daddy Long Legs

For pictures, click here.

What a day I had today! I saw Ranger Tim heading down the trail with another group of “students” and I knew today would be interesting. I love when he brings groups here to Jones Gap because I get so learn so much from him. Of course my mom and dad worry about my adventures but they don’t mind when I come back and tell them how much I learned. When I get back home, my mom makes me write down everything in my diary so I won’t forget. They are just afraid that someone will decide I’m dangerous and step on me. So, today, I hitched a ride on Ranger Tim’s clothes because I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.

Here is what I learned today:

1. Private citizens formed the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and Naturaland Trust was a big part of this.

2. From 1931 -1963 trout were raised here.

3. Before then, this was the major thoroughfare from Greenville to North Carolina and it was the Solomon Jones toll road. Carriage with two horses paid a dollar but pedestrians paid a penny. Folklore says that Solomon Jones let Suzy the pig loose at the bottom so he would find the easiest way to home and food. That is how he knew how to make the road.

4. The Blue Ridge Escarpment is in NC, SC, and GA.

5. Jones Gap is in the top 5 ecological hotspots on the planet according to the Nature Conservancy.

6. Islands in the sky refer to the tops of mountains; certain organisms can’t survive in warmer climates so they move up in elevation.

7. Greatest diversity of salamanders in Appalachian Mountains because of islands in the sky.

8. A cove is surrounded on 3 sides by mountains; one way in and one way out.

9. The overlapping communities are what give the diversity.

10. The weather station behind the building is part of a microclimate study.

11. Jones Gap has an east west orientation. It has the same climate as Pennsylvania. Northern species growing right beside southern species.

12. Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004 and toppled trees on one side of the cove.

13. Beechdrops (Epifagus) – feeds on roots of beech trees

14. Beech trees are near water and have coppery leaves in the winter.

15. Pines and evergreens cause the soil to be too acidic for salamanders.

16. Green salamanders love beech trees because smooth trunk allows lichens and mosses to grow.

17. Holes in rocks due to drills for blasting. Due to erosion, soil is lower than the rocks.

18. Broad beech fern grows near beech trees; one stem and triangular in shape.

19. 5 distinct layers in this forest: canopy, understory or subcanopy, shrub layer, herbaceous layer, and forest floor.

20. Canopy gaps allow sunlight to reach forest floor.

21. Jones Gap is a young forest because a lot of the timber was used in the 1940s.

22. Fraser Magnolia or mountain magnolia – lobed on the bottom.

23. Deciduous magnolias – Tulip Poplar, Cucumber Magnolia, and Fraser magnolia

24. Maple Leaf viburnum – has a maple leaf and several stems and is not a tree

25. Sweet shrub – repeating pattern, opposite leaves, drip tip, entire seed pod stays on most of the year, mice feed on seed pod, shiny leaf (aka boobybush; blooms same time as service berry)

26. Saprolite is chemically weathered rock. This is where we get our sand from and why it is not the fine sand found on beaches like FL.

27. Bears – like tree cavities; dens that are tight and not wet.

28. SC black bears do not hibernate. Females that are giving birth will den and if it is cold, males will den.

29. Copper Button – terrestrial snail and are left handed

30. Chestnut Oak has white meat acorns. Red oak has red or orange acorns due to the tannic acid

Oh, now Ranger Tim is talking about me! He mentioned about how I like to use my 2 legs as sensory tools to check out my environment. I’m so glad he told the people that I was not poisonous because then they would get sick if they touched me. Then people think I’m venomous but that isn’t true either because I eat dead stuff. What would I use the venom for? I hate carrying stuff that isn’t any use to me, so I’m not dragging venom around with me, that’s for sure! I also don’t build a web but I harvest my food. And I do bite so you might feel me nibble on you a bit.

Okay, now back to my notes…

31. Jones Gap is a natural cold water habitat.

32. There are 4 major watersheds: Savannah, Santee, Pee Dee, and Ace Basin

33. Jones Gap is the water shed for the Middle Saluda.

34. Santee is the largest watershed in SC.

35. Santee Delta is the largest delta on the eastern seaboard.

Now it was time for the water fun. Ranger Tim pulled out the minnow traps and some fish to show the group. There were the 2 most common minnows: Yellow fin Shiner (males have red fins; during spawning, males are bright pink) and Blue headed chubs (builds the rock nests that the shiners use; black spot on back fin, clear tubes by eyes, during spawning, slate colored heads). The mouth shape indicates where they feed so bigger lower jaw means they eat above them and bigger upper jaw means they eat below them. He also showed a crayfish which has gills near its abdomen, pink due to iodine.

Then I got to watch the groups of people play in the water. They were looking for some of my friends under rocks to look at under the microscope. Others were testing the temperature and the turbidity.

When everyone returned to the lab, Ranger Tim put my friends under the microscope so the class could see them better. They were like TV stars as they showed up on the HDTV screen. The class saw a water penny, mayfly nymph, stonefly nymph, gilled snail, caddisfly larvae, caddisfly case and a crayfish and it was so cool to see everyone up close and personal! I can’t wait to tell my friends that I saw them on TV but I wish they could see this too. Of course, I’m sure they were scared because they didn’t know what was happening to them and they were afraid they wouldn’t get to see home again. But I could have told them that Ranger Tim would take care of them and not hurt them.

After that I had to leave so I wouldn’t be late for dinner. I also wanted to rush out before the class so no one would accidentally step on me. It was a lot of fun and I learned so much. Next week they will go to Caesar’s Head State Park. I wish I could go with them.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Visiting Boris the Bat

Welcome ladies and gentlemen. My name is Boris and I want to welcome you to my humble abode, the Stumphouse Tunnel in South Carolina.

I have lived here for a few years with many of my family and friends. As you can see, it isn’t very fancy but we love it here. It stays a pretty constant temperature here and protects us during the winter. I’m so glad someone put up that gate even though you may find it frustrating. It was really upsetting to us when we kept having uninvited guests who just walked into our homes uninvited and thought we should stop our regular routine and entertain them! Now we usually go in and out the back door where people can’t disturb us.

I would like to share with you some information that is scaring me and the others who live here. Just like in your world, you worry about cancer and AIDS¸ we have something called White Nose Syndrome or WNS. My wife Natasha was diagnosed with it. First we saw white stuff on her nose, then ears and then wings. She started to drive us crazy because she wanted to fly outside in the daylight instead of sleeping with the rest of us. When she left, she would whoop and holler so the rest of us would wake up. I don’t know when she became such a party animal but it was sad. Instead of resting in the winter when we were supposed to hibernate, she wanted to go out and party. Those that do that rarely lived long. She lost more and more body fat until she couldn’t survive any longer and we lost her last year. We had hoped to have another child this year but then she became afflicted with this disease. My son and I miss her very much even though we had only been together for two years.

We appreciate all the researchers trying to find out what is causing WNS and trying to help keep it from spreading. We hope that they don’t give up on us. They have come up with some ways to hopefully keep the disease from spreading. Since they aren’t exactly sure how it is spreading, they are asking anyone who visits a cave, not to bring anything in it that has been in another cave in the past five years. One lady today had paper booties on to cover her shoes (wasn’t she thoughtful!). All of the people had the flashlights in Ziploc bags so they could throw them away when they left. Their clothes could be washed and disinfected. According to some government paper, they found some chemical products that kill the spores such as:

“1. Lysol® IC Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner (0.3% quaternary ammonium compound minimum) - 1 part concentrate to 128 parts water or 1 ounce of concentrate per gallon of water;

2. Lysol® All-purpose Professional Cleaner (0.3% quaternary ammonium compound minimum);

3.Formula 409® Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner (0.3% quaternary ammonium compound minimum);

4. A 10% solution of household bleach - 1 part bleach to 9 parts water (an estimate of 1:9 is insufficient);

5. Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes; or

6. Boil submersible gear in water for 15 minutes”

There is an organization that seems to be helping bats called Bat Conservation International that has some interesting information. You can also google “white nose syndrome” if you want to know more. Unfortunately we don’t have any computers here in the tunnel but we hear about these when there are educational groups brought into the tunnel. You see, my ears pick up on lots of neat stuff since we use echolocation to get around. So, if you have any secrets you don’t want bats to know, don’t say it anywhere near them. But at least we don’t go spreading any gossip!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my home. Please spread the word to your friends about our cause. Explain to them that we love to have them visit and learn more about us but we would appreciate if they could take whatever precautions are necessary to ensure our survival. On this earth, we all have a specific purpose and we need each other. Thank you!

(If I did this lesson, I would have some kind of stuffed animal or prop that is a bat to talk to the class. Sometimes students are more motivated in hearing facts and information this way rather than just a dry lecture. I actually found a pattern to knit a bat for this kind of lesson: Boo the Bat and Flippy the Bat. It would be a great lesson to use in October.)

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: Little Brown Bat by Gare and Kitty

Master Naturalist Class Day 4 Part 2

For pictures, click HERE.

(This is part 2 of last week’s class. Check out yesterday’s post for Part 1)

After lunch, Dr. Rob Bixler (PRT professor at Clemson University) met with us. He helped us learn how to be an effective interpreter.

Interpretation – make things clear.

We have a recreation and leisure activity which is more of an experience rather than a program.

We need to create wonder about every day nature.

Get kids out being observant.

Early times, nature was very important and part of the curriculum. It was the dominant aspect into the curriculum until the 1930s.

Then cultural decay began because it wasn’t being reinforced any more.

Rachel Carson – mother of the modern environmental movement.

Environmental issues and studies became more important than nature study.

Decline in membership of conservation organizations.

Fewer students interested in natural resource careers

Public programs – self selected; people choose to come to these.

Don’t think too scientifically. Figure out ways to connect science to history or culture or pop culture or humanities.

Bring in special people.

Look for humor.

Use poems or music lyrics.

Sensory analysis is important (hearing, smell, touch, see – don’t use taste with young children)

Demonstrations are memorable

Gestures

Look at other cultures.

Go to a local history society for more information.

Look for old, old books

Go to internet forums

Find famous people connected to your topic.

Interpretation does not mean interpret-torture!

People’s time is precious. They are taking a risk to come to a public program.

Vogel State Park has an “Ask a Naturalist” program

Encourage audience participation. They can identify with the information and feel good about adding to it.

Be early, clean and neat, start on time. Start off with general information, getting to know others for the first 5 minutes in case anyone is late.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

· Make sure they are comfortable. Make sure they know what to expect.

· Check safety and security. Make sure they are appropriately dressed for the activity.

· Develop a rapport.

· Recognize someone’s contribution.

Have a Theme statement.

The program does not need to be long and can be informal.

Mechanics of leading a hike

1. Walk past key thing and stop group, then walk back to it so you and key thing is in the middle.

2. End with conclusion; restate theme and subthemes.

3. Don’t end in view of the parking lot.

4. Make yourself available for informal interactions after program ends.

Questioning: Use open ended questions; only ask recall questions about information that you spoke about

Planning is essential! We were given a worksheet and we wrote down a topic and theme. Then we looked at different ways to promote the theme. These include alliteration, exclamation, metaphor/simile, limerick, rhyme, word picture. Don’t do more than one or it will be annoying.

Work with other people. Share ideas.

Look at YouTube videos: search for Piaget + conservation

Young children do not understand cause and effect; multiple relationships. They are very sensory oriented. They need to see, touch, hear and smell. They have trouble with zero.

If you can’t directly experience it, do not talk about it.

Young children do not understand how to ask questions; keep it concrete, simple, and sensory rich.

Group size – 1^st through 3^rd grade is usually best to have no more than 6 with a parent.

You need a finale! You want to get people back. You want them to be talking about this at home. Every program needs to end with a “what next.”

Sharing nature with other people is important to do!

Many of these techniques are ones that should be used in the classroom also. Planning is important because you need to make it worthwhile for people to invest their time in an activity that you do. It is important to engage the audience. If the audience is engaged, there will be less opportunity for misbehavior. Of course we want to tempt them so they want to learn more. I have attended many ranger led activities where I was wishing this person would have a “part 2” of their talk because they were so interesting. Whether you are in a classroom or leading an interpretive experience, the same should apply.

For our next class we will be at Jones Gap State Park and do some water activities. I’m really looking forward to this!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Master Naturalist Class Day 4 Part 1

For pictures, click HERE.

I took so many notes for the last class that I am actually going to make this a two part blog post. This is part one and part two will be posted tomorrow. I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone with all this information so I felt it would be better to split it all instead of putting you to sleep. Hope you enjoy it.

First we met at Stumphouse Tunnel where we met Mary Bunch, the wildlife biologist with DNR. She suggested that we take this picture and turn it upside down so we look like bats.

Here are some bat facts that I learned:

1. White Nose Syndrome (WNS) – could be killing the bats, yet it is not invasive, not getting in external organs.

2. Afflicted bats cannot break down chitin (exoskeleton of insects)

3. WNS optimal growth 5°C - 10°C; marginal growth 15°C, and upper growth 20°C

4. Bats need 3°C-14°C

5. Southern bats live longer because they have shorter hibernation, warmer temperatures, more insects

6. Little brown bat – mountains are the southern most range for these

7. Extinction of little brown bat due to WNS in 16 years

8. Disease is spreading faster than research can happen.

9. Predominant species in Piedmont: Tricolored bats, big brown bat, Evening bats, free tailed bats (found in artificial structures in SC)

10. First 3 species in list given are not colonial cavity roosters

11. Bats swarm

12. In winter, tree bats are in the leaf litter.

13. Red bats are common in the Piedmont, won’t use a bat box

14. WNS is easily detected in early spring but no treatment. Look for flying in the cold and daylight, and bats dying.

15. Lifespan of a bat is 10-15 years.

16. Bats are slow to reproduce and only have pups once a year. They don’t usually mate the first year.

17. Female mortality rate is higher.

18. Bats in Europe are not dying from WNS.

19. Gray bats are expected to become the first species to become extinct; already endangered; go in caves for breeding and wintering.

20. Bats are true hibernators. They can delay ovulation and implantation. Bats can delay pregnancy.

21. No fruit eating bats in SC; SC bats only eat insects.

22. Big brown bats are great for eating agricultural pests.

23. Predators of bats include snakes, owls, bluejays

24. Check out website of Bat Conservation International

25. Recommended Book: Rocky Road to Nowhere (about the Stumphouse Tunnel)

Next Bill Dillard came to talk to us about Stumphouse Tunnel and the history of it. He was in the first master naturalist class.

Bill was the descendent of William Welch who was a contractor/engineer of Stumphouse Tunnel.

Prior to the Civil War, South Carolina was the wealthiest state in the nation. The railroad made a huge impact on the economy.

The tunnel never was finished.

I know that students in the classroom would really enjoy learning about bats. Students of all ages are fascinated by them. I think having a speaker like we did would really help bring this topic to life in a classroom and being able to visit their habitat makes it even more real. Of course, no one can guarantee that you would find any bats because it wasn’t our lucky day. We didn’t get to see any this time because it wasn’t cold enough for the bats to see shelter in the tunnel.

(Please check back tomorrow for Part 2 of my notes)

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

From The Salamander’s Point of View

(Today is a guest post by the Salamander we saw at Kings Creek Falls. Hope you enjoy it!)

Hey, what are all these people doing here? Where did they come from? I was having a great day just hanging out here in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall and all of a sudden this humongous group appears out of nowhere. Gee, it is fun to watch them cross that log! Maybe I will get to see someone fall in the water.

I see a group over on the side looking at the rocks. Hi there! That’s my friend Sammy the Snail that you are looking at. He likes when things are wet. I hope no one picks him up because he gets really scared when people do that. I bet he thought no one would come here so it would be safe to explore that rock.

That ranger over there is saying this is a spray cliff community. I didn’t know my subdivision had a name. Now I can tell people where to come visit me! Oh wait, that isn’t the name of my subdivision. I think that is the name of the type of place where I live; like some people live in the desert and some live in the mountains. I live in a spray cliff community! It sounds pretty impressive and I can’t wait to tell my friends.

I love where I live. There is plenty of cool running water. I also have lots of cool places to hide. There are different sizes of rocks and logs to hide under. I have to stay hidden so I don’t get eaten by all those things that think I’m a tasty morsel for dinner.

I peeked out at one time and these people were looking at the rocks right near me. One lady said that the rock they were looking at was feldspar with mica in it. Wow, I can’t wait to tell my friends what I know. They will think I’m so smart! I wonder if there is gold around me. Well, it wouldn’t matter because I couldn’t get rich from it and it would only bring in tons of people who would disturb my home. They would probably want to develop the area and really mess up the neighborhood.

There is another group over there looking at all the flowers. They like the alumroot, hemlock, and lobelia. I love when the flowers bloom around my home because I feel like I live in a fairyland. My favorite is the Joe Pye Weed because my friends the butterflies come to visit when it is blooming. Usually when they show up, we have a big party.

Whoa. Now this guy just put me in this plastic box! At least he put some water in it so I don’t get all dried out. Hey lady, be careful how you hold this box! Did you know I can see up your nose when you get this close. Man, you have big eyes!

No, I’m not the Geico gecko. I am a salamander! I'm a northern dusky salamander to be exact! (That isn't a picture of me but I thought it looked better than I do. I mean, haven't you ever wanted to use a picture of Julia Roberts or Brad Pitt instead of yourself?) I hate when people get me confused with that gecko though and think I’m in those stupid TV ads. Now, of course, I wouldn’t mind the perks and prestige so if you gave me an offer, I’d be glad to talk with you about it.

Well, after they passed me around and looked at me, that ranger guy decided to put me back in the water. What a relief! I was so afraid that someone would decide that they needed to take me home. I really didn’t want to relocate at this time and especially since no one had consulted me. I think I need to do a better job of hiding so this doesn’t happen to me again. Next time I might not be so lucky!

Well, it is time for me to go find my friends and share this all with them. They won’t believe the adventure that I had today!

(I had to write this post since my classmates and I had discussed what the salamander’s point of view would be. I thought it would be a great exercise in writing. I also think this would be a great writing exercise for our students. What if they wrote a conversation from the perspective of a tennis shoe, or a laptop, or their book bag, or their bathroom mirror? Or even better, let the students come up with an idea. This was just a thought for motivating writing skills. I think the students would like doing this because I know I did! What do you think?)

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Red Eft, P6020048'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61897811@N00/17472483 by: Anita

Master Naturalist Class Day 3

For pictures, click here.

For this class, we met at the Andrew Pickens Ranger Station near Stumphouse Tunnel and then moved on to Burrell’s Ford.

We joined Amy, Vic, and Dan Rankin (from DNR) to learn more about brook trout. They (the trout, not Amy, Vic, and Dan) usually live about three years and their eggs need cold, running water to survive. Rainbow and Brown trout are non native fish that have taken over the Brook trout habitat. Dan talked about the different things that have been done to increase the brook trout population and lower the rainbow and brown trout population such as using a piscitoxin (not sure about the spelling) that only kills fish and nothing else. The toxin they used was actually an antibiotic that is dangerous to handle due to its high concentration and has to be diluted. Then the three of them entered Kings Creek to gather some trout for us to examine. It was fascinating to see how they used this shock system to momentarily shock the fish so they could net them and get them into a bucket of water. They used about 700 volts and4-6 amps of electricity from a 30 something pound pack that Vic wore on his back. It sounded harsh but they say the fish was not hurt. There were different sized brook trout so we could see what they looked at different ages. We also learned how to tell a male from a female during the spawning season. The males have more color (more red) and their jaws are bigger. When it is not spawning season, it is harder to tell the difference.

After this, we headed down the road for our hike to Kings Creek Falls and beyond. Along the hike we saw lots of flora and fauna. Along the way, Ranger Tim Lee stopped to explain some special things we were seeing. About noon we stopped for lunch along the creek. When we arrived at the falls we explored the spray cliff community on our own and then Ranger Tim explained the many things we observed

Here are some of the things that Tim pointed out:

Lady Ferns had hairy stems that were sometimes reddish.

New York Ferns were tapered at both ends. (imagine New Yorkers who burn the candle at both ends)

Pink Lady Slipper – found in an area with a lot of pines, veins are parallel on the leaves, dependent on fungi, almost impossible to transplant.

SC has 53 species of wild orchids and has specific fungi associated with each. That is why it is hard to transplant them.

Huckleberry – low growing shrub; also known as bearberry, doeberry, buckberry

Trees – on woody stem

Shrubs – multiple woody stems

Wildflowers – fleshy stems

Basal – low to the ground

Rhododendron likes moist ground, lower light while Mountain Laurel likes drier ground

Trailing Arbutus – epigaea repens; found on edge of cut slopes or trails, likes mineral soil

Repens = creeping

Soil is affected by rocks; limestone affects soil pH

Granitic gneiss is fairly neutral

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain – native orchid, multiple flowers and seeds, seed pod dries out and rattles

SC state butterfly is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

When talking to a group: face into the sunlight so the group doesn’t have to; keep main attraction to your back

Kings Creek Falls - Spray Cliff Community – even though it was in full sunlight, the spray keeps it cool

5 species of tropical fern are found in spray cliff communities

Observed at the waterfall:

· Alumroot looks like foam flower but likes it wet

· Hemlock looks like Queen Anne’s Lace

· Lobelia

· Joe Pye Weed

· Goldenrod

· Jewelweed

· Salamander

· Snail

Liverwort – loves to grow near creeks, non vascular

Mosses are non vascular also

Indian Cucumber – root is cucumber like

Pinesap

Creeping moss (repens) grows horizontally on tree because of moisture

Doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) – likes to grow along the edge of creek (riparian zone); fetterbush is found in higher elevations and is deciduous; produces multiple white flowers and butterflies love it.

Great Blue Heron

Partridgeberry

Ground Cedar (lycopodium) – spores are highly flammable

Books:

· Waterfall Hikes of Upstate SC by Thomas King

· Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy

Again, it was another awesome class! All of the people in the class are great to be around and easy to get along with which helps make the class enjoyable. The teachers are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their subject. So far, I keep thinking that the next class can’t get much better than the previous class and each time, I’m surprised. I think that the topics are different, and that we are learning in a real life situation which makes it more interesting and relevant. Next week we will go into a cave and have a new adventure!

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Master Naturalist Class Day 2

(For pictures, click here.)

Our class met at Table Rock State Park in Pickens, SC. We started out in the classroom where Dr. Wagner from Clemson introduced us to rocks and minerals.

Our first activity was to be a rock. As a solid, we moved in place. As a liquid, we moved around. And as a gas, we had to get off the ground (but we really didn’t since we were in a small area). But if I did this with school age students, I think they would enjoy this activity.

Next we were given some minerals and asked to identify them if we could. Then Dr. Wagner identified them for us and explained how we could recognize them. We learned about quartz, feldspar, mica, and amphibole. Feldspar breaks along lines, and has a shiny flat surface at the cleavage. Mica is soft and breaks in sheets. Amphibole is dark colored and has a cleavage. Quartz is light colored and does not show shine at the cleavage.

Next, we learned about the difference of the three types of rocks.

1. Igneous rocks are from lava and then cooled. Examples are granite (continental crust) and basalt (oceanic crust).

2. Sedimentary rocks are layers of particles glued together by fluids from the materials. Examples are sandstone, limestone, conglomerates, and shale.

3. Metamorphic rocks – heat and pressure compress the particles so they are grown together but you can see an organized pattern due to the compression.

Then Dr. Wagner compared the rocks to food so that we could understand the concept of how they were formed.

1. Igneous rocks are like jello. Jello starts out in liquid form and is heated up and then cooled to become solid.

2. Sedimentary rocks are like fudge. At first it is creamy and then it becomes grainy and over a long period of time (about 3 months), it will become crystallized.

3. Metamorphic rocks are like a granola bar that has been stepped on. The layers are squished but they are compressed into an organized pattern.

Then we were given an activity which involved separating some rocks into the three different categories using the information that we were given. Our group had a great discussion on where they should go. Then Dr. Wagner gave us the correct answers and explained why.

In South Carolina, we will find sandstone, limestone, shale, granite, gneiss, schist, and amphibolite.

After lunch we gave a physical representation of the geological timeline. It was interesting to see where most of the geological changes took place on the timeline. This was a great activity to see visually how the earth has developed.

In the afternoon, we took a hike and looked at rocks in the environment. We saw how the rocks break and how it affects the water flow in creeks which in turn affect the rocks. What a great way to take our knowledge we gained in the morning and apply it to a real life situation. This was a great way to show relevance in the lessons and really was more meaningful to me as I saw how the information applied in the real world. I think because I was able to see the rocks in nature and learn how to identify them, I will remember this better than just looking at a textbook or seeing pictures or even handling samples of what they look like.

That was the end of Day 2 and it was wonderful! I’m really enjoying this course and it seems like the others are also. Next week we will be going to King’s Creek and Burrell’s Ford. I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for us then!

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original Image: Table Rock State Park by Pat Hensley

Master Naturalist Day 1

Last week we attended the first day of our Master Naturalist course which meets once a week for twelve weeks. First of all, let me start of by saying that it was awesome and I look forward to the rest of the classes. There are about twenty of us in the class along with the organizers and teachers.

I was impressed with the planning that went into this day because we had a lot of activities with very little empty time to get bored. We moved from one activity to the other but it made the day go by quickly and all of the activities were very helpful.

We were given the following books:

1. Peterson First Guides: Rocks and Minerals

2. Amphibians & Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia

3. Native Trees of the Southeast: An Identification Guide

4. A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina

5. Photographic Atlas of Entomology and Guide to Insect Identification

6. South Carolina Master Naturalist Program Training Manual

7. 3 ring binder with weekly schedule, homework assignments, and articles

8. Waterproof field book (for notes)

9. 10x Coddington Magnifier

We did a lot of different activities that would be great to do in a classroom. Here are some of the activities we did:

1. Identification quiz: We had seven different stations and items were numbered. The stations were skulls, pelts, reptiles, nuts/fruits, rocks, plants/trees, and we had to identify them in 15 minutes and then return to the big group. It was fun to touch the objects. Then we were given a chance to share our answers and find out the correct answers.

2. Identify Trees: We went outside with our guide books and then broke out into groups to identify the tree that we were assigned. We used the key in our book and followed the guidelines. Our group identified the American Holly tree using the guide. Unfortunately one group was attacked by the yellow jackets as their nest was disturbed by the group. They were able to move to a new tree that was assigned. We only spent about 30 minutes doing this because we were learning the process. If I did this with a class, I would probably pick the trees ahead of time and have the key with the highlighted answers to help guide the group in using the key. I learned that I need to learn the terminology in order to use the key effectively.

3. Waiver/Liability and ICE forms: We were given forms to sign in case anyone got hurt. I’m glad that they prepared for this possibility which shows once again how prepared they were.

4. Lunch was provided for the entire group for this first day and that gave us time to get to know one another and process what was learned during the morning.

5. Leave No Trace: Again we were broken up into groups and sent to seven different stations. There was a display at each station and we were to try to figure out the seven principles of Leave No Trace. These principles are:

a. Plan Ahead and Prepare

b. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

c. Dispose of Waste Properly

d. Leave What You Find

e. Minimize Campfire Impacts

f. Respect Wildlife

g. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

6. Hike: We went on a short afternoon hike in the forest and saw a lot of wildflowers and trees along the way. Our leader was very knowledgeable about these things and was able to help us identify them as we walked past them. Even though it was hot and humid, the hike was great to end the day. The rain never started until after we returned to our cars and headed home.

I can’t wait until our next class! We will be meeting at Table Rock State Park. Since our homework was about rocks, minerals, fossils, and other geological information, I bet this day will be spent studying that topic.

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original Image: Master Naturalist Learners by Pat Hensley

New Cell Phones and Teaching

It has been years since I have upgraded my cell phone. Lately I’ve been reading about all the great ways to use a cell phone in the classroom and I realize that I was being left behind. I feel like when I was a little kid and just learned to ride a bicycle. I had a small heavy bicycle while my friends were riding 10 speed bikes and going much faster than I was. Now I have to pedal hard to catch up.

I now have a Droid Incredible and I can only hope that it will do incredible things. I have never used the internet on the phone or checked my email. Apparently this has a GPS system and lots of other toys on it. It has been years since I have sent any text messages or even taken a picture with my phone so I need to get back to all of this and it is exciting.

I think I will start by learning how to use all the “stuff” that comes with the phone before I start downloading any apps to play with. I need to learn how to use the basics before I start adding anything. I also want to do a lot of research on the best free apps to get and the implications of getting them.

Sometimes I wonder if I forget that I need to teach this way. I need to make sure that my students have the basics before I start adding all the bells and whistles. This can be overwhelming to them because I know it can do the same thing to me.

Of course, I am impatient and want to skip the basics so I can get to the bells and whistles but I need to hold myself back. I need to do the same thing with my students and not let their excitement let me push them too quickly. Like surfing, it is easy to get caught up in the tide but if we don’t know how to get on the surf board, we can easily get swept away and drown.

I can see this new phone being a great tool but if I don’t learn how to use it than it won’t be as effective as I hope it would be. I need to learn how to use it in the most efficient and effective way in order to get the most bang for my buck. But if I get frustrated or discouraged, I won’t use many of the things on the phone that may benefit me. In this same way, I need to help students come to the same realization about their learning.

If you have any suggestions or know of any good free apps for the Droid Incredible, please share. I would love any tips that you can give because I am a firm believer of not trying to reinvent the wheel and would love to learn from your mistakes/learning curve/ or whatever you may call it. Hopefully by modeling my new learning experience, my students will be able to see the importance of taking one step at a time and also asking for help when necessary. We all need to be open to suggestions and ideas from others because we can only benefit from someone else’s experiences.

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original Picture: Droid Incredible by Pat Hensley

Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection (Book Review)

I recently read the book Trickster: Native American Tales, a Graphic Collection Edited by Matt Dembicki which was mentioned on The Picnic Basket. This is the review that I gave the book (I am not being paid to give this review):

I would definitely give this book a 5 out of 5. I love the whole book! First of all I love graphic novels and I love Native American Tales so to find a book that combines them both was wonderful! The illustrations were magnificent and would really appeal to readers of all ages. Of course the stories were entertaining but also could be used as a springboard for classroom lessons. This book could be used to teach reading, storytelling, art, social skills, science, and many other topics. I think this book would be a great addition to any school or classroom library. In fact, I can’t wait to take this book camping this weekend to share it with family and friends.

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

June Photo A Day Challenge

I have made it a half of a year continuing with the Photo A Day Challenge on Flickr. If you haven’t done this before, you might give it a try. You might try it was a week challenge or a month challenge. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t start at the beginning of the year. The reason that I suggest this is that I have found so many benefits for this and want to share them with you.

I look closer at the world around me. I am more attentive to the little things. When I first started, I mostly looked at the big picture. This project has helped me look for the details.

I try to find something interesting every day. I’m not talking about just interesting to me but thinking about what might be interesting to others.

I am collecting photos that I may use in presentations that are more interesting than clip art. I think about photos that I have looked for when I am creating presentations and when I see something that might fit; I take a photo of it.

When I am at a loss for an idea, I got to The Daily Shoot which gives an assignment for the day. Sometimes that can inspire me.

It can get others involved in helping me look for good shots too. When I’m with my friends and mention that I am taking pictures for this project, they get caught up in the hunt too. At times, they will call me over to take a photo of something they think would make a good photo of the day. At the end of the day, I have lots of photos to choose from.

At the end of the month, I like to look at all of the photos I took that month to see what caught my eye and if I see any trends or themes for the month.

Original Image: June Photos of the Day by Pat Hensley

Bears and Blue Blazes

We arrived after lunch to Standing Indian Campground just in time to set up our tent and go hiking with the group. We went to Laurel Falls,  Mooney Falls, the AT, and Pickens Nose. It was quite an adventure because we hiked along the AT before we found out that we were not on the trail to Pickens Nose. Along the way, Ron tried to find some geocaches but was unsuccessful at that.

Right before it got dark, Don and Jean found fresh bear scat in front of their car. Then we found out that bears messed up the neighboring campsite because they left their coolers and food out. All this bear talk really creeped me out especially since we set up our tent near older bear scat in a mushy kind of field. There were only two tents in this field and one of them was ours. During the night a car alarm went off forever before stopping at 1:45am. Then at 2:30am, it went off again. I just knew the bears were back but it wasn’t our car alarm so I stayed in the tent. At 4am, it went off again but was shut off quickly. I finally left our tent around 5:30am when I saw that Jeff had gotten a huge fire going and I felt safe. Don apparently wasn’t worried because he slept soundly.

Around 9am, we started our hike to the summit of Standing Indian Mountain. Six of us started up the trail and hoped the others would catch up. After about 20 minutes, I realized that I had forgotten my camera and I was disgusted with myself! After about a mile, Bill said he was going to wait for the others and that we needed to just keep following the blue blazes along the trail so we kept going. We headed down the Park Creek Trail before turning on the Park Ridge Trail which led up the mountain. There was lots of evidence of fresh bear scat and disturbed areas where they hunted for food. At a clearing, Steve, Don, and Jean along  with us met another hiker whole told us that we couldn’t reach Standing Indian along these trails and that ALL of the trails were blue blazed! After waiting about 30 minutes for Bill and the rest of the group, we decided to do a loop back to the campground. After we started again, it began to rain so we decided to shorten the loop and head back to the campground sooner.

Steve was way ahead when he was attacked by bees. He dropped his hiking stick and ran back to us. After applying stingeeze on his stings, we headed back up the trail to get his stick. Right at his stick, he was stung again and we all ran back along the trail. We decided to ford the creeks rather than go through the bees but Don ran through them without being stung. Jean went around the trail and back up the steep bank. Steve, Don, and I chose the water route even though we got our boots and socks wet. Other than that adventure, nothing else happened the rest of the way back. We did stop along the water and ate some snacks which helped give us energy to get back to camp. We hiked about 7-8 miles so it was a good hiking day.

After a shower, we had an early dinner of tacos around 4pm and it tasted so good! Bill finally appeared and told us that he realized that we were on the wrong trail so the rest of them turned around and did another trail which took them to the top of Standing Indian (about 11-12 mile hike) so I’m really glad we did the trails that we were on. Even though we had a wonderful campfire, everyone was happy to turn in early. That night there were no car alarms or bear visits.

On Sunday morning, we took down our tents and packed up. Don moved the car where the sun hit it and we draped our tent and footprint on it so it could dry up. Then we headed up the road to Gatlinburg and a night in a hotel. After checking in Microtel on Historic Nature Trail ($39 for the night), we walked around Gatlinburg in the heat, crowds, and noise. How different this is from a night in the woods!

Shoelaces for Teachers Campaign

I recently got an email from Laurie Murphy about the “Shoelaces for Teachers Campaign”. She writes the following message:

“Members of the Shoelaces for Teachers campaign are collecting shoelaces in honor of educators who work hard every day to help students to have a better future.  These teachers understand the true meaning of education and put the needs of students ahead of politics and savory sound-bites.  

However, teachers could not succeed if not for the support of the community.  Therefore, shoelaces are also being collected in honor of people who are speaking up on behalf of education-people who demand that teachers receive the support needed to do their job and who insist that public education remains adequately funded and available to all. They also understand that, while some aspects of education (such as creativity, independent thinking, engagement and compassion) cannot be easily measured, they represent some of education’s greatest achievements.

When combined, all of these shoelaces become a “virtual march” in the name of education. 

The string of collected shoelaces will be measured and revealed during the world premiere broadcast of the documentary "I Just Keep Going" on July 30, 2010 on Ustreamtv.  The stories of several of our honored teachers and supporters will be featured as part of this documentary.  

We would be honored to include a shoelace representing you and your ongoing efforts in our campaign.  We would also encourage you to submit other shoelaces on behalf of other educators who have made a difference in the lives of students or who have worked hard to improve our educational system.  We encourage you to write your name on the shoelace you submit (or on an enclosed piece of paper).  We also would ask that you submit the name of other people being honored, should you submit additional laces.

Shoelaces may be old, new, plain, or creatively decorated. That part is entirely up to you!

Shoelaces should be mailed to: Laurie Murphy, 6414 Foster Road, Sebring, FL 33875. 

The Shoelaces for Teachers Campaign is sponsored by the SOS Million Teacher March, an organization made of up teachers, parents, students, and other concerned citizens who are rallying together in support of education. To learn more about the Shoelaces for Teachers Campaign or the SOS Million Teacher March, please visit us at  www.sosmtm.com.  Should you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, feel free to contact me by telephone at (863) 386-4806 or by email at murphylauriet@gmail.com.”

So please send your shoelaces in!

(crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker)

I Learn Something Every Day

Last week we drove up on the spur of the moment towards the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. We have talked for a few years about going camping and hiking up there and decided that this was the perfect time. We wanted to get up there before the holiday because we thought it would only get more crowded after the holiday. On the way up there, I called the Charit Creek Lodge to see if we could get reservations for the next day and they had openings.

I’ve been a little apprehensive about staying at the lodge because I had never been there before and I knew that we would have to share a cabin with strangers. But my hubby really wanted to do this so I went along with it (the things you do for love!).

We arrive at the Big South Fork Bandy Visitor Center. W  e met the nicest guys there at the visitor center who told us about the park and also about the animals there. They had a great educational display with skulls and pelts of different animals. We ended up spending the night at the Bandy Creek Campground (site 13A) which was up on a hill overlooking a nice field. We had hoped to see some deer but we never saw any. But, we did get to see a bear on the road as we returned to the campground after dinner. Thankfully we had our new tent because a thunderstorm arrived and we were able to sit in our tent with a glass of wine as the thunderstorm passed by.

The next day we packed up the tent and headed to the lo dge. Since we were early, we hiked in Pickett State Park to the natural bridge and Hazard cave. Then we had to drive along a gravel road to the trailhead and then hike 2 miles in to the lodge. When we arrived, we were told that we had the cabin all to ourselves for the night which was a relief. We ate some lunch and then hiked around the area before returning to our cabin. The mosquitoes were really bad and kept attacking Don so we spent time out on the screened in porch until dinner.

At dinner we met 2 other couples from southern Indian a and so there were just six of us for dinner. It was really cozy and we enjoyed visiting with these people and exchanging stories. They had the cabin next to us. After dinner we returned to our cabin and enjoyed our bottle of wine before heading to bed. During the night Don got cold and had to get another blanket but I didn’t.

The next morning, I was up early and got to watch the sun rise. Then we had breakfast at 8am with the other two couples. It was really nice meeting them and hope our paths cross again someday. After breakfast we headed back to our car and drove around but then headed towards Blue Heron Mining Community. There was a nice mining museum and hike in that area. After leaving there, we headed towards Cumberland Gap and hoped that we could hike there the next day but the road was closed. So, we decided to head for home.

As every day turns out, this whole trip was a wonderful learning experience. Here are some things that I learned:

1. Not everything has to be planned.

2. People like to tell the good things about where they live.

3. Wild animals may be all around us and we just have to stop and take time to look.

4. Thunderstorms can be scary and exciting.

5. Sometimes we dread things because we worry that it will be a bad experience and then it turns out alright.

6. Worrying about what might happen can sometimes be a waste of time.

7. It is fun to meet new people.

8. Plans need to be flexible in case things don’t go the way you expect.

What have you learned today?

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Tribute to my Dear Friend, Grace

Today is a sad day for me because my good friend, Grace Kaufman, is being buried today in New Jersey. I’m not sure how old she was but I know she was in her 80s and I was lucky to call her my friend.

We met on a cruise in 1999. I remember this because it was the first cruise I took that I really enjoyed and it was on the Carnival Triumph. We took a 10 day cruise in the southern Caribbean. Actually, I met Grace in the ship’s store while we were looking for some reading glasses for my husband who accidentally left his at home. We were so surprised to find out that we were seated at the same dinner table that night and would enjoy each other’s company for the next 10 days. Isn’t it amazing how you can meet someone and know instantly that you would be friends? That is how I felt about Grace. We instantly hit it off and even though there was an age difference, it didn’t matter.

When I told her that I was a teacher, she mentioned how she had taught some too but now she was a travel agent. Over the years, I sought her advice a lot about traveling around the world and even around the US. She willingly told us about things we should not miss and things we should be cautious about.

Her husband, Jerry and she were a wealth of knowledge and interesting stories about the whole world. We just enjoyed listening to them over the ten days and hated to see our trip end. In fact we took a shore excursion with them to Virgin Gorda and the Baths. Since the walk was hard for Grace to do, we stayed with them as we arrived and then Grace decided that she would sit in the store and read a book while the rest of us enjoyed exploring around the beach and rocks.

When we returned home from that cruise, we wanted to stay in touch with them so I emailed Grace and asked about a trip to China that we were planning. She was so wonderful and offered to set the whole trip up for us and I’m so glad she did because she took care of little details that we never thought of! Over time, she booked some more cruises for us and we stayed in touch on a weekly basis (if not more). I was able to share with her news about my family and she did too. When I was discouraged or irritated, she always knew the right words to make me feel better.

On our visits to see family in New York, we would always try to plan a visit to New Jersey to visit Grace and Jerry. They even invited us to stay with them for a few days which we really enjoyed. We were able to take the train into New York City and then back to their house. Luckily we were able to reciprocate the visit when one time they took Amtrak to Atlanta for a travel agent event. Then we picked them up and took them to Helen, GA for dinner before returning back to our home. The plan was for them to get on the train in Greenville to return home but the train was delayed for hours so they spent the night with us. They kept trying to tell us that they would stay at the train station (which was in a really scary part of our town) all night waiting for the train but we couldn’t let them do that so they stayed in our guest room for the night.

We were so lucky to be able to join Grace and Jerry on the Carnival Liberty in Italy in 2005. It was a magical trip and being with them made it even more special. There were special events that they were invited to and they made sure that we were included which they really didn’t have to do. When we arrived in Cannes, France, Grace had worked out for us to have a private driver to take us to Monaco. I think she always worried about us going off on our own and missing the ship (which we have never done and hope to never do!). Yet, it was kind of nice to have someone worrying about us like this.

Over time, Grace’s health declined and she was unable to use her computer anymore. When she fell one time, she had to go to a rehab place to get well and get physical therapy so I tried to send her a letter often so she would know we were thinking of her. When she returned home, I tried to write letters and call but now I wish I had done it more often. We had hoped that we would be able to sail with them again but her health didn’t let her do this so whenever we took a cruise, I called her from the ship the day we boarded and then again when we returned home. I think she really enjoyed hearing all the details about our trip.

When we went to visit my parents in West Palm Beach, Grace and Jerry would usually be celebrating the Jewish holidays in Miami with their daughter. One time, my parents came with us to visit them which was special because my parents had heard a lot about my special friends. Another time we joined their whole family on a trip to Parrot Jungle which was a lot of fun. It was fun to meet Grace’s children and grandchildren too.

I can’t begin to tell you how much she meant to us. She reminded me so much of my mother who passed away over 20 years ago so I guess I was able to tell her everything and anything. I’m so grateful to her family for sharing her with me. I am so thankful that her daughter was willing to let me know when Grace was hospitalized or in bad health. I can only imagine what they thought when I started barging in on their mother’s life but they graciously allowed me to be included.

I have some precious memories of Grace in our life and I will always miss her.

Goodbye Grace! We will miss you dearly!

(crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog)

Pisgah Forest Camping 5/5-5/6

We got up to Davidson River campground and set up our tent before meeting up with our hiking group. There were 7 of us and we hiked the Caney Bottom Loop Trail that started at the Cove Creek Group Campground. Seeing all of the pink lady slippers was a highlight to start off the hike. We had a few creek crossings and two of the ladies turned back at the first crossing but the rest of us went on. It took us about 3 hours and afterwards we went to Dolly’s for ice cream. After eating ice cream, the others drove back home and we went geocaching. We found all three that we were looking for which gave me lots more confidence to try more. We drove up to Pisgah Inn for dinner and then returned back to our campsite to enjoy a wonderful campfire.

Today we got up early and went for breakfast in Brevard. Then we hiked up to Looking Glass Rock which whipped my butt today. First of all, I tried a new water bladder in my pack and it had a disgusting taste and I wouldn’t drink any water from it, which left me only a small bottle of water. It was almost 4 miles straight up to the rock face and I was afraid I wouldn’t make it. I really struggled today but when we got to the top and ate a good lunch (peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple, and some candy) I felt much better. Coming down the mountain was much easier for me. After the hike, we went to Sycamore Flats picnic area and waded in the river. Boy, did that make my feet feel so good! Then we went to the Cardinal Drive In for an early dinner but it was not good at all. Next we went back to look at the pink lady slippers and drove up a dirt road and explored. All in all, it was a good day!

Answering Someone’s Prayer

I have thought long and hard about telling this story because at first I felt angry and then embarrassed at our carelessness. Yet the more I thought about what happened, the more I think that maybe we were an answer to someone’s prayer and that miracles do happen. Sometimes they happen to me and sometimes I am instrument in someone else’s miracle.

We recently went on a cruise and one of the benefits we have for cruising so much is that they do our laundry for free. I decided to gather our clothes and turn them in to the cabin steward the next day for laundry service. Everything was put in the paper bag including my hubby’s swim trunks. I didn’t know until later that he had left a $100 bill in the zipper pocket. He likes to hide one in his pocket in case of an emergency when we are on the islands. Later he told me that he had left it in the pocket and when we got our clothes back, the money was gone. It could not have fallen out because someone had to unzip the pocket in order to get to it.

At first I was angry. I was angry that someone stole the money. I was angry at my husband for not checking his pockets before giving it to me. I was angry at myself for not checking all of the pockets before putting the clothes in the bag. Then I was embarrassed at our carelessness because it was our own fault and no one else’s fault. No, we didn’t tell anyone because it was useless to accuse anyone and would only create a fuss that couldn’t be resolved.

Then I began to think about the whole situation. What if we were an answer to someone’s prayer? What if someone was desperate for the money and prayed that a miracle would happen? What if that money was their miracle? We don’t have a lot of money but that much would not crimp our vacation. If it happened to some young newlywed couple (I remember those days of having very little money), this loss could be devastating and ruin their honeymoon. Maybe an older couple would have been deeply upset too because they are only living on their social security and they had saved up for this trip for a long time. Maybe in order to answer someone’s prayer and help them during this desperate time, we were meant to leave that money in that pocket. It is highly unusual that my hubby leaves money in his pockets and it is extremely rare that I don’t check all of the pockets. Yet on this particular day both of us did the unexpected. I like to think that maybe someone really needed that more than we did.

It gives me peace to think that maybe it wasn’t a calamity for us and that someone is out there giving thanks for this miracle that happened to them. And if we weren’t an answer to someone’s prayers, that’s okay too because God knows and that is all that counts.

Maybe your actions today may be the answers to someone’s prayers and you may never know about it. Have a great day!

(crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog )

Original image: 'esperança - hope'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64858114@N00/252434214 by: Alexandre Eggert

Joyce Kilmer Camping Weekend

We had a fun weekend. We left Friday morning for Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest which was about a 4 hour drive. On the way up we stopped at the visitor center and the lady told us that Saturday night they were expecting hail and tornado warnings. We were the first ones to get to the campsite at Rattler Ford Campground so we set up our little orange backpacking tent . That afternoon, others began to arrive and we helped them set up their tents.

Then we went geocaching for a little while. The weathermen said it would rain Friday night but we didn’t get any that evening. We had happy hour with lots of food shared by all and then Don and I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. When it got dark Diane started a fire so all ten of us sat around the campfire until about 11pm. It was so much fun sharing stories. Don and I got the giggles when he poked me in the ribs as he turned over in the sleeping bag. We could hear Tom and Bev talking next door in their three room tent! About 4am it began to rain and the wind was strong but we stayed dry in our tent.

When I got up at 6am, it had stopped raining. In fact it looked like it would be a pretty day so all of us planned got ready to go hiking. Don  and I hiked to Falls Branch Falls where we met up with Diane and Gail. About the time we hiked out and reached our cars, it began to rain. Don and I went into Tellico Plains for lunch at the Tellicafe and we had pizza burgers. By the time we finished, it had stopped raining so we went to Bald River Falls before heading back to camp. We arrived back at camp about 5pm and it was a torrential downpour so we decided to pack up and head for home. It is a good thing we did since I found a huge puddle inside my tent and our pillows were soaked. We would have had to sleep in puddles all night long not to mention worrying about hail and tornadoes. We arrived home about 10pm and there were heavy rains which made driving pretty scary at times. I’m just glad we got home safely and woke up in our own dry bed!

You can see more pictures here: Joyce Kilmer Camping Trip

Delicious Veggie Stew

I found this recipe online and it was great. I did change it a little bit because I didn’t have any garbanzo beans so I threw in a ½ cup of lentils but I don’t think it changed the calorie count much. I also didn’t have butternut squash so I just used yellow squash. I also left out the eggplant because it was so expensive. It must have been good though because my hubby ate two helpings of it!

Very VERY Veggie Stew

PER SERVING (about 1 cup): 100 calories, 1g fat, 296mg sodium, 20g carbs, 6g fiber, 7g sugars, 4g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
One 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped zucchini
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 cup cubed butternut squash
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1/3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)

Directions:
Place all the veggies and the garbanzo beans in your crock pot.
In a medium bowl, combine broth, tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, basil, cinnamon, salt, paprika, ginger, and sweetener. Mix well and pour evenly over the contents of the crock pot. Gently stir to allow the sauce to coat the veggies.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. (OR cover and cook on low for 7 - 8 hours.) If you like, add additional salt to taste. Enjoy!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS