Climate Change Why the March

Cars and climate change

Reduce Climate Change. Highway vehicles release about 1.7 billion tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere each year-mostly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO 2)-contributing to global climate change. Each gallon of gasoline you burn creates 20 pounds of GHG.

www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/climate.shtml

It amazes me how  the one main and big thing that we can do as a human race to cut CO2 admissions is the greatly reduce our person driving.  Yet people do not wish to do so instead they march at the White House and ask for money to study global warming.  Block land use and cut down on jobs that come from things they presume to cause global warming and then they fly around in airplanes and have at least one car if not more.  Maybe some of them even burn leaves in their yards from time to time.

I have also notice that if you write about simple things we can all do that makes big impacts into the care of the earth and it's animals no one seems to notice or care but get a march going or a protest and here they come.  Is it that perhaps we all don't care what can be done without keeping people from jobs, or being able to use land?

These are just thoughts and questions I have for us to consider.  I mean when you turn on the news and see that the democrats next idea for saving on CO2 admissions is to restrict the number of children an American family can have and fine them if they do have more as each person driving around in their cars effects CO2 levels so no kids.  But wait we want the refugees, and open borders so that all can freely come and live, just no more American children born to American couples.

So I am no longer impressed by these marches I think we need a balance and learn what each of us can do personally to effect our world.  Not restrict land use, stop jobs, and prevent others from studying the global warming that maybe seeing something different then what is being put out there for us to believe.

Flies? Are You Serious!

I wrote a few days ago about pollinating beetles and I mention that flies can and are also important to pollination.  I had never heard of this and well hate seeing flies even outside, but just in the short web search I have done I have found lots of important information  to prove that they are important to crops.  I copied a little expert from The Diptera Site:
Larger flies such as carrion and dung flies visit and pollinate pawpaw (Asimina triloba). Many Rosaceous flowers in the northern hemisphere are visited and at least partly pollinated by flower flies (Syrphidae): Apple (Malus domestica) and Pear (Pyrus communis) trees, strawberries (Fragaria vesca, F. x ananassa), Prunus species (cherries, plums, apricot and peach), Sorbus species (e.g. Rowanberry) and most of the Rubus-species (Raspberry, Blackberry, Cloudberry etc.) as well as the wild rose Rosa canina.
I found this interesting as well who would think and apple tree would be pollinated by a fly?   The main focus on pollinating is put onto bees which I would think would be logical because they provide another form of food production in the way of honey but to fully understand the nature of pollination I would think it would be important to consider a whole eco system of pollinators.
Anyway, some of the flies look a little like bees so that as they do their work they are less likely to be bothered by predators.  One example of this is the Hover Fly.
So now besides the beetles I have to learn to see the flies in the garden under a new light and hold back on the fly swatter. http://diptera.myspecies.info/diptera/content/flies-%E2%80%93pollinators-two-wings  Check out this site for more information or use the search term pollinating flies.

Weeping White Roses

weeping white roses

over rows of sweet peas

carry a scent

on the breeze to the sea

hoping true love to embrace

my attempt at a Tanka by Karen Sue Smith 4/4/2017

Helping a Child Love to Read

Like most first time parents I read everything I could get my hands on to learn about raising  a child.  Who doesn’t want to do their best and  give their child the most from the start.
A friend of mine just recently had a baby and every Sunday when I see her she shows me some new and better way she has learned to take care of her baby.  It is cute and well makes one feel good to see a child be so loved.  Love is in action right and not in words.
If I can say I had done anything right with my children it would be to say I taught them how to love to read and here is some of what I did:

1.  Before they could read I took simple picture albums with none breakable parts and made picture albums with cut out pictures of simple things.  Dog, cat, bird etc.  They loved it and I could sit them down on my lap and look at the picture book with them saying the words and giving sometimes the sounds as well.
2. When  children’s books were bought I would get them with the cool colors young children love.  Example: Finding Nemo has colors in the tones children love.  They are easy on the eyes but true to life and exciting.  Then I would make sure the words were short and had a sound pattern.  Example:  Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water…
3. Be prepared.  Child explore their world and will constantly ask questions.  A word that they are curious about, why does the dog bark and the cat chase the mouse.  So be prepared with simple pleasant answer that can also make the story more interesting.  Like for instance, this is how a dog talks by barking he telling us here that he wants to play with the red ball by the front porch.
4. Find a good time that both you and the child can read a story.  Bedtime is good but with so many of us working all hours you could pick a time like say before dinner is served or under the shade outside.  What best serves you and your child.
5. If the child goes to a daycare find out if it is alright to have a child’s favorite book come with him to daycare.  Seriously some children have there favorite stories and you will find they will read them all the time and usually grab the book when they feel a little insecure.
6. Be prepared to read the same story a lot.  When my oldest was little I most have read the Polk a dot puppy over a hundred times in the same year.  I would get so tried of it but when she would pick up her books and recite each word from heart as she turned the page to her dolls it was all worth it.
7. Make going to the library fun.  I would also walk the kids through looking at the books in the neat rows.  It is also a help because they see other adults reading or looking for a book.
8. Ok I confess too that when I read to them I would change my voice for each character and make them feel like each character would come to life on the page.
9. Finally as they develop give them lots of encouragement with their reading and not judgement.  They will read at different levels and this is ok too.  Comic books are a good way to get a child reading as well. 

Clouds

                                 

                                  Clouds

soaring on air

tiny droplets icy and cold

giants claiming sky

By Karen Sue Smith 4/5/17

Wordless

Wordless I sit

not a thought in my head

as the birds sing their song

and the morning sun climbs high

Wordless I sit

as thoughts awaken

flowers stretching their heads

bees being to hum

Wordless I sit

as my fingers move

to write this poem

for you

Work By Karen Sue Smith 4/7/17

Kaz March 30, 2017 Be creative

Ghostly Ladies

Ghostly Ladies

abused by time

left to neglect

full of warm memories

a shame to forget

ghostly ladies

once a pride on the block

now stand there ignore

like a ghost in the dark

ghostly ladies

crying for renewal

work by Karen Sue Smith 3/30/17


My original post can be found at www.kazshomemadetips.com .

Classroom Photo Project: Animal Photo Shot

Kaz April 1, 2017 Be creative, Home school

Chucky The Park Squirrel

As promised here are the animal shots Maegan took at the park.  It was very quite out but we found a squirrel that would go along with the idea of having it’s picture taken.  I named it Chucky because he was the biggest squirrel in the park.

Isn’t Chucky the park squirrel cute?

Five Things I Like About My Blog on Blogger

 I have been doing a blog on wordpress and I have liked it but getting it noticed has been hard so with my account coming up for repayment I decided to move and try blogger.  It is turning out to be a wise decision.  I have been busy moving and writing on blogger and am surprised by the attention I have already received.
So let me list for you the five things I like right now about blogger.

• Easy to use.  Formatting is easy to use and uploaded pictures are already placed into you post the right size for the ease of web page use by your readers.
• I get good grades from the website testers.  Which before no matter how much I tried I could not raise some of them.  Showing that blogger takes care of you.
• The page is clean and neat looking. 
• Seems to get you out there an noticed sooner.
• The authors of the site explain everything to you as far as how to write, what your rights are and theirs, how to run ads on your site successfully.

Milkweed: The Main Flower in Our Butterfly Garden

Kaz April 13, 2017 Home grown, Ideas for the home, keep it wild

Milkweed: Are They Sprouting

Ok there is excitement in the schoolroom today.  We checked the butterfly garden and what did we see but a pattern of sprouting seeds mainly in the spots were we had placed the milkweed seeds.  So excited we are.  Not sure at this time what type of milkweed we have so will have to see.  There are hundred and ten species in North American alone monarchwatch.org .  I am assuming ours will be the common type but am not sure.
I took some photo’s so I hope I am not shouting out with joy to soon, but well it is fun.  Saw a monarch butterfly on the way home from the store getting some nectar from some purple clover.  I noticed it is a favorite of the bumble bee as well and the honey bees like the white clover.
Notice in the photo’s that are about to be added that Maegan and I chose to leave some of the mulch from the compost pile on top with the soil hoping to keep the soil from running off until the plants roots can get a deep start.

The sprouts are pretty close to the grow which should mean the stocks will be strong and heavy for strength against the winds or heavy rain.  A good indication that it is getting the right amount of sun.
Here too is a couple of pictures of a cat called Greyjoy she monitors the garden for me.

Her blanket is sunning in on top of Chance’s dog kennel.  My broader collie he love his kennel and considers it his outside room.   Well that will be a different story except I will give the name of the manufacture for the kennel.  They are called Lucky Dog and I bought it from Wal Mart online.
Will keep you posted.  Milkweed are you sprouting?

A Remeberence of the Titanic

With grace she set sail

on an April night

Mighty to look at

she powered through

her path along sparkling

waves and in guidance

of ocean birds to

see her on her way

eight men died to see

her born loyal they were

truly she was the pride of all

With many a joyful voices filled

with fun and adventure

she sailed on

Nothing can harm her

so they said

but she met her match

in the icy seas

and today we remember her

with sadness and loss

Titanic you will remain

the ship we will hid in our hearts

until all thoughts are gone.

Flower Dance

Kaz April 16, 2017 Be creative

A Cranky Crab

via Daily Prompt: Cranky

A cranky crab came from the sea

and with his claw he pinched my toe

now why did he do that

I shock him free and glared at him

as he wandered along the sand

funny things that happen

along our daily paths.

I looked round and watch the gulls

and smelled the salted breeze

life is good not matter what

that cranky crab displayed.

by Karen Sue Smith 4/15/17

The Gardener

Henry bent to his pruning the hat flying from his head
roses longs to be free bees humming all around
he laughed as the his dog caught the hat
and felt the breeze sing by
life is good in the garden today, rabbits hopping along the edge
and deer peeking from the distance.
the corn sends a voice of concern, I am in trouble tonight
it seems to say time for the protective net
Henry straighten his aching knees, doing what he loved
headed for the shed of blue he kept not far
thoughts of the stories of fairies he heard as a kid
they hide in the tulips his mama said
the tulips are gone now bloomed early and left
try as hard as he could he still has not seen them
Henry sent a stick sailing and the dog raced by
I must replace the edging by the begonias I see

My first attempt at an Idyll by Karen Sue Smith 4/13/2017
 

What Message Would I Like to Share

If anyone asked what message would I like to share it would be how easily we could get things done if we just work together.
Some might be toning me out by now but I am not talking about anything we have been hearing in the news, though if we joined together we may fix a lot of that too.
What I am referring to is things like saving the bees, oceans, butterflies, hunger and more.  I mean lets take saving the bees for an example if we just all worked together considering our regions of the country and planted the necessary flowers, trees, or plants for our area of the nation we could turn this around without even having to turn it over to the government for money for them to take care of the situation while our taxes go up.
Seriously think of the tax money we could save ourselves by taking care of things that we as a group of intelligent people and US citizens could do.
I was watching television a few weeks ago and found that after an order by the President sent out to get rid of unnecessary government spending one of the things they were getting rid of was a tax that collect money for the research to see if a woman was considered prettier when she was alone or with a group of other women.  Now it is not even funny to think that we had to have some research on this when just a few of us could already answer that.
My point is let us take the things we can and work together towards a better world, and country.

Butterfly

Japanese Haiku

Writing poetry may seem to be boring but I have been spending some time trying out some of the different types of poetry, one of my favorite to write so far is the Japanese Haiku.  Haiku traditionally consist of 17 syllables done in an arrangement of 5, 7, 5. 
The are usually done on a seasonal theme and the Japanese used a specific list of words.  I am also learning that these poems were based on two ideas separated by a sharp word which was used to indicate the change between the two ideas.  Very interesting to do in so few of words which is what makes it so much fun.
I have written some on another blog that I own and I am moving my work from there to this blog so if you notice this don't worry no stealing another's work for me. See www.kazshomemadetips.com .
Here is a couple of my haiku:

Now you can see I have a lot of work to do to get my haiku to look like a traditional haiku but I have really enjoyed working with this type of poetry.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku is an good site for information on this type of poem writing you can also check other poetry sites for several poetry types.

A Home For a Wounded Eagle

Tomate Gardening

My tomato garden is getting huge, in fact all of the plants up front seem to have grown huge in just the last month.  I have been taking the branches off between the leaves to keep the main stems to keep the main trunk of the plant giving nutrients  to the blossoms and fruit.  I am thinking that I am going to have to change my garden plot next year to increase the amount of light for them.

Over all my garden is a success as the leaves are free from pests and are the proper shade of green for the plant. The berries in the back are, well for lack of better words, taking over this year.  Right now the berries are green but they are loaded with berries. 

I am following planting  directions from www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening .  I grew up  in the Northwest and when I moved here I seemed to have lost all of my skills with plants.  Last year I realized that I was just so used to planting and growing in a different region so I did the web search to find out about growing in the south and so far I like what I have found.  Still working on my planting skills but it is really moving right along.

Loin Fish

These loin fish now live at the Alexandria Zoo,  They were found in the Gulf of Mexico were they are not native but species of fish and lizards etc have been know to travel in boats an then make their new home on other waters or shores.

They were really active when we visited the aquarium this time and are quiet a bit bigger perhaps full grown now.  Their aggressive behavior was in full display on this trip too. 

Broken Fences

Broken fences be

falling back in time

untended cares

By Karen Sue Smith

Longleaf Pine

 The Longleaf Pine tree is native to several states here in the south including my state of Louisiana.    https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/longleaf/ .  Once covering over 90 million acres this tree now only covers about 5% of this amount of acreage which is really troubling as these trees have grown here for 100 of years being adapted to this climate to the point of developing fire resistant bark. 
They have straight trunks which remain thin in comparison to other know trees as they grow in age.

The fact that they are disappearing is alarming as plants tend to form an eco system together becoming partners if you will in environment in which the live.  Some plants add nutrients that another plants will need or the right amount of shade/light for plants growing under them. 

We were given two seedlings of this tree from the Forestry table we visited yesterday and I could tell by the energy the lady put into telling us about the trees that it is a real goal of hers to see more of these trees replanted.  So we are going to use the worksheet we got along with it to see how it grows and then see to it that it is carefully planted. 

This a photo showing various growth of the trees the small ones on the ground I found out is called the grass stage.  https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Plants/Longleaf-Pine.aspxHas some very interesting facts about the Longleaf  Pine if you are interested in learning more.

Pollinating Beetles

Yesterday we spent Earth Day at the www.thealexandriazoo.com Alexandria Zoo and visited several tables learning about clean water, how much garbage is dumped into the oceans daily, saving energy, depletion of natural trees in the south and bugs that are important for pollinating plants and flowers.
The US Forestry Department gave us a booklet about various pollinating bees, butterflies, flies and beetles. 
I was surprised at the flies and beetles being important to pollinating as they have always seemed to be just troublesome bugs that you tried to rid your garden of but I was wrong.  Just here in the southern states we have several important beetles for pollination;  Longhorned Beetle; Soldier Beetle; Metallic wood-boring Beetle; Scarab Beetle; and the Tumbling Flower Beetle. 
These beetles are important as when they visit the flowers they crawl over them and move the pollen from flower to flower.  So while the butterflies and bees are important to pollination these beetles not only get nectar but also gather a large amount of pollen.  Giving pollination a greater chance at success. 
I am going to give some photos of some other beetles that pollinate as well.

These beetles are not on the list I gave so this shows how long and varied the list of beetles that help with pollination is.  Notice the Lady Bug Beetle is among the list,  See the US Forestry website at www.fs.fed.us   I hope you will check them out to learn more.  If we all worked together to gather more understanding of things around us we could change a lot around us.  Also visit the website www.flmnh.ufl.edu .

Harmony

Koi fish swim

in a bubbling pond

hanging in shadows

swimming under

the wings of ducks

alone at times

looking for a nibble

a child comes along

throwing a handful

of worms

the fish then

join in harmony

while they eat

by Karen Sue Smith 

Earth Day at The Zoo

Headed to the Alexandria Zoo today for an Earth Day celebration.   Not sure of what will be going on but look forward to it.  Will bring back a full report with photo's later today.  I am sure there will be lots to do and learn as our zoo seems to go all out in every event they have and to be honest I have never had anything but a good time at this zoo.
It is beautifully planted and loaded with healthy curious animals.  There are many walking trails and a playground for children to take a break and play.  Our favorite event is the water play day in June.
Check out Alexandria Zoo and come to Alexandria to visit us and our zoo sometime.  The more the merrier.

As promised here are some photo's from the zoo.  We were early for the Earth Day event so toured the whole zoo taking photo's.