I grew up right off the Chesapeake Bay. I can remember spending lazy summer days swimming in the tributaries of the bay and catching our dinner of blue crabs off the docks. I learned how to tie up a chicken neck like a champ before I learned how to drive. And I used to be able to pick one of these crustaceans clean in a flat minute. Blue crabs are easily spotted because of their bright blue … [Read more...]
Search Results for: a week with
Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar {InstaScience}
As I sat with my cup of coffee in hand looking out at nature the other morning, I spotted a hairy little caterpillar making its way up a milkweed stalk. The furry orange and black creature was a milkweed tussock caterpillar, which are pretty common around this time of year. The milkweed plant is the most common host plant for this type of tussock caterpillar. The female tussock moth lays eggs … [Read more...]
Jellyfish {InstaScience}
When I was a kid my dad sold boats for a living, which meant that we got to spend a fair amount of time during the summer out on the water. By August, the bay was so packed with jellyfish that swimming was like running the gauntlet. It was during those days that I developed a healthy respect for the jellyfish and quickly learned that meat tenderizer does not really help with a jellyfish … [Read more...]
Gneiss {InstaScience}
[Photo Credit - Siim Sepp, used with permission under Creative Commons] As I write this, I have just finished another set of outlines for volume 5 in the Sassafras Science series. This one is all about geology, in other words, volcanoes, earthquakes, and rocks. One of the rocks that really caught my eye this time around was gneiss and I thought that I would share about it with you all this … [Read more...]
Lilacs {InstaScience}
We have this incredibly huge lilac bush in the back of our property. We estimate that it is over 80 years old. And every spring it is literally covered in sweet smelling blooms. It’s akin to something you would find in a novel and definitely something we look forward to year after year. The lilac is a bush that is typically grown for its beauty and smell as well as its ability to offer shade … [Read more...]
Snow {InstaScience}
December was so warm for us this winter that I was sure that we wouldn't get very much snow this year. Well, apparently Old Man Winter changed his mind! In the last three weeks we have had several snow storms. So, I thought that it was about time for me to share about snow! Snow forms by a process of deposition, which means that water vapor in the high in the atmosphere changes directly into … [Read more...]
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