The fungus that resembles a vintage shade umbrella – the parasol mushroom

The parasol mushroom looks a bit like a button mushroom when it first pops out from the ground in late summer or early fall, but the cap quickly spreads out to resemble the vintage shade umbrella known as a parasol, and these mushrooms are popping up all over our yard right now! You can listen to this post about the parasol mushroom or keep on reading. Either way, you can download a set of … [Read more...]

It Mimics A Hawk And Serves As A Mascot – The Beautiful Blue Jay

The sound of the blue jay calling takes me back to my grandmother’s backyard. I can remember hearing them cry out a warning as we would run through her grass paths and hide behind the massive live oaks.  These beautiful birds are relatively easy to spot and serve as sever sports team mascots! The blue jay has a range of calls, including one that mimics the call of the red-shouldered hawk! This … [Read more...]

On Look up in the Sky Day, learn about the amazing constellations

What? You have never heard of Look up in the Sky Day? Well, neither had I until I made it a point to learn about strange holidays this year. Apparently Look up in the Sky Day is celebrated every April 14th and we are going to spend a bit of time tonight looking at the constellations. The Big Dipper is hands-down one of the easiest constellations to recognize in the night sky. It’s … [Read more...]

The Robin – The Most Common Bird You See

The first bird I learned to identify was the robin, so although it is not my favorite - that spot belongs to the tufted titmouse - it does hold a special place in my heart. These orange-breasted birds are easy to spot and hear as they are typically the first ones to wake up in the morning! American robins are found all over the US and many stick around through the winter months as they can puff … [Read more...]

The Secret Life of the Gentle and Useful Cow

Don’t you love the way cows look at you? It’s so gentle and calming! We used to live near a cow field and although the smell wasn’t so great when the wind was blowing the right direction - we did enjoy pausing on our walks to observe their stocky bodies and wide heads as they gently chew their cud in the fields. These mammals are herbivores and ruminants, which means they digest the grass they … [Read more...]

Is It The Perfect Christmas Tree? {The Amazing Pine}

Every year, many of us welcome pine trees into our homes in the form of Christmas trees. These ornamented trees have been a part of holiday traditions all over the world and date back from the sixteenth century. Pine trees are one of the oldest trees in the world – they live long to the age of one hundred years old or more! There are around thirty-five different types of these evergreen … [Read more...]