They Love Those Critters!

"It is a monstrous abuse of the science of biology to teach it only in the laboratory---Life belongs in the fields, in the ponds, on the mountains, and by the seashore."
James G. Needham




I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I am beginning to see a pattern here.

It's been going on for years.

It crosses "gender lines."

It covers all species.


Our children LOVE animals. And have forever! 


I love to see animals, but I don't feel the need to touch them. And I certainly don't feel the need to have them as pets! The kids, however, want to invite them all into our house!

It doesn't matter to these kids whether their latest "catch" is young,

or old.

Crustaceans, 

insects,

mammals,

birds,

fish, it doesn't matter to them. I actually had to explain to the girls that we could NOT put this in a big aquarium!

Or this!

How did she even see this tiny little praying mantis?

Ben couldn't just help herd this cow into the chute--he had to ride it.

They're everywhere!

And, of course, they always have to bring them in to show me.

It's on the bar stool!

I try to practice total denial when it comes to these things! I know they live in my house, but if I don't think about it, I can pretend they aren't in the kid's bedrooms. 


Rebekah's birthday is coming up and guess what she wants?! Another snake! And now she's added a chameleon to her wish list!!! EEEEKKKK!

They even tried to convince us that we needed one of these! Where on earth do they think we could put him? How on earth would we feed him?!

The two tiniest finches figured out how to escape their cage, which required the purchase of a new cage. But that left the bigger finch in the first cage all by itself. Of course, that wouldn't work. So this is the newest addition to the aviary. Now everyone has a buddy. I always get sucked into these schemes.

"Cup 'O Toad" is NOT my "cup of tea!"

As Spring approaches, I must steel myself. There are mental and emotional preparations that need to be made. There will be more critters. And they will come into my house. My plan? Make sure they go OUT of my house after their "photo shoot."

Great Backyard Bird Count

There's a neat opportunity for all of us this weekend. The Great Backyard Bird Count starts tomorrow and runs for four days. It's a great chance to intentionally notice the birds wintering in your yard.

There's a very helpful website with everything you need to get started. You can print out a checklist for the birds likely to be seen in your area, by your zipcode. Then, grab a pair of binoculars, a field guide, and a comfy perch and watch for at least 15 minutes. You can watch as long as you like on one day or all four. The information gathered is compiled online and helps scientists understand how the different populations are faring. 

It's a great opportunity to help your kids understand the work of scientists and to participate in the gathering of usable data. Who knows? You may be raising a budding ornithologist! 

If birdwatching is a new skill for your kids, it would be helpful to look at the field guide ahead of time and notice the identifying characteristics of the birds you are likely to see. It can be a little frustrating when you are trying to look at a bird that keeps moving or actually leaves, while looking it up in the field guide to make a positive identification. 

There is also a wonderful website called The Handbook of Nature Study with additional information on all kinds of nature studies. She offers wonderful resources, many of them free, others at a nominal fee. 


                                                              

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

O Lord my God, you are very great;

you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment;

he stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

But at your rebuke the waters fled, 

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys,

to the place you assigned for them.

You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.

They give water to all the beasts of the field; 

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;

the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

He makes grass grow for the cattle, 

and plants for man to cultivate--

bringing forth food from the earth:

wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

The trees of the Lord are well watered,

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees.

The high mountains belong to the wild goats;

the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.

Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.

How many are your works, O Lord!

In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro, 

and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.

When you give it to them, they gather it up;

when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

When you hide your face, they are terrified;

when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.

When you send your Spirit, they are created,

and you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works.

He looks at the earth, and it trembles;

he touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 104