Wanderings

The largest rocking chair I've ever seen

2011-11-30T22:21:00.000-06:00

Doesn't this just say "Waymark" to you? I intend to make it so when I return in late April 2012 for the Social Technology Conference.

This is the largest walnut rocker, on display in Amana, IA. It is 11 feet tall and weighs 670 lbs. In case you're wondering, I'm 5'5" and the back of the chair is taller than I am.

Review: Staying in a condo

2011-11-08T13:53:00.000-06:00

Our trip to Colorado included a few mid-weeknights in a condo. My husband took a risk in booking a condo -- arrangements were made privately with one family, there wasn't national level corporate support for complaints should something not work out, we didn't know anyone who had stayed there before....

For our family of 6, this worked out beautifully. It was like staying at an aunt or uncle's house, but the aunt or uncle was out of town. We had a boy bedroom, a girl bedroom, and a master bedroom. We also got a fully furnished kitchen, fireplace, deck, safe and nearby parking spot, two full bathrooms, and -- SCORE! -- a washer and dryer. Because we were not staying there only to sleep, but to eat two meals a day and have down time at night and do laundry, the condo worked out fantastically. My oldest remarked, "It's a dining room table that we can all fit at!"

The furniture was very nice and clean and there was enough for all of us to have a seat. The owners and previous renters left a great movie library, jigsaw puzzle, grocery store savings club membership card, etc. for us. We used them all.

One benefit that we were unable to use was the clubhouse. The resort had a clubhouse where construction was occuring. We were fine without it, but knowing that we paid for an amenity that wasn't available was a little hard for me.

I woke up to see this every morning.

The cost was the same as a hotel, but without the pull-out couch, understocked kitchenware, a dinky eating table, and one tiny bathroom. I give condos two thumbs up.

(If you are staying in Breckenridge, look up Ski and Racquet Club on Hwy 9.)

Big Trees: What it is and a book review

2011-10-08T20:31:00.001-05:00

Today was the first time I stopped to listen to the wind under a white pine tree. It was much quieter than the wind under a white oak.

Big Trees. "I" of GAIN and I spent the morning with Chris from the Dallas County Conservation Board to learn about Big Trees.

She also climbed a few trees, which came in handy a couple times. The wind from the last few days made leaves scarce and hard to reach, so "I" went after a few for us as we learned terminology and how to use the key in our books.

The Big Tree Program is a way to recognize our big trees, their owners and finders. It is also a way for people and communities to get a little competitive with each other, just like geocaching. I think it is a great program that gets you to appreciate trees in a family friendly way. And I'm thinking WAYMARKS!!! Iowa has a couple of the nation's biggest trees (National Champions). Imagine that!

All trees must be nominated (see the link for the nomination form and someone will verify it). Dallas County is handling their year-long, county-wide program a little differently -- the hope is to not only identify the county's big trees, but also to record stories of the trees. One story came from a gal at today's program. Family lore says that two trees on her grandfather's farm were planted -- one for her aunt and one for her uncle. They would be around 100 years old today. How neat is that?

Book review. We used a new release (July 2011) of Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa. This book is SUPERIOR to any tree field guide I've ever used. (I own six.) It is similar to the Winter Tree Finder, but Iowa specific. Where the Winter Tree Finder would tell me that I've got a pine, Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa would tell what kind of pine. The dichotomous key inside is deep yet easy to use, and our naturalist explained terms like compound leaves in a way that made a lot of sense to me. I've also attended an Iowa Tree ICN class with the kids, presented by the IDNR Dept. of Forestry, but I learned much more in today's class. I believe the hands-on experience of using a book (which you can't do easily over the ICN) helped.

Aside from including Iowa trees (native and introduced), the book includes a large picture of the leafy branch, buds, flowers, fruits, and winter twigs. This is a very big positive for laypeople like me.

I will be buying my own copy this year. To purchase your own copy, visit these associate links from my home education company:

For an introduction to trees, my county has a tree-themed Park Pack that is suitable for the very young as well as more mature children to enjoy.

When was the first or last time you listened to a tree? Leave a comment.

Review: Staying in a cabin

2011-09-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

During our trip to Colorado, we spent a few days in a hotel, a few days in a cabin, and a few days in a condo. I'll write about the cabin today.

The YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park had been recommended to us by two different people. We booked a cabin for a few days -- the only dates we could get for our family of six. Rates were about the same as where we used to stay in Minnesota, but the amenities are different. The surroundings are the most obvious difference.

The cabin. We stayed in the Mountain View. Yes, the mountain view was spectacular to gaze upon. The windows in the front room took advantage of it, too. We didn't have next door neighbors, but downhill and uphill neighbors. We saw a fox and other animals (and plants), right from the front porch/deck.

It was a clean modern house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen ready for cooking, a table that my oldest noticed would fit all six of us and still have room, and a living room with a fireplace. Puzzles and games, a telephone, and a television were waiting for us.

The amenities. The YMCA has mini golf, an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, hikes led by guides, restaurants, gift shops, etc. Basically, there is a lot of stuff on the campus for everyone to use, and they are included in the rental price. There is youth, teen, and family programming like what our Iowa county conservation boards might offer at free and low-cost (crafts).

The value. Depending on what you are looking for, the value varies. If the setting is what you are after, lower-priced hotel-like lodging and higher-priced upscale vacation homes are also available. For the family safety issue, I liked this place very much, feeling that my kids were relatively safe and surrounded by other nice families should we be separated. Hotels can be mixed bags; I didn't not get that vibe here. The atmosphere was more like family reunions, and there were four generation family reunions being held during our stay.

The downside is that this place is so large that it would be difficult to do all the activities offered on (and off) campus. So getting your money's worth depends on what you are wanting to do during your stay.

Colorado Road Trip 2011

2011-09-24T08:37:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

How to have a successful nature walk

2011-09-10T21:36:00.001-05:00

How to have a successful nature walk

Have a goal. My goal was to collect hickory nuts and have fun.
Pick a good location based upon your goal.
Invite your kids and friends to join you.
Take your time.
Leave the path.

I chose a city park with hickory nuts. My grandma told me that her family used to hunt for nuts, usually finding walnuts, and that hickory nuts were special. I completely agree. Hickories are not available in stores usually, and they are easy to find where I live. The closest commercial nut they are similar to is probably pecans, for texture and taste.

My youngest and her friend went with me, armed with plastic shopping bags. After hunting for about ten minutes, we had 100 nuts. [We were able to get the outer shell off of about 2/3 of them once home. They fill 2/3 of an ice cream bucket. We also found and kept a few black walnuts for my father-in-law.]

Once we finished "harvesting," we walked along the trail and took our time. Enjoying nature means leisure for me. Then we left the trail for the water, which is another sort of trail.

Because we started out well before sunset, I wasn't worried about the amount of time we took in the woods. Or the water.

Also bring your curiosity. We found fish, bones, a large hidey hole, and a crayfish near each other.
The hole was really large. It was not a tunnel.

"I" of GAIN spotted this. It moved backward very fast. We were all too chicken to pick it up.

Is Waymarking exclusively for gps users?

2011-08-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

The FAQ at Waymarking.com states that a gps is handy, but not necessary. However, I believe this policy is not policed. Example: I searched for wm's during my vacation, and found that every wm I considered required a photo with the gps. Additionally, I found a few photos with comments like: "the gps is my phone, my camera is my phone. hope this will count." Should I log a find and quote the FAQ to justify my lack of gps? What would you do? I think the gps is just one. more. thing. that I do not want to carry.

a view from the bean in chicago. "A" and I are near the center facing the bean.

Product Review: SMART ID Tag

2011-08-05T22:53:00.001-05:00

Some of us carry ID on our shoes.
Click to enlarge and see the details.

Before we left for vacation, I made a point to get a SMART ID Tag for the members of my family who tend to go out without pockets and purses for holding identification information, like a student ID card.

An ad in the latest Iowa Momentum Magazine noted that a recent running race had a runner removed to the hospital. Without ID, family members were uninformed for hours. Knowing that four kids with different interests could easily become separated from a mom and dad with different interests in an unfamiliar town, I made a point to buy tags. This could also happen very easily in the deep and disorienting woods where we love to geocache.

When I'm geocaching, I try to travel as lightly as possible. Many of us like to pack very little on the trail, and if we're racing to find caches at an event (can you say FTF, anyone?), I intentionally leave the wallet behind. A SMART ID makes a sensible replacement.

I started using my ID (got it from a running club) last year. It snaps around your laces so you can move it to different shoes. Inside, the tag contains empty spots to fill in medical info as well as emergency contact info. I never thought to ask for one when I took my daughter shoe shopping for cross country (they're free at Fitness Sports with the purchase of shoes), but we were able to get a free one for her, post-purchase. One feature of note is that the information you put on the tag is private until it's removed.

While you can purchase the tags from the website, it's cheaper for Des Moinesians to buy from the store. They are almost half the price that way. They come in nine different colors and are reflective.

Young children may not have lace-up shoes, and most young children certainly do not have student ID cards (or pockets that would be large enough to hold such a card). In this situation, I feel that some type of ID is very important, and that a SMART ID tag could be placed somewhere else on the shoe -- the strap of a croc or sandal, for instance.

*** I was not paid for this post. I did not receive free product. I wanted present a solution to an important issue to a larger audience. But if a company wanted to have me review a similar product, hey, bring it! ***

Waymarking for frugal family entertainment

2011-08-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

at a former gold mine

I keep a geocaching blog and I’ve taught people how to find and hide geocaches. For families intimidated or looking for less adventure, waymarking may be a good fit for you. If you have found geocaches or waymarks, leave a comment about your favorite or most recent.

What it is. In my mind, waymarking is like directed sight seeing – a funny sign, an unusual tree, an interesting historical statue that is somewhat hidden from streetview, an out of the way memorial, or interesting sight (fairy door, anyone?), as well as conventional businesses and cultural landmarks – that you locate with a gps unit. The sights are not hidden like a geocache. A gps unit is not completely necessary but frequently very helpful.

Who can find a waymark. Many waymarks are handicap and stroller accessible, much more so than geocaching. Anyone with a gps who can physically drive or walk to the sites listed at waymarking.com can find participate in this hobby.

How to find a waymark. Visit waymarking.com and create a free account. Search for the ZIP code (or category) of your choice. Choose a waymark to find and enter the coordinates into your gps. Find it, log your visit at the waymarking website, and you’re done!

Where to find waymarks. Waymarks are everywhere. You can find 75 waymarks as of today’s date in Des Moines proper. Many more exist, waiting to be found, in the suburbs.

Why find waymarks. Waymarking is like geocaching in that it reveals a new perspective to the ordinary, everyday places. Some folks also enjoy competition, and others make a game of finding one waymark per day, one in every county, one in every state, etc.

Waymarking places landmarks as the focus of the hunt. Children and adults alike can perform this activity. GPS units can be checked out in geocaching backpacks (see article here).

This article is also located at my Examiner column.

Waymarking

2011-08-03T00:07:00.001-05:00

My family and I have been staying in Colorado. When great natural resources abound, like Rocky Mountain National Park, geocaches are rare, so I look at Waymarking. I love the way that geocaching.com suggests nearby waymarks. [I haven't noticed reciprocity, though. When I look up a waymark, the word geocache doesn't appear.] In sensitive, natural areas, I'm OK without bagging a smiley face. I love increasing my numbers, and I can do that with Waymarking. The reward is the experience I'm having --

walking the tundra with one of my sons

seeing new things

doing the different

Colorado bound

2011-07-30T16:54:00.001-05:00

What are a few great caches (virtuals, too!) that you love in Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, and Colorado Springs? I'm looking forward to seeing new wildlife, feeling new weather, and having fun with the family. I'll be back with photos!

4-H and homeschool geocaching programs

2011-06-03T20:20:00.001-05:00

I love showing people that geocaches are EVERYWHERE if you know where to look.

I had two different groups of kids in the last week, and I was happy to have them find "real, official" geocaches.

Having parents be involved is also helpful. I remember when my then-fourth grader explained geocaching to me. She was at camp by herself and while she had a report about the week's activities, she brought no papers home to help show me what the game of geocaching was. When you are younger, explaining things can be hard. Over a year later, I learned from a gal at church that a website listed geocaches and that you needed a gps. Once I poked around online and opened a dialogue with my daughter using geo-terms, tons of information came out of her!

My 1.5 - 2 hour programs consist of explaining latitude and longitude with a globe, explaining how gps technology works with a PowerPoint slide show, giving details to what a geocache is and how to place/find one with another slide show. Participants then enter coordinates into gps units for one cache, and work in teams to find at least one "real, official" geocache and up to three temporary caches.

One mom from the homeschool program wrote about finding geocaches during weekend after the program. The family found three caches and said: "We had a great time and are excited to do more. I have to go home now and log them all in. Thanks so much for getting us started."

To learn more about homeschooling programs, visit Three Sisters website.

Bird calls

2011-05-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

My godson gifted a clock to me. When there is light in the room and the clock strikes the hour, a bird song plays two times. I made him a "bird thank you" card, which you see next to the clock. (The acrylic stamping set comes from Hero Arts; inks come from a variety of manufacturers.)

Learning bird calls can definitely enhance the enjoyment of your geocaching hunt (or your walk back to the car). Some other tools I use to memorize bird calls are mentioned in this post, where I identified a coot.

I recently saw a coot, identified by a bird expert, by attending a Meetup at Gray's Lake. While I love love love being outside alone and as a family, I also enjoy more social experiences.

Meetup groups for local, low-cost fun and nature education

2011-04-08T22:02:00.001-05:00

Meetup is a website for local people with common interests to form groups that meet up. There are numerous Meetup groups in the Des Moines area for many interests. Some have membership fees, some do not. Some groups are focused on adults, some are child-based. One Meetup group that geocaching families may be interested in is Nature Clubs: Going Out in Nature in Greater Des Moines.

I have taken my kids on three different Nature Club outings. The Bird Watching at Gray’s Lake outing was very easy to attend. The playground and beach were easy “outs” should the bird watching activity end up being more than your kids can handle.

If your family is interested in bird watching, the waterfowl at Gray’s Lake offer a wider variety than the typical neighborhood perching birds. The leadership makes the outing easy for people with no bird watching background by providing field guides and extra optical devices.

We had great fortune of having a windstorm over the weekend, which caused a diverse group of birds to seek refuge at Gray's Lake. Species spotted included:

American Coot
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Gadwall
Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Widgeon
Bufflehead (we all thought it would be fun to name our own birds)

Other nature activities for list in the area can be found at the Brenton Arboretum and Des Moines Park and Rec.

This post can also be found at Examiner.com.

Follow up to 100 Species Challenge #44

2011-04-02T16:41:00.001-05:00

Sandbar willow again. This time, in basket form. The awesome Kay led a small group of us in willow weaving. She stated that fourteen willow species exist in Iowa, citing weeping and slender willows as well as sandbar willow.

I'll have a details post on this topic at http://juliecache.com (tag: Crafy Monday). You might want to visit over there because blogger likes to rotate my pictures. WordPress only rotates when I tell it to.

While I've made free-from willow baskets for decoration, I learned to make a practical basket this week. I'm getting close to being done:

What really helped was working on a sandbar. The sand anchors your work without harming it.

This is something my kids can do happily while I'm out caching. Willows can also be used for wreaths (crowns) and mats if baskets are too much.

100 Species Challenge #78

2011-03-13T20:14:00.002-05:00

Dead man's fingers

Specimen #78

Deadman's fingers (or dead man's fingers)
Xylaria polymorpha

Xylaria = wood

Poly = many

Morpha = form

Deadman's fingers are black, knobby fingers that grow out of dead wood. They can be up to 4" tall and are white inside. See here for a look inside. This is a fairly common fungus that the kids and I have seen almost every time we go out in the woods.

The Queen's Elephant

2011-03-12T19:24:00.002-06:00

Great view of the Des Moines River on the way to/from GC1YA0Y

The family and I have wanted to see a trail marker tree for a couple years now. Enter GC1YA0Y The Queen's Elephant. We combined a field trip to the Iowa Hindu Temple and Cultural Center with a hunt for this cache. (Look for a waymark soon!)

The location is interesting. We know that the tree is on Jester Park (county land) because of a comment left on the geocache page, yet on the way to the cache, we saw trees marked with USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) washers. Also, we saw this property marker.

It says "Army Corps of Engineers." This is an example of resource sharing. We're guessing that 28E agreements are in place after reading the Jester Park Master Plan. Back to the subject of trail marker trees....

The main difference I can see between this tree and other trail marker tree photos is the location of the bend in our find. It bends higher than an adult. The gallery we've perused has many photos; only one bends at such a height. All other traits are there -- knob from a second tree and it's an oak.

Birding

2011-03-09T15:44:00.000-06:00

Late winter and early spring are great times for birding. No scrubby underbrush, no leafy tree cover, no mosquitos.....

Ways for families to add birding to their nature study

Supply food and water for birds outside your home
Spend time watching birds (at home or maybe behind a bird blind like the one at Jester Park), potentially with the following options:

sketching birds
photographing birds
observing with binoculars
using a field guide or recordings

Talk with an experienced birder (search for educational programs such as the one next week in Des Moines)
Start a life list
Read picture books about birds. Park packs are free and have great choices for titles.

The Iowa Ornithologists Union has a website where people give reviews of Iowa birding sites. I found a review for Raccoon River Park. The park was divided into habitats and the reviewer listed birds seen, and the potential for ones he did not see. You can double-check with the geocaching.com search box to find birding areas that are also geocaching sites -- it could be a two-for-one outing!

Naturally great

2011-03-06T23:12:00.001-06:00

Our county is naturally great in outdoor resources.

I didn't get a photo of the event this evening -- the lighting was very dim. Here was the take-home, an autographed copy of _Capturing Iowa's Seasons_.

I've loved Ty Smedes' nature photos (and the Scarths' photos) for years. As a guest of the Polk County Conservation Board (PCCB) volunteer banquet (representing Troop 888), I got to meet him as a guest speaker. His last name is two syllables -- I've always said it with one! He gave backstories that showed discipline in seeking great nature photo-making.

Smedes also gave a preview of his next book (due on May), which tells the story of the bald eagle in Iowa. Did you know that it first nested here (after a 72 year absence) in 1977 in Allamakee County?

My husband and I sat with PCCB's Pat Spain, Carrie Spain (JPEC), and Dennis Parker, as well as two volunteers. As the Planning and Outreach Coordinator, Pat gave a lot of information during the award portion of the evening's program. I'll share some here with you for consideration.

Over 600 volunteers gave over 9600 hours to PCCB in 2010. This is without three large events that were cancelled due to weather.
The annual River Run Garbage Grab always collects over 20 TONS OF RIVER TRASH. Mr. Spain stated that you'd think the amount of trash would decrease over the years as awareness for the event grows, but it doesn't. This event covered the Des Moines River from Saylorville down to Yellow Banks Park in the past. This year, the Raccoon River will be included.
About half of all volunteers and one third to one half of all volunteer-hours go to the Jester Park Equestrian Center.
Between 15 - 20 Eagle Scout projects were completed at county parks in 2010.

Social Media and Nature POSTPONED

2011-03-03T14:25:00.002-06:00

Yeah, it's postponed, but that's OK. March is just a difficult month.

Social Media and Nature

2011-02-28T08:23:00.000-06:00

Meet me in Dallas Center

Learn to Use Social Networking Websites

I'll talk about the ways that social networking can enhance your nature study.

Brenton Arboretum in Dallas Center, IA

Sat., March 5 from 9 - 11 AM.

My younger two kids and I have enjoyed a few visits to the Brenton Arb over the past years. The staff is fun and supportive of nature study, at one time, including a regularly scheduled nature club for home school families.

How is your winter caching? One of my recent attempts ended in a sad face :-(

Winter maintenance

2011-02-26T19:50:00.000-06:00

Many of us have sought caches during the winter. Iowa's weather brings us challenges, like the one I read recently for my cache Ode to Everybody Loves Ray, GC138QR. Its log is frozen. Or the opening is frozen. To seek and get a high from finding a cache to hitting a low because you can't open or sign the log does not bring enjoyment.

Because of that, my winters have been a time of nature study rather than cache hunting. Currently, the birding life list has been fun to add to. Without the leafy growth and with the confused migratory birds, my family has been able to see birds that we'd normally only hear. We're also trying to master bird photography. If they just held still, this would be easier!

We own many historic and a few contemporary bird field guides. I can't say I have a favorite, because each one is useful in its own way.

Vacation Review: Honey Creek Resort

2011-02-15T22:56:00.001-06:00

The lake is near the resort.

My husband and I made a quick trip to Honey Creek Resort this month. We've been looking for a lakeside place to stay that was less than 8 hours away. Mr. TellBlast chose a one-bedroom cottage with a loft. The website was not completely accurate. It read:

Spiral stairs to the loft

A 1 bedroom cottage with a loft is comprised of a queen sized bed. The loft area include a twin over full bunk bed and an additional twin bed. The cottage also includes a sofa sleeper and one bathroom.

The loft did not have an additional twin bed. Additionally, the sofa sleeper had a larger bed than the bedroom.

We were curious about the resort being on Lake Rathbun. I thought that the lake would be the main attraction, but since it is fairly inaccessible to the pedestrian, it can't be the main attraction. The geography is full of draws, which makes for very folded land, similar to the elevation change from the top of your knuckles to the crack between your fingers. It's very unlike the glacier-flattened terrain north of the resort. The cottages generally do not have lake views. I could walk out the door to a nice deck and look over a prairie, but not see the lake. I would have to bike or drive to the lake, and wouldn't be able to walk easily to a shore.
The land is too steep. There is a beach that (hotel) guests can walk to. There are trails with wonderful lake views.

100 Species Challenge #77

2011-02-10T15:00:00.003-06:00

Specimen #77: Dogbane
Apocynum androsaemifolium

Apocynum: from the Greek for "away from dog," i.e. noxious to dogs, in reference to its ancient use as a dog poison, hence dogbane (source here).

Photo by me

Location: a prairie at Honey Creek State Park

Harmony Art Mom brought my attention to the book _Discover Nature in Winter_, by Elizabeth Lawlor. In it, an entire chapter is dedicated to studying winter weeds. I've always liked looking at plants, their seed heads and colors, in all seasons. This plant is very interesting to look at with its drooping seed pods and stem color, as well as the nature of its growth -- a central stem with opposite 'branches' scooping out.

Natives would use this plant's fibers for twine, rope, nets, and clothes.

Review of Honey Creek Geocaching Backpack

2011-02-09T14:53:00.000-06:00

The Iowa DNR provides nature programming at its Honey Creek Resort. Before my recent visit, I requested the GPS Field Pack (if you follow the link, look mid-page for "GPS Field Pack").

What is in the GPS Field Pack:

GPS with ten official geocaches already plugged into the unit
laminated 8 1/2 x 11" F/B sheet of the ten caches' descriptions and attributes
folder with a map of the park and GPS Bingo game
first aid kit
writing utensils
trinkets for trading
field guides
extra batteries

How to use it. The resort website states that you need to reserve the field pack ahead of time. I did this (sort of), and the naturalist remembered my name from our emails (pleasant surprise). I checked it out from her by signing a piece of paper. Everything was very easy; no credit card was necessary (different from the county park packs). Keeping it for a weekend was not an issue. Once I was done using it, I returned the pack to the office.

What I thought about the GPS Field Pack. The most difficult thing for me was not having a map with the caches located on it. But I had an easy fix. I stepped out to the resort's Business Center, printed a geocaching map of the desired area, and transferred the locations (including an earth cache) to a resort map. Total time spent: three minutes.

The pack was nicely stocked with appropriate supplies. The cache descriptions were very helpful. I usually print this out before searching.

I keep thinking about the usefulness of the map (without geocaches). I guess the value would be for general orientation and navigation, but not for seeking specific caches. There is no scale on the map, so I'm still thinking about the value.

What I would do differently. I would check the GPS unit after each check-out and clear out all the crap. It had many waypoints stored on it. Maybe they were from a past exercise with kids or left from someone accidentally pressing the "Mark" button. They were not helpful for a caching trip. I might also scan the geocaching.com website now and then for updates on new earthcaches. (Traditional caches are maxed out on the property.) I like earthcaches; they are cool.

There was only one winter-friendly cache, GC26YAY No Vacancy.

Mice in Winter

2011-02-06T21:08:00.001-06:00

In the spirit of Harmony Art Mom's Outdoor Hour Challenge, I'm going to talk about mice in winter.

On Friday, A of GAIN and join one of our home school groups for snowshoeing through a park. A county naturalist is leading the way. (He's the tall one.)

He talked about the many tracks we saw, including mouse tracks. He went on to tell us about mice, running around in burrows above the soil.

Fast forward 24 hours. My husband and I are walking around a prairie, without snowshoes.

Winter walking without snowshoes is totally do-able, especially when you have proper winter clothing. For example, we invested double digits in thermal socks for the family this year.

(and i geocached, too. post on that will come later.)

We heard and saw birds, and saw a lot of animal tracks, including mouse tracks. We didn't see any people tracks.

I laughed when I saw this on the trail.

Mouse tracks in front of mouse burrows/beds. They must wake together and attack the night en masse.

Where nature and technology meet my life

2011-02-05T19:33:00.000-06:00

One week after being recognized by Weaky6 at Brenton Skating Plaza, some more friendly geocachers figured out who I was. Am I almost famous?

Honey Creek teaser

2011-02-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

We're checking out Honey Creek near Lake Rathbun this weekend. The forecasted "warm" weather should help. Full review next week.

Bald eagles seen from the comfort of your car

2011-01-21T23:00:00.000-06:00

This is also posted at my homeschooling blog.

My thoughtful neighbor gave me a great tip on viewing bald eagles:

Use the frontage road between the 2nd Ave. Post Office and the Des Moines River or use the Lutheran Hospital (original buildings) driveway to view bald eagles.

My daughter and I watched six eagles, young and old, perch, dive, fly, and sit on the ice from the warm comfort of our van. We took some photos through our stronger set of binoculars.

58 deg in Iowa!

2010-12-31T14:37:00.000-06:00

Should I be geocaching? Or at least maintaining my own caches? At 58 degrees F, one would think that the weather is perfect, but realistically, it is one big mud fest outdoors.

I admit that I neglect my geocaches when snow is present (GC1333B Wise Guys and GC138QR Everybody Loves Ray). I've searched for several caches that had tracks left in the snow, and knowing the condition of my containers, I feel OK leaving them untended until drier ground appears.

What is your opinion on leaving geo-tracks in the snow?

Benchmarks

2010-11-26T22:02:00.000-06:00

MadCacher and I are following each other on Twitter. His latest blog post is about benchmarking. You can read all about benchmarking at geocaching.com's page dedicated to benchmarking.

I have searched for two benchmarks. They are very intriguing in concept, but once I get to one (or not), I feel really disappointed. After reading MadCacher's blog, I might try again. If I find one on a concrete post, it wouldn't be buried under snow, right?

100 Species Challenge #76

2010-10-22T20:24:00.000-05:00

Specimen #76 Turkeytail
Trametes versicolor or
Coriolus versicolor

photo by me at a county park on a warm autumn day, 2010

This fungus does not have gills. Instead, it is a polypore, which is evident if you look at the underside. In my photo, you cannot really see the side-to-side growth habit. Blogger turns everything the wrong way on me. The thin brackets usually overlap each other, and the coloring is striped. I've seen the brackets wavy and unwavy (do I call that straight?).

I've seen this mushroom everywhere. This webpage is very helpful in determining whether you've found a real turkeytail -- click here.

Could I possibly reach 100 by the end of 2010?

100 Species Challenge #75

2010-10-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

Notice the purple stems

Specimen #75 Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana L.

AKA any of the following (I'm sure there are other aliases)

American pokeweed
common pokeweed
inkberry
pigeonberry
pokeberry
pokeweed

photo by me at a delightful county park

Note the berries on racemes

I thought I wrote about this plant in the past years, but upon searching the archives, I find that I have no posts about pokeweed. So here it is!

Pokeweed might be better called pokeberry, because each berry has a dent in it, as if someone poked it. (Wildman Steve Brill words it better at this webpage.)

The naturalist who led our nature hike (that's her in the yellow shirt) rated this plant as "OK." As in, she didn't feel strongly enough against its presence to pull it out, but didn't feel quite right about it in a wooded area. As a native plant, it can be invasive, weedy, or welcome.

When I read the following, (source: Alternative Nature Online Herbal): " A beautiful red ink and a dye are obtained from the fruit. The rootstock is rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute[.]," I remember seeing photos of kids painting and writing with pokeberry juice.

I am very conservative when it comes to toxic plants. Just take a look at this webpage -- it's enough to scare me away from taking any part of it home.

I found this plant last week with our HSAP. The weather has been great, and the kids LOVED playing in the creek. I call this area of fallen trees "nature's playground."

100 Species Challenge #74

2010-10-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

Specimen # 74
White Snakeroot
Ageratina altissima

Photo by me, Browns Woods
Part of the aster family.

This plant is poisonous. It has a round stem.

From the Illinois Wildflower webpage for the flower:

The common name of this species derives from the erroneous belief among early settlers [and natives] that the bitter rhizomes were beneficial in the treatment of snakebites. In fact, the foliage and rhizomes are highly toxic, causing fatalities from 'Milk Sickness' because the toxins can pass through the milk of dairy cattle to humans. .... White Snakeroot usually occurs in and around shady woodlands, while many of these other species are found in prairies and sunny wetlands.

Maybe you've read about this milk sickness in places like this Iowa blog or perhaps while visiting the Lincoln Boyhood Memorial.

White snakeroot's native to North America. I've read that it is one of the last flowers to bloom in the fall.

Other than the flowers, I notice the heavily veined leaves.

100 Species Challenge #73

2010-09-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

Specimen #73 Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum

Photo by me (so glad I had the cell phone along for once)

Location: along the city biking trails

I always thought it was a sunflower with funny leaves, but when I looked in my good old Peterson field guide, I found that I was wrong.

These plants are everywhere around town, native to Iowa, and fairly noticeable because of the leaves. The leaves named the plant -- the base forms a cup around the stem.

Use and classification of Cup Plant is all over the place -- it's a weed, it's threatened, smoke from the roots and tea from the leaves have different Native health benefits, it grows in dry prairie, it grows in wetlands, etc. Flip flop and flop flip. I will just say that I enjoy being able to positively identify it.

University of Illinois Extension Office has an account here.

100 Species Challenge #72

2010-09-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

Thanks, blogger, for flipping my photo. You think you're so smart, no matter what I do to the original image.

Specimen #73

Plains Prickly Pear
Opuntia polyacantha

Photo by me, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota

Here's another plant I found everywhere during my South Dakota trip. I hadn't seen grass and cacti mixed together until I got to the reservation. Prickly pears are native to North America. Many uses listed at this link: ethnobotany.

The entire plant forms a low, matted clump. I didn't see any fresh flowers, but if they were fresh and not dried up, from what I could tell, they would probably be yellow. Prickly pears come short and tall, singly and in large groups, but always in the pear shape. In _North American Wildlife_, size is listed from 4 - 12" tall, but I saw many shorter ones. Growing conditions are sun and dry land.

100 Species Challenge #71

2010-09-01T17:46:00.000-05:00

Specimen #71 Native American Sage (the silvery white plants)

Location: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota

Photo by me.

This sage is not like the herb we cook a turkey and stuffing with. It does smell nice, and you can make a healing tea with it, but it is not the same as your garden variety sage. This sage grows everywhere in the reservation, in the Black Hills, and the "Badlands." It can be short, up to 2.5' tall, single stemmed and spindly, or branched and bushy, but the color is always silvery. It is very easy to spot from a distance.

It is used by the Lakota for healing, purification, and prayer. They will make a smudge, or bundle of dried sage stems that has been lit for its smoke, to wash away the negative from a person, room, etc.

Sage smudges are also used to cleanse rooms or areas of negative influence, as well as to purify sacred items such as pipes, drums, and eagle feathers.

Caching in SD

2010-08-20T14:01:00.001-05:00

I chaperoned a youth group to South Dakota. The main purpose was to do God's work among the Lakota via Re-Member. Without storing coords in my gps, I knew there would be earthcaches and virtual caches (types of geocaches are listed at this page) that I could log later.

One historic place we visited a couple times (and drove by many times) was the Wounded Knee Battle Site. The only geocache in this area is a virtual cache, GCG05Q Wounded Knee Creek.

We learned to make a sage smudge from a survivor from the 1973 incident (AIM audio and here). He was 7 years old at the time. This definitely was not an earthcache. Waymarking has replaced virtual geocaching.

I_Blog Conference

2010-07-29T15:56:00.000-05:00

Did you notice the new badge on the right in the sidebar? I'm attending Iowa's only blog conference, I_Blog, in Nov. 2010. You can read why and how at my personal blog.

NOAH - Networked Organisms and Habitats

2010-07-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

A high school classmate showed me this, and I think it is very applicable to geocachers. It's called NOAH, Networked Organisms and Habitats, a NatGeo thing. I don't have a smart phone, but if I did, this would be very cool.

You can learn the official word about it on this page. I think it looks fantastically fun and a great match for cachers since we're out and about all the time. Similar to Project BudBurst but not nearly as focused, players take photos of interesting things they come across. The app takes care of location coords. A field guide is included, but I'm wondering how useful it really is.

100 Species Challenge #68

2010-07-17T11:58:00.002-05:00

Specimen #68: Tall Bellflower
Campanulastrum americanum, formerly known as Campanula americana

Native, attracts hummingbirds

photo by me, north Polk County

Found by some kids at wood carving class, thanks to my homeschool production company. The class meets in a rich, moist, hilly woodland area. We meet in a mowed field under a picnic shelter. I'm sure this plant was found in the margin (the part of the forest that meets the open field). Despite its name, there are no bells.

Tall bellflower can be short (2 ft) and tall (5 ft). The books say it gets up to 7 feet tall. The flowers are about an inch wide, five petals, blue.

And I cannot believe this flower has not been mentioned here ever! It's everywhere. In my copy of North American Wildlife, I found this interesting fact:

"In some plants, cross-pollination occurs because the pollen-producing stamens and seed-producing pistil develop in different flowers; sometimes they are even borne on different plants. In others, the two organs are in separate parts of the same flower. In the bellflowers, however, each blossom has two distinct stages of development. First the stamens produce pollen, and the stigmas at the tip of the pistil remain closed. The pollen falls and collects inside the flower, to be picked up on the bodies of bees and carried to older blossoms, where the stigmas have opened. As a last resort, if the pistil remains unfertilized, its tip curls around to pick up a little loose pollen from inside its own flower."

You can see the nature of the flowers' growth here. The flowers open from bottom of the stem to the top of the stem. Lance-like leaves, hairy stem. Like I said above, it seems to be everywhere I go.

100 Species Challenge #70

2010-06-15T20:11:00.001-05:00

Specimen #70 Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea

AKA Shadbush, Juneberry, Saskatoon

The fruit has a crown colored the same as the fruit. It has no poisonous look-alike. When I saw Kay write that she had Juneberries, I remembered that my youngest and I had tasted the juice of what could have been the same thing the day before. And two days prior to that, I sat on my SIL's deck trying to figure out what red berries the birds in her backyard were eating across the fence at the neighbors. I think it had to be Juneberries.

Off to research. Yes, I had been seeing Serviceberry trees.

I read that Serviceberry was the tree's name because the flowers of the tree emerge around the time of Easter services. And that Shadbush was its other name because it bloomed during the shad's migration upstream. (see Wildman Steve Brill) Juneberry came because the berries come in June. But Saskatoon? I have no idea about its origins.

On my bike ride home from picking our Serviceberries (which were baked into muffins), I detoured onto a neighboring street and counted four of these trees in front yards. All with birds feasting on the berries. My oldest and I find these fruits much easier to harvest than mulberries.

The tree is pretty 'undercover' if you ask us. The leaf is just a leaf -- not crazy-shiny, not a distinctly different color than other trees, etc. It's finely toothed and oval.

The tree is only distinguishable when it's in flower or fruit. It's in the center of the image. Not very special looking.

100 Species Challenge Specimen #68

2010-06-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

Specimen #68 Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum

Photos by me, in town

This flower is a spring ephemeral. We see it frequently in May. Sometimes they are called crane bills because the seed pod's shape. However, if you are not familiar with cranes, this is really not helpful. Do you think they resemble geraniums that you find on folks' front porches?

Mulberry, continued

2010-06-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd follow up on the milky sap. We visited a mulberry tree in the neighborhood school's yard. You can see that my thumbnail didn't get completely clean from picking mulberries earlier. Yes, the leaf stem exudes a milky sap.

The Clover Angel

2010-06-11T19:47:00.001-05:00

It's like a Snow Angel. Can you see her smiling?

This photo is part of Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday. (I know it's Friday, we took the shot on Wed., and I'm always late.)

100 Species Challenge #69 Mulberry

2010-06-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

"Here we go 'round the mulberry bush...."

Specimen #69 Red Mulberry
Morus rubra

Found in low elevation areas with moist ground and full sun. The photo above was taken near the Clive Greenbelt, home to many geocaches. I took this photo to show the way the leaves appear -- there are leaves with varying amounts of lobes. They are very shiny, too. I read in one of our reference books that the twigs and leaf stems exude a milky sap, and we're going to look this afternoon for the milk.

Here on the right is a leaf with no lobes. The berry near my thumb is not ripe. Even though the tree is called 'red' mulberry, the berries are ripe when they are black. My fingers are stained from picking the ripe ones. And my thumbnail has purple nail polish in an attempt to hide the stains. LOL All around the leaf I'm holding are leaves with lobes.

So the lobes -- some leaves have a mitten shape (not sure if that's considered lobed), while others have lobes. Mitten (this is one pretty lopsided mitten if you ask me!):

Here is a leaf with lobes. The number of lobes varies:

About the nursery song I opened with: My oldest and I were talking about mulberry bushes. We've only seen mulberry trees. Any small trees we ever saw were not really bush-like. So we're not sure if the song is about the trees we're seeing or if 'bush' meant 'short tree.' There are Asian mulberries and native (American) mulberries. The Asian ones were transplanted to/naturalized in Europe and North America.

Earthcaching in Decorah

2010-05-31T13:53:00.001-05:00

We took a quick weekend paddling trip to northeastern Iowa. Before we went home, we checked out GC1CEGC Dunning's Spring and Waterfall and GC236R7 Ice Cave - Decorah. We would visit these places even without the chance to score a smiley at geocaching.com

Earthcaches are unique in that they are educational. The two we happened to visit were also very entertaining. In order to log an earthcache, finders usually need a photograph and prove they learned something about the geology of the cache via private email (not log book).

We may be moving to earthcaches only with kids. I think they are burned out on traditional caches, unless they are extremely new and rather easy. Mr. TellBlast and I have no problems with hunting high and low for film canisters, but not the kids.

State Preserves

2010-05-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

I was just alerted to an updated resource today, _The Guide to Iowa's State Preserves_. I bought an old copy (didn't look used at all) from a book sale this winter. It was printed in 1992 and entitled _Iowa State Preserves Guide_. By using this page at the IDNR website, I was able to download a digital pdf copy of the guide to make my paper book current to 2001. You can still purchase a hardcopy guide from U of I Press http://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/pre-2002/herguito.htm (There have been five preserves added since then, and they will be added later.)

In order to have a geocache in these areas, citizens are encouraged to create an Earthcache. You can read more here: http://www.iowadnr.gov/parks/rules_regs/geocaching.html

If you're in my area, you can check out Strasser Woods near the state fairgrounds. My girls and I drove up to it on Sat. It's one of those places that you always see the sign for, but just drive on by. It definitely looks worth a hike.

100 Species Challenge #68 Plantain

2010-05-10T23:48:00.000-05:00

While out searching for GC1XMPR Wooden a ladder be nice, I passed by today's 100 Species Challenge Plant.

Specimen #68 Plantain

Plantago major

photo by me

You can read more than you ever wondered about plantain at this local blog (its author is the reason that I was hyperaware of this plant).

I'm much too short to get the Wooden a ladder be nice geocache all alone. I did get this nice shot at Ground Zero:

Cool, eh? Two mushrooms in the hole of a tree, way above my head. I think the tree bark looks like rocks.

Yes, a ladder would have been nice. And don't ask me how I got a shadowy hole under shade in the cloudy late afternoon to look "sunny." I have no idea. It just came out of the camera that way. I don't know that I even double checked my image before leaving the tree. There may be an elf living in my camera case.

The mushrooms picture is my contribution to Sweet Shot Tuesday. You never know what treasures you'll find while geocaching. And I would have participated in last week's Sweet Shot Tuesday -- we had a fantabulouso day at a friend's acreage, and my fave shot from our time there was of other people's kids. )-:

Polk County Cell Phone Audio Tours

2010-05-07T22:27:00.000-05:00

My boy scouts did volunteer work this week in a county park to finalize one of the Conservation Board's first cell phone audio tours (read about it here). A few days later, my daughter and I tried the tour. You can see in the picture that she is skipping down the trail. You probably cannot tell that she is holding the telephone. She definitely enjoyed the audio tour, probably because no one was fighting with her over who gets to hold the telephone.

When the understory (as in poison ivy) is not conducive to geocaching (we scouted out a couple, including Firebrand), I still feel the need to get out into nature, either on a bike or on foot. With kids, I tend to stay on well-traveled trails, and a cell phone tour definitely added a new dimension and freshness to the usual trail. You can't change a trail, so I welcome the tours.

There are twenty stops on the tour we took. Depending on your background, some stops are more interesting than others, but all are worth a listen.

100 Species Challenge Specimen #67

2010-05-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

Specimen #67 Larkspur
aka dwarf larkspur, spring larkspur
Delphinium tricorne

Photos by me at Browns Woods.

The Latin name "tricorne" refers to the three horn-like fruit pods.

I have seen this plant in a few places in Polk County. Today, I found it in deep woods in different shades of blue. It's very pretty. The leaves are almost fringed, and also very pretty.

These plants are native. They are also poisonous. The Hopi extracted a blue dye from the flowers. Settlers mixed this extract with a fixative to make blue ink.

Iowa Wildflower Week

2010-04-30T13:29:00.000-05:00

The first week in May 2010 will be Iowa Native Plant Society's first Iowa Wildflower Week. Events are listed here. When I find a geocache (with kids or alone), being able to identify wildflowers has enriched my hiking. Maybe it's the way I grew up, but nature has always had a prominent place in my life. I see Iowa Wildflower Week as a great way to celebrate our spring ephemerals.

There are two Tuesday evening events. One at Margo Frankel Woods, home to GC19164 Back in Black and GC1Q3FR The BarnStormer and another at Jester Park. Jester Park Lodge has no nearby caches, but the park is home to several geocaches. I like to go early to event sites for some geocaching, and I make sure to photograph any unknown flowers. I look them up later with my field guides. I also keep a lifelist, which I'll discuss in the future.

So, yeah.......

2010-04-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

Right. I have a blog. I've been neglecting this blog for a couple weeks. Why? Because of this blog:

www.homelearningresources.com

My company, Three Sisters, produces homeschool events, and we just had two big ones last Sat. and last Wed. I expect to see some craft action here because we're going to have woodcarving classes for kids ages 11 and up. Interested? Visit the website above and search for "wood carving."

Violets

2010-04-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

As in my last post about Dutchman's Breeches, violets can vary in color, too. We were tickled to find some eaten violets on a couple plants. You can see them here with a complete flower on the left.

Dutchman's Breeches Mystery

2010-04-04T22:14:00.000-05:00

So my dear husband and I take a quick tour of Margo Frankel Woods' west side. Our quick survey tells us that it is NOT a good candidate for placing a geocache. It is cool, but the east side of the park is better suited for caching. And I had high hopes (read the last paragraph of this post from 2007). I am frequently torn -- excellent wild places that I'm not sure should be disturbed.

After the survey-tour, I went poking around and photographing Dutchman's breeches at the homeplace.

Mostly good memories. Then I notice a few of these:

This flower is pink and its stem is erect. Yellow and drooping is normal for Dutchman's breeches. I'm not finding any information in my reference books, field guides, or the internet for pink petals. My guess at the moment is a local variation. Does anyone out there in bloggerland have an idea about this?

100 Species Challenge #66

2010-04-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

Specimen #66 Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

Photo by me. Near GC1H4Q7 Holiday Fun.

See the white bark on two of the trees in the photo? They are sycamore trees. One is squatty and short and the other is tall -- different shapes, but they are the same.

My family is pretty familiar with this tree. My uncle next door had one in his yard, and our current neighbor across the street has one. We also have watched many a ball game in the shade of a sycamore.

The very large leaves and "balls" are fun for kids to play with.

The bark on the lower trunk is flaky and smooth. I was excited to recognize them -- something familiar!-- in Sequoia National Forest. I recently read on a listserve that Iowa has very few old sycamore trees. Web searches are yielding no information on a "sycamore plague," but I have requested archives. I think it will be interesting enough to post here.

Places to visit with sycamore information:

High Waters

2010-03-16T16:52:00.002-05:00

The Raccoon River.

Yesterday is on the left. Look at the arches. They meet in points at the bottom. Like McDonald's golden arches, but there are five instead of two arches. Yesterday's water is above the points of the arches.

July 2009 is on the right, water is below the points. 2/4 of GAIN and I walked under the bridge in the picture in July.

Since we had a great sunny day, 3/4 of GAIN and I went to see the rivers yesterday at GC1557G Iowa Cubs Confluence. We saw one small iceberg, several trees floating along, and LOTS of fast, roiling water. Standing on the bridge, looking at the currents, we felt very insignificant.

The Des Moines River just downstream of the confluence.

Here I am yesterday, standing fairly close to the coordinates. The point was under water. There is a ruffled, watery, triangle behind my ear -- that is the confluence.

This is part of Sweet Shot Day, hosted by Darcy.

Gyotaku

2010-03-06T22:44:00.001-06:00

Gyotaku is the Japanese art of fish printing. It keeps those fishers honest! It is also an art that could make great keepsakes -- the first fish you ever caught, the largest (to date) fish you ever caught, the smallest fish you ever caught, a fish to help you remember a really nice day, etc. My company arranged for a gyotaku program a few days ago.

Our presenter was Mike Delaney, president of Raccoon River Watershed Association. He wore a shirt that had a fish print screened on the front. The print was meaningful as it was caught by one of his children. It was very cool! Since crappies are his recommendation for fish printing, he also spoke about local fishing, fish handling (catch and release = don't wash off the mucus coating; gyotaku = wash the mucus off, stroke in the direction of the scales), fish anatomy, nitrates in the Raccoon River (check this cool EarthCache GC1557G that I worked on and have yet to send in the info), the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, and Japanese culture. Of course he gave tips and tricks to make a great fish print -- clay, straight pins, and the all-important card for an eye-circle.

Gyotaku is an example of how nature can be involved in a family's life. It takes the wholesome activity of fishing to another level, similar to geocaching moving a hike to another level. With a large-scaled fish, tempera paint, and Japanese calligraphy paper, you can make keepsake art to display in a frame or scrapbook to bring nature into a more prominent place in the home.

In the above photo, Delaney is placing his hanko on the print -- his signature -- since no one could write the kids' names in Japanese. (It's just like a Chinese chop.) It really added to the coolness of the print. He also suggested doing as the Japanese do -- in addition to your name, write the fish identification ( I would say 'name of fish,' but that sounds like you've christened it and made it a pet), date, and witnesses' signatures to your print.

Kids just really like touching dead fish for some reason. One boy in the class said, "Awesome!" Every two minutes. Seriously. I don't know if it's that kids don't touch fish in everyday life, excitement over seeing the colors and patterns and scales up close, being able to study fish because they are not moving, I have no idea, but everyone seemed to like it.

Using microscopes to study nature

2010-03-01T21:37:00.000-06:00

We recently had Valentine's day flowers get wilted and old. What's a mom to do? Dissect them! What could be more fun to a kid?

After we cut the flowers open on the table, we examined them and named the parts. We talked about our bees in the hive in relation to the flowers, then I thought we were done. Well, I was done; the kids were not. "G" of GAIN had left the microscope out from a couple days prior -- looking at money -- which was fine with me. (His younger sister used it the next day to study the hair on our heads.) Anyway, he and "I" of GAIN decided to examine the flower parts at a higher level.

We always misplace our magnifying glasses, therefore we never use them. Microscopes however, are much less lose-able. The one in the photo above came cheaply from a U of I auction many years ago, a gift from a well-intentioned grandparent. It is very extremely heavy (less loseable and moveable, or should I say "put-away-able"), and the its best feature is the light. No batteries like the ones you get at a "civilian store" (the words of our oldest). It is missing clips on the platform, but we have dealt with it long enough to manage it well.

Having free time and access to equipment to discover and learn on your own is a great gift that can enrich your life. One of the children called the other one and me over to look at the difference between the stigma and anther. This particular flower's parts looked similar to the naked eye, but under the scope, they were very different. I hope to culture the children's curiosity enough for them to keep it all their lives.

The county shows its love for me

2010-02-27T21:12:00.000-06:00

During our very cold December, I worked a jigsaw puzzle. I had my laptop in the same room and checked out some of Polk County Conservation Board's (PCCB) videocasts and podcasts for some educational audio entertainment. Videos and podcasts are typical entertainment for me while my hands or legs are busy but my mind is not. The Conservation Board videos and podcasts were produced by REAP. At the end of my watching and listening, I took a survey. The survey helps assess the value of the both projects. I am all for data and expressing value in something I believe in. The surveys were easy to take.

I forgot that completing the video survey would get me a drawstring bag made of 100% recycled plastic fiber, so when it came today, I was confused. The envelope was big and from the PCCB. I knew that I hadn't received an invoice for my company's last program (read about it here), but the envelope was too large to be a piece of paper. Once I opened the envelope, I thankfully saw a note in the pocket explaining the bag. I quickly decided that my kid's old lavendar Hello Kitty drawstring bag didn't need to be my geocaching bag anymore. Contents transferred and now I'm ready to go.

No cache, but there was love

2010-02-22T21:50:00.001-06:00

I searched for GC1W7D2 at a city park. I think I know where the cache is, but I'm blaming the snowpack for my sad face/DNF. The 55 gallon barrel trash cans along the trail were 2/3 under snow -- does that mean 2' of snow? I did find love, though. I searched the week after St. Valentine's Day, and found that someone had tracked a heart on the lake. Awwwww.

Bird Nests

2010-02-20T12:10:00.000-06:00

A recent activity of mine was to present science activities that moms could do "right now" with their kids. Nest building, flower dissection, and winter tree identification were my choices. I considered beak adaptations with respect to foraging, but went with nest building instead. This would eliminate a wet mess. Nest building is messy, but not wet.

"N" of GAIN uses a hair clip to simulate a beak. He is making a bird nest as if he were a bird with a long beak. I didn't make him hold the clip up to his mouth. But that is the way a bird's beak is used. It's on their face. I wonder how their vision plays into nest construction.

The pan in front of him has papier mache paste (cooked flour and water in a 1:2 ratio) to stick everything together. It can cook to different moisture levels. The waxed paper contains grass and raffia for him to use in construction. We also had pine needles, fabric scraps, and yarn available. The table serves as a ledge where the nest is built. He has no feet, but could buddy up with someone also wielding hair clips to remedy this.

In the foreground, you'll see a real bird nest made of grass and inner bark. We've had it on our porch for so long that it came "unglued" into a mass of loose material for us to study.

When "I" of GAIN and I did this same activity (independent of each other), we tried to use bundled pencils to simulate grasses or twigs.

Iced In

2010-01-23T22:12:00.001-06:00

I've thought the warm temps would be good for nature walking, but not for geocaching. So I'm not caching at all. I've only been scrapbooking the few events and caches that I've got pictures for. I'm thinking about geocaching, but darn it, the ice melt isn't helping matters. Go ahead and call me a wuss. It's OK.

WWFM VI: Fall Classic

2009-11-14T21:26:00.002-06:00

GC204XE World Wide Flash Mob

Today's event was great. WWFM's were the brainstorm of Podcachers Sonny and Sandy. Today's WWFM was created by The NVG. Creative and fun and only 15 minutes long! We had an on-looker on a red bike for a few minutes. Judging his expression, I think he may have been confused by the large amount of people having some wholesome fun with T-ball on a little dinky field.

I've mentioned event caches and caching events before (among other posts, see events from this summer and 2007's geo-breakfast). I cannot emphasize the fun of events. The coolest part of today's event was having the MVP of today's game, Weaky6, (also a homeschool family) win the title of FTF for THREE caches. He couldn't have claimed three FTF's if he hadn't attended the event!

100 Species Challenge #65

2009-09-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

Specimen #65 Turtlehead

Chelone glabra

Photo by me. 2009. Living History Farms.

Chelone (rhymes with baloney) is a nymph from Greek mythology. Because of her bad behavior toward the marriage of Zeus and Hera, she was turned into a turtle and turned silent. Variations of the myth say that she took so long to be ready for the wedding feast that Zeus got angry and crashed her house over her, living the rest of her life hauling a shell around.

Most of the photos I am finding on the internet show white flowers. The only pink account I'm finding is from Illinois Wildflowers. Native. The flowers are shaped like turtleheads. Leaves are lance-like with serrated margins.

The following was kind of interesting from 2bnthewild:

Medical Uses: Chelone glabra, often referred to as "Balmony" is the species commonly mentioned as medically active. The other taxon are likely so uncommon as to not have been considered. The Cherokee used the plant to improve appetite, for fevers and worms and to treat sores. A tea from the flowers was used as a gentle laxative. Northern tribes used the plant similarly as have herbalist. In addition there are references to its use for jaundice and to prevent pregnancy

100 Species Challenge #64

2009-08-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

Specimen #64 Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica

Photo by me. On a bank of the Raccoon River.

Native to Iowa according to Iowa Living Roadway (hat tip to Maria). I found only one of this forb, several of the monkey flower. The stripes caught my eye. I got pretty frustrated that I was too short to reach the "best" place to get a photograph.

I was surprised to find no active geocaches at Walnut Woods State Park, where this was photographed. The flowers can come in white. As with the monkeyflower, I find a very underwhelming supply of online information.

This plant has been found at Camp Dodge, Polk County, Iowa, as noted at this site.

100 Species Challenge #63 Monkey Flower

2009-08-24T21:12:00.001-05:00

Specimen #63 Allegheny Monkey Flower

Mimulus ringens ringens

Photo by me. On a bank of the Raccoon River.

I'm fairly sure of this ID. Leaves come in pairs, lance-shaped. Flowers come in pairs. Yellow patches and squarish stems. All descriptions seem to match.

I am having a heck of a time finding information online on this plant. It seems to be endangered and threatened in some states. In fact, when I go to the Iowa County Level Distribution Map, our county has no report for monkeyflower. Or monkey-flower. Or is that monkey_flower? The name is possible part of the problem to it's being reported. I'm in the process of reporting the plants you see here to the USDA (Natural Resources Conservation Service).

My field guide says, "Children delight in squeezing the monkey-faced flowers to make them 'laugh.' Those who are curious enough may discover a more subtle trait: the stigma at the end of the pistil has two spreading lobes that fold together when touched with a needle or sharp twig. If the touch leaves behind pollen from a different plant, as a bee's tongue is likely to do, the lobes remain closed and the pistil sets seed. But if there is no pollen, or if the pollen is from the same flower, the lobes soon reopen."

The USDA submission form asks for gps coordinates, so I will need to revisit and take waypoints. I attempted to enter without coordinates, and was completely lost about township (no names, only combinations of letters and numbers were offered), section, etc. I've had this issue before when entering data for our beehive. I'll also investigate the 'folding lobes.' Sounds interesting.

Here are my kiddos. We went in mid-afternoon, but no signs of sunburn.

It's a GIRL!

2009-08-20T14:13:00.000-05:00

Our chrysalis grew darker after hanging more than seven days. The gold and black dots were like embellishments on a polished piece of green chrysoprase. Very beautiful. We all loved to wonder at it. But it changed. Daily. The wings of the adult grew more visible each day, as if someone was embossing the chrysalis deeper and deeper around the veins.

On the ninth day, we were like expectant parents. The chrysalis kept getting darker and darker. Not wanting to miss anything, someone would sit near the chrysalis at all times. Once nighttime fell, I knew it wouldn't come until morning. The butterfly would need warmth from the sun. "N" of GAIN and I took many pictures.

After pupating for ten days, we found we had a GIRL! She has thicker veins and no male scent spots on the lower wings to release pheromones (butterfly aftershave).

From egg to adulthood, keeping a monarch is very easy, as long as you have an easy way to feed the larva. I love that you can have a pet without needing a lot of maintenance and time -- you can't really pet it or keep it for very long, only about a month.

Food Foraging: Find and Enjoy Wild Edible Plants

2009-08-14T08:39:00.001-05:00

Food Foraging: Find and Enjoy Wild Edible Plants

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WILD FOODS IN YOUR GARDEN

2009-08-14T08:37:00.001-05:00

WILD FOODS IN YOUR GARDEN

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Chrysalis

2009-08-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

Here's what we saw when we returned from our outing on Friday night. If all goes well, Muncher should emerge in 9 to 14 days, according Maria, who recently had a successful monarch hatching a couple days ago.

Almost here!

2009-08-09T21:26:00.000-05:00

Muncher grew at a rapid pace last week. Here he is with the remains of a leaf -- about one and half days' work for him. Or her. With all the guessing we've done about its adulthood, "A" of GAIN and I keep calling Muncher "him."

The climax was finding him on the lid I had constructed out of cardboard. I dumped all the leaves out of the jar and didn't even know he was up there until I went to replace the lid. No wonder I didn't find him on leaf! You can see the stick I placed in the jar for Muncher to climb when he was ready. (Or she.)

I removed the cardboard after getting a scolding from "I" and "N," (I could have killed Muncher on accident) then hung it from the light fixture over our seldom-used dining room table. (Why don't we use it? The reasons are too numerous to list here.)

After crawling around all morning, the neighbor kids and "I" of GAIN came to watch him for quite a bit in the late afternoon. He crawled all over the cardboard, under and on top of, a little on the light fixture, too. They disappointedly left without seeing any J formation. Sorry kids, things don't happen on our time, but God's time.

Upon waking the next morning, Muncher had finally settled down in a spot and was hanging in J formation. We checked him -- all.day.long. No joke. We kept the camera on the dining room table so we could catch him in the act of shedding his stripes for a chrysalis. But our schedule couldn't wait any longer. We were going to have to head to Sec Taylor/Principal Park. I predicted that he would change while we were away, and everyone agreed, we'd probably miss it. We did.

["N" of GAIN is using Muncher as his Photography Merit badge project, so witnessing as much as possible is key to his success. Luckily, we have a second caterpillar as a back up. Since it's smaller, -ette was added to make Munchette.]

100 Species # 62 -- Evening Primrose

2009-08-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

Common Evening Primrose

Oenothera biennis

Photo by me, Pleasant Hill, near GC1FWQJ Groovin' with (dd) (archived) and GC1FWQ1 Hickory Plaza (active).

I see this plant frequently in "waste" areas. It's native, and very upright. Height varies greatly. The flowers are located at the top of the stalk in a cluster, and remind me of balloons. They are wide and open with a pinched neck, like a balloon.

I photographed this on a windy day, so I refer you to Illinois or Wisconsin's wildflower websites for a photo of the entire plant. I had to hold the stalk just to get this photo.

Evening primrose is currently used to aid various health problems as noted all over the internet, including here and here.

Growing

2009-08-03T20:52:00.001-05:00

Muncher has been eating a lot today. Good thing A of GAIN grabbed some milkweed yesterday, because today is much hotter. We can safely say that he is now longer than one inch. I can't copy and paste his growth chart here in its current format, but I'll see what I can do.

100 Species # 61 -- Wild Bergamot

2009-08-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

Specimen #61

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Mint family (Lamiaceae)

Top photo by grandpaspix near Elkhart

Bottom photo by me near Boone

This flower may look familiar -- Bee Balm is a frequent garden variety of Monarda.

The Missouri Plants website has great informationfor this species if you would like to learn about its physical characteristics. The structure is very distinctive to me, making it easy to recognize.

I found this patch of bergamot north of Boone in a fence row. I have not seen wild bergamot very often. It is a field flower, and blooms from June through September.

If you visit the Illinois Museum website, you can read about some interesting uses this plant has had.

100 Species # 60 -- Partridge Pea

2009-07-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

Specimen #60

Partridge Pea

Chamaechrista fasciculata or
Cassia fasciculata

Photo by me, Principal Park

July 2009

I first met this plant near Prairie City at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge back around 2001. My family and I invited a homeschool group for a guided nature walk. Since then, I have seen the partridge pea occasionally while out geocaching. It is not a woodland flower, but an open field flower, with a bright yellow flower and a brown center. I can tell that it is a legume by the leaves -- alternate compound, many leaflets. Like other legumes, it adds nitrogen to the soil it grows in.

According to the current Iowa butterfly forecast, we should look at patches of partridge pea for a chance of spotting a little yellow butterfly, Eurema lisa. The partridge pea is its host plant. (See here for more info on Eurema lisa.)

Seeds from the partridge pea look like legumes, and are food for wildlife, which you can see here against my hand for scale. (It was quite windy, so you'll have to excuse any blurriness for all of these photos.) I read here that birds, deer, and field mice will eat them.

Muncher grows

2009-07-31T21:59:00.000-05:00

Back on July 28, I measured Muncher, then thought I'd take a rest day since his growth wasn't spectacular. Looking back, I think he's like my kids. They grow in spurts. The times when they do not grow, they are just storing up energy for a large growth spurt.

On the porch, July 30, he was 9/16" at dusk. That was only 1/16" of an inch since his last measurement.

July 31, in his jar, (I used a tape measure) he measured 13/16" in the morning. That's 1/4" overnight. And I just looked at him now. He looks like he's grown during the day!

As I dropped off my youngest at camp yesterday, I plucked two leaves off a milkweed plant and ended up with two tiny babies on one leaf. So now we have three monarch larvae, born about a week and a half apart.

Caterpillar

2009-07-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

Our Muncher is now 0.5" long and much fatter than earlier. I'm graphing the growth in my nerdy fashion. As much as I would like, measuring its girth will not be possible without calipers. So no tracking its growth around.

100 Species #59

2009-07-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

Specimen #59

Northern Maidenhair

Adiantum pedatum

Photo by me, July 24, 2009

EFMO, IA

Fan-shaped whorls gave this fern away. After two takes, Mr. TellBlast suggested the composition of the photo you see here.

This fern, and other maiderhairs, likes to grow in rocky places. There are many places at EFMO where visitors can see rocky outcroppings. Shelter and chert tools could come from these outcroppings.

When clustered, the stalks are supposed to look like a maiden's hair. Her hair doesn't grow very long. In this case (and many), the stalk is black, fine, and shiny.

Growth

2009-07-27T19:36:00.000-05:00

July 25, 1/4" long -- I had to crop the photo to compensate for all the bad areas. Shame on me for waiting until after dark to photograph Muncher on the porch. I had to use my headlamp.

July 27, 3/8" long -- does that mean 1/16" per day? I'll have to graph growth once this is over. Hooray for me to remember that I should take a picture before the sun went down. Also yay for using the same ruler every time. That's the scientist in me.

Muncher is still not consuming entire leaves in one day. And my oldest and I were talking about how we wouldn't know the sex of the monarch until it was an adult. Maybe there are markings on the larva's side or legs to distinguish male from female.

100 Species # 58 and Find #212

2009-07-26T22:38:00.001-05:00

Specimen #58 Yellow coneflower

Ratibida pinnata (and a bumblebee)

photo by me, Friday, July 24, 209

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Fire Point

I snapped this during the scenic view portion of our guided tour at EFMO (that's my nickname for Effigy Mounds National Monument). Yeah, I was looking at the plants. The entire tour I lagged behind to look at the plants. I mean, I saw the view, too. Here's the view. It's the Mississippi River from 808 feet. I'm guessing that sunsets are gorgeously beautiful here. But honestly, I was thinking, "I am really glad that I'm physically fit enough to trek up here. That grandpa over there is panting."

I've been told for about six years that my family needs to take the guided tour at this place. I'd also been told by my grandmother that the mounds weren't as impressive as you might think. But once I found that there was an earthcache GC19697 on site and my boys were going to visit with their scout troop, I was so conveniently hitching a ride. I definitely think the guide and the museum were key to my enjoyment. The information in the earthcache was very interesting.

The Ratibida is a prairie plant, and EFMO has prairies. The tour we took happened to be in more of a woodland area than prairie. Evidently the mounds were not originally located in a forest but a prairie? Mr. TellBlast and I are wondering how the prairie disappeared, because no one in their right mind would plow up and down steep hillsides. And the place was steep, and rocky, too. Anyway, the natives who built the mounds may have used yellow coneflower medicinally, but we'll never really know, because there is no written history and they were all gone by the time anyone realized what the mounds were. Later Indian cultures had no idea that mounds existed at what is now EFMO.

I have read that "[p]ioneers used the dried seed heads like cedar chips to protect clothing." (from this source)

This flower has drooping petals, which makes it very distinct from other flowers. You'll find occasional signs to identify trees and forbs along Fire Point trail. The forb signs are poor compared to the tree signs, just a name, no picture, no "months when blooming," no interpretation. Just a name. This patch of flowers did not have a sign.

Monarch Day 2

2009-07-22T08:34:00.000-05:00

We think the caterpillar looks the same length, but fatter.

The caterpillar is on the top side of the leaf that we found it on. Yesterday it was photographed on the underside of the leaf, which is fuzzy. The fuzz makes the leaf look gray. Without the fuzz, the leaf looks green. It's yellow here because I photographed it on the porch at sunset.

Monarch sighting

2009-07-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

July is typically the time we search for monarch larvae. My older son was weeding a garden bed at church after lunch and pulled a milkweed. After he told me, I had him pull it so I could inspect it and found this tiny guy. I also found a couple eggs and an eggshell. 'bout went cross-eyed looking at it, and found that blowing up the photo of the egg was much better than using the naked eye. Click on it and see if you are as amazed as I was.

This bottom photo is the egg the photo above it, taken as a profile (close to it), cropped, and enlarged. I always wondered if the eggs were really like barrels and now I know.

The larva in the top photo is now living with us. It is 1/8" long. We'll feed it as needed (those caterpillars get pretty loud when they're hungry!). Updates will made here on this blog. We've raised plenty of monarchs here, but I have never showed any on this blog. (I've shown a newly hatched adult here.)

The best way to find small larvae (the large ones are extremely easy to spot, for humans and birds) while out in the field geocaching is to find milkweed leaves with holes. Once you find hole-y leaves, inspect the undersides. Monarch larvae are striped yellow, white, and black with two fleshy black antennae.

May Apple update

2009-07-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

My brother is creating a prairie restoration plan for the homeplace. While we were walking around, we found many of these -- the fruit of the may apple.

To me, this really indicates the change that have evolved over the last 20 years or so at the homeplace. What was once a mowed yard has grown into a woodland. We have no natural history of the place, so he's really working from scratch with educated guesses, with the goal of oak savanna.

100 Species Challenge #57

2009-07-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

Specimen #57 Common Mullein
Verbascum thapsus L.
also goes by many other names

photo by me at Ledges State Park

Native to Eurasia. My kids always called this lambs ear when they were little because of the soft leaves, like the garden perennial lambs ears. We find them in "waste" areas and margins (as you see here). Different states view them as dangerous in varying degrees.

In addition to the leaves' velvety texture, they are pretty recognizable from their gray-green color.

From Zen's WNC Nature Notebook (the WNC would be West North Carolina. Another amateur naturalist like me):

The velvety leaves and flower stalks have found many purposes. Dipped in tallow or grease the dried stalks have been used for torches, and the leaves still used as wicks. Reportedly, American Indians lined their moccassins with the leaves to insulate against cold and white colonists used them inside their stockings for the same purpose.

A tea made from the leaves was used to treat colds in Appalachia, and in other places the leaf tea was considered good for dysentery. The leaves were smoked for asthma and sore throat by some American Indians and other groups boiled the roots for a mixture to treat children with croup.

The leaves are soothing for mucous membranes and have been used to soften the skin and protect it.

The flowers contain an oil that has been used for earache.

Dealing with the Neighbors

2009-07-04T17:03:00.000-05:00

Here I am at an unnamed cache. Story below.

I recently had 3/4 of GAIN Academy and a friend of theirs out and about. Midafternoon, weekday. We hit a couple urban geocaches and had an encounter with a neighbor. I've been thinking about the incident for a while, and since this woman did not share her thoughts, I really do not know what her purpose was in approaching us. The situation was like this:

The kids and I are walking along a ridge, which was the top of a berm planted with trees. On one side of the berm is a building and parking lot. On the other side is wooden fencing. The fence separates the building from the backyards of a neighborhood. Some yards had gates in the fence.

We're tootling along in the hot sun, finding a shady spot to sit and sign the log book, when a gal comes out from behind a fence.

Staccato voice. "What are you doing here?" Her voice is not friendly at all. I think we were clearly not casing the neighborhood with the intent of burglarizing. We were looking in the trees. I answered, "We are geocaching."

Her voice remained unchanged. "What's that?"

"It's a game. You get coordinates for a treasure hunt, then go to the coordinates and find it."

"Where do they come from?"

"The location with the coordinates come from the geocaching website. This cache has been here (I look at the top of the logbook)....since last March."

Longer pause than in the past. "Are other people coming?"

"Well, anyone can play the game. It's self-regulating, so people finding the cache report and let everyone know if the container is still here to find, if it's missing, logbook is wet, etc."

"N" inserts that some people are nutty about the finding caches, and names a player as an example. I respond to him loudly (so that the neighbor and the friend could hear) that the player in question was third person to find the cache. "N" of GAIN and I were sincerely as friendly as we could be -- friendly between ourselves, friendly to her. She wasn't warming up to us or the hobby. This continued for two more minutes, ending with her abruptly leaving, no good byes. And she never got physically close to us to see the container or log book, despite our attempts to engage her.

Did we convert her to the sport? I doubt it. Is she concerned about her safety? Probably, but now she has an idea of what to expect -- that we aren't coming after her, her property, or her family. Should we use more stealth with urban caches? The answer will always be yes, but it leads to: Should the hiders design different caches or choose different hiding places? Again, the answer will probably always be yes, but what about the lovable cache quality of "the unknown." The variety of hiding spots and situations make the sport (hobby?) awesome. I don't think anything should change.

We did the best we could and that's all we can do.

Details for the Rubbish Regatta

2009-06-21T21:37:00.000-05:00

I spoke with the Rubbish Regatta's organizer, Larry, last week.

This is a first time event that was planned in response to last year's flood and all the trasht left on the shores of Saylorville Lake. The Des Moines Sail and Power Squadron focuses on education through its water safety classes. This event is an extension of its education arm.

The Rubbish Regatta course will be set in the water, approximately waist deep, with lanes roped off with fence posts. The participants will be in the water next to their boat able to assist without touching -- blowing or pushing waves of water to move the boat to the finish line.

Three age divisions are planned for the race: 0 - 7 years old, 8 - 12 years, and 12 - 17 years. Because Larry plans to have prizes for everyone (bags of goodies from Scheels) and because it is a first year event, he would really appreciate pre-registrations. He doesn't mind walk-on registrations, but the prize bags will be easier to manage on his end if he has registrations.

He has planned for special prizes for entries in categories. Categories will most likely be something like "looks most like a sailboat," "most imaginative" (junkiest looking), etc. Everyone who performs three hours of lake shore clean-up will be awarded one free night of camping in one of Saylorville Lake's campgrounds.

Details: Rubbish Regatta
no entry fee to participate, just your time and effort
Sat., July 11, 2009
8:30 Sandpiper Beach
1 - 2:30 Boat construction
2:30 Boat races
Register with Larry, 515-257-8143 (local call in Des Moines)

CITO, Regattas, and Free Camping

2009-06-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

We geocachers practice Cache In, Trash Out (CITO) all the time (ideally). While shopping at Scheel's (a favorite store of mine), I found a flyer at the check-out counter that reminded me of CITO. I think it sounds fun. It would be an Earth Day activity, but during July. If you cannot or do not want to participate, remember that many caches are hidden in the area. You could cache, then watch the regatta without participating. I have been unable to find anything online about this event, so this blog post will have to be the online info source!

Bare bones:

Perform Saylorville Lake shore clean-up for 3 hrs. and qualify for the Rubbish Regatta and one free night of camping in one of the Saylorville's campgrounds.

From after this paragraph until the end of the post, I am copying all punctuation, capitalization, coloring, and wording, etc. as it appears on the flyer. I will add hyperlinks where possible.

Details:

Model Sailing
"Rubbish Regatta"
July 11, 2009

"Come Sailing with USPS"
The Des Moines Sail and Power Squadron, in cooperation with The US Army Corps of Engineers at Saylorville Lake is sponsoring a Lakeshore Cleanup Day.

- Orientation: 8:30 a.m. at Sandpiper Beach. Trash bags and gloves provided.

- Lakeshore cleanup: 9 a.m. to noon. Long pants and sturdy shoes suggested.
** Participation required to build a boat.

- Lunch: noon to 1 p.m. On your own.

- Rubbish Boat building: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Adult and child teams, supplies provided.

- Rubbish Boat races: 2:30 p.m.

- Prizes will be awarded.

Be sure to bring a swimsuit and sun lotion as child will be with the boat in the water!

Volunteers who complete 3 hours of clean up will qualify for the Rubbish Regatta and one free night of camping in one of the Saylorville Lake campgrounds.

Sign up at the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center or any Saylorville Lake campground.
For more information, call 257-8143.

US Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District

Firefly Watch

2009-06-15T21:56:00.000-05:00

The spittle bug bubbles reminded me about two other bug related things we're doing at our house.

A citizen science project that we just began is the Firefly Watch. My youngest and I have noticed that there are two kind of glowing fireflies -- one with wings and one without wings. Since the heads are the same on both, we think one is larval. You can see in the photo of its underside, that the two with wings (top photo) are different from the one without wings. The wingless blinker is also longer.

We have all good intentions to do the Lost Ladybug Project, but we don't have a place in our yard where we've consistently found them. I'll have to talk to the kids again about it.

I have also attempted The Great Sunflower Project (bee observations) for what feels like ten years, but my sunflowers always get eaten before they are large enough to be of any help. I feel unproductive and wasteful about that. I will make an effort to report my non-sunflower sighting this year.

Spittle Bug

2009-06-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

Found while seeking Tommy Boy (I just understood the clue this afternoon in the car. duh!).

These are kind of fun to find. You can find masses of spittle on leaves and stems. There are many spittle bug species. I don't know that I'll ever know what kind it is since I didn't see the animal itself.

The adults are sometimes called froghoppers -- they hop from place to place instead of flying. They look like a little shield, matte finish.

#200

2009-06-06T17:54:00.000-05:00

juliecache at Cowboy, 6/6/09

I think this is safe to post. It's an event cache, so it will probably be gone after this week. Any spoilers here will be valid for just a few days. Cowboy was part of GEOSENSE, one of eighteen geocaches hidden as part of a geocaching event. As you walked up to "ground zero," you noticed a lasso hanging from a tree and a camo container in the water. Finders had to lasso the container, sign the log, then replace everything. You can see that I'm holding the rope (it was dry when we arrived, so jbhodj and drake and I were First to Find (FTF)) and the container is floating to my right. This cache was fun. The great wind today made everything even more fun.

Events are a great way to meet others and build community among other hobbyists (and manics), and it's easy to find a buddy to cache with. Mr. GAIN is always afraid that something bad will happen if I hunt for caches alone. We scored a few FTF's, which always gets your spirits up.

My caching partner today was jbhodj and drake, and we definitely found caches quicker with each other than solo. He also called me when I lost my phone in the tall grasses. Zippered pockets are high on my priority list from now on.

More may apple

2009-06-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

I posted about the ephemeral may apple a while back here and here and also here. I snapped this shot in Schafer Drug Store at Living History Farms. Mandrake is another name given to the may apple.

100 Species Challenge #56

2009-06-04T21:09:00.001-05:00

Specimen #56

Canada Anemone

Anemone canadensis

How nice is this? The staff at Living History Farms had all of my work done for me! This plant has been identified, listed its Latin name, and shows Native American uses for it.

Anemone is Greek for wind. Think anemometer (that spinning cup wind speed gauge). According to Greek mythology, the anemone sprang from Aphrodite’s tears as she mourned the death of Adonis. So maybe anemone could be interpreted as loss or mourning. There are many anemones, unrelated and related to each other. Rue anemone, here, is unrelated. I don't think it even looks like this plant.

For me, the leaves really set this flower apart when identifying.

Canada Anemone is endangered and extirpated in a few states east of Iowa.

100 Species Challenge #55 Grapes

2009-06-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

Specimen #54 Grapes

Vitis riparia (Frost Grape)

viti = vine
ripa = bank of stream

So, riverbank grape.

Photo by me in my backyard. The neighbors have a vine that grows everywhere. I think it takes up fences of three other yards plus their yard. It was planted less than five years ago. I have no idea if Vitis riparia is what they planted, but we have confirmed that we've seen Vitis riparia in the wild.

Recent posts involved the vines poison ivy and Virginia creeper. I remembered one other vine that we run across while caching -- grapes. Near ... a rock in a hard place GCPVD2, now permanently archived, you'll find a lot of grape vines. The greenbelt near my house also has a lot of grape vines. Their leaves look nicely amber in the fall. We also encountered frost and fox grapes last summer during our stay in Wisconsin. I've never really tried to identify grapes until my son's Boy Scout troop asked me to lead a required nature hike and identify plants.

I found a nice book on Iowa Plants through ISU Extension and Iowa Association of Naturalists here. From that book:

Wild grape (Vitis riparia) is a very common vine of Iowa woodlands. Grape vines sometimes climb to great heights, making use of many tendrils. The leaves grow alternately on the stem, are toothed, and have several shallow lobes. Wild grapes are edible for both people and wildlife. The fruits are small, dark, and sweet. Nearly 100 different species of songbirds and many other birds and mammals are known to feed on grapes.

I'm finding a lot of internet sources that claim wild grape jelly is fantastic. Hm. I may have to try that. I do know that my kids kept daring me to eat the grapes near ...a rock in a hard place, and that my grandpa laughed when I told him this. He says that they would be very sour. I'm more curious than afraid now, so I may try a taste this year if I remember.

Willow roots

2009-05-31T18:40:00.001-05:00

After reading willows in the _Handbook of Nature Study_, we tried rooting our own. It worked! We cut two twigs -- one piece with the leaf end in the water, one piece with the stem end in the water, and one piece cut from the center of the twig. They all took root! One month of occasional watering in a pot of rocks and some patience was all it took.

100 Species Challenge #54

2009-05-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

Specimen #54 Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Note its name "quinquefolia" -- quinque "five" and folia "leaves"

Since I mentioned the vine with hairs recently (Stay away! Poison ivy!), I thought I should mention the other vine we frequently see while geocaching - Virgina Creeper. This plant can be a ground cover or a climbing vine.

You see it here in its fall foliage (there's that Latin root folio again) courtesy of the Illinois Wildflower webpage on Virginia Creeper. At other times, the (compound) leaves are green and rather unnoticeable. Its sap may give you a rash since it contains oxalates (see the page from my alma mater, ISU). You may see its "grapes" in the fall.

Wikipedia says: "Native Americans used the plant as an herbal remedy for diarrhea, difficult urination, swelling, and lockjaw." You can go to this site to learn about other Native American uses for this plant.

For the most part, I see Virginia Creeper as ornamental. I find it fun to be able to identify plants and animals. If there is more information in Handbook of Nature Study, I'll share.

100 Species Challenge #53

2009-05-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

Showy Orchis

Orchis spectabilis or
Galearis spectabilis (L.) Raf.

From Steven's Point:
Galearis: "helmetlike," referring to the hood over the column
spectabilis: spectacular or showy

Photo by me, Jester Park

My first orchid! As a young girl, I would look at field guides like a shopping catalog. I always hoped to see a Lady's Slipper. This flower is the closest I've gotten. A showy orchis. I feel lucky to spot any ephemerals, and I think the moral of the story is to go out and look! Just like geocaching, I hope to log more finds. Well, you have to go out and look!

I saw two of these on the same east-facing slope -- I spotted the first one, a friend's daughter found the second.

Showy orchis is native to North America. Like all ephemerals, it blooms during the springtime for a short period of time. It attracts insects to crawl in and out of its elaborate corolla to find nectar. In doing so, the plant is pollinated.

We also found a clump of six morel mushrooms, another first! I didn't even think to look for mushrooms until I was about ready to return to the trailhead.

Lesson learned from friends: Poison ivy is everywhere; talk about it and check for understanding before you leave the trailhead. For all you hikers and geocachers out there, make sure you look before you grab a tree trunk for stability. I love steep, difficult terrain, so I understand the desire for stability. But if you see a vine with a lot of hairs on it, that is poison ivy! Grab another tree! And of course, stay away from shiny leaves of three.

May Apples on Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

100 Species Challenge #52

2009-05-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

Specimen #52

Black Mustard

Brassica nigra

Photo by me, south Des Moines

3/4 of GAIN and I are looking for morels. (1/4 of GAIN and Mr. GAIN are trying to get her learner's permit.) On the way into the woods, we pass a sandy, dry area. I snapped these photos with my camera-phone and put them here so you can see them side by side. On the left is the yellow flowered Black Mustard. On the right is the white flowered Shepherd's Purse. I think they are similar in shape and they both have clusters of small flowers.

It is not a native plant and its seeds can be used to make yellow mustard, the table condiment.

We usually see this plant in border areas, disturbed areas, and roadsides. We do not see them in woods or prairies, just the 'low quality' places. Sometimes you see them wilted -- there were a couple wilted on this particular trip.

From Wildflowers & Weeds, I found this handy tidbit:

For the purposes of the Mustard family, all you need to remember is "4 petals with 6 stamens--4 tall and 2 short"

Since I did not have my macro lens, I will let you visit Illinois Wildflowers for a better look at the flower.

100 Species # 51

2009-05-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

Specimen #51

Rue Anemone

Anemonella thalictroides

Photo by me, May 2009
near Saylorville Reservoir Visitor Center

My books are not 100% in agreement with our summer ranger giving the wildflower hike on this one, but the leaves look right. In all of my photographs, I count five and seven petals. Two of my five books mention this flower having an even number of petals -- 6, 8, and 10. Only the website all-creatures seems to show a flower with an odd number of petals (first photo Rue Anemone - 01 has a seven petaled flower). After contemplation, I have decided accept this plant as Rue Anemone.

This flower is similar to the Spring Beauty, which I wrote about earlier in the 100 Species Challenge. The Rue Anemone has less veining in the petals, and the leaves are very different. I read that the petals of this flower are actually sepals. I decided to accept this as fact and will not dissect this flower to confirm.

Rue Anemone leaves are broad with three lobes. Spring Beauty has two leaves that are opposite and look like grass. I tried to uncurl a leaf and show its edge against my hand to show the lobes.