Nature Notes: June 27, 2007
Well, my first week on as a Turtle Watch Volunteer was, for the most part, uneventful. We received two calls: the second one was a false alarm and the first was exhilarating. It happened on June 19th. We had to actually move the nest as it was too close to the surf. There were 120 eggs and I had to put them back into the new hole. They are shaped like a pingpong ball and are very fragile in the sense that your fingers leave indentations on the shell when you handle them. Here is the link to the official website: Turtle Watch
And a picture – you can make out three eggs. This was taken right when we found the nest and before we moved it:
Notebooks and Birds
An often overlooked tool of backyard birding is a simple notebook kept near where you view your feeders most. This gives family members an opportunity to record what is happening at the feeders. Kept much like a diary, it is an engaging way to learn about the birds which frequent your yard. When you sit down to watch your birds, take a moment to write down the date, the time and the weather conditions. Whatever you see…or don’t see…is worthy of describing further. We tend to be most diligent about recording new species, or those we do not see very often. But I try also to write about little things we observe, such as the way the fledged sparrows beg for food from the adults, or how the blue jay cracks his sunflower seeds on a branch near the window. We include sketches, and interesting information we found in the bird guide. This encourages you and your children to observe closely what you see at your feeders.
Suddenly, you don’t just see a mob of little birds pecking away. You begin recognizing individuals, note the unique ways each species feeds and begin to see a glimpse of the social structure of your visiting birds. Over time, you will likely also begin to know when to look for migratory birds to arrive at your feeders, when to expect to see their courtship behaviors and when the first fledglings are likely to appear in your yard.
This also gives you an opportunity to describe the birds and other wildlife that passes through your yard. My four year old son likes to watch the bluebirds hunt at the back of the property. They perch on a branch of one of the saplings, dive into the grass in the field and return to the same branch to eat their prize. He can watch them for half an hour, uninterrupted. We also have red tailed hawks who soar over the farmland off to the southwest of us. We watch them circle, dive and soar above the landscape. Sometimes they seem to swoop for the pure joy of flight. They have come in close, observing our feeders. Luckily, red tailed hawks are not usually interested in songbirds. More than likely, they are looking for one of those pesky squirrels.
My children enjoy participating as well, whether it is my younger son dictating what he sees or my oldest daughter writing and sketching what she sees. It is a wonderful way to keep track of your efforts to attract birds and what you have learned about them while observing them and reading about them.
The Lord’s Prayer: A Conversation with God
Our Father which art in heaven …”
“Yes?”
“Don’t interrupt me. I’m praying.”
“But you called me.”
“Called you? I didn’t call you. I’m praying. Our Father which art in heaven
…”
“There … you did it again.”
“Did what?”
“Called me. You said, Our Father which art in heaven. Here I am. What’s on
your mind?”
“But I didn’t mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers
for the day. I always say the Lord’s Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of
like getting a duty done.”
“All right. Go on.”
“Hallowed be thy name …”
“Hold it! What do you mean by that?”
“By what?”
“By ‘hallowed be thy name’?”
“It means … it means … good grief! I don’t know what it means. How
should I know? It’s just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it
mean?”
“It means honored … holy … wonderful.”
“Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what ‘hallowed’ meant before.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Sure, why not?”
“What are you doing about it?”
“Doing? Nothing, I guess! I just think it would be kind of neat if you got
control of everything down here like you have up there.”
“Have I got control of you?”
“Well … I go to church.”
“That isn’t what I asked you. What about your bad temper? You’ve really got
a problem there, you know. And then there’s the way you spend your money …
all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read?”
“Stop picking on me! I’m just as good as some of the rest of those people at
the church.”
Excuse me. I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is to
happen, it will have to start with the ones who are praying for it … like
you, for example.”
“Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I
could probably name some others.”
“So could I.”
“I haven’t thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to
cut out some of those things. I would like to … you know … be really
free.”
“Good … now we’re getting somewhere! We’ll work together, you and I. Some
victories can truly be won. I’m proud of you.”
“Look, Lord, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it
usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread.”
“You need to cut out the bread. You’re overweight as it is.”
“Hey, wait a minute! What is this … ‘Criticize me day?’ Here I was doing
my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my
hang-ups.”
“Praying is a dangerous thing. You could wind up changed, you know. That’s
what I’m trying to get across to you. You called me, and here I am. It’s too
late to stop now. Keep praying. I’m interested in the next part of your
prayer … (pause). Well … go on!”
“I’m scared to.”
“Scared? Of what?”
“I know what You’ll say.”
“Try me and see.”
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
“What about Ann?”
“See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why Lord, she’s told lies
about me, spread stories about my family. She never paid back the debt she
owes me. I’ve sworn to get even with her!”
“But your prayer? What about your prayer?”
“I didn’t mean it.”
“Well, at least you’re honest. But it’s not much fun carrying that load of
bitterness around inside, is it?
“No, but I’ll feel better as soon as I get even. Boy, have I got some plans
for that neighbor. She’ll wish she had never moved into this neighborhood.
”
“You won’t feel any better. You’ll feel worse. Revenge isn’t sweet. Think of
how unhappy you already are. But I can change all that.”
“You can? How?”
“Forgive Ann. Then I’ll forgive you. Then the hate and sin will be Ann’s
problem and not yours. You will have settled your heart.”
“Oh, you’re right. You always are. And more than I want to revenge Ann, I
want to be right with you. Ann, I want to be right with you … (pause) …
(sigh). Alright! Alright! I forgive her! Help her to find the right road in
life, Lord. She’s bound to be awfully miserable now that I think about it.
Anybody who goes around doing the things she does to others has to be out of
it. Someway, somehow, show her the right way.”
“There now! Wonderful! How do you feel?”
“Hmmmm … well, not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, I feel pretty great! You
know, I don’t think I’ll have to go to bed uptight tonight for the first
time since I can remember. Maybe I won’t be so tired from now on because I’m
not getting enough rest.”
“You’re not through with your prayer. Go on.”
“Oh, all right. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
“Good! Good! I’ll do that. Just don’t put yourself in a place where you can
be tempted.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Don’t turn on the TV when you know the laundry needs to be done and the
house needs to be picked up. Also, about the time you spend having coffee
with your friends … if you can’t influence the conversation to positive
things, perhaps you should re-think the value of those friendships. Another
thing, your neighbors and friends shouldn’t be your standard for “keeping up
with.” And please don’t use me for an escape hatch.”
“I don’t understand the last part.”
“Sure you do. You’ve done it a lot of times. You get caught in a bad
situation. You get into trouble and then you come running to me. “Lord, help
me out of this mess, and I promise you I’ll never do it again.” You remember
some of those bargains you tried to make with me?”
“Yes and I’m ashamed, Lord. I really am.”
“Which bargain are you remembering?”
“Well, there was the night that Bill was gone and the children and I were
home alone. The wind was blowing so hard I thought the roof would go any
minute and tornado warnings were out. I remember praying, ‘Oh God, if you
spare us, I’ll never skip my devotions again.”
“I protected you, but you didn’t keep your promise, did you?”
“I’m sorry, Lord. I really am. Up until now I thought that if I just prayed
the Lord’s Prayer every day, then I could do what I liked. I didn’t expect
anything to happen like it did.”
“Go ahead and finish your prayer.”
“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”
“Do you know what would bring me glory? What would really make me happy?”
“No, but I’d like to know. I now want to please you. I can see what a mess
I’ve made of my life. And I can see how great it would be to really be one
of your followers.”
“You just answered the question.”
“I did?”
“Yes. The thing that would bring me glory is to have people like you truly
love me. And I see that happening between us. Now that some of these old
sins are exposed and out of the way, well, there is no telling what we can
do together.”
“Lord, let’s see what we can make of me, okay?”
“Yes, let’s see. “
Some Random Thoughts
This has been weighing on my mind for quite some time – and I need to put it on paper — so three months down the road, I can so, “Ah! So that’s what you were thinking!” I grew up in the Roman Catholic church – not your modern-day Catholic church (very dark back then).
As an adult, I often visited many churches for two reasons: 1) Religion (all of it) absolutely fascinates me; and 2) I wasn’t happy as a Catholic – I felt I was missing something important. After my walk-about, I eventually landed on the doorstep of the LDS church – I had found home.
We then moved to Italy where I was re-introduced again to the Catholic church – and boy, was it different than in the States. I did participate in the many ceremonies and parades honoring the Virgin Mother.
Most recently however, I have felt a tugging at the heart strings. You see, my grandmother was devastated that I left the Catholic church – she doesn’t understand. I do not feel guilty for one minute about my decision, but if you have been reading my blog, you will know the things of late that have happened have got me to thinking.
I have the knowledge of two different faiths – why am I only sharing one? I have always said, that as long as my boys didn’t worship Satan, they were free to choose — I couldn’t even stop them if they were to choose that other path (but only pray that they won’t). I feel it’s a personal and private decision between you and the Lord. The vehicle you choose to draw closer to Him matters little to Him – it’s the end result that He’s interested in (and we should be, too).
I get really tired of the “you are not a true Christian” tirade that “Christians” venture upon. Christ would never have done such a thing. It’s hurtful and it’s destructive. I went on a tangent. Sorry!
My point being: I feel I owe it to my children to share the faith I grew up in. So if you see a mixture of different faiths or ideas here on the blog – be not alarmed. And if I happen to get something wrong in my brain, point it out to me please – I wouldn’t want to knowingly pass incorrect information on to my children.
I’ll add a separate category in the sidebar for Catholic lessons and ideas.
Thanks for reading my mindless ramblings!
Nature Notes: June 12, 2007
Four loggerhead nests have been found on Panama City Beach as of June 11. All were moved to a higher spot nearby, because the turtles either nested near the water or a storm drain. Volunteers found 172 eggs at nest #3 near the Stingray Condo on Surf Drive, the largest nest laid on Panama City Beach since Turtle Watch began in 1991!! Sea turtles come ashore at night to nest on our beaches during the summer months. Remember to avoid crowding a nesting turtle, and do not shine lights or take flash photographs.
Everyday Nature
“We must assist the child to educate himself on Nature’s lines, and we must take care not to supplant and crowd out Nature and her methods with that which we call education.
Object-lessons should be incidental; and this is where the family enjoys a great advantage over the school. The child who finds that wonderful and beautiful object, a “paper” wasp’s nest…has his lesson on the spot from father or mother.” –Parents and Children, pg. 182
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