Celebrating the ordinary
After a scarcity of butterflies during much of the summer, I’ve appreciated seeing several in the backyard lately. Our Golden Asters (Chrysopsis villosa) are in full bloom and have attracted several visitors.
“Don’t take life too seriously cause it ain’t nohow permanent” is a quote I like from the cartoon possum, Pogo. Creating a few light touches in the backyard helps me guard against being too serious, Three flamingos mysteriously appeared several years ago and I’ve grown rather fond of them. By now they’ve lost their legs but they’ve settled in nicely next to the pot of New Guinea Impatiens in the old wheelbarrow.
It was great to see Judy Burris and Wayne Richards at the Kids’ Caterpillar Weekend at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. I always appreciate their lively, entertaining and educational presentations. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading their newest book, Nature’s Notes: Bite-sized learning and projects for all ages.
I agree with this quote from a review by Carole Brown, “Nature’s Notes is full of tips and projects to make learning about nature fun for kids of all ages. As an adult, you’ll appreciate the stunning photography that fills these pages. You’ll also get to know your own wildlife garden much better by using the tips in this delightful book.”
After looking at Nature’s Notes, our six-year-old friend Nancy proclaimed that she really liked the photos – “especially the tiny turtle.” Another friend said, “Every household with kids needs a book like this.” I agree. I’m inspired by Judy’s and Wayne’s photography and their ideas for exploring nature, and I’ll be trying several of their suggestions in our backyard. Continue reading “Judy Burris and Wayne Richards – superb local naturalists”