June 2015: Planets, Animals, Birthday, Crickets, and Summer Fun

William stayed with my mom for three weeks during June to enjoy some time away and to also help my mother after a surgery, since my dad is working in California.  He was actually away for his birthday, so he got to celebrate twice.  He had a lot of fun and learned new things while he was away.  He even made an appearance in one of the local newspapers back home.

Meanwhile Nathan kept busy working, and I kept the kids entertained with fun summer activities and engaged them to enjoy nature's finest with me.

Nature

Eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus)

Female scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) 

Females of some bird species will fly repeatedly into windows that are reflective, believing it's attacking another female that threatens its chosen nesting territory.  This bird visited on numerous occasions, spanning a week. I was trying to decide on my mode of stopping her for her own good when she finally stopped on her own.

Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) 

I'm relatively positive this is an Eastern cottontail, but we have swamp rabbits, too, and they are both similar.  The latter is the larger of the two.  All the ones we see on our property are likely cottontails, simply based on their habitat preference as opposed to the swamp rabbits'.

American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

This picture was taken from inside, through a less-than-perfectly-clean window, from a great distance.  These birds are so satisfying to observe.

Jupiter and Venus (June 27, 2015)

Jupiter and Venus (June 30, 2015)

Could these two planets be the "star of Bethlehem" the Eastern magi supposedly followed around when the biblical Jesus was born?  These two planets lined up even more closely together two millennia ago.   The kids really enjoyed going out to see these!

Another baby bird rescued

There was nothing to do for this one.  Since it was on our front porch, simply guarded by our dog Atlas, we could not locate the nest nor return it.  Its flight wings were not far enough in development for leaving the nest.  We do not have a nearby wildlife rehabilitation, and Missouri's policy is to leave neglected babies alone.  Though William was tempted to keep it and feed it, though it's illegal, he took it to a somewhat safe place and hoped for the best.

Blackberry vs. black raspberry (dewberry)

Kitchen Helpers

The curly girlies filling a muffin pan with cup liners

Trusten and the girls helped me make our muffins, which we ate very few times during the hot summer.  I like to use the oven and stove top heavily in the winter for baking, simmering stews, etc.  But in the summer we have eaten a lot of fresh fruit, yogurt, smoothies, etc. for breakfast and quicker, easier meals for dinner.  June is berry month in this area, and that means buying gallons worth of blueberries from the produce stand we visit each year.  The rabbits ate most of our strawberries that we have growing, but we still managed to pick－and enjoy eating－plenty of black raspberries and blackberries.

Trusten decided he wanted pancakes one day, and he made them by himself for the first time. He'd already been working for a bit before I took this picture, but it wasn't until I did that I noticed he was having to stand on his tiptoes, so...

I fetched the child step we've had for many years out of the bathroom.  "There, Baby, that's much better."

Outside Summer Fun

William got to enjoy the big pool at my parents' house during most of June, but these three relished the small pool quite a lot.  I loved watching them have fun while I also read books and enjoyed nature in our beautiful yard and its surroundings.

Nathan parked his tractor elsewhere for a few days.  I pointed out the tall, chlorophyll-deficient grass to the girls, and they ran over to curiously examine it as I explained why it was lacking the vibrant green color it should possess.

All four kids got to enjoy the water park on two or three different occasions.  It was soooo hot outside!  I tried to get the kids to find out more about a boy there on one day.  I wasn't the only one who noticed he was very underweight (and I thought Trusten had been too thin for so long, but nothing like this) and bruised.  I was so horrified by his appearance that I kept reflexively looking away.  I was so torn, not knowing what to do.  I pulled up CPS website, even, and debated as to whether to call right then and there.  The boy was there with a group, which appeared to be a church group. I was not able to get the information I needed, and as the boy was very hyper and fell down and got hurt, I started wondering whether maybe he was just wild and accident-prone.  I hope I didn't make the wrong choice.   Other than that distressing experience, I enjoyed watching the kids have fun.

William's Trip and Return

William spent one day at my sister's, where he reported that my older niece (three years old) "wore [him] out."  They went to the zoo, and it looks like the Air Force base near them.

There's William.  He went with my mother to her beekeeping meetings.  The newspaper, not surprisingly, messed up and said he was from Pea Ridge, AR, though I'm sure William probably told them "north of Pea Ridge" or something to that effect. 

The dear ladies who work in my mother's office—my mother is her county's tax assessor—threw William a surprise birthday party on his twelfth birthday.  He had helped do a lot of work while he stayed with my mother, once she returned to work.  He mostly did alphabetizing, since he already knew how to do that, but I think he learned some new things, too.
 

Crickets

Elizabeth really enjoyed crickets during the summer, so I read to the youngest three some cricket books, and we looked in Google Images to find out that crickets came in several different colors, including red!  There are all sorts of amazing-looking crickets across the planet.  To see Elizabeth pictured with a cricket in a cup, check out last month's post.

From The Cheerful Cricket and Others by Jeannette Marks

 Cricket treats! (No antennae; kids didn't care.)

Until next time...