Plant a Carrot, Get a Carrot!

In the winter, we planted a salad garden in a big half barrel outside my kindergarten classroom.  We planted one broccoli plant in the middle and surrounded it with lettuce and carrot seed. We enjoyed watching it grow throughout the cool season. Finally, it was harvest time for the broccoli; we ate the little "trees" raw. Later in the spring, we enjoyed some lettuce and, the week that school was done, we dug up the carrots. They had been showing us their shoulders-- tempting us-- for weeks.

I washed the carrots and cut off the green tops.

Each child who wanted to---and most did---got to use the vegetable peeler. Our little crop had done well and there were plenty of cut carrots to go around. They had requested ranch dressing to go with their carrots and I had that ready. Even the three who said they did not like carrots, changed their minds and enjoyed them with their friends, after all. There were even requests for seconds.

I have kept a flower garden for many years at school, but this was the first time I have attempted to grow food there. The kids were so enthusiastic about it, that I expect to continue.

Don't Mock the Moccasins

We went along on a paddling trip on the Wacissa River in Jefferson County last weekend. We saw several gators and some turtles. The yellow flies feasted on B and me, but thankfully left the grandson and his parents alone. This was just his second trip out on the water, and we were terribly impressed that he was happy for a full two hours! He had a little toy fishing rod and reel and he fished with his daddy in the kayak. I used a net to scoop up minnows, shrimp, tiny crayfish, snails and a dragonfly nymph for him to see in a bucket.

When we were heading back to the landing, B spotted a big moccasin in the exposed roots of a tree at water's edge on an island.

Looking with binoculars, there were clearly TWO big moccasins in this snake condo.

 Despite the impression, we did not get close. I used the zoom lens and we kept our distance. These were big snakes and best left undisturbed.

From Another Era...

Mailbox Monday: The Primping Pink Poodle

A Man and His Baby on the Beach

An Outlet?

Water Lily in Bloom

There is just something so pure about a white water lily.

Even when critters have been nibbling up the leaves.