Cecropia Watch!
Posted in General Thoughts, More Bug Stuff! on May 24th, 2010 No Comments »
Archive for the 'General Thoughts' Category
Understanding the Teen Reading Crisis
Posted in General Thoughts, Reading and Literacy on Apr 16th, 2010 No Comments »
In 2007 the National Endowment of the Arts wrote that only one out of five 17-year-olds (only 22%) read books for pleasure. This, in my mind, is a teen reading crisis. While high school reading lists endeavor to stretch students with thoughtful, challenging books, this isn’t pleasurable reading for a lot of teens. And these [...]
To Malia Obama
Posted in General Thoughts, Reading and Literacy on Nov 2nd, 2009 No Comments »
With dozens of upcoming school visits competing for my time while I finish the sequel to The Grey Ghost, I’ve once again neglected my blog. I’m traveling to schools on Cape Cod tomorrow and was sorting out my agenda this afternoon when I stumbled across this blog post from Children’s Librarian, Karen Arnold, at the Falmouth Public [...]
A 9/11 Remembrance
Posted in Bagpiping, General Thoughts on Sep 11th, 2009 No Comments »
I’d like to share an experience I had five years ago.
September 13, 2004
This last weekend I flew from Boston to Pittsburgh (via Washington D.C.) to compete in the bagpipe events at the Ligonier Highland Games. When I arrived in Pittsburgh, I learned United had lost my garment bag – the one holding my carefully packed [...]
“Yay!” Peter Reynolds for so beautifully capturing life’s circle!
Posted in General Thoughts, Reading and Literacy on Sep 10th, 2009 No Comments »
I’ve been very fortunate these last several months to get to know author and illustrator Peter Reynolds, his family, his bookstore The Blue Bunny, and his magicilicious company Fablevision.
I’m writing this on the eve of September 11th. I have a remembrance I want to share about 9/11 from several years ago. But that’s tomorrow’s post. I [...]
Just call me “Caterpillar Whisperer”
Posted in General Thoughts on Jul 31st, 2009 4 Comments »
Did I actually finish that last post hoping those bazillions of caterpillars would eat and grow? There’s sage truth to the saying, “Be careful what you wish for!” They did eat and grow, and eat and poop, and grow and eat, and poop and poop. I’ve spent enormous amounts of time during the last few [...]
Have we got ‘pillars!
Posted in General Thoughts on Jun 16th, 2009 No Comments »
Luna moth caterpillars typically hatch from eggs 8-12 days after they’re laid. After my moths failed to fulfill their dynastic obligations to the next generation, I ordered 120 luna moth eggs. And for kicks, I threw in 12 cecropia moth eggs. As a kid I heard my mother’s stories from her childhood about catching a cecropia moth. They’re [...]
The Conclusion of Eclosion
Posted in General Thoughts on Jun 9th, 2009 No Comments »
I guess the blog Gods were listening to my plea in my last post. The afternoon of May 28, Male #1 came rising up out of the shallow dish on my desk with legs waving frantically like Mothra stalking Tokyo! I was on the phone with a bookstore in CA and nearly had a heart attack [...]
Project Luna—Part 1
Posted in General Thoughts on May 28th, 2009 No Comments »
A lot of folks are asking what Project Luna is all about. Many classrooms hatch butterflies when students study the insect life cycle. Painted ladies are the most common, but some teachers spring for the extra cost of monarch caterpillars. So we have a good sense of the butterfly life cycle. But moths are very different, [...]
Through the Eyes of an Eagle
Posted in General Thoughts on May 24th, 2009 No Comments »
Here’s a wonderful story about Azalea, a bald eagle chick who hatched at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Azalea and her siblings can be viewed 24×7 in their nest until they fledge, thanks to a local news stations nest-cam. After she fledges and leaves the nest, you can follow Azalea’s travels since she’s been fitted with [...]