Sharon's Week 16: Happy Earth Day To You

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Okay, is everybody singing the Happy Birthday song now?  Then let's begin.

I just googled the origins of Earth Day.  Was anybody aware that it has been around since 1970?  I feel like I am coming rather late to the party.  I have participated in a few organized events over the years (planting trees and clean up activities) but mostly I just make an effort to appreciate the Earth.  That's not really difficult for me since two of my favourite things to do are hanging out at Whitefish Island (which I did at sunrise this morning) and hanging out in Lake Superior Provincial Park (which I did with Pam and her kids this afternoon).

Apart from appreciating the Earth this week, I have been thinking about imagination.  One of my students made me laugh the other day when he carefully placed his sticker on his homework book in order to continue with the story he was creating using all of the stickers I have given him.  I listened to him create his story then I told him that one of my favourite things about working with kids is that I get to experience their awesome imaginations.  He wondered why that was so special and I replied that sometimes adults don't use their imaginations nearly enough.  He stared at me and again asked why.  That stopped me in my tracks and I didn't really have an answer for him.  Busy-ness? Too many real needs competing for our attention?  Brain shrinkage?  Thankfully he is a kid and he moved on to another topic quickly but it made me think.  I still don't have any answers but perhaps I can use my imagination to come up with some hypotheses.  Feel free to share any of your own.

This week's photos...

in the middle

There are several decorative cats adorning my parents' and sister's sun room.  Last Sunday Anne and I were playing dice out on the patio and when I went in the house one time, Kahlua (Anne has positively identified this cat as Kahlua) was perched perfectly in the middle between two sets of other cats.

8

This comes from a fake plant also in the sun room.  I did have to move the flowers a bit so the 8 was more obvious.  I believe that I forgot to put things back.  Sorry.

makes me smile

I guess this could have been so many things but I am nothing if not opportunistic so I am going with bird photos that came to me this week.

First we have a lady cardinal at Ojibway park in Windsor.  The male was hanging around as well but he was even more camera shy.

The feeder in front of the house attracts all kinds of birds but only when I am not there.  When I am sitting on the front steps pointing my camera, very few appear.  Here is a little yellow bird - it may or may not be a goldfinch.

The red-winged black birds were very noisy this morning.

This bird also may or may not be a gold finch.  I will have to get Levi's birder friend over to confirm.  Oh wait, Donna will know!

fingers

Use your imagination (!) and consider this pigeon's toes as fingers.  The photo doesn't really show how beautiful it was this morning so you can use your imagination again.  The sun had just come up, the boardwalk was shining with frost and the long shadows from the railing were really eye catching.  The pigeon strutted back and forth demanding that I take his photo.

umbrella

We did have rain this week but only when I was at work.   I considered faking rain with the hose but I lost interest in that idea and decided that I would make a rain umbrella look like a sun umbrella while we were up in the Park this afternoon.  My idea was great (I think) but I couldn't make the picture in my head work out in real life.  So here we have an umbrella out on a sunny day for no reason at all.

fragile

Levi really wanted me to use this.  The funny thing is, the chocolate was not all that fragile.  It took quite a bit of force with a hammer to get it to this state.

wild card

I have a variety again this week...

This first one is my mother feeding the deer in front of the sign that says "Do not feed the deer."

Levi almost caught this snake.

This morning at Whitefish Island, the beavers were out in full force.  I liked this photo because of the sunrise colour reflected repetitively in the water.

Another one done...