Space Shuttle News!

Dear Friends,

Today the space shuttle Endeavor launched into space.  It was so exciting to see it go!

If you would like to watch the video, just click here:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=88591351

The Endeavour astronauts have lots to do.  During this mission, they will bring spare parts for the space station.

They will also install a new scientific tool.  It is called an Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.  It will help us to study cosmic rays and other kinds of matter.

If you would like to follow Endeavour's mission, just click here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

It is hard to believe that the United States will only have one more space shuttle launch.  Atlantis is scheduled to launch in July.  I am trying not to be sad.  I wanted to be the first dog on the space shuttle!

NASA has some very fun space shuttle activities for you.  Just click on one of the links below and have fun!

Space Shuttle Activity Book:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/156665main_Color_and_Learn.pdf

Space Shuttle Fact Sheet:  http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/167751main_FS_SpaceShuttle508c.pdf

Space Shuttle Glider Kit: 

http://www.aiaa.org/kidsplace/kidsplacepdfs/Space_Shuttle_Glider.pdf

Sad Day

We have had a very sad day.  We lost one of our favorite trees.  He was a red oak that was nearly two stories tall and about two feet across.  Mom always called him our "grandpa tree."

Over the past few years, he has been losing limbs.  When spring came around this year, the entire middle was bare.  We called in a tree doctor.  The doctor said that our old red oak had a canker, which is kind of like cancer in people.  He said that trees are like people.  They get old and sick and die.

The tree doctor said that we needed to take the tree down.  He was afraid that if a hurricane came that the tree would fall on our house.  Today some men came and cut down our old friend.  Mom cried.

Already the squirrels are playing on the stump.  But it isn't the same as having our old friend.  The back yard looks so empty without him.

Dad says that we'll plant a new tree this fall.  We will plant it behind the stump.

We have been reading about how trees age and why they die.  If you would like to learn more about trees and why they are important, just visit one of the following sites.

http://www.dnr.state.il.us/education/classrm/kids_for_trees/pdf/Unit1_3.pdf

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/MT/www/about/treepub.pdf

http://www.opalexplorenature.org/sites/default/files/7/file/TreeAge2.pdf

http://www.projectplantit.com/Site_Downloads/Teachers_Downloads/Classroom_Poster.pdf

La Bella Luna (The Beautiful Luna Moth)

When I was walking with Mom to the mailbox, I spied something flitting on the grass.  It was a beautiful Luna moth.

Mom gently scooped the moth onto a leaf and took it into the backyard.  She put it on a branch, then ran into the house for the camera.  Here's a picture of our luna moth:

Luna moths have become very rare.  We have not seen one in two or three years.  Luna moths come into our yard because we have sweet gum trees.  They like to lay their eggs on the sweet gum leaves.  They lay about 200 eggs at a time.

Green caterpillars hatch from the eggs in about ten days.  For the next three to four weeks, they eat and eat and eat.  They like to eat our sweet gum leaves.

When the time is right, the caterpillar will spin a silk cocoon.  It will stay inside for two to three weeks.  When it comes out, it is a beautiful Luna moth.

Luna moths only live for one week.  They do not eat when they are in the moth stage.  They don't even have a mouth!

We think that this Luna moth was a female.  Male Luna moths have thicker antennas than the females do.

Luna moths are very big.  Their wing span is about 4-1/2 inches wide.  They are one of the largest moths in North America.

For more information about Luna moths, just follow these links:

http://www.ncenvirothon.org/wild%20profiles%20set%209/mothluna.pdf

http://www.earthsbirthday.org/images/uploads/more-bugs/luna-moths-prepostquestions.pdf

http://www.bugfacts.net/images/LunaMoth-z.pdf

http://entweb.clemson.edu/k12/colorbook/05.pdf

We Need Rain!

I am a water dog.  I love water.  I like to swim.  I like to play in the rain.  I even like to take a bath!  


Here's a picture of me after a swim that I took in Alaska.  I am very happy!  

When we were in Alaska last year, they had the most rainy days on record.  It rained every day for 31 days!


Now, Texas is having just the opposite problem.  We need rain!  March was our driest on record.  We only received .67 inches of rain.  Normally we get 3.36 inches in March.  April isn't looking any better.  In fact, we haven't had a good rain since January!


When it doesn't rain, it is called a dry spell.  When the dry spell lasts a long time, it is called a drought.  


Droughts are hard on animals.  Creeks and ponds dry up so animals can't find a drink of water.   It is also hard for them to find food because plants don't grow without water.  


Without rain, farmers can't grow crops.  Trees get sick.  Grass dies.  When plants get dry, they catch fire quickly.  


Everybody must help by saving water.  


How do we save water?  Mom and Dad take quick showers. They don't let water run unless they are using it.  We never run the dishwasher or washing machine unless they are full.  


They also don't give me a bath very often.  We need some rain!


If you would like to learn more about saving water, check out the fun activities listed below:

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/cicar/pdf/10_Things_Water.pdf


http://www.state.nj.us/dep/seeds/docs/everydropcounts.pdf

http://www.get2knowh2o.org/pamcanikidsbook.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/pdfs/activity_grades_k-3_activitybook.pdf

To understand droughts better, just click on the link below:

http://mi.water.usgs.gov/drought/droughtfs.pdf

http://www.prep4agthreats.org/Assets/Factsheets/Drought-and-Your-Home.pdf

http://www.dca.state.ga.us/development/EnvironmentalManagement/programs/downloads/DroughtBrochureMailer07hiRes.pdf

Earth Day

Next Friday, on April 22, we will celebrate Earth Day.  Our town will hold an Earth Day Fair.  It will be a very fun day.

Earth Day reminds us that we need to take care of our planet.   The first Earth Day was held over forty years ago on April 22, 1970.  It began when Senator Gaylord Nelson worried that people did not know that our earth needed our help.  We needed to learn how to take better care of it.  Today Earth Day is celebrated all around the world.  

Are you going to go to an Earth Day celebration?   Our Earth Day Fair is all about learning how to help the environment.  We will learn how to recycle.  We will learn how to save water and electricity.  We will learn new ways to take care of our planet.

When we recycle, it helps our earth in many ways.  How?  We have less garbage in our trash cans when we recycle.  That saves room in landfills where they dump the garbage.  Things made from recycled products use less energy.  Recycling is a small way to make a big difference.


We found some fun Earth Day activities that will help you learn more about recycling and saving energy.  You can make a difference on Earth Day and everyday!  Just follow the links below:

http://www.epa.gov/region5/publications/happy/happy.pdf

http://ecokids.ca/pub/fun_n_games/printables/activities/assets/science_nature/paper_making.pdf

http://www.globio.org/info/educators/lag/GLOBIO_LAG_Earth_Day.pdf

http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/2009Earth_Day_Booklet.pdf

Spring is here!

Spring is here!  Flowers are blooming.  The weather is warm.  Our bird friends are nesting.

This week we have been planting flowers and watching all of the new babies in our yard.  A pair of tiny chickadees are nesting in a box in our backyard.

Bird, our squirrel friend who lives in our woodpecker house, brought out her four new babies to play.  (To learn more about Bird, check out our February 8 and March 22, 2010, posts.)

Our dove friend has a new nest.  (We posted about Lovey Dovey on March 10, 2010, and again when her babies hatched on April 9, 2010.)

We have some friends who live in Illinois.  We feel sad for them.  The weather is still cold there.  We are lucky to live in Texas where spring comes early!

Below are some links to some great spring activities.  Have fun!


Just click here for a great bird activity book:  http://www.bu.edu/scscb/programs/Program_resources/kids_bird_supplement.pdf


Below are four great spring flower activity books: 
http://www.familyfunshop.com/flowerscompletebook.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/coloring/books/Plants_To_Color_from_the_Aspenforest.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/coloring/books/Wildflowers_of_the_Western_US_JKN.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/coloring/books/Native_Plants_of_the_North_Country.pdf

I'm Back!

Dear Friends,

It has been a long time since I have written.  It has been crazy around here since we returned from our Alaskan adventure.  Dad and I both had to have shoulder surgeries.  We are doing fine now but it took a long time for us to get better.  Now Dad can throw a ball again, and I can chase it!

When Mom wasn't taking care of us and doing everything else that needed to be done, she was busy updating my blog.  Don't you think that it looks more fun?  We also hope that it is easier for you to read.

The new changes will also make it easier for us to set up new posts when we are on the road.  While we were on our Alaskan trip, it was very hard to put pictures on the site.  With the new changes, it will be faster and easier.

We have a lot to catch up on, so check back every week to see what we have to say.

I'm glad to be back again and sharing wonderful things about our planet with you!

With love,

Roxanne