Mousey Trails

What to do outdoors?

Thu, 4 Jan 2007 15:20:12 -0500

An online friend just asked how to make her nature hikes better, so I gave her my quick list (she lives near a river):

Try a scavenger hunt. Let the big kids help the younger kids. Make some clues hard. Maybe the big kids could write the clues for the younger ones.

Similarly, you can play bingo with a set of cards keyed to the park. The kids can see who finds what to win "bingo" first. You can use words or photos.

If you have a digital camera, have the kids do a "close up" safari, with each taking a turn catching a picture of something very close. When you get home, see if the kids can tell what each item is.

Do a blindfold walk, with one of the kids leading another, taking care to keep the blindfolded one on the path, safe from rocks and roots, dry , etc.

Do a listening activity. Set up a blanket (very CM!!) and make that your headquarters. Have the kids listen quietly for a sound and then describe it to you.

Send the kids out from the blanket for three minutes. Each will tell you everything he saw during that time.

Make a collection (check the park rules). Categorize it.

Take water samples from the river (always have zip-lock bags with you). See if anything can be seen swimming in the water (especially in the spring).

Make mini-parks: Use a wire hanger stretched to make a square. Have the kids describe all the "wildlife" in the park. This works well from a blanket "headquarters" if you toss the hanger randomly a short distance from the blanket. Once you are surrounded by mini parks, set your rangers out to explore.

Prepare an unusual treat to be enjoyed at the destination. Watch the wildlife as you eat

Boston accent...!

Thu, 4 Jan 2007 15:12:02 -0500

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Boston You definitely have a Boston accent, even if you think you don't. Of course, that doesn't mean you are from the Boston area, you may also be from New Hampshire or Maine.
The West
The Midland
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
The South
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

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Sat, 18 Nov 2006 16:12:27 -0500

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Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:41:12 -0500

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Tagged...can you believe it?

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 22:55:30 -0500

Yes, thanks to Alice, I have been tagged with my first meme. Happily, it is the most open-ended meme of all: List 10 random facts about myself, LOL!!

Here goes (wow, this is harder than I thought):

1. MacBeth is really my middle name. It's also my mother's middle name, and the maiden name of her grandmother. I high school, some kids heard that it was my middle name and started using it. I kept it in college, as there were several other "Nancys" in my class, but I was the only MacBeth.

2. I auditioned for Zoom when I was in 4th grade, and was overcome with an incredible case of stage fright at WGBH studios, thus failing the audition. After many stage appearances, and one TV documentary, I am over it. ;)

3. When I lived in Boston, I attended that oldest public school in the country, Boston Latin School. Despite that history, I homeschool my kids.

4. I hate maggots. If I call you a "maggot," you are surely insulted. When I worked at a wildlife refuge, I once found a maggot-covered deer carcass in a bag of dead-animals-to-be-fed-to-other-animals ("waste not, want not" was the motto of the refuge). That about did me in.

5. My first aviation experience was in a 2-man plane when I was 9. The pilot, a family friend, kept the cockpit open so I could feel how fast we were traveling!

6. My favorite TV show of all time is Star Trek, but my kids "Annika," "Libby" and "Trip" were all named before their namesake characters were introduced to the Trekker world. Premonition? ("Annika" is in Voyager, "Libby" is Harry Kim's earthbound girlfriend on Voyager, and "Trip," whose sister is "Elizabeth," is in Enterprise. Paul takes solace in that Chekhov's name is "Pavel," which is "Paul" in Russian.) Oh, and a troupe of traveling actors performed Macbeth once...

7. I have read the Chronicles of Narnia every year since 2nd grade, when a mid-term substitute teacher replaced our regular teacher (who was having a baby) and read The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe to us. Thank you, Amy Barker; C. S. Lewis is why I am still Catholic.

8. I LOVE the Tridentine Mass!!!!!!!!

9. Lobster. 'Nuff said.

10. Until last summer, Tuscany was the most beautiful place I had ever been. But now, I am sure that Aspen, Colorado in the summer is the best place on earth. OK. Maybe. I still love Boston. And the Grand Canyon is pretty fun. And so is Paris. Oh, and Stonehenge. True confession: I love to travel! I also love to drive! I love to sail! Did I mention how much I love Mexico? And Canada? And the Caribbean? And all of America?

Time for the Gray Squirrel Project

Sat, 9 Sep 2006 13:29:20 -0500

The acorns are falling, reminding us that now is a great time of year to try The Gray Squirrel Project.

Current listen, O Best Beloved!

Sat, 9 Sep 2006 13:33:21 -0500

Oh, yes! Read beautifully by the late great Boris Karloff.

Teaser

Sat, 2 Sep 2006 20:23:43 -0500

Here is a photo of the Grand Canyon at sunrise. It will be included in the upcoming issue of Wild Monthly...as soon as I finish it .

The view is from Bright Angel Point.

Trip at School

Fri, 1 Sep 2006 20:12:17 -0500

He was reading a card about the dramatic altar (behind him) in the school chapel.

Back from Baltimore...

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:05:51 -0500

We had a great time in Baltimore...saw Michele Q, Trisha A., Deb S., Amy, Margot, Judy and more (forgive me if I left you out!!). Saw some husbands, too! We set the kids free in Baltimore, and they came back with these photos:

As you can see, the boys were taking aim at Paul. The result was...

...a pretty funny photo.