Nature's folk wisdom - mild winter to come??

We have spotted two wooly bear caterpillars in the past two days.  They are actually the larva stage of the Isabella tiger moth, that seek shelter over winter and will become moths in the new year.  They are common in these parts (southern Ontario) and can be found hiding in protected areas like leaf piles - you will recognize them immediately by the distinct markings of black bands at each end and reddish-brown band in the middle.  The folk wisdom tells us that the width of the bands predict the severity of the winter ahead.  What is said, is that the wider the reddish-brown middle band, the milder the winter.  Well, we'll see.  These two wooly bears that we've seen have had significantly wide middle bands, equal to the black end bands.  How fun to keep learning about using nature's guides to help us understand the seasons, weather patterns, and more.

A little garden math

The joys of homeschooling!  We were spending a day harvesting cayennes and hot peppers in the garden, then relaxing by the pond in the back - when a little spontaneous garden math happened.  I love the possibilities of life learning, seizing the moment to explore deep questions when they arise, to learn by hands-on doing together in the daily activities of life.  For more inspiration about life learning, check out Life Learning magazine a great Canadian-published e-magazine by the same folks who produce Natural Life magazine.