We’ve all heard how important it is to eat a diet high in roughage. Likewise, “roughaging” (spending time outdoors) is essential to our mental health. Even if it’s a settee on the porch, we need it, gotta have it. I aim to be the reason you pulled your bedding out the back door last night.
Let’s talk April showers.
Meteor showers, that is.
The Eta Aquarid shower begins around April 20 and lasts for roughly a month, promising scenes like this (if you’re near Devil’s Tower in Wyoming on a clear, clear night):
Photo by David Kingham via Flickr
The Eta Aquarids, shooting stars extraordinaire, are actually blazing bits of stellar debris that rain from the tail of Halley’s Comet.
“The Earth passes through the debris left behind by the comet every year in the spring and autumn,” explains Mother Nature Network. “The spring showers are called the Eta Aquarids because they’re named for the constellation from which they appear to radiate, the constellation Aquarius.”
Image courtesy of Till Credner of AlltheSky.com via Wikimedia Commons
Doesn’t that all sound somehow romantic?
Photo by Unsplash via Pixabay
Stargazing, you know, is one of my sweet spots …
There’s something about gazing up into a starry night sky that is deeply soul stirring. The sight of all that infinite diamond-studded darkness has the power to erase the trappings of modern life, bringing us back to a more primal part of ourselves, a part that is still exuberantly wild.
(Read more about my passion for dark skies here: Carpe Noctum—Seize the Night!)
But, back to the meteors at hand.
Rumor has it that the BEST time to get a glimpse of the Eta Aquarids show will be the crack of dawn on May 5 or 6 because the moon will be in hiding during its new (dark) phase.
If you spot them, do tell!
Winnie Nielsen says: The Eta Aquarius show might just be the Jubilee Preview for those Farmgirls living where the viewing will be best! I bet your farm often gets a front row seat to displays like this with your vast skyline. We will be flying all night May 5 and I wonder if one can see shooting stars from a window seat on Delta? I am going to keep it in mind and ask when I get on board. At 30,000+ feet, I wonder if such events are visible? People can see the Northern Lights on planes so why not meteorites?
MaryJane says: From a plane, it might be fabulous. Might be the best view someone could have.
Amy Cloud Chambers says: We’ll be watching, although our view here is limited by the lights around us. Sure would like to see the stars from out your way some time! Meanwhile, it might be a good night to visit the observatory.
Karlyne says: Drat! We’ll be in the “city” those two nights, but maybe when we’re up the hill on the 2nd and 3rd they’ll come out early for us!
Krista says: Those meteor showers look beautiful! I wish I lived closer so I had a great advantage of seeing them. I will have to see if I can see them from where I live. Fingers crossed!
Amy Cloud Chambers says: Holy cow, what beauties! (Or should I say holy chicken!)
MaryJane says: Talkin’ ’bout my girls, my girls, my girls (and one bantam rooster). Our photography apprentice, Lisa Pearson, took the photo.
Winnie Nielsen says: Looks like a happy morning at the MJF Coop. Hehe, Girls always like to hang out with a good looking guy!
As one of the premier providers of environmental education in the Palouse area of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI) that I founded way back in 1986 is always looking for new and creative ways to get people of all ages out and exploring the natural world.
That’s why this year, PCEI is offering STREAM Team—a week-long summer experience for girls entering their 7th-10th grade years that focuses on the STREAM fields: Science, Technology, Restoration, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.
Coordinated and led by a team of female PCEI instructors, this program will feature outdoor application experiences with female community mentors who are professionals in the STREAM fields. They will share their journeys through STREAM—how they overcame the gender disparity in these fields, how their work helps the environment, and how we can do similar things with our lives.
When: Monday, June 27 to Friday, July 1, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The PCEI Nature Center, 1040 Rodeo Drive, Moscow, Idaho (downtown pick-up and drop off available)
Cost: $50 (payment plans and scholarships are available; inquire at learning@pcei.org)
APPLICATIONS DUE APRIL 22, 2016
Find more information and application forms at http://www.pcei.org/stream-team.
Amy Cloud Chambers says: This is awesome! One of our state parks, Bellevue, does some programs for kids in this arena. I take my granddaughter to one every week that’s for 3-5 year olds. Every week they focus on something different, and it’s a great introduction to nature and ecological concepts for the very little ones. But this STREAM program specifically for girls at that critical age is remarkable! They really need that encouragement to be themselves and pursue their own dreams and ideas.
Winnie Nielsen says: What a great summer program for Tweens. It has been shown that getting girls and boys, for that matter, excited about STEM topics before high school encourages them to keep taking the necessary science and math courses needed to enter college engineering and environmental science degree tracks. I bet the teachers have a lot of exciting, fun, and interesting days planned for the students.
Karlyne says: I must say that I especially like the “A” in STREAM. I think all too often art takes a back seat to those more lucrative careers in the STEM area. I really like this, MJ!
Krista says: This sounds like so much fun for young girls. I love science, especially when it’s hands on. I hope many young ladies will sign up and find a love for these programs and experiences. Even the logo draws me in and encourages me to get outside!
Winnie Nielsen says: Wow, what are these flowers? So, so pretty and delicate! Are the blooming right now?
MaryJane says: Yes, they are blooming right now. We call it Widow’s Grass, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olsynium_douglasii
We have entire area full of them, up and over the rise to the south of us. Gorgeous old homestead place covered in purple right now.
Winnie Nielsen says: It sounds glorious! Enjoy!!
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
These beauties look like some sort of tulip at the end of the bloom cycle? So pretty and delicate.
The creamy white for is so pretty!