pond fun.

My boys love casting. You read right. Casting, not fishing. They don't really want to catch fish. They don't like trying to pull hooks out of mouths and tossing fish back...


But they love heading out to ponds every single spring as soon as the ice has melted and using their fishing poles. And the best part is of course the process, the ritual.


They really enjoy going out to the pond on a sunny day to listen to frogs, cast the line and reel it in (we use practice casting weights, not hooks), see who can go farthest, who has the best aim. Watch birds. Look at the clouds. Feel the breeze. Try to figure out what all the plants are. Sit in the grass and feel the warm sunshine. See if they can find any garter snakes. Have a picnic.


They like to find new ponds or streams. Explore the water to see what is living in there (their easter baskets will have water testing kits - can't wait!!). They call themselves the "litter patrol" and clean up whatever paper/plastic we find when we visit our favorite spots. It is all such a nice way to spend a sunny spring day. It isn't about the catching, it is about the fishing.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without
knowing that it is not fish they are after.

~Henry David Thoreau


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just in time...

Installed JUST IN TIME - before a weekend full of thunderstorms, high winds, and record setting rainfall.


The rain barrel was easy to install. Slips rights behind our AC unit and a big bush in our landscaping, and we will be planting some climbing scarlet runner beans on a frame in front of it to make it look nice as the summer progresses.


The boys happily helped dig a spot for the base and used a level to see if we were flat. They rolled the huge barrel up into the yard...well, G rolled it "all by himself" as A tried to help and G 'accidentally' rolled him over the barrel. Ahem. They helped screw in the diverter and seal the tubing. My boys love tools, and they love that there is a huge barrel of rainwater waiting for when it is time to water the garden!

Using rain barrels decreases the demand for domestic water - residential watering can account for up to 40% of consumption in some places, and it is a good thing to have during summer water restrictions or in drought areas to keep your fruit and veggies happy. Even a small urban style yard like ours has space for one! We have been wanting to install a rain barrel for a while - I'm glad we finally cleared a spot and put one in. Now if this rain would just...stop!!!

earth hour 2009.

Turn out. Take Action.
Be Part of this historic event.
March 28, 2009 8:30 pm local time


"World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate their commitment to finding solutions."


We did this last year as a family and plan to join in again this year. We did our hour last year from 7-8PM local time, as the boys usually fall asleep before 8:30. We turned off the lights, lit some candles, and played a board game and then the boys took a bath, got dressed in their PJs, read stories, and blew out candles to go to sleep. The thought that millions around the planet were doing the same thing we were, and the amount of energy we saved together in only one single hour was something we talked about for days. The boys liked it so much we have had more nights by candlelight, and enjoy the peace and quiet it brings.

>>So, join us! (you can also sign up by clicking the box in the top right or going here)