Four More Trees

While we were at the zoo we identified four more trees for our list.

9. Sweetgum




10. Bur Oak


11. Willow Oak


12. Ginkgo

Field Trip to the Zoo

The day after Thanksgiving we enjoyed a chilly day at the DC Zoo.

One of the highlights of our day was the discovery of the Maned Wolf. They are rather pretty canines, but what makes them surprizing is that they smell remarkably like skunks. "That isn't very pleasant" you might say. But, we enjoyed them very much anyways.


We were also able to attened the sea lion demonstration. At this we learned the differences between sea lions and seals, how they go about caring for them at the zoo, and even a few tricks.


In the afternoon we had the delightful opportunity of getting to meet a naked mole rat. William and Beth (and me too for that matter) have loved these little critters ever since we first learned about them on Bill Nye the Science Guy. A zoo keeper brought one out for everyone to see up close. It was great. :)

We saw many things, birds, pandas, prairie dogs, beaver, octopus, and monkeys, but we loved the big cats.

A New Focus for PE

William and Beth have begun horse riding lessons! They are of course very excited. It is not all just riding though. They do a great deal of work at the barn. They brush down horses, clean stalls, replace hay, sweep the barn, feed the horses, and any other chores that pop up. As part of their training they are also doing a variety of daily exercises geared toward increasing leg, abdominal, and back strength. The horses they are riding are trained in dresage. As a result they are very sensitive to the movement of their riders. The riders need to learn how to use small muscular changes and body position to communicate their wishes to to horse.

Beth and William grooming Magie.

Quilt Block #2

William and Beth completed their second block for the quilt they are working on. They should recieve the instructions and supplies for block #3 this weekend.



Click here to see a picture of Quilt Block #1

Science Experiment

In this experiment we observed the effects of hot air rising. As the heat from the candle rose it caused the spiraling paper to spin. We discovered that the effect was much better when it cooled off in the evening. The little candle had a hard time competing with the warm sunshine.

Another Tree for the List

8. Red Maple

More Trees

6. Sycamore


7. Northern Red Oak (I think)

A Day in the Woods

We visited nearby Black Hill Regional Park yesterday. Our goal is to identify 15 varieties of native trees over the next few weeks. So far on our list we have...

1. White Oak, the Maryland State Tree


2. Chestnut Oak


3. Yellow-poplar


4. American Beech


5. Black Oak (maybe)


A leaf from an Empress Tree, an invasive non-native tree.