From the time we were little children my brother Orville and myself lived together, played together, worked together, and, in fact, thought together.          -Wilber Wright
 
 
Last week I was visiting an old college friend in Kill Devil Hills, NC. Kathy lives very close to the Wright Memorial, so she suggested we visit there during my stay. I’m so glad she made the suggestion! It was one of those experiences that help you appreciate the wonder of curiosity and the power of creative thinking.
 
Kathy had on her coffee table a copy of The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, so I picked it up and began to read. I was immediately pulled in and wanted to keep reading, but I only had time for the first chapter (I have since purchased my own copy). In it, Wilbur and Orville credit their parents for helping them to attain their dreams. It was because these two geniuses grew up in an environment that nurtured their curiosity and creativity that they were empowered to persevere and reach their goals. Later, as I toured the museum I found so many connections to what we can do as educators – help students be keen observers of their world, think through ideas with others, be risk-takers, try things out and make adjustments when necessary, understand that the journey is just as important as the destination, wonder.
 
I love quotes and found myself taking pictures of several on display that day (I hope to find more as I read the rest of the book). If you ever find yourself on the Outer Banks, I highly recommend a visit to this memorial.
 
 
I got more thrill out of flying before I had ever been in the air at all – while lying in bed thinking how exciting it would be to fly.         -Orville Wright

​The decision to write daily in my garden notebook has helped me look more closely at what is happening in my own backyard. While I usually spend time in the garden each day throughout the spring and summer and well into the fall, I have begun to take a different approach, trying to notice small changes and make new discoveries. Since many of you responded that you were looking forward to reading more, here are a few excerpts from past weeks.
 
5/4/16 Spotted a hummingbird in the front of the house – a reminder that I should put out the hummingbird feeder soon. The patio is a carpet of pink cherry tree blossoms – nature’s May snowfall. Tree swallows and sparrows seem to be in a territorial struggle for the white blue bird house.
 
5/6/16 Spent the day with flowers! After working at Longwood in the morning, I trekked out to my favorite nursery, Briar Rose, for hanging baskets, geraniums, and container plants. Best find of the day – winterberry! The bluebirds will be happy.
 
5/11/16 Bird trouble. Confirming that the nest in the white bluebird house belongs to a house sparrow, I made the decision to remove it before there are eggs. But unfortunately I was too late. I approached and knocked. No response. Carefully I opened the door and the sparrow zoomed out! As I gathered up the nest and started to lift it out, two baby birds fell to the cushion of mulch below. Knowing that I could not destroy them, I carefully placed everything back in the box. The mother returned a little later. Everything I have read indicates that house sparrows should not be allowed to live with blue birds or tree swallows as they are predators, but I feel conflicted. Might be best to let nature take its course.
 
5/12/16 Large hole in the ground by the shed. The groundhog must be back, and he did not appreciate the mulch Allan carefully spread. Is there a space for my geraniums? Is there room for everyone in the garden?
 
New discoveries, lessons learned, and lots to ponder!

​For a few months now, Lynne Dorfman and I have been blocking out writing days on our calendars so we can work on a second edition of Mentor Texts. Yesterday was a writing day for us, but it would probably be better to call it a writing/bird watching day! Now that the weather is getting at least a little warmer we have moved to a favorite writing spot of ours – the enclosed back porch at my house. And amid all the picture books, notebooks, post its, and pens sprawled across the table can be found Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds of North America (an app on my ipad) and some good binoculars.
 
Lately, my feathered backyard friends have been buzzing with new activity like nest building, mealworm gorging, and seed sampling. I’ve welcomed back the finches, bluebirds, chickadees, cardinals, sparrows and wrens. I’ve also noticed quite a few new visitors, too, like the two rosy-breasted grosbeaks I spotted on Saturday. Yesterday, right in the middle of composing, Lynne burst out with a “Look at that bird!” And literally, right in the middle of typing a word I grabbed my binoculars and zoomed in. There he was, a newcomer, the most beautiful blue feathered bird I had ever seen, making himself at home on the birdfeeder perch and just feasting away. But what was it? A blue bunting? An indigo bunting? A blue grosbeak? After studying it awhile and consulting the guide, we think it might have been a blue grosbeak as they are more common to our area.
 
I couldn’t help but think about the many kids I’ve been with in classrooms throughout the years that get distracted by the trash truck outside, or an interesting cloud, or the sound of a nearby motorcycle.  I get it now - sometimes you just have to stop and take notice or life’s most interesting treasures just might pass you by.
 
I suggested to Lynne that perhaps we would get more work done if we moved inside. But we really don’t want to do that. It’s nature’s beauty that inspires us and teaches us how to look closely and notice – how to notice what’s right there all around us, how to notice what authors do, how to notice what’s in a book. Time well spent!

          5/3/16 The start of a dreary, drizzly week with weeding and bed preparation to do; found the
          False Dragonhead, Solomon Seal, and Coreopsis that I added to the peony garden last year.
         The aster is still hidden among the weeds.
 
Writing every day in March for SOL provided a structure and discipline that I came to rely on. In April, I decided to carry on that structure by reading and recording a poem and a few notes about it each day. Then all of a sudden it was May, and I needed something else.
 
A few years ago I started a garden journal where I could record plants I added, bloom times, sketches, activities of the birds, etc. As I looked through the journal to begin my garden planning this spring, the light bulb went off. For May, I could record something every day about what I noticed, accomplished, or wondered about related to the garden. Above you will see my entry for today. There is always so much to do and notice in the garden I may have to keep it up all summer!