Homeschooler Savvy

The Brainless Guinea Fowl

I love the guinea fowl.  This is mainly because they look like they have a face which was made of plasticine  by a kid and then melted in the sun.  Plasticine for those who do not know is a type of clay normally for kids which never hardens.  It has a magnetic attraction to carpets and the space between pillows on couches.  It sticks to shoes.

 

Their feathers look like they are little old ladies in great hoop skirts, with their petticoats just showing.

They walk around in big groups (like teenagers?) with non stop talking, and every now and then a big drama happens, and the discussion of the event becomes deafening.  Big dramas include people, dogs, cats, snakes, insects, cattle, sheep, other bird life and anything which wasn't there 5 minutes before. 

What's even more amazing is their co-ordinated movement, and how panic spreads so quickly through the flock...

 

 

"Oh wait, that looks like an American tourist...." (Co-ordinated look right)

"Like, wow, look at what they're wearing." 

"It's totally rad." 

"Wow, look at that white fluffy cloud."

"Is that a Gap shirt?" 

"Did that leaf move?"

"That shirt is the bomb diggity"

"Wait, I think I saw that leaf move"

"I like that cap, it's just perfect." 

"What is that they're holding?"

"Is that food?"

"Food, did someone say food?"

"Food, everyone, Susan said she saw food."

"I saw it first"

"I'm off wheat at the moment - it's my blood type diet"

"Wait, I'm sure that leaf moved"

"Which direction was the food?"

"If you squint your eyes, I swear that cloud looks identical to Elvis."

Co-ordinated look up

"Oh, they're comming closer."

"Why is that boy comming closer?"

"Wait, that leaf really did move."

"Look out, here comes the 8 year old boy"

"Hold on, that's not a leaf, it's a rock."

"AAAAHHHHHH here comes the boy, he's going to kill us...."

"Holy, Fried Chicken, I'm getting out of here."

More co-ordinated panic.....................

"AAAHHHHHH The boy is comming, lets run left........."

"AAAAHHHHHHH  no, lets go right..........."

"Circles, cirles, we must run in circles to escape."

Meanwhile, the Galahs sit and watch entranced at the shenanigans.

Aussie Kim

Mississippi Delta Agricultural Snapshot (Kim Cam)

Everyone wants their kids to be more aware of the world around them (right?). 

Well here are some questions you can ask, regardless of where they live.  These questions are particularly good when you sit down to a meal.  Remember: if you eat, thank a farmer!  If you wear cotton underpants: thank a cotton farmer! 

Toast: When do farmers plant wheat? (Winter or early spring); When do they harvest?  (Summer)

Vegetable oil: What plants does this oil come from? (Soybeans is a common one) )When do farmers plant soybeans?  (Spring)

Popcorn: When do farmers plant corn? (Spring).  Is popcorn a different sort of corn from corn on the cob? (Yes).  How big does corn get?  (7-8 feet)

Cotton clothing: When do farmers plant cotton? (Spring)

When is rice planted? (Spring)

These dates are generalizations on the planting windows (best times to plant) for crops.  Normal crop planting dates depend on the temperatures and rainfall for each region. 

What follows here is what's happening down on the farm in the Mississippi Delta right now.  This year is very different from normal as we are surrounded by corn, soybeans, corn, more corn and the occasional rice and cotton crop and more corn.  Normally, here in the Mississippi Delta it is wall to wall cotton.  The price for corn and soybeans are at record highs, the price for cotton is quite ordinary.  Consequently, Spring in the Delta is looking a bit different this year.  For the first time I have ever seen it, we are surrounded by corn rather than cotton.

This is going to be similar to living in a one story neighborhood and then suddenly getting high rise around you. 

If you drive through the country on a regular basis, make it a habit to ask your kids what the crops are on the sides of the roads, you'd be amazed at how quickly they pick this up!   Of course, you can do the same if you live in the city - ask they similar questions about the action going on outside the car as you drive along.

Whats the action this week?  Well, if you haven't planted your corn yet it's just about too late - corn ranges from 1-4 feet. This is going to make a dramatic difference to the view around here!!! 

Most of the soybeans are planted and up already.

Cotton planting is underway and there is even baby cotton up in some places.

Rice planting is underway (note the different planter boxes behind the tractors - these indicate the two crops).

"What about the winter crops?" I hear you ask.... Yes, yes, it is coming close to that time of year!  The wheat harvest.  The wheat is starting to turn color.  Seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago it was looking lush and green.  Hopefully this should help those countries having food riots at the moment !!!!

Stay tuned for the next Kim Cam snapshots of the Mississippi Delta....

Room with a View and baby mockingbirds

Baby mockingbirds!  These ones are from the Room with a View (nest on the fence). It's very exciting, since to get here they had to survive the near tornadic winds, continual rain, wishful looks from Edu-kitty and the king snake. 

Our birds are all still safely in the nest. For those of you who find orphaned mockingbirds, here is an extremely cute video of a baby mockingbird being fed.  Reminds me of some teenagers I know.....

If you find a bird on the ground, ideally just watch it for a while, the parents may continue to feed it where it is.  If there is a bush nearby, you could place it there for safety.  If the parents have obviously abandoned it, then you might want to take it in and raise it.  This is quite a commitment!  For more information on what to feed insect eating wild birds you can read this short paper.

Aussie Kim

Mississippi River silently rises further south

The Mighty Mississippi has finally started to recede at the Helena Bridge, but of course, this water is all moving further south towards the gulf, contained by the levee.  Here are some photos from Roger Carter (Louisiana Crop Consultant Extraordinarie) of St Joe from the air.  Since the water is up the levee bank, the town is effectively looking up at a huge quantity of water. 

Now it's obvious why it's called the MIGHTY Mississippi!

Aussie Kim

The Great Australian Adjective and Adverb - Bloody

I thought I would run the Cuss-o-meter on the blog before this post. This is the pleasant initial result. I am wondering if the word bloody is regarded as a cuss word...

So now to the real reason for the article: the great Australian adjective and adverb: "bloody".  I was quite surprised on my recent return to Australia to see how frequently this word is now used in advertising in Australia.

Traditionally it is used as follows: if you want to add emphasis to something you put the word bloody infront of it ie. "Where's the bloody cat gone now?" 

The photo below is modified for the cultural differences in how the word bloody is pronouced - Asians often have problems pronouncing the letter l in words, sometimes substituting r instead.  This is the reason behind this add.  In fact I bought a phone from them for use while I was in Australia, but the bloody thing hardly ever got a signal if I was in the country.  It was, in my opinion, a bloody ripoff.

Of course, out in the country, there are often signs on property (farm) gates which say "shut the bloody gate"...it can get frustrating when the livestock get out....

And this will get your attention as you walk past the pub....

This is an advertising campaign they ran in the United Kingdom for a while, the tag line: "So, where the bloody hell are you?". 

To be used as an adjective, it must describe something, as in: "You're bloody awesome mate." which means: "I think you are amazing in a good way, my friend".

Can I give an example as an adverb?  "You're bloody right I can!", which means "I certainly can."

Just for an extra laugh....here's another couple of Australian adds using Australian vernacular.

Aussie Kim

Pause for a peaceful SUN STUDIOS set

Keeping in the theme  of peaceful sun sets, and having just been to Graceland...here is a photo of the first record that went Gold for Elvis, recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis. If you want to do a virtual tour of Graceland, or the Jungle Room go here.

Graceland as an educational experience for kids and a badge earner for scouts

I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee.....with a bunch of cub scouts.  One day every year Graceland gives all the scouts and their families an opportunity to get a Platinum ticket for Graceland (adults normally $32, children under 12 normally $15) for $15 for all.  There are activities the scouts can complete which help them get music and art related badges and elective credits. 

It's a homeschoolers dream - integration of history, art, music, math (just how many records are needed for a platinum award, how many zeros is that?).  And it's not just rock and roll, but also country and gospel.  The thoughtful Graceland hostesses even give you a list of activities the scouts can do for each level of badges available for them.

How was it?  "Awesome" according to the boys that went.  The boys liked his gold records and his car collection the best.  Elvis had a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce, and (drum roll) the Pink Cadillac was there too.

The token sister liked the bus ride best (it's a homeschool thing).

We got to see the inside of the Lisa Marie airplane and the smaller jet.  Plush is the word we took away from the trip.  As in Plush Pile Carpet (yes, on the ceiling).

Some did you know questions: Did you know Elvis had a twin brother who died at birth? Did you know that Elvis served 18 months in the US army in Germany - he was conscripted, and rather than find some way out of it, he went and did his time.

Was it worth it?  Absolutely.

Website for Graceland.

Site info on Scout activities and badges.

Aussie Kim & LA Sue (intrepid Graceland explorers, extraordinaire!)

Driving over the Mississippi River Bridge April 8, 2008.

The River is finally starting to go down, as long as the rain holds off a bit more, we should be right.  Here is a vidoe of driving across the Helena Bridge from Arkansas to Mississippi.  As you can see the water is still about 5 feet up the levee, and is spread levee to levee, about a 4 mile spread. 

Anyone care to calculate the volume of water travelling past at the moment?  I think we are talking many megaliters!  Here's an updated photo on the road which goes to the boardwalk over the River on the Helena, Arkansas side. 

And this is a photo of the Helena bridge taken from the levee bank - see the bridge - it is the little bump up into the air - way in the distance!!!!!!     Aussie Kim

"How High's the Water Mama?"

"Two Feet High and Rising"...........I learnt the words of this song by heart, while working as a jillaroo (farm hand) on my cousin's sheep and cattle property in rural Australia.  Every sunday morning we were woken up by one of his Johnny Cash records played at full volume - so all the livestock of the farm could hear.  I grew to love Cash's music (it was either that or go insane).  One of the songs I learnt was Johnny Cash's song about a flood.

Five Feet High and Rising by John R. Cash
Recorded 3/12/59
Number 14 - Country Chart; Number 76 - Pop Chart

My mama always taught me that good things come from adversity if we put our faith in the Lord.
We couldn't see much good in the flood waters when they
were causing us to have to leave home,
But when the water went down, we found that it had washed a load of rich black bottom dirt across our land. The following year we had the best cotton crop we'd ever had.

I remember hearing:

How high's the water, mama?
Two feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Two feet high and risin'

We can make it to the road in a homemade boat
That's the only thing we got left that'll float
It's already over all the wheat and the oats,
Two feet high and risin'

How high's the water, mama?
Three feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Three feet high and risin'

Well, the hives are gone,
I've lost my bees
The chickens are sleepin'
In the willow trees
Cow's in water up past her knees,
Three feet high and risin'

How high's the water, mama?
Four feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Four feet high and risin'

Hey, come look through the window pane,
The bus is comin', gonna take us to the train
Looks like we'll be blessed with a little more rain,
4 feet high and risin'

How high's the water, mama?
Five feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Five feet high and risin'

Well, the rails are washed out north of town
We gotta head for higher ground
We can't come back till the water comes down,
Five feet high and risin'

Well, it's five feet high and risin'

What's this got to do with homeschooling?  Well, why not show your kids some pictures of America's largest watershed at the moment, get them up to date with current affairs (what's happening in the US now?), give them some geography (Where is the Mississippi?)  and weather lessons about La Nina = more rain; drainage = collection of water down one very large ditch. Science lessons - Why would the cotton grow better the next year?  Give them some historical information (levee was finished when? How was the levee built (wheelbarrows and shovels). How did the levee break in 1927? (it was suggested that someone used dynamite on the Arkansas side of the River, to relieve the pressure on the levee on the Mississippi side).  How can hard times inspire literature and art?  Did the 1927 flood inspire this song? (Johnny Cash was raised on a cotton farm in Arkansas which was flooded several times).  How about taking the lyrics of this song and getting your kids to write a short story based on it?  Art - well, imagine the scenes from the song lyrics!! 

Here is a photo of 6 wild turkeys we saw while driving along the levee on Friday, their normal territory was flooded out (as can be seen), when we came past they could only fly back and sit in the trees.  There are huge numbers of wildlife (especially deer) that will be forced out of their stamping grounds onto farmers lush wheat crops until the water goes back down.  We are hoping the waters go back down quickly!

Aussie Kim

The rise and fall of the Mighty Mississippi

The Mississippi River is 5 feet up the Levee!  At Memphis and Helena, this means it is about 5 miles wide from Levee to Levee!  Over at life on the planet Susan posted some of the photos from our trip yesterday to the Mighty Mississippi.  (Remember: "Took my chevy to the levee...."). The levee is a bank 30 feet high and about 50 feet wide at it's base.  It runs either side of the river...1607 miles along the Mississippi River and 596 along the south banks of the Arkansas and Red rivers in the Achafalaya (bless you) Basin.

The first levee of any sort was set up in 1819.  By 1879 the farmers at various points down the Mississippi River concluded that they should "take into consideration and mature such a plan or plans and estimates as will correct, permanently locate, and deepen the channel and protect the banks of the Mississippi River, improve and give safety and ease to navigation thereof, prevent destructive floods, promote and facilitate commerce, trade, and the postal service."

In other words, the most fertile soil in the US was in the flood plain of the Mississippi Delta, but those farming it now didn't want it flooding anymore.  Shortly after this decision in 1882 one of the most disastrous floods for the new farmers occured, some levees that had been set up in an adhock fashion were smoothed flat again. 

Interesting fact alert: A raindrop falling into Lake Itasca would arrive at the Gulf of Mexico in about 90 days.

Major floods happened again in 1912 and 1913.  But the one that was the last straw occured in 1927.  An area of about 26,000 square miles was inundated. Levees were breached, and cities, towns, and farms were laid waste. Crops were destroyed, and industries and transportation paralyzed. Property damage amounted to about $1.5 billion at today's prices. Over 200 lives were lost and over 600,000 people displaced.

Because of this the Flood Control Act of 1928 was authorized by the Federal Government and the levee was subsequently built.  This photo was taken yesterday, with the water about 5 feet up the levee bank on the Mississippi River side.  As you can see on the right side, all is nice and dry.  However, some farmers experience "seep water" in their fields along the levee when the water is this high.  It can look dry ontop, but if you put a tractor in, you'll get "stuck" (that is "bogged" for us Aussies). 

This site will give you travel information for any trips down the Mississippi River, if you are thinking of making that the focus of a road trip.

Click here if you want a detailed map of the Mighty Mississippi.

If you think this levee means the end of flooding, you only need to look at what happend in New Orleans when the levee broke.  Further into the US heartlands, in 1993 the levee was breeched in several places as well.

And now, just for Susan, some photos of the mules on the levee...

Interesting fact alert: The Mississippi River is 2552 miles long.  It is the third largest river in the world and has the third largest watershed (basin) in the world, just behind the Congo and the Amazon.

This is a photo of some of the barge traffic, given the amount of diesel needed to push this baby up the flood waters flowing to the gulf, whatever they are shipping will cost more in the end! 

And finally, another floodwater photo.  Under this water is a beach, about 20-30 feet under this water (out past the trees and down a slope to it). See how far away the other side of the Mississippi is!!!  If you look closely there is a note pinned to the tree banning public fishing, this is nailed about 5 feet up on the tree.

Aussie Kim