Wednesday, August 25, 2021

MY SUMMER

   This reminds me about going back to school and on the first day we were asked to write about our summer. Some kids didn't like it. some teachers read the pieces of writing and had some info to talk about with the kid. As a beginning teacher I gave this assignment but later the assignment was heavily criticized and I think it's rarely given now.

     For my summer we rarely had clouds. It was very very dry until two days ago when we got about 90 mm (3 in) of rain. For weeks in a row it was very smoky so we didn't see clouds because of the smoke.  So  few days ago when I saw a small cloud build up I took a cloud photo. 



          My sunflowers are past due time. About a week ago there were many bees on the flower. This week the Brewers blackbirds are eating the seeds. 




 

     The crows are in huge flocks preparing for fall migration. There's always a look out crow. This crow has been using this lookout tree for weeks.

      Now if someone could tell me what the tall floppy yellow flower is I would be happy. I've looked at it for fifty years so it's time I knew it's name. 

     So that's my summer!

37 comments:

  1. I would sometimes ask children to write about their summer holidays and how they had spent the time. After all, it was something they knew about and something that had happened very recently. I don't see why such a writing task should be criticised. To me it was very valid and many children enjoyed it.

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    1. Here, there is a great difference in families so some families had great trips while other little kids just stayed home. It was also seen as a make work project with little value. Were they marked?

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  2. I haven’t seen any crows in Hawaii, but lots and lots of chickens. Sunflowers are so cheerful.

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    1. You're lucky not to have crows. I remember the chickens in Hawaii.

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    2. Yup. Lots and lots and lots of chickens!

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  3. Hello,
    Pretty sky photo and I love the sunflowers. I am sure the birds will love the sunflower seeds. Sorry I can not help with the flower id, it is pretty. Have a happy day!

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    1. I like the large cumulus clouds that are back lit.

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  4. I'd need a close up of the leaves and flower, but...jessamine?

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    1. I thought it might be recognized from a general shot but I know the drill for an accurate identification.

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  5. Ooh, I have these flowers! They are related to False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) I believe.
    Our crows don't migrate!

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    1. In the last few years some of the crows here don't migrate.

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  6. We don’t see the neighbourhood crows much this time of year. They will be back later in the fall.

    Glad you had some rain finally. Wish we could have shared our July abundance with you.

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    1. Now the crows are in very large flocks as they feed in the fields.

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  7. I didn't know crows migrate. I suspect that this area might be where they migrate to. And thanks for the summer roundup, Red! I always enjoy your writing.

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    1. You also have a different crow species. It's much smaller than the American crow.

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  8. That's quite a cloud in the 1st pic.

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    1. I didn't think it was much except for being between the trees.

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  9. I was one who always liked writing about my summer because I always had interesting stories from the trips I took with my parents. Other kids just stayed home all summer and watched television so their stories weren't so interesting.

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    1. The pressure was on the little kids who stayed home and didn't have much to write about.

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  10. I think writing about summer on the first day of school is a wonderful idea. I wonder why it was stopped. What were the criticisms?
    That cloud photo is so beautiful. I'm glad you got some rain. It would be so nice if we got some here, but it's not going to happen.
    Lovely photos!

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    1. Thanks. You really need some rain to help with the forest fires.

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  11. That's a big cloud buildup! Glad you got some rain. We have been getting thunderstorms this week, too. I wish the rain would bring a break in the heat and humidity but so far the outlook looks pretty warm for us in Illinois.

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    1. We have much bigger cloud build ups but that's it for now.

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  12. I enjoyed hearing about your summer Red. When I was a child I enjoyed writing about my summer. It helps to close the summer and open the school year!

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    1. these also did give the teacher something to relate with the child.

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  13. Sunflowers here will still bloom into September.

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    1. I think my sunflowers wee very early.

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  14. As a farm kid my summer was all about farm work, animals and gardens. Not much different than the kids I went to school with. My Mother had those same tall droopy plants...one lady around here calls them sundrops...but I know that is just a name she made up! They are some kind of Heliopsis like Jenn J said. They are a pain in the butt...you have to stake them and tie them up.

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    1. You're right about them needing support.

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  15. I can't recall being asked to write about my summer when the first day of school started, Red. That doesn't mean we were not asked to do so, but that I forgot😉

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    1. I think there are many things that we forget as kids. And then I'm surprised at how much this old teacher forgets. I talk to former students and they talk about what we did and I say, "No way!"

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  16. Well, I'm glad you got some rain finally. Your sunflowers are WAY past ours, which haven't even bloomed yet. I don't know why they're so slow! I don't think I ever did the "what I did over the summer" assignment, either.

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  17. Ever since I can remember the "What i did in Summer" assignment has appeared in American tv and books but I don't remember it ever appearing in Australian classrooms (not the ones I was in)

    My daughter is a teacher and she has told me about the questions she uses to get an insight into students lives. "What did you have for dinner last night?" is her favourite.

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  18. Pretty cloud! Can’t help identify that yellow flowering shrub…I hear there is an app that will identify it…but I don’t think it comes without cost. Someone will surely know.

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  19. we too would get essay to write about how we spent our summer and what hobbies we tried meanwhile ,i always enjoyed writing essay and i bet mine would have been longest :)

    from the lens point of view cloud seems to arose from the heart of earth instead of sky lol

    i too feel bad when don't know the name of birds or flowers ,don't know this one either :(

    sunflowers seeds used to appeal parrots though they try to come early morning to avoid encountering people .i tried hard to take shot secretly and in years it was only one success .
    health ,peace and joy to you and family!

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  20. Did you ever figure out what that plant was? I saw a picture of a jerusalem artichoke on facebook and thought of your plant right away.

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