The Indian Hoop Dancer

More from the powwow--this is the Hoop Dancer. My previous post has more details about the powwow and another video.

Powwow

Last night we went to a powwow at the Queens County Farm in Floral Park, NY. It was fabulous. Here's a clip of Keith (whose last name I didn't catch, but I'll try to track down), a Plain Cree from Alberta, Canada, doing the Chicken Dance-Indian. The announcer explained that it's a male "showing off" dance. It is also done during a "long and strenuous healing ceremony that lasts four days and nights." The singers and drummer are the Silver Clouds. I labeled this post "Teaching with Nonfiction" because typically the life and times of American Indians are taught as long ago history. This experience and video (I'll post more) are resources for me to use with students.

Ah, technology

Just had a Skype call with Sophie and her two cousins--Alexa (a few months older than Sophie) and Georgia, who is a few years younger. It was a first & really fun. They're in Mallorca until Saturday, then back to Zurich. Before Sophie left, she wanted to plant her own garden so together we extended the flower/herb garden that is by the back door.
"How is my garden?" she asked.
"Fine," I replied. "I'll send you a picture."

The caterpillar mystery

Arriving home this afternoon after two days at the Jersey Shore (no Glossy Ibis sighting, but a magnificent Great Egret), I spied an Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly in my garden. Wanting to photograph it for Sophie, I grabbed my camera and quietly walked toward the butterfly, took some pictures, and returned to help Linda unload the car. On my second trip into the house, she said, "Look--what's that on the kitchen floor?" Not quite believing my first impression, I knelt down to confirm that it was a Monarch butterfly caterpillar(Danaus plexippus)--right there on our kitchen floor! How it got there, I don't know, except that perhaps it "hitched" a ride on me when I was in the garden??
Perhaps our friend, "Sue the Science Educator" knows--I just left a message on her phone--"Hey Sue, how did a Monarch buttefly caterpillar get on our kitchen floor?" (click on image to enlarge)

Glossy Ibis

Monday morning--a thrilling sight!!--After ten years of kayaking on Barnegat Bay, we spotted a Glossy Ibis (it was a juvenile) on the west side of one of the islands in the Bay! Linda & I got a good long close look, but I was so transfixed I forgot I had my camera, until the ibis took flight and then I snapped this picture. Look closely (click to enlarge), you'll see its long downward curved bill. David & Crystal arrived in the early afternoon & we headed for the ocean side of our barrier island. The water was clear, clean, 66 degrees with waves breaking every which way. Linda & Crystal stretched out on the sand. David & I swam/played/in the waves. He skillfully rode in on them; me, I got tumbled upside down a couple of times.
As we were packing up to head back to cook dinner--lobster bisque, scallops, Jersey corn, Jersey tomatoes & zucchini, Jersey blueberries, etc.-- I spontaneously asked David to riding in on one more wave so I could take a video to post for Sophie--he did, which meant we were still there when four pelicans flew by just off shore! (No video, 'cause I forgot to press the button.)

Sophie's Adventures

Last week we had a wonderful 5-days with Sophie; wide range of activities from taking her with me to my Nonfiction Literature for Children class at Queens College to kayaking on Barnegat Bay where she spotted baby swans. A few days ago she & her mother left for Switzerland where her mother's family lives; actually right now she & Katrin, plus an aunt, uncle, & two close-in-age cousins are in Mallorca for two weeks. Jonathan--Sophie's Daddy met them there. She returns mid-August with lots of exciting adventures to share!

Bear Cub

My son David just sent me these photos of a bear cub's "visit" to their apartment building located in a town in New York just across the NJ border. He reported that she was a 100 pound cub who first tried to run into their lobby and then onto a neighbor's balcony. Foiled, she climbed a tree and ate berries for three hours (first picture).
Finally she was tranquilized (pictures 2 & 3). Turned out she was a tagged cub & a "repeat offender" (picture 4) from NJ, which is where (last picture) she was relocated and set free.