Spring, Science and Rubber Boots

It is raining. That cheerless rain that inhibits outdoor play. The gray clouds are drooping down like limp, dirty dishrags hung out to dry after cleaning my one uncarpeted spot of floor. Well, the dishrags would be gray if indeed I cleaned that floor… But I was talking of the rain. In spite of the dripping rain, I have my flip-flops on. After all, it is spring! Not only have the robins returned, but the peepers have started peeping, we saw a brave dandelion flower, and my daffodils have poked themselves up and will bloom with only a wee bit more coaxing from the shy sun. I say the sun is shy because he has been missing for a couple days, hiding behind the droopy, limp, dirty clouds.

But the rain isn’t all bad – just ask Abigail. She is quick to proclaim to her brothers that “even though the rain makes it so we can't play a lot outside, the rain is watering the earth and soon flowers will be here - but now we have mud. Because dirt and water, mixed together, make mud!” Thank goodness (and the Carpenter) for new rubber boots! Even I got a pair! I haven’t had a new pair of rubber boots since I was in 7^th grade. Back then, I had yellow rubber boots and they doubled as my winter boots when I shoved wooly-sock laden feet into the bright yellow objects of my mother’s affection. My mom liked my yellow boots. I did not. Yes, they kept my feet dry, but they also kept me as a prime target for Jr. High ridicule – yes, my nickname was ducky. I laugh now and even tease my mom about the whole thing.

Anyway, along with spring has come a GRAND science project. On Sunday, we hiked up into the woods and visited a hidden pond. As we walked along the edge (and into the water, thanks to our new rubber boots) we saw scores of amphibious creatures fleeing before our waterproofed feet. I caught a couple (they were literally “a couple”) and brought them home and now we have two critters in a gallon jar on our kitchen counter. We couldn’t decide if they were salamanders or newts so I did a bit of research (thank you, Google!). I discovered that we have two Red Spotted Newts. And I discovered that newts are a type of salamander! We have adult Red Spotted Newts, which are actually olive-green. So, I’m now trying to figure out how to keep “Sally” and “Mander” (as Abbi named them) alive – and I am hoping that the couple of them will “couple” again and lay some eggs. I did find out that they eat earthworms so I am planning on delegating the job of obtaining food for Sally and Mander to Phinehas. I’m sure he won’t mind!

Well, hope you all are enjoying your rainy, drizzly, sometimes delightfully sunny (but not this week) spring!