The Magic of Summer
The Magic of Summer
Staff Picks
A Glimpse of Nature - Listen Up!
Bird song is among the most conspicuous natural phenomena of May. If you have recently walked at the Ames Free Library or, for that matter, anywhere in southeastern Massachusetts, you couldn’t help but hear the chorus: resident birds, newly-arrived migrants, and passers-through are all singing. Those who stay sing to attract mates and to announce their territory. In most, though not all species, the males deliver the songs. They sing like there’s no tomorrow and, indeed, there really isn’t. Our short-lived songbirds must start the process of raising young while food is avail
A Glimpse of Nature- On the Road
Who doesn’t love spring? Milder weather, longer days, and the return of greenery combine to lift our spirits. Between April 29 and May 5, I made not one, but two, road trips to see spring flowers. One excursion, a trip to the Wicked Tulips farm in Connecticut, offered a pleasant afternoon with little effort or planning. Reservations are required and tickets sell out quickly, but the ride is scenic and the sight of 600,000 showy flowers en masse is pretty impressive . . .
A Glimpse of Nature - Patience
Good things take time to grow: A Glimpse of Nature will return next week with the promised post on spring ephemerals. In the meantime, here’s this week’s challenge:
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Go for a walk in the woods.
2. Photograph one wildflower in bloom. Yes, you can use your phone!
Staff Stories - Jessica Block
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet AFL's Assistant Director, Jessica Block. Click here for Jessica's stories.
Your Neighbors Recommend...May 2022
Ever been curious what your neighbors are reading or watching? Here are just some of their suggestions! As we receive more recommendations, we'll post them here on the AFL Blog.
If you would like to suggest something you've loved to your neighbors, fill out our Your Neighbors Recommend form!
A Glimpse of Nature: Taking Time for the Flowers
Which flowers have you seen lately? Read about Lorraine’s botanical adventures in next week’s A Glimpse of Nature.
A Glimpse of Nature: Seeds: Updates, Contest, and More
“The Great Seed Experiment” is off to a vigorous start! Hundreds of patrons have picked up seeds for their home gardens, as well as helpful factsheets and seed journals to record their observations. This week, the library received its first photos and “Sprouting Reports” from gardeners. Spring peas are already germinating.
Finding the Light
From the aesthetically pleasing, to the historical, to the mundane, to the downright ridiculous, many of us are obsessed with picture taking. Why do I have 10,000 photos of the same sunrise? Do I really need to share what I had for breakfast with the whole world?
And is anyone’s life enriched by seeing a picture of me making a face like a duck?
A Glimpse of Nature - Flowers for Dinner
Yesterday, as I did a quick inspection of the library’s grounds, the movements of a gray squirrel drew my attention. The animal was at a distance, in a tree on the opposite bank of our neighbor’s pond.
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