Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category

Yosemite!

Posted: February 22, 2018 in gardening, holidays, nature, personal, science
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We just got back from Yosemite National Park! It’s only about 4 hours away from San Francisco and was totally amazing! We were hoping to see Firefall but there wasn’t enough precipitation this year. We did get to see Half Dome turn scarlet at sunset, though! We also encountered a really cute California ground squirrel — and later found out some of the squirrels in the park are vectors for the plague.

If you zoom in closely at the photo of El Capitan, you can see the rock climbing making their descent. A man named Alex Honnold climbed to the top of this granite monolith without and rope in 2017. Here is an article about it!

We saw lots of bark beetle damage on the trees in the park. The little beetles look like mouse droppings. They lay their eggs inside the tree’s soft phloem and then infect the tree with a blue fungus after they’re done. The fungus turns the tree into food for the beetle larvae and also kills the tree. Some scientists think the drought and shorter winters caused by climate change are helping the beetles and the fungus they leave behind damage more trees than ever before.

Groundhog Day 2015

Posted: February 1, 2015 in history, holidays, nature
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Groundhog Day is a day celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks. (via Wikipedia)

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted: September 14, 2014 in history, holidays, social studies
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From mid-September through mid-October, America recognizes the contributions, culture, and heritage of Hispanic Americans. Today, let’s take a look at Dr. Ellen Ochoa.

Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a four-time astronaut and the first Latina to go to space, became the first Hispanic and second female director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

“It’s really quite an honor,” says Ochoa who spent five years as the deputy director. “I learned about being a senior leader and how the center operates, and I’ve had the opportunity to train for this role…There’s a wonderful history here, and I’m really excited about what we’re doing, and it’s an honor to lead them and represent them.”

For more information about National Hispanic Heritage Month, click HERE.

Puga, K. (2013). From first Latina in space, to head of the Johnson Space Center. Retrieved September 14, 2014.