Sea Cows!

I have always loved Manatee's.  I am not sure what the draw is.  Perhaps it is their gently nature.  Perhaps it is that they look so "cuddly", at least for a life form that lives in the water.  Manatees are often referred to as Sea Cows.  They are truly a gentle species that, for the most part, enjoy a fairly laid back life.  They tend to live along coastal areas and in rivers in warmer areas.  In Florida, I have had a chance to see these creatures in their natural habitat. There is something amazing about watching animals in their natural setting, uncaged.

I have also taken my daughter to see the Manatee Exhibit at SeaWorld.  Like me, she could spend a lot of time just watching them swim and eat.  It is especially fun to watch the babies interact with their momma's.  If you are in Central Florida though and would like to see them in a more natural setting the rivers are a great place to start.  During the cooler months, they flock to the St John's River and one of their favorite "hang outs" is Blue Springs State Park.  In warmer months, they tend to be found along the coast, in rivers, and often in boat docking areas.  These wonderful sea cows love to spend their days sleeping, swimming, and eating.

The Manatees are on the Endangered Species list.  Part of this is due to their gentle nature and slower speeds of swimming.  Manatees are somewhat curious and love to get close to boats and docks.  They are strong swimmers, but tend to take life slowly.  Often you will see Manatees with scars on their backs and chunks missing from their "tail".  This is typically due to the fact that they move slowly and often get too close to boats.

If you ever have a chance to see these wonderful animals, I highly recommend it.  They are just so darn cute and lovable!

Tiered Planter

I am slowly revamping much of our landscaping and I am always looking for cute ways to container garden.  I don't remember where I found this idea, but I loved it and thus I promptly added one in our backyard.  These are simple to put together.  Insanely simple and inexpensive too!

Stuff you will need:
*1 Piece of rebar - mine was 5' long and I purchased it at a local home builders store.
*1-2 bags of potting soil, dependent upon the size of  planting containers you use.
*4 Terra cotta pots of varying size
*4 plants.  I like the plants that tend to spread out a bit, like a vine so they can cascade down the planter.
*Starter fertilizer for plants.
*Water(of course)
*Hammer
*Garden hand shovel

Putting it together:  Start by pounding the rebar into the ground where you intend to place the planter.  You will want to be sure that about 1/3 of the length of rebar is in the ground for stability.  Now, slide the largest Terra cotta pot over the rebar by inserting the rebar through the hole in the bottom of the pot.  Fill the bottom pot 2/3 full with soil.  Place the next largest pot over the bar and lay into the foil of the bottom pot at an angle.  The rebar will come through the bottom hole and when you angle the pot it will rest against the side of the top of the next pot.  Now fill this pot 2/3 with soil.  Repeat this process with the last two pots.  Once all of the pots are assembled and filled with soil, create a small "hole" for your plants and put a little starter fertilizer in the bottom.  Next place your chosen plants in each pot and water!  Done!  Like I said - very simple and cute!

Orange Bird Feeders

I'm always on the look out for great, simple, fun, earth friendly crafting ideas and activities that I can do with the kids.  These orange bird feeders I chanced upon and had to try them.  The are easy to make and it is fun to see what birds come to visit them.  We had Cardinals, Blue Jays, and a few others I wasn't sure of what they were.  Our daughter loved watching the birdies eat from the feeders she had helped to make!

You'll need two oranges, some wooden skewers, bird feed, and yarn or twine.  First, cut open the orange about 1/3 away from the top.  Remove the insides of the orange and enjoy(great and healthy snack)!  Be sure that you clear out all the inside of the orange down to the inner rind.  Next, gently push a wooden skewer through the orange and then insert the other to make an "X" inside the orange.  The skewers serve as 1)a place to tie the feeders up with and 2)a perch for the birds.  The next step is to cut two lengths of yarn or twine that are the same length.  I made them about 2 1/2 feet each.  You will tie each end of the string/twine to one end of each skewer and then push it to where the skewer meets the outside of the orange(as seen in photos).  Now fill up the feeders with some bird feed.  Finally hang them up and wait a while to see what feathered friends stop by for a treat!  We decided to hang ours on a trellis in the backyard and we were very pleased with all the visitors it attracted.  Enjoy!