Chasing Auroras

I’m well-known for my love of chasing rainbows, but it’s possible I love chasing the Northern Lights even more!

Last week, for the second time in just over a year, we actually got to see the Aurora Borealis in the St. Louis area. Yes, the phone enhances the colors in the photos, but we were able to identify both the green and red shades with the naked eye, too. The first time I checked was around 7:45 p.m. last Tuesday, and the light was quite faint…I was kind of convinced that this was all we were going to see:

But we went back out around 8:35, and it was definitely more pronounced (plus we got to hear our neighborhood owl up close!). It was beautiful, and as it faded before our eyes, I was pretty content with what we had seen:

But I looked out the window around 10:45, and the show had grown even more spectacular, so of course I had to run back outside…it was dazzling!

I can’t believe we’ve been fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights this far south on not one, but two occasions now…it’s such a gift!

2024-25 School Year–Week Eight

Ladybug identified equivocation and loaded questions in logic. She finished The Merchant of Venice. In psychology she finished the unit on the senses. She completed the March trilogy and began reading A People’s History of the United States. She also started Paradise Lost. We also took a nighttime walk last night to see if we could get a glimpse of the Northern Lights so Ladybug could photograph them, and we were actually able to spot them (even somewhat with the naked eye)! These are my photos taken with my iPhone, not the pictures Ladybug took with the Canon Rebel, but I think hers came out even better!

Chickadee continued reviewing fraction math, including improper fractions, mixed numbers, and dividing by fractions, in pre-algebra. She learned about the six classical simple machines in science. We continued reading Tom Sawyer. In writing, she worked on brainstorming for several different kinds of topics including history and science. Speaking of history, she read about Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate in England, and also about the Black Plague and the Great Fire of London. In religion we discussed Athanasius of Alexandria and the Great Cappadocian Fathers.

We continued reading The Wizard of Oz…we especially like the maps that are included in the book, because they really help us understand where everything is taking place. We also continued making recipes from The Wizard of Oz: The Official Cookbook. We baked “Wicked Black Bread,” which was a pretty unusual recipe for us with additions of baking cocoa, espresso powder, and apple cider vinegar to the dough, but it was really good! We also tried “Ruby-Red Punch” with flavors of grapefruit and hibiscus, and “Badwitches,” which used the black bread we made, topped with blackberry jam, chocolate chips, brie, and basil. They sound a little strange, but they were very good!

We’re hoping to visit the sculpture park next week, and Ladybug is planning on taking more cool photos!

The Northern Lights

“Ah- Aurora Borealis!? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen!? Yes. May I see it? No.” “22 Short Films About Springfield,” The Simpsons

The “in this part of the country” certainly rings true, but I finally saw the Northern Lights in suburban St. Louis! Yes, the picture is terrible, and yes, it was only faintly visible to the naked eye, but my camera helped me find them, and now I can say I’ve seen the Northern Lights down here!