Science Saturday: Hares, Asters, and Bumblebees!

(A white aster with a bumblebee! :~D My lovely Mommy took this!)

A few interesting facts that may be slightly beneficial to your brain:

•  Hares and Rabbits are completely different animals. Hares tend to have big ears, big hind legs, and a a larger body. They are from the genus Lepus.
• One of the more-common Hares is the Snowshoe Hare. They grow extra fur on their feet to help support their weight when they are in deep snow.
• They enjoy eating grasses, green leaves, buds and twigs in the summer. In the winter they eat needles and twigs from conifers, bark, buds, and twigs from deciduous trees. For water they drink dew in the warm months, and snow in the cold months. 
• The name Aster comes from the Greek word for "star". Fall is a perfect time to see the "star flowers". 
• Asters are a perfect example of a composite flower. They have tiny individual flowers called florets. The ones in the middle of the flower are called disk florets. Surrounding the disk florets are small thin ray florets.
• Asters are perennials, so if you find them one year, they are most likely going to be there for the next several years.
• Bumblebees still can be around after a few frosts. Some of the females are still buzzing around looking for mates. After they mate they will bury themselves in the ground in an inactive state.
• If they survive the winter they will come back out in April or May. Honeybees prefer hives in trees and so forth, but Bumblebees tend to live in burrows in the ground.
• As the colony slowly gets bigger in the warmer months, the Queen is busy laying eggs. The older workers spend time foraging for food while the younger workers help in the nursery. Then the cycle continues.

Thoughtful Thursday: Stars

I am studying Astronomy, the first quarter of school. And every time I read, or watch something about stars and outer space, I am in awe.

Psalm 148:3-4

Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
 Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the skies.


Awe of what OUR God, the ONLY God can make.

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

Planets in our solar system, each created uniquely, from
Jupiter's size to
Saturn's rings to
Mars' red socks to
Mercury so close to the sun,
and the rest, including dwarf, are equally fascinating.

Psalm 136:7-9
Who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.


The sun, a ball of gas, God strategically placed in the sky so we could live here.
It is our light during the day. "The greater light to govern the day." (Genesis 1:16)


The moon, an amazing rock, that glows at night. To "govern the night." (Genesis 1:16)

Psalm 8:3
When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place.

Stars so bright, you can see them from where we are.  "He also made the stars." (Genesis 1:16)

Psalm 147:4-5
He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.

Galaxies, billions of miles away, but look through telescopes and see them like you can touch them.

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

Say thank you to God for his "Starry host" that he created!