Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll

I want to share this song from Island of Life. I should note that this is posted on a day when there is absolutely no sign of any chlorophyll. This song was written and played by Stephen Koritta. Steve put together the video. Steve is a talented musician, performer, and songwriter.

Here is a link to Steve's YouTube channel.

Chlorophyll


I live on a cul-de-sac
I've got a cactus on the windowsill
Neighbor lady is crazy with chlorophyll

I take a bumpy ride to the countryside
For the weekend just for a thrill
Take in the greenery of the scenery
And every leaf I see has chlorophyll

As the rain fell and the storm passed
As we carried on about our business
Every plant cell in the wet grass
Was in the process of photosynthesis

Every dandelion and every white pine
The ancient redwoods upon the hill
They get their energy from the sunshine
And a substance called chlorophyll

Bullfrog

Bullfrog

Bullfrog bullfrog bullfrog bullfrog
Hiding down in the weeds
Croaking by the marshy reeds
Searching for his love
Bullfrog bullfrog bullfrog bullfrog
Hunkered down in the mud
He starts his call when the trees bud
Bluegills swim below
Bullfrog
Rana catesbiena Rana catesbiena
He starts his life as an egg
Hatches in about 5 days
Now he is a tadpole
Bullfrog bullfrog bullfrog bullfrog
He catches bugs with his tongue
Calling out jug-o-rum
Jumping all around
Bullfrog
Rana catesbiena Rana catesbiena

Bullfrog Lesson

The scientific name for the bullfrog is Rana Catesbieana. There is no simple translation for the word Rana but it comes from a Roman word that means "true frogs." The word Cat – is – bee –yah –na comes from the name of a scientist named Mark Catesby. Do you remember how Carl Linne changed his name to Carolus Linneaus? Well the scientists did the same thing to Mr. Catesby’s name.Now on to the important business of describing the bullfrogs. Bullfrogs are the largest frogs in North America. Female bullfrogs lay thousands and thousands of eggs which are then fertilized by the male. Soon these eggs grow into tadpoles which look like fish. Bullfrogs live as tadpoles for up to 3 years! During this time the tadpole grows legs and one day crawls onto the land to begin life as a genuine bullfrogs.

A male bullfrogs picks his territory and defends it from other males. The male bullfrog will fight another bullfrog if he invades his territory. The bullfrog grabs his opponent with his front legs. When the bullfrog has his opponent secure he flips him over with his powerful hind legs. Luckily, male bullfrogs do not always have to fight other males because each frog can hear the mighty roar of the bullfrog mating call. This loud "jug-o-rum" sound lets other bullfrogs know the territory of an individual frog. The only frog allowed in the territory is the female for whom the male bullfrog serenades with his throaty song.

Humans not only enjoy the sound of the bullfrog but also their mighty legs which can be deep fried in batter and eaten like a chicken leg. This tasty treat even tastes like chicken!!

Unfortunately, the bullfrog has been introduced into the Western United States where it has pushed out some of the natural living things in those areas. The cowboys may start lassoing bullfrogs instead of longhorns.

Back Again

I just realized that it has actually been a year since I stated that I was going to balance my digital reality with my non digital reality. I guess I fell off the wagon. I am once again vowing to develop a routine that will allow me to enjoy both realities. Thus, I have decided to add my hobbies into my professional persona as an alternative school teacher. After all these are the pursuits that make me who I am.
My favorite hobby by far is songwriting. In the last 10 years I have dabbled with writing children's educational songs. One of  the divisions that I thought existed between the children's educational music that I was creating and my job as a teacher was the fact that I worked with high school age students who work individually on a computer based curriculum. However, as I started to create a music appreciation class for my school I realized that the art of writing songs can be introduced to the class that I was creating.
It turns out I found some great ideas about music appreciation class on a blog. The writer of this blog was attending the University of Illinois pursuing a master's of music degree. The drummer of my second hobby, playing in a rock band, is also attending U of I pursuing a doctorate in music. It turns out they know each other.
The digital world merged with my non digital world. So there it is.
I am hoping to use the digital medium to create music and write without worrying about perfection and or making some sort of profit. I learned that as a teacher I should be sharing my ideas so that we can all learn together which inevitably will make us better people. I hope it is enjoyed by someone.