We have entered the micro-season of “Leaf Insects Turn into Butterflies”. This is the last micro-season of the mini season of Awakening of Insects. During this season, we investigate the life cycle of the cabbage white butterfly and the wintering strategies of butterflies.
Mini Season: Awakening of Insects
We have entered the mini Season of Awakening of Insects. This season is all about animals emerging from hibernation. As a way to honor this season, we will investigate the calls of the spring peeper and wood frog. We will also read some spring haiku by Issa, Buson, and Sookan.
Micro-Season: “Plants Show Their First Buds”
It is the micro-season of “Plants Show Their First Buds''. This is the last micro-season of the mini season of Rain Water. To honor this season we are looking at maple syrup and reading "Evening in the Sugar Orchard" by Robert Frost.
Micro-Season: “The Earth Becomes Damp”
We have entered the micro-season of “The Earth Becomes Damp''. This is the first micro-season of the mini season of Rain Water. To honor this season we investigate ice jams and read poems by Marks, Buson, Basho, and Issa.
Micro-season: “Fish Rise From the Ice”
We have entered the micro-season of “Fish Rise From the Ice''. We are honoring this time of year by looking at the tradition of ice fishing and reading “The Fish” by William Butler Yeats.
Mini season: First Spring
We have entered the mini season of First Spring and The Year of the Tiger. We are honoring this time of year by reviewing the Lunisolar calendar and reading “Tyger” by William Blake.
Micro-Season: “The Chicken Lays Her First Eggs”
We are at the end of the micro-season, “The Chicken Lays Her First Eggs”. Although, Chickens may not be laying very many eggs in New England right now, we do have traditions like Groundhog's Day and poetry by Hickler, Issa, and Kerouac to remind us that spring is coming.
Micro-season: “The Mountain Stream Freezes Over”
We are at the end of the micro-season, “The Mountain Stream Freezes Over”. This micro-season is the second part of the mini season Major Cold. We celebrate this season with poetry and an investigation into the importance of the earth’s fresh water system.
Mini Season: Major Cold
Issa’s haiku “my proxy bathes/in the cold water.../sparrow” is the perfect way to start our exploration into the mini season of Major Cold. This is the last mini season of the 72 Season calendar and the time where athletes begin to engage in Kangeiko.
Micro-Season: “The Spring Water Holds its Warmth”
We have entered the micro-season of “The Spring Water Holds Warmth”, which is the second part of the mini season of Minor Cold. When thinking about this season, I think about ice. Specifically, I think about the factors that contribute to its formation and the haiku written about it.
Micro-Season: “The Water Dropwort Flourishes”
We have entered the micro-season of “The Water Dropwort Flourishes”, which is part of the mini season of Minor Cold. The water dropwort, also known as Japanese parsley or Seri, is one of the key ingredients in seven-herb rice porridge that is eaten during the Festival of Seven Herbs.
The Micro-Season of “The Elk Sheds its Horns(Antlers)”
We have entered the micro-season of “The Elk Sheds its Horns”. Elk actually have antlers, not horns. So we should be referring to this micro-season as "Elk Shed its Antlers". Our exploration into this season will look at the elk, the antlers, and a few haiku.