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Buddy Review| The Exact Opposite of Okay – Laura Steven
Published on 31/03/2018 by thebookdutchesses
It's the last Saturday of the month, which means we have a buddy review for you all today! A lot of time we manage more than once a month, but we always have one at the end of the month. It's a lot of fun reading the same book and talking about it while reading. This month we read The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven.
The Exact Opposite of Okay was released on March 8th, 2018. Izzy O'Neill is an aspiring comic, an impoverished orphan, and a Slut Extraordinaire. Or at least, that's what the malicious website flying round the school says. Izzy can try all she wants to laugh it off – after all, her sex life, her terms – but when pictures emerge of her doing the dirty with a politician's son, her life suddenly becomes the centre of a national scandal. Izzy's never been ashamed of herself before, and she's not going to start now. But keeping her head up will take everything she has…
"Because the way the world treats teenage girls – as sluts, as objects, as bitches – is not okay. It's the exact opposite of okay."
Candyce: This has become one of my favorite covers. I love how the colors jump out at you. When you take a closer look there are so many details. Every time I look at it I see something new.
Isabelle: I really like this cover! The white background with all the fun colors on top are right up my alley. And there is so much to see on it! I love all the details and could keep staring at it for quite a while. I listened to the audiobook but am definitely contemplating getting this book with its beautiful cover.
Candyce: This was a book I have wanted to read for awhile. I am lucky enough to be on her Street Team and I have to start off by saying that she is an amazing person and so kind. This book comes with an important message, but brings it in such a wonderful way. Izzy writes a blog and this is basically how her story is told. Laura Steven has an amazing way with words. Izzy is funny. She knows how to tell jokes, but it may just be a way for her to cope with things in life, like losing her parents at such a young age. Her grandmother took over the parenting and they do the best they can. Everything seems okay until the pictures of Izzy having sex with a senator's son. It quickly becomes her fault, which is wrong in so many ways. Too often these days in society, the girls are blamed for stuff like this, they are acting out or misbehaving, while when a boy does it, it's simply 'boys will be boys'. Or her supposed best friend trying to guilt her into dating him, because he has always been there for her and has helped her out. There is a lot of betrayal in this book. The fact that the guys she slept with didn't get any bad attention for this just shows how wrong this world can be. I was literally upset for Izzy. I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must be to go through something like that. This book gives a great message though. It isn't okay for girls to be treated like that and they shouldn't feel bad for being who they are. I really think this should be required reading. I was done with this book before I knew it. The author took a subject that is very realistic and told an amazing story. I have no bad things to say about this book. This book made me laugh, cry, but I closed the book with a smile on my face.
Isabelle: I cannot tell you guys enough how much I loved this book. I flew through it, I just couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. The message in this book is so important and I wish girls in high school had this one their required reading list. Scratch that, not just girls, everyone needs to read this one, boys might even need to read this more than girls haha. Like Candyce said, the message in this book is brought in the most wonderful way, Izzy was such a funny character and the narrator has a lovely voice and really brought the story to life.
I cannot imagine how devastating it must be to have intimate pictures of yourself being shared with the world while you sent those in confidence. I think this book did a great job of taking us on Izzy's road of that devastation, embarrassment and of ultimately deciding who she wants to be. This road was so well written and you can really empathize with Izzy. I loved how sexting was a topic in this book but didn't shame teens for doing it. It tells us about the dangers but doen't say it's wrong anywhere. I also really enjoyed reading about the Friend Zone, it raised some questions I never thought about but made some really valid points. I think a lot of us have been in a similar situation and it's good to think about how we react to that and how that feels for the other person.
I don't want to say to much else about this as I would love for all of you to just go and read it and enjoy it for yourselves. I will say that even though this is a very serious topic, I was laughing out loud so much! I think it was like the first page that already made me laugh. It wasn't all LOL and happy tears though, I also chocked up a little at some point but I think that is just the sign of a great book 😉
"The Friend Zone An imaginary area filled with self-professed Nice Guys who've been sexually rejected by women they've been Nice to. See also: A convenient social construct designed to comfort men who cannot cope with rejection. See also: A manipulative tool used by Nice Guys to make a woman feel guilty for not wanting to have sex with them."
Candyce: Izzy starts off as a girl trying to find her own way. Yeah, she likes to sleep with boys, but she wants to and it's her choice (while I'm not encouraging sleeping with tons of people, it should be up to someone whether they want to or not). She still is trying to come to terms with losing her parents and figuring out what she wants in life, while keeping in mind she wants to take care of her grandmother who has been working way too much just to take care of her. She wants to write scripts and is really good at it. Even though she has had her doubts. I love Izzy's journey. She has to deal with a lot and turns out to be a stronger person than she was at the start of the book. Izzy realizes she has a right to be who she is and it's wrong for people to judge her the way they did. She is a good person and this isn't her fault.
Betty is an amazing grandmother. Still grieving the loss of her daughter, she does her best to take care of Izzy. She is getting older, but still works as much as she needs to to provide for Izzy. They have a great relationship and she stands with Izzy without a doubt when everything happens. She never once says she was wrong, but is there by her side and supports her. That is what family does.
Danny was a character I liked in the beginning and even felt bad for at a certain point. That all changed though. For me he turned out to be an arrogant kid who doesn't know how to treat friends right. He thinks he has right to things he has no say in. Yeah, he may have had his own problems, but that is not how you treat people.
Ajita is Izzy's biggest cheerleader and support when everything is happening. She may get frustrated, because Izzy doesn't always open up, but she wouldn't trade her for the world. Ajita is an amazing person also trying to find her way. Even when her secret comes out and in many ways it's Izzy's fault, she finds her way back. Definitely a true friend. But she definitely has a lot of things to deal with when it comes to her family and the many expectations they have.
There is also a love interest in this book, but with the message this book gives us, I want that to be the message, not the boy she ends up with. It just seems less important in a book like this. Even though Izzy does deserve her happily ever after.
Isabelle: I loved Izzy a lot, she was a great character to read about. As I said, she's really funny and she starts out pretty confident. She knows what she wants and likes and is not ashamed of it. However, in light of certain events she starts to doubt herself and the people around her. While I've never been in a situation like Izzy, I thought she was very relatable. After everything that has happened, Izzy turned out to be an even stronger person, more confident and more secure in how she wants to be. I would say she could be a role model for a lot of girls, even though she has slept with multiple boys, as I don't see why that should be a problem if you're not in a relationship and as long as you're being safe and don't let yourself be pressured into anything.
Betty was such a great parental figure, you could see where Izzy got her humor. Betty would do anything for Izzy and while they both don't have it easy, you could tell they loved one another a lot. I particularly loved the scene in the graveyard, there's always more to learn about a person and relationships keep evolving and growing.
Ajita is an amazing best friend, we could all use an Ajita! I liked that she also had her own story going on but was still so supportive off Izzy. I would have liked to read more about her and really hope we get to read her perspective in the sequel. Ajita was another fun character who had a lot to figure out, there wasn't too much development for her character but I do think her and Izzy's relationship grew stronger after everything.
Now Danny is a completely different story. While I didn't really care one way or another for him at the start of the story he quickly started to annoy me more and more. He thinks he's such a nice and great person but doesn't see that he's not always that nice and that just because he's nice and buys gifts that doesn't mean he has a right to become someone's boyfriend simply because he really likes that person. He needs to make some better decisions!
"Don't look at me like that. This is a book about a sex scandal: did you really expect me to be a nun and/or the Virgin Mary?"
This was such an amazing book and we are both looking forward to the sequel coming out next year! The Exact Opposite of Okay is an important book for all girls. The message this book wants to bring across is how this world is at times. Girls need to be aware of this and realize in a lot of cases it isn't their fault. Laura Steven is an amazing author and everyone really needs to read this book!! Have any of you read this yet? What did you think?
Categories Review•Tags Book Review, buddy read, Buddy Review, Contemporary, Feminism, Laura Steven, The Exact Opposite of Okay, Young Adult
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Bangalore has its hipster crowd, Mumbai its beaches and Marine Drive, Kolkata its old-world charm and trams but none of them have this one thing that Delhi does. A fantastically energetic and chic nightlife. The kind that inspires even the shyest and most couch-loving person to dress their slickest, hop from bar to bar, get drunk on the best beer brews and end the night busting some embarrassing, but fun moves on the dance floor.
But with so many great bars and lounges to choose from, the narrowing down process can be annoying. That's why we did the work for you – so you get more time to drink up. Presenting the 10 best bars and lounges in Delhi that you have to get sloshed in once to experience the "culture of Delhi".


Tim Meyer is a member of the Winter-Spring 2019 Adult Class. Tim is excited to return to his acting roots after a career as an Army Colonel and an IBM Executive. After acting and acting classes in high school and college he's ready to reengage with his first love: acting. He has recently taken an on-camera workshop and an acting class.


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Home/ Projects / Miscellaneous/ How to build a solar powered generator
How to build a solar powered generator
09 June 2015 Miscellaneous Comments
jomon george
ernakulam,Kerala
High rated projects
The energy that is produced from sun is known as solar energy. The Sun's energy comes from nuclear fusion reaction that takes place deep in the sun, where hydrogen nucleus fuses into helium nucleus. When such a reaction takes place then tremendous amount of energy is produced this is escaped into the space. Sun is the primary source of Energy. The earth receives 16 x 1018 units of energy from the sun annually, which is 20,000 times the requirement of mankind on the Earth. Some of the Solar Energy causes evaporation of water, leading to rains and creation of rivers etc. Some of it is utilized in photosynthesis which is essential for sustenance of life on earth. Man has tried from time immemorial to harness this infinite source of energy. But has been able to tap only a negligibly fraction of this energy till today. The broad categories of possible large scale applications of solar power are the heating and cooling of residential and commercial buildings.
The chemical and Biological conversion of organic material to liquid solid and gaseous fuels.
Conversion of solar energy to Electricity.
In this project we use the solar energy for the generation of electrical energy, by using solar cells. The solar cell receives the solar energy. The solar cells operate on the principle of photovoltaic effect, by using solar cells. Basically the cells are placed in an open and fixed manner.
Design and Fabrication
The design and fabrication of a typical solar powered fan can be explained with the help of a block diagram. The block diagram describes a simple solar powered fan with a manual. Let us study the block diagram in detail by classifying it into three sections.
Input Section
The input section includes photovoltaic arrays consisting of solar cells. The solar cells are connected in parallel to get the maximum current.
The characteristics of the solar cell array are as below:
Type of semi-conductor used for cell: silicon
Number of arrays: 2
Power: 36 watt x 2 = 72 watt
Open circuit voltage: 21v
Short circuit current: 3.6 ampere
Storage Section
The storage section includes a battery. The characteristics of the battery are as below:
Type: Lead acid tubular battery
Ampere hour efficiency: 90 to 95%
Watt hour efficiency: 70 to 80%
Capacity: 40 AH, 12V.
The characteristics of controller are as below:
Low voltage cut off
Over charge disconnect
Operating current: 10 ampere
Output Section
Output system includes various devices and equipment's used for the distribution of the power.
Manual ON/OFF
Type: 2 core with sleeve
Quantity: 10 meters
High copper rich 10amp wire for minimum power loss.
Inverters play an important undertaking in any solar 1 energy system and are often thought out as to be the brains of a part out, whether it's a 2-kw of private houses system or a 5-mw use power plant. An inverters Basic purpose, use is to put in opposite order the straight to current (DC) output into alternating current (Ac). Ac is the quality example used by all business, trading instruments, which is why many view inverters as the way in between the photovoltaic (PV) system and the energy off-taker.
Inverter technologies have increased importantly, such that in addition to making one of religion DC to Ac, they give a number of other powers and services to make certain that the inverter can-do medical operation at a best selection operation level, such as facts looking at, increased of value controls, applications and system design engineering. Inverter manufacturers also make ready post-installation services that are integral to supporting energy producing and a high level of doing a play for the part out, including suggestion-to-stop support, O&M services and a quick middle, half way between time to put right (MTTR).
Components and their functions
The various components of a typical photovoltaic power generation system are
Solar photovoltaic array
Battery Bank
The solar photovoltaic array consists of an appropriate number of solar cells connected in series and or parallel to provide the required current and voltage. The array is so oriented as to collect the maximum solar radiation throughout the year.
There may be tracking arrays or modules or fixed arrays. A tracking array is defined as one which is always kept mechanically perpendicular to the sun array line so that all times it intercepts the maximum isolation. Such arrays must be physically movable by a suitable prime mover and are generally considerably more complex than fixed arrays. A fixed array is usually oriented east west and tilted up at an angle approximately equal to the latitude of the site. Thus the array design falls into two broad classes:
Flat Plate Arrays
The arrays are placed by using by suitable adhesive
This technology springs from the space associated photovoltaic technology and many such arrays have been built in different power sizes.
Concentrating Arrays
Where in suitable optics, e.g. Fresnel lenses, parabolic mirrors are combined with photovoltaic cells in an array fashion. This technology is relatively new to photovoltaic in terms of hardware development and comparatively fewer such arrays have actually been built.
In most alone PV power systems, storage batteries with charge regulators have to be incorporated to provide a back-up power source during periods of low solar irradiance and night. Several types of accumulator are available in the market for use in PV power systems. The main requirements to be met by an accumulator for solar power system are,
Ability to withstand several charge/discharge cycle.
A low self-discharge rate
Little or no need for support
The amount of room of an apparatus for producing electric current is the Total amount of electrics that can be outlined from a fully requested apparatus for producing electric current at a fixed send out rate and electrolyte temperature until the electric force falls to a detailed least possible or recorded. It is expressed in unit of measure of electric current hour. The amount of room of the apparatus for producing electric current also depends upon the temperature and existence-stage of apparatus for producing electric current.
The electric units in most PV systems are of lead acid letters used for printing made up of one or more 2v small rooms. Each small room has a positive plate of lead peroxide and a not plate of sponge lead. The electrolyte is dilute sulphuric acid. During firing, letting off when current is outlined from it, the material of both plates changes to lead sulphate and water What is in the electrolyte increases thereby making feeble, poor its special weight.
When the apparatus for producing electric current is requested by going past, through electric current through it in the opposite direction, the opposite chemical reaction takes place. The small room measured in volts are representatively 2.4v and 1.9v for fully requested and deeply sent out apparatus for producing electric current separately. Lead acid electric units self-discharge slowly when not in use.
3.3 Charge Controller
Overcharging of some electric units results in loss of electrolytic, slow destruction (by acid), plate growth and loss of action-bound material from the plates, causing copies of smaller size in apparatus for producing electric current existence. In addition, the redone unsuccessful person to get stretched full go forward also leads to stratification of electrolyte. In this way, there is a need of go forward controllers to optimize the apparatus for producing electric current existence.
Most go forward controllers start the charging process with a high current and get changed to other form it to a very low level when a certain apparatus for producing electric current electric force is got to. A by numbers, electronic based go forward regulator computer looking-glass the apparatus for producing electric current, and electric force works out the level of go forward and keeps control the input and output currents so in connection with keep from both overcharging and more than enough substance let go.
For continuous operation, we use solar cells for charging DC LAMP.
Connect the inverter to the battery with the wires.
Connect the negative wire to the negative pole of the battery first, then positive
Connect the charge controller to the battery and the solar panel.
Make sure you connect the wire to the negative pole of the battery first, then the positive.
Fix the panel outside to charge in the sunlight.
Position it so it will be exposed to the maximum amount of sunlight.
When charged above 50% capacity, connect your appliances to the inverter.
Direct room temperature conversion of light to electricity through a simple solid state device.
Due to the absence of moving parts noiseless operation of power generation.
Pollution free atmospheric condition due to the absence of smokes and fumes.
They have a long effective life.
They are highly reliable
They are working with freely available solar energy, hence fuel cost is zero.
Operating cost, maintenance costs are minimum as compared to the other type of power generation systems.
They have wide power handling capability from Microwatts to Kilowatts or even Megawatts. When modules are combined into large arrays. Solar cells can be used in combination with power handling circuitry to feed power into utility grid.
Solar energy can only be harnessed when it is daytime and sunny.
Solar collectors, panels and cells are relatively expensive to manufacture although prices are falling rapidly.
Large areas of land are required to capture the suns energy. Collectors are usually arranged together especially when electricity is to be produced and used in the same location.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Special offer: 3 issues for £3
Premier League latest
Jimmy Greaves remembered as funny and generous family man at funeral
By PA Staff published 22 October 21
(Image credit: Nick Potts)
Family, friends and former team-mates paid a fond farewell to football great Jimmy Greaves at his funeral today.
Greaves, who died last month aged 81, was celebrated in an intimate, modest, affectionate and amusing service – in keeping with a man deeply cherished as a footballer, broadcaster, comedian, journalist and raconteur.
Widow Irene, who married Jimmy when the couple were teenagers in 1958, and their four children – daughters Lynn and Mitzi and sons Danny and Andy – were among the mourners at Chelmsford Crematorium in Essex, along with most of his 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Jimmy Greaves was remembered on Friday (Nick Potts/PA)
Another son, Jimmy junior, died before his first birthday in 1960.
Former team-mates including Harry Redknapp, Pat Jennings, Cliff Jones and Steve Perryman, attended along with Tottenham greats such as Ossie Ardiles, Clive Allen, Micky Hazard and Graham Roberts.
Spurs, whose all-time goalscoring record of 268 is held by Greaves, sent a floral club crest with the words: "We have lost a dear member of our Spurs family. The greatest goalscorer the world has ever seen. Always in our thoughts. With love from everybody at Tottenham Hotspur."
Greaves remains the greatest goalscorer in English top-flight history, with 357 goals – despite retiring from the professional game at the age of 31 – and was the leading scorer in the old First Division in six different seasons.
Greaves scored 44 times in 57 internationals but missed the 1966 World Cup Final, after suffering a gashed shin against France in the group stage and losing his place to Geoff Hurst.
In nine years at Tottenham between 1961 and 1970, Greaves won two FA Cups and a European Cup-Winners' Cup, part of the first British team to lift a European trophy.
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp (centre) with former Tottenham players Graham Roberts (second left) and Ossie Ardiles (right) (Nick Potts/PA)
He had scored 132 goals in 169 games as a prodigious youngster at Chelsea before a brief, unhappy spell at AC Milan.
Yet, while Greaves was described as "Messi with bells on" by Nigel Catchpole, who conducted the service, few of those footballing statistics were mentioned at a funeral attended by around 200 family and friends.
Eulogies from Greaves' youngest son Andy, as well as his friends, Brian Doherty and the journalist Norman Giller, concentrated largely on his qualities as a family man and a warm, funny and generous friend.
For a quarter of a century, Greaves became a much-loved broadcaster on ITV – most notably teaming up with former Liverpool striker Ian St John in Saturday lunchtime football show Saint and Greavsie – and also a regular on breakfast show TV:AM.
His former boss, and ITV presenter, Gary Newbon was also among the mourners.
And Giller, who co-wrote books with Greaves, spoke of how his friend had been more proud of his career as a broadcaster – a profession in which he 'had to start from scratch' rather than his time as a footballer, where his talents came so naturally.
Greaves' funeral was filled with love and humour (Nick Potts/PA)
Greaves, who died on September 19, suffered a severe stroke in 2015 which seriously impaired his speech and movement.
And Greaves, who was a recovered alcoholic who had been teetotal since 1978, had insisted that his funeral service ended with the Lonnie Donegan song 'Have A Drink On Me' – an offer which would be warmly accepted by most of the guests at his wake.
Son Andy recalled: "We would have golfing weekends, where Dad would regularly win the trophy – much to Mum's horror, as she hated that trophy – and he would always be the first at the bar to buy a round of several beers and one Coca-Cola for himself."
Press Association
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Some people find conflict entertaining. (Remember the kids yelling "Fight! Fight!" in the schoolyard?) Me, I find it exhausting. I also find it everywhere, and it really gets old.
It also gets inevitable. There's no ducking conflict. The trick is to accept it and deal with it without obsessing over it. As always, there are some good things to be found in the Word about this.
Joshua's all about conflict. (The book, not the man, although the word applies well to both) It's an exciting and sobering look at Israel's possession of Canaan and the variety of battles involved in that conquest.
I'm especially taken with its examples of warfare principles, principles I can apply while fighting my own battles and hopefully moving on, taking ground, conquering. If you haven't yet gone through the book, let me strongly recommend it. It's an exhilarating read, and it puts to subject of conflict into a new, positive light.
It's also a reminder of how hard things can get. Moses had died, commissioning Joshua to lead the Hebrews through their transition from the desert into the promise, but the move wouldn't be made without war. Canaan was a land to be fought for, not just comfortably relocated to, so while life was going to be immeasurably better for the Israelites, it would also become a series of battles.
So what's new? Granted, most of us will never know military combat first hand, but conflict is, it seems, our daily bread.
So Israel began a new life, baptized when crossing the Jordan river, and entering a new level of consecration when entering Canaan. God directed them to take the land, which really means take over the land, driving the inhabitants out. The inhabitants, understandably, don't want to give up their territory.
And so it begins, one fight after another. At some point, for Joshua and the people, it must have gotten old.
It sure does for me. I love the "from death to life" transition, but the battles, while sometimes exciting, are also a daily drain.
I'm in conflict with a world that advertises and recommends the very things I'm striving to keep myself from. I'm also in conflict with my own desires that are routinely in conflict with what matters most to me. Not to mention a devil who hates me primarily because of Who I belong to, and who never stops trying to find new ways to trip me up.
Even the earth knows something's wrong. Remember when God told Adam and Eve what life would be like once they'd sinned? In essence, in Genesis 3:17-19 He announced that they'd experience all sort of struggles He never meant them to have.
They'd be in conflict with their own bodies, which would decay. They'd be in conflict with each other. They'd be in conflict with the environment. There'd be ongoing struggle at all levels, struggles that would become part and parcel of life in this fallen realm.
The struggle I'm sick of is a reminder that I'm a pilgrim in this place, working through the conflicts He commissions me to fight, while waiting for the day when once and for all the land, and me, will finally have rest.
John Lennon famously wrote that we should imagine such a day, but I've got a better idea. I'll wait for it, because it's already been promised, not just imagined. It will be no product of lyrics and ideals, but the end result of my loving Father's plan.


These case studies give examples of good practice from industry. They show how companies have tried to reduce injuries due to falls from vehicles through sensible management of health and safety risks in the workplace. Even if they don't show the type of vehicle you use, the good ideas others have found may be adapted to your situation.


Have you heard of Mason Bees? I hadn't until a few years ago. They are amazing, pollen passing, little critters who, not only help pollinate plants and trees, but also are a great tool for learning about life cycles and earth-friendly behaviors. Because they are very docile, you don't need to worry about being stung.
Osmia Lignaria, referred to as the orchard mason bee or blue orchard bee, is the most common species found in the Pacific Northwest.
So, after seeing a variety of bee houses on the market and doing a little research, I decided I'd like to 'raise' some bees of our own, but I wanted my children to be engaged in the process. I learned that you can create nesting trays and cover them with plexiglass. Luckily, my husband has a router and some awesome skills. With a little poplar and plexiglass, we made our own nesting homes so our children could watch all of the action.
Mason bees are solitary. They don't have to protect a hive. The females find a suitable location to lay their eggs. In nature, they usually choose a hole in a tree made by a beetle. The hole has to be just the right size for her to begin crafting a mud 'nest' for each individual egg. That's why they are called 'mason' bees. Females build a little chamber in the hole. She then starts collecting pollen and nectar. She will make a nectar pile for her egg to eat while it is growing. Once she has deposited the pile, she lays one egg and then uses mud to close the chamber. After that, she does it all over again for the next egg. As you can see in the photos, the female can fill a whole channel full of egg chambers. None of our bees seemed bother by our homemade nests. In fact, I purchased just ten bees last year. We made two trays with with a total of 12 channels. From those two trays, we harvested over 160 cocoons! So, I think they liked their temporary homes.
Below you can see a momma bee coming out of her channel. She is covered with pollen. In the second picture, you see a tray with several mud chambers on one end and the bees moving in or out of the tray. They are very busy bees!
In fact, one mason bee can pollinate as many plants as 100 honey bees!
After we made the trays and had lots of bee activity, I wanted incorporate a literacy/science learning experience for my kids. When looking for books online and at the library, honey bees are the most common resources you'll find. Luckily, I found one fantastic picture book about mason bees written by Dawn Pape. It was the perfect addition to our studies. The other books we found also helped our understanding of how pollination works.
In addition to reading about these amazing insects, I wanted my children to begin noting their observations about the bees. We looked at what the bees do and how they do it. They wrote about and drew pictures of the changes they noticed in the eggs. The cool part of having the nesting trays with plexiglass is that you can watch the egg develop into a larva and pupa! My kids got to see the whole life cycle. We also learned the body parts.
Can you see the tiny egg laying on top of the yellow pollen pile?
As part of this process, we also discussed where the bees were getting their nectar. We have a fairly small yard, but do have a few fruit trees and other edible plants. Our honey-crisp apple tree isreally benefiting from our hard working bees.
Would you like to help your children or students learn about the mason bee life cycle, habitat, and environmental benefits? Download these FREE printables.
Look who's talking! Tips on helping build your child's oral language skills.


NEW DELHI: Kargil, in the cold desert of the Ladakh region, shivered at -20 degrees Celsius, making it one of the coldest places in northern India, as dense fog in Delhi delayed nearly 200 flights and forced cancellation of another 11.
Elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, the minimum temperature remained several degrees below the freezing point. A MeT department official in Srinagar said light rain or snow at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir over the next 48 hours may add to the discomfort of the residents.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar was -3.9C.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan - a 40-day harshest period of winter when snowfall is frequent and the temperature drops considerably. It ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in the Valley.
In Delhi, which experienced the coldest night of the season at 5C, dense fog curtailed visibility to less than 50 metres early morning today.
At least 92 trains were running late, 44 were rescheduled and 19 cancelled in New Delhi, a railways official said.
Flights moving in and out of the Indira Gandhi International Airport were badly hit. At least 198 flights were delayed and 11 cancelled, the airport officials said.
Himachal Pradesh shivered under biting cold wave as the mercury hovered around the freezing point at several places.
Bhuntar, Solan and Una experienced the coldest night of the season with mercury dropping to 0.4C, 0.5C and 1.4C respectively.
Water pipes froze and burst at many places, while ground frost occurred in other areas, affecting vehicular traffic.
High-altitude tribal areas and mountain passes groaned under arctic-like conditions, with the mercury staying up to 21 degrees below the freezing point. Keylong, Kalpa and Manali recorded a low of -9.4C, -3.4C and -2.2C respectively.
In Haryana, the state government today directed the deputy commissioners to ensure that no person sleeps in the open. The temperature in Narnaul in Haryana and Bathinda in Punjab settled at 1.5C and 2.8C.
A thick fog enveloped Chandigarh, where residents preferred to remain indoors as the temperature dropped to 5.2C.
Officials said fog delayed a number of trains passing through Punjab and Haryana. Flight operations were also hit.
In Uttar Pradesh, several parts recording a fall in the day temperatures. Muzaffarnagar recorded the lowest temperature at 3.4C, a MeT department official said in Lucknow. Dense to very dense fog occurred at isolated places in the northern state, he said.
Cold wave conditions prevailed at most places in Rajasthan as the northerly winds swept the state. Mount Abu, the only hill station in the desert state, was recorded the coldest last night where mercury touched the freezing point.
In plains, Alwar was recorded the coldest at 0.4C.