Library Blog
Posted on Sun, January 29, 2023 - 07:00pm
Now that you’ve had some practice finding crustose, foliose, and fruticose lichens, it’s time to fine-tune your observations. Let’s begin with patterns. I urge you to spend some time during the next few weeks learning a few of the most frequently-seen lichen families and familiarizing yourself with…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Fri, January 20, 2023 - 07:00pm
What perfect timing! Snow and lichens are coordinated for maximum beauty and relevance to this blog.
Lichens on Beech, Morton Pond, Plymouth, January 16, 2023
Let this exquisite pattern prompt you to get outdoors and savor nature’s artistry. While you’re at it, take a few ice-and-snow photos…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, January 12, 2023 - 07:00pm
As several readers noted, last week’s “What Is It!” was a lichen, one of those extraordinary partnerships between a fungus and an alga. I am sure many of you have seen it on the library’s Main Street wall. Yes, that yellow “paint” is alive!
Lichen on Library Wall, January 2023
Most readers,…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, January 05, 2023 - 07:00pm
Have you seen the subject of this week’s “What Is It!” game? If you recognize this organism, submit your ID to A Glimpse of Nature. Where have you seen this species? Check back next week for an ID and overview of the topic.
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Soon…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, December 29, 2022 - 07:00pm
There was a time, not so very long ago, when gardening consumed most of my free time and creativity. This was especially true when I first moved to a tumbledown-but-promising homestead in Pembroke in 2010. I eagerly established shrub borders, a butterfly garden, walkways, a patio, vegetable beds,…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, December 26, 2022 - 07:00pm
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet one of AFL's Queset House Managers, California Muratore. Click here for California's stories.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, December 22, 2022 - 07:00pm
Calling all nature lovers with a camera. It’s time to share what you see and, perhaps, to challenge yourselves to notice more. You’re invited to participate in “Picturing Winter,” the Ames Free Library’s winter photography contest! Photos must relate to the theme of ice and snow.
Thin Ice…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, December 21, 2022 - 07:00pm
This Winter Break, put on your fuzzy socks, build a blanket fort, ask a grown-up to make you a cup of cocoa, and snuggle up with a seasonal read. All of these great books were featured during December's Chapter 1: Book Tasting program. If you missed the meeting, that's OK! Keep reading for some…
Category: Staff Picks, Kids
Posted on Thu, December 15, 2022 - 07:00pm
Snow fell last weekend – the first light storm of the season in Southeastern Massachusetts – and immediately thereafter, a small flock of dark-eyed juncos appeared in my backyard. I’m sure many of you are familiar with these gray and white “snow birds” who are winter visitors in our area.
…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, December 08, 2022 - 07:00pm
Last week’s “What Is It!” game featured two structures that facilitate reproduction for their creators. The animals who produced these “egg cartons” were, however, vastly different.
A Baltimore oriole wove the sack-like nest in the first image.
This beautiful species can be seen and heard at…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, December 01, 2022 - 07:00pm
The leaves have fallen; the views are great. Now’s the time when hidden treasures are revealed. Here are two specimens from the library’s property that were, until recently, concealed by all that foliage! I spotted them both on Monday. Your job is to identify them. Email your “What Is It!”…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Fri, November 25, 2022 - 07:00pm
One long-ago November, the library staff received a gift from two grateful patrons. This small, but sincere, token of appreciation grew in a four-inch pot. I put it on the windowsill for all to see and cared for it out of respect for the givers’ kindness. Soon it grew and grew, in size and beauty,…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, November 24, 2022 - 07:00pm
Celebrate your creativity & love of books! We invite patrons of all ages to make a literary ornament of a favorite book, holiday classic, or any other creative literary design. Use wood, paint, 3D printing, clay, paper, wood, fabric, beads, yarn, origami, or whatever your whimsy desires!
Come…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, November 21, 2022 - 07:00pm
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet AFL's Administrative Assistant, Michelle Duprey. Click here for Michelle's stories.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, November 17, 2022 - 07:00pm
Peak autumn color has passed, and leaves now carpet the ground. Why not take a closer look while they are still intact, before snow and microbes work their recycling magic? Now’s a great time to review leaf ID. Their colors may be subdued, but most species still retain their shape. Besides,…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Fri, November 11, 2022 - 07:00pm
Congratulations to Patricia and Debbie who correctly identified last week’s “What Is It!” as witch hazel (American or common witch hazel, depending on whom you ask).
The flowering branch in my image belongs to a large shrub with arching stems, one that can grow 20 feet or higher. While this…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, November 03, 2022 - 08:00pm
Your garden mums may be fading, but this local plant is in full bloom. If you recognize this week’s “What Is It!” email your answer to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org. Check back next week for the rest of the story.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, November 02, 2022 - 08:00pm
Congratulations to our pumpkin carving contest winner, Violet, who received a gift card to Hilliard's for her entry!
Violet submitted this intricately carved face entitled "Billy lost his head again." One thing we loved about this entry is that she scooped the pumpkin out from the bottom, leaving…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, October 27, 2022 - 08:00pm
Jack-o’-lanterns. Costumes. “Ghost Hunting At Queset House.” Halloween is upon us!
Oakes Ames Hall in Mist
Under the circumstances, it may be difficult to recall last April when the Ames Free…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, October 27, 2022 - 08:00pm
How do you feel about what you’re writing? Are you excited or nervous about getting started?
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
There’s an African proverb that asks, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, October 24, 2022 - 08:00pm
If you're planning to enter your pumpkin into our carving contest, tomorrow is the big day! You can drop it off at the Quest House on Wednesday, October 26, between 1:00 PM and 8:00 PM, or drop off on Thursday, October 27, between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Don't forget to bring your entry form!
Read…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, October 19, 2022 - 08:00pm
As experienced readers know, A Glimpse of Nature concentrates on the natural phenomena around the Ames Free Library or in nearby areas of Southeastern Massachusetts. On rare occasions, though, the author goes somewhere else. When I travel I bring my interests with me; so, not surprisingly, I do a…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, October 17, 2022 - 08:00pm
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet one of AFL's Circulation Technicians, Kim Davis. Click here for Kim's stories.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, October 16, 2022 - 08:00pm
Last time, I began by asking the question, “What should I write about?” This time I ask, “What is my process?” and by that I mean, “How can I set myself up for success and write a 50,000+ word novel in 30 days?” This begs the question, “What do I need to be ready on Day One?” I know, I know, I ask…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, October 13, 2022 - 08:00pm
Both species featured in last week’s “What Is It!” were observed in eastern Massachusetts during early autumn. The plant image, submitted by Karen, was photographed in the town of Harvard on September 29. Let’s look closely at her photo to gather the details that will identify it.
Entire Plant…
Category: Staff Picks