We are already halfway through spring! There are so many colorful flowers in bloom. In fact, there are so many flowers in bloom that this spring was officially announced to be a Super Bloom, the first Super Bloom since 2019. So many flowers! It is starting to feel a little bit like summer already! Before we fully get into summer though, it is predicted that we are still going to get a few more “spring showers” in the near future. All the better for the flowers! Speaking of flowers…
Two months ago we gave you a spring themed art challenge! The challenge was to draw, paint, sketch, etc. a flower of your choosing. We received (3) submissions! (Also a few from our staff). Here they are:
Jordan Olson, age 6
Won the title: The Happiest
Won the title: Most Creative
Maria K., age 10
Won the title: Most Colorful
Thank you all for sharing such wonderful artwork with us! We really appreciate you and your talent.
Here is some art made by a few people on our staff:
by Olive Pea
by Liam Pea
by Meru S.
by Lydia I. Matinov
This is the last official publishing of the Lighthouse, although we will be covering two future events that land just out of our last publication. These events are the Teen Formal (May 6th) and the Promotion and Graduation Ceremony (May 24th). Even though we do not publish through the summer, you can still reach out to us thelighthousetve@gmail.com if you are interested in joining our team. You can also ask us questions right from the home page.
It’s finally time for Summer vacation! It’s that time of year when most families go on a fun vacation. Whether it is by car, boat, train or plane. Getting to the destination takes a while, especially when there’s nothing to do. I would know, because I have traveled many times. Once, I was sitting in my plane seat, staring out the window in boredom, until my mom gave me a sticker book. I spent a lot of time using it, and the time flew faster than the plane.
Printouts
Printouts are very easy to transport, and very fun to use. From mazes to crafts, printouts include a variety of fun activities to do. Another great thing about them is that you only need to print them out instead of rushing to the store and spending lots of money on toys, or expensive things that take up lots of space, and are probably only going to be used once.
If you have a younger sibling about 2 to 6 years old, then I recommend Sago Mini printouts at
Mad Libs is a favorite for everyone. A great thing about it is that it is portable, and easy to travel with. It’s also fun for the whole family. Mad Libs is a book, and each page has a story where the players have to take turns filling in the blanks. Once all the blanks are filled in, one player reads the story aloud. Usually, the outcome is hilarious. After the trip, kids can play Mad Libs with their friends. Another excellent thing about Mad Libs is that it is the perfect way to practice grammar skills. It’s easier to remember what an adjective is when you have fun learning about it. Mad Libs is also good for hours of laughter. For example, the Little Red Riding Hood probably didn’t have a chair as a hat.
A very popular choice would be this Mad Libs:
If a larger one is preferred, then this one is best:
Photo courtesy of Mad Libs
Movies!
An incredibly popular travel activity is to watch a nice, long movie. Many people keep “Movies to-watch” lists, and traveling is the perfect time to utilize them. Downloading some movies on an iPad, or phone through Netflix, Disney+, or other “on demand movie” apps is a good way to plan your movie-watching ahead of time.
If you need assistance on deciding which movies you would like to watch, I wrote an article in the past with 12 ideas:
Table Topics are cards that come in a small box. Each card has a question on it to ask your family. For example, “What was your all time favorite vacation?”. This is a great bonding experience that gets family members to share interesting facts about themselves. Most people believe that they know everything there is to know about their family, but this game can prove those people wrong. An awesome thing about Table Topics is that they come in packs for specific events. There is a Table Topics pack for dinner parties, road trips, family time, and more.
Sticker books are great for children who need a fun activity, and they help little ones improve motor skills. Older kids can have fun with them too. Sticker books can be very cheap, and they come in travel packs. The best part about sticker books is that there are so many varieties. There are “Paint by Sticker” books, jelly sticker books, character dress up books, and more!
If there’s a toddler in your family, I recommend Reusable Jelly sticker books:
The Marine Mammal Center is the world’s largest marine mammal hospital, with Operations in Monterey Bay, San Luis Obispo, and Fort Bragg, California. The Center’s Main Hospital and Headquarters are located in Sausalito, California., They also have a hospital and visitor center in Kona, Hawaii — the Ke Kai Ola (The Healing Sea) Hawaiian Monk Seal Hospital, which opened in 2014 as part of the Center’s work to save the Hawaiian monk seals.
Photo Courtesy: Gayathri N.
The Center rescues marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, sea lions, sea otters, elephant seals, and more. The Center works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, responds to more than 10,000 reports annually, and has rescued more than 24,000 animals to date!
When an Operation receives a report of an animal that may be diseased, injured, orphaned, or entangled in plastic or trash, a team of trained volunteers is dispatched as soon as possible to rescue and transport the animal to the nearest facility. After an animal is transported to the hospital, it undergoes an admission exam in which the veterinarians at the Center take blood samples, check vital signs, and look for injuries or illnesses. After being rehabilitated at the Center and once the veterinarians have ensured that the patient is thoroughly healed and has the necessary skills needed to survive on its own, the patient is released back into the wild, either close to the location where it was found, or on a quiet beach that has no public access. Sometimes patients will be released further out at sea, so they will have minimal contact with humans and not rely on them for food. Flipper tags are attached to the patients before they are released. This enables the Center to track them in the wild and recognize them if they are seen again or are in need of rescue again.
In Monterey Bay and San Luis Obispo, the operations provide space for the patients to be kept for a few days before being transported to the main hospital in Sausalito. In the Fort Bragg operation, patients are immediately transported to Sausalito.
Rehabilitation Pools– Photo Courtesy: Gayathri N.
The Center keeps a list of their current and previous patients on their website along with their species and gender. Every patient is given a name. You can sign up to get patient updates via email.
Here are the names and species of some of their current and past patients:
Taxi—Harbor Seal (male)
Posh—Harbor Seal (female)
Reuben—Northern Elephant Seal (male)
Salamander—Northern Elephant Seal (female)
Southpaw—California Sea Lion (female)
Pixy—California Sea Lion (male)
Mayhem—California Sea Lion (male)
Salta—Steller Sea Lion (female)
Makoa—Hawaiian Monk Seal (female)
Giant—Guadalupe Fur Seal (female)
Paddlewan—Southern Sea Otter (male)
The Marine Mammal Center offers a Youth Crew service-learning program for high school students aged 15-18 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Youth Crew is a year-long opportunity where students can volunteer at the Center by helping out with tasks such as recording observations, cleaning animal pens and pools, washing equipment, weighing animals, sorting fish for feeding, and managing the animals in pens.
My family went on a homeschooling field trip to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. We were taken on two guided tours led by staff members. First, we went on a tour of the hospital where the guide explained and demonstrated how the animals are rescued, fed, and cared for. The second tour was about the different jobs and careers at the Center. The guide of this tour talked about each job and showed us the areas where they are performed. We also got to see the rehabilitation pools in which the marine mammals are kept while being cared for. The animals are transported within the Center in ‘seal’ barrows. Every visitor is sure to be amused by the loud vocalizations of the seals. The guides shared that the way the seals move has a special term called ‘galumphing’.
If you ever notice a marine mammal in distress, please call the Center’s 24/7 hotline: 415-289-7325 (SEAL). For more information, please visit The Marine Mammal Center.
It’s that time of year again! Prom season! A very common misconception about homeschoolers is that we don’t have proms or formals, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Every year, TVE hosts its annual Teen Formal! If you are a homeschool student, aged 12 to 19, then you are formally, cordially, and sincerely invited to this year’s event. If desired, each student may invite a homeschooled or non-homeschooled guest. But this event is unlike your other ‘proms’, students do not need to come with a ‘special someone’. Many guests will be coming alone or with a group of friends. This is not a ‘date night,’ but instead, a celebration of friendship, the school year, and our homeschool community! (But, of course, if there is a ‘special someone’ we do not discourage shooting your shot) and welcome guests.
The Event Planning Committee is proud to announce that this year’s theme is Tropical Paradise.
Photo made by Nicole P.
We ask that you “Dress to Impress” with fancy attire or your best threads, but dressing to the theme is not required. (No bathing suits, trunks, snorkel gear, etc.) Clothing should be appropriately fitted and modest. This is your chance to ‘strut your style’. Although these are the comfiest options, no jeans, shorts, sweats, or t-shirts.
Got a favorite jam? Awesome, (we do too) you may request up to two dance songs. Please include song title and artist. This doesn’t guarantee placement on the playlist, but we will try to accommodate all requests. But don’t worry, the absolute, classic dance-tunes will always make their way onto TVEs playlist. You can submit your song(s) request on the ‘Registration Form‘ of the Formal. No explicit lyrics, please.
Here are all the details:
Date: May 6, 2023
Time: 7pm – 10pm
Location: San Ramon, CA. (full location and address can be found on the TVE facebook page.)
Age: 12-19
$40 per teen
Refunds:
100% before April 7th,
50% between April 7th and April 21st.
No refunds after April 21st.
Fun time: Assured
Smiles: Required
The guest must be registered to attend and purchase their own ticket. Go to the TVE Facebook page for the registration form and for more information. Make sure you read the form carefully with your teen(s) and any guest.
You can contact TVE Leadership with any questions here: tve.membership@gmail.com
Gaining knowledge is fun! Especially at the TVE annual Knowledge Fair! From real birds, to a heart model, to coding and digital art, the 2023 Knowledge Fair had a lot of amazing facts and presentations demonstrated. People began to arrive and set up at 10:00am on March 29th inside the Danville Grange. The attendance was so great that projects were set up not just on the tradeshow-style tables, but also on benches and the stage.
There were so many wonderful presentations. It would be impossible to fit all of them into one article, so here are some great highlights. One project called “Birds as Pets and Friends” was especially popular. The presenter brought her 3 pet birds from home! 2 cockatiels, Daisy and Dominic, attracted a lot of attention from the attendees, so did their feathered friend, Anna, who is a parakeet. Another very popular display was “Volcanoes”. It included a huge model of a volcano. It had fake lava too. The project was very fun to watch, because the lava in the volcano erupted.
Photo by S. S.
Our own Student Life editor, Olive Pea, put together a very informative presentation called “Cat Behavior”. In her presentation, she talked about understanding cat actions to figure out what they are trying to say, based on their body language. If you are interested in learning about cat behavior, be sure to see the article that Olive wrote about her presentation. The newest addition to The Lighthouse, Aleena, made a very nice presentation about plants. Her presentation featured fun facts, and real plants and seeds.
Another interesting project included the history of green screens. The presenter brought a green screen and a camera to take pictures of visitors with different backgrounds. A presentation called “Coding With Kids” was also very popular, because it included a computer with a game that the presenter coded himself. As visitors and presenters entered the building, they were met by Ava Salado with her display of The Lighthouse Newspaper. Ava showed pictures of our journalists and some of the highlights of their work.
Photo by S. S.
Some presenters even wore costumes in theme with their projects. Our youngest presenter, at the age of 2, wore pajamas with letters all over them. This adorable outfit made his project, “ABCs” stand out even more. For the “Butterfly Life Cycle” display, the presenter wore big, orange butterfly wings. Another participant, doing a presentation on dogs, had a beautiful puppy outfit on.
At the end of the Knowledge Fair, everybody received a certificate award and a round of applause for their excellent presentations.
Here are all of the project names:
Netherland Dwarf Rabbit
Medieval Castles
Cat Behavior
Solar System
Vincent Van Gogh
All About the Moon
Butterfly Life Cycle
Taekwondo
Bees
Green Screens/ Special effects
Osiris – REx Project
Bird Watching
Rainbows
Dogs
ABC’s
Elizabeth Blackwell
Acid Rain
Exotic Flowers
Cheetahs
Wolves
White Friday WW1
Tennis Ball Machine
Pokémon
Spiders
Volcanoes
Reflection and Refraction
Golden Retrievers
Playing with Colors
Anime and Manga
Human Heart
Social Emotional Skills
Birds as Pets and Friends
Digital Art and Animation
The Mathematics
Mystery of Amelia Earhart
Plants
Horses
Aloxotls
Archie Comics
Coding for Kids
Wool Crafts
Magnets
Art
First Aid
The Lighthouse
Congratulations to everybody who participated! Everyone did an absolutely amazing job.
Before you read this, here is a glossary of Arabic words:
It’s time for Ramadan! This is the holiest month for Muslims because it is a time to reflect and be conscious of our actions through fasting, prayer, charity, and remembrance of Allah (Arabic for God). My family does so many things around this time of year. Fasting, or sawm, is one of the five pillars of Islam, which are mandatory actions that Muslims must follow. You can see more about fasting below. The word Ramadan means “The Holy Month” in Arabic. Muslims follow the Lunar calendar which does not align with the Gregorian calendar. Because of this, Ramadan does not start on on the same day every year, but instead slips back ten days every year. Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days, depending on the year, and at the end of it, we have a huge celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr (Festival of Breaking Fast)! Here are some of the things we do:
1. During the holy month of Ramadan, we fast during the day.
Basically, we have a pre-dawn meal, called suhoor, before the sun comes up. This year, we wake up around 4:30am. After our meal, we perform the first prayer of the day, the morning prayers, and then we go back to sleep. To us, sawm means no food OR water during the day, and it helps us learn self-control. When the sun goes down, around 7:30pm, we break our fast with a date, water and a meal. Afterwards, we pray the fourth prayer of the day, the sunset prayer. Fasting helps us connect with Allah and by not worrying about meals, we can reflect on those that are less fortunate than us, as well as gratefulness for what we do have.
2. We do special nightly prayers, called Taraweeh.
One of the five pillars of Islam is praying five times a day, but during Ramadan, there is a special evening prayer performed every single night, called Taraweeh which starts around 9:30pm and lasts about two hours! This is not obligatory, but we gain so much reward from Allah for performing them. They are held at the mosque (our holy place of worship), and hundreds, if not thousands, of worshippers congregate and pray together. Last year I was able to pray with my friend, and this year I was able to join my mom and sister!
3. We decorate!
Photo Courtesy of Aleena Haimor
You know how they always bring out trees and lights for Christmas? Well, we do similar things for Ramadan and Eid! We set up lots of pretty lights, and put out our favorite Islamic story books. We bring out a garland that says ‘Ramadan’ and change it out to one that says ‘Eid Mubarak’ when the time comes. Adults gift children money, called Eidi. My family personally decorates not just for Eid, but for Ramadan, too!
4. Good Deeds and Charity.
Photo Courtesy of Aleena Haimor
In Ramadan, we gain more rewards for all of the good deeds and charity that we do. Some examples of good deeds are volunteering, picking up litter, visiting the sick, being generous, feeding others, being kind to others, even smiling at someone else is considered a good deed! Charity falls under good deeds as well. We are asked to give whatever we can to the poor and needy. For Eid, each Muslim family must give Zakat-ul-Fitr, about $15 for each member of your immediate family. Zakat-up-Fitr goes to help the poor and the needy, to give them the ability to buy necessities they need to survive.
Ramadan began during the time of our last Prophet, Muhammad. The Quran (our holy book) was revealed to him during this month. We believe that through the angel Jibreel (Gabriel), Allah commanded that Muhammad and his followers fast for the entire month of Ramadan. It was revealed in Makkah and Medina. Over 23 years, 114 surahs, or 6,348 ayat, were revealed.
Photo Courtesy of Said Haimor, my Jidu
Did you know that there are actually two Eids? One is at the end of Ramadan (Eid-ul-Fitr), and the other is later in the year (Eid-ul-Adha). Eid-ul-Fitr usually takes place at a mosque, and after prayers, we play games and have fun!
Ramadan Kareem, and Eid Mubarak!!!
Here’s my Teta’s recipe for a special treat, Ka’ak. It’s a cookie that we make often during Ramadan!
Have you ever wondered what your pet cat was trying to tell you? When your cat is rubbing on your legs, you probably have thought, “Does my little fur ball want food or pets?” It can be quite difficult to tell what they are trying to say, and sometimes misunderstandings can lead to a scratch or bite. For instance, if a cat rolls over and displays its belly to you, it kind of looks like it wants you to pet it. That fluffy belly is very tempting, but beware! If you try to even get close, you will probably end up putting bandages on your hand. It might be confusing to you, but to the cat, rolling over in front of you is a sign of friendship. Your cat is basically saying, “Hello! I’m sooo excited to see you!” It didn’t want you to pet its fluffy belly! Crazy, right?
Photo by Olive Pea
Cats understand us better than we understand them. Sure, they don’t speak our language, but they are still constantly trying to tell us things. They can only communicate with a few sounds, but mostly they use body language. Imagine that! Dogs don’t speak our language either, but we understand them a lot more than we do cats. One reason for this is that dogs have lived with humans for 12,000 years, whereas cats have lived as pets with humans for only 4,000 years. Cats only joined forces with humans when people started farming, because the grain from the crops attracted rodents. Dogs became pets 8,000 years before cats, and helped humans hunt for animals. This was more helpful at the time because then, humans didn’t have crops that needed to be defended from hungry rodents. Humans mostly hunted for meat, with dogs (wolves back then) at their side ment that catching their game would be quite a bit easier. This means that dogs have had more time to practice communicating with humans. Cats became a part of human lives much later, so they are still more “wild” than dogs are.
Cats are harder to read (and train) than dogs in general. But cats are very expressive. Even though they are always using body language, it can be pretty easy to miss! When trying to read a cat, you have to pay attention to the slightest twitch of the tail, or even the direction the whiskers are pointed. To get you closer to speaking cat, here are a few signs to look for:
IDENTIFYING CAT EXPRESSIONS
EARS
When the ears are perked up, the cat is alert.
When the ears are rotated 90o or 180o, the cat is annoyed. Watch out!
When the ears are flattened back, the cat is angry and might attack!
EYES
When the pupils are wide, the cat is either frightened or zeroing in on its target. Beware, it might be looking at you!
When the pupils are narrow, the cat is experiencing bright light. Like ours, a cat’s pupils contract in the light.
When the eyelids droop, the cat is either sleepy or just resting its eyes.
TAIL
When the tail is thrashing, the cat is annoyed and/or frustrated with something. Most likely, it sees a bird or squirrel it can’t reach.
When the tail is pointing upwards, the cat is happy. An upwards pointing tail is like saying, “hello!” in cat language.
When the tail is all puffed-out and bushy, something just startled the cat. A cat puffs out its tail to make itself look bigger to its enemy.
WHISKERS
When the whiskers are pointed forward, the cat is excited. Either it’s about to get pet, or it’s about to pounce on its prey.
When the whiskers are loosely fanned out to the side, the cat is feeling friendly and stress free.
When the whiskers are pointed backwards and pressed against the cat’s cheek, the cat is angry and about to attack. You better back up!
Photo by Nicole P.
Even though cats mostly use body language to communicate, they also use a few sounds! Cats almost exclusively use their voices for their mothers and us humans, but they can become quite vocal if fighting with another cat. Sometimes they even talk to themselves when they are agitated! Here are some common cat sounds to listen for:
IDENTIFYING CAT SOUNDS
HISS
A hiss lasts about one second. Snakes make this sound too, except a cat’s hiss is much harsher. A cat hisses to try and scare off predators. If a cat hisses at you, back up. The cat might feel scared and cornered.
CHATTER
A chatter sounds like a string of high pitched “eh”s, along with clicking sounds. When a cat chatters, it is frustrated. Most likely it sees a bird outside it can’t reach. Even though you might want to sooth your frustrated cat by petting it, don’t even try. It might take its frustration out on you!
MEOW
A meow literally sounds like “meow”. If your cat meows at you, it most likely is asking for something. Most likely the request is for food or to be let through some door, but sometimes the cat is just saying hello.
PURR
A purr sounds like one long, deep, voicelessly rolled “R”. When a cat purrs, it typically means the cat is deeply content. But sometimes a cat purrs to soothe itself when it is anxious.
CATERWAUL
A caterwaul sounds like “ahh-roo-ugh”. This sound either comes from two dueling cats that are about to attack, or a female cat in heat calling out for a potential mate.
TRILL
A trill lasts about half a second, and basically sounds like a meow and purr combined. When a cat trills, it is feeling very happy and friendly. If a cat trills at you, it is happy to see you!
GROWL
A growl varies in length, and sounds like a very low and almost inaudible “grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”. When a cat growls it is very angry, and is warning that it will attack if its opponent gets any closer. If a cat is growling at you, back up and walk away.
Photo by Nicole P.
Now that you are all up to date on cat language, it’s time for you to speak cat! Here are some ways to communicate with cats:
4 EASY WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH A CAT
SLOW BLINK
When a cat blinks slowly at you, it is basically the cat version of kissing you on the cheek. Often they will do a slow blink and then look away from you. This might seem rude, but this is a sign of trust. If they look away, it means that they trust you won’t do anything to scare or hurt them. Next time you see a cat or are hanging around your own cat, try blinking slowly at them. Make sure that they are looking at you, then once you make eye contact try blinking slowly at them. If they blink back, then they basically said “I love you too!”
CROUCH DOWN LOW
Before you pet a cat, especially an unfamiliar one, you should always crouch down first. If you are standing up, you might seem big and scary. Just imagine if a human the size of an oak tree reached down to touch you. Wouldn’t you jump out of the way? You probably would run screaming! Then imagine if that human was crouched down. They would seem a lot less intimidating because now it is closer to your size. If you crouch down, the cat will see that you are closer in size and might even walk over to you. Another reason why you shouldn’t be standing when you pet a cat is because in a cat’s mind, a hand reaching down from above is very similar to the talon of an eagle or hawk that is hoping to have cat for lunch.
RUB A CAT’S NOSE WITH YOUR FINGER
Cats rub noses with each other to say hello. However, they don’t rub their noses with any cat, dog, or human. Cats only rub their nose with animals and humans that they consider family. A nose rub doesn’t just mean hello, it also spreads the cat’s scent onto the animal or human that they rub on. This makes the cat recognize you easier, just as if it gave you a label that reads “family” in it. Next time you see your pet cat or the well known cat that visits your porch, try crouching down and gently touching the back of your finger on the cat’s nose. If it works and the cat rubs its nose back, then congratulations! You just gave the cat a proper hello in cat language!
PET BETWEEN THE EARS, BEHIND THE EARS, BY THE TAIL, AND UNDER THE CHIN
Start by gently scratching between the ears, then behind the ears. After that, rub one hand all the way down the back to the tail. Then, gently scratch under the chin. The cat will love this, and likely start to purr. The reason cats love being petted in these spots is because these spots have a special gland that releases a scent that only cats can smell. Cats use this to mark territory. When you pet a cat in one of these spots, it releases their scent and soothes them. Cats also have scent glands in between their toes and on their cheeks, but they don’t enjoy being pet there as much. It would tickle their toes and disturb their super sensitive whiskers.
Photo by Nicole P.
Now that you know these simple cat communications, try looking for them in the next cat you meet. It will be much easier to understand cats, and you might even be able to prevent a scratch or two! Cats are truly amazing creatures, and they are masters of communication. If you have a pet cat, let it know that the Lighthouse says hi!
Aleena Haimor is a 14-year-old Lebanese-American girl living in gorgeous Danville, California, with her parents, three siblings, and three very silly cats. Homeschooled since the beginning, Aleena is passionate and always tries to be kind to everyone around her. She’s an avid reader and writer, currently working on getting her first novel (current name: Hope) published, while also writing the first book (‘Shatter’) in her new fantasy trilogy, which, overall, is currently called The Unseen. Stories have always captivated Aleena’s imagination, and she hopes to be a professional author (and nurse) in the future.
A hard-core music and book lover, Aleena has many hobbies. She plays both piano and guitar, sings, and acts, having been in two productions with ICDT! In Danville, California. Her favorite music artists include Janani K. Jha, Olivia Rodrigo, Ella Red, Avril Lavigne, TROY and TE/MO. She also enjoys musicals, her favorites including Hamilton, EPIC, and Wicked.
Aleena’s favorite books are Caraval, CRISIS (written by her friend Shifa S. Sheikh) Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Cruel Prince, and especially Powerless, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and The Hunger Games. She describes her current WIP as “a crazy mix of all the best books I’ve ever read, but completely different.”
Even while being part of many clubs, such as Park Day Productions, The Lighthouse has and will always have a special place in Aleena’s heart, since it was the first place that an awkward 11-year-old girl really felt seen, three whole years ago. She loves to write stories and informative articles for The Lighthouse, and hopes to continue for many more years!!
Spring is right around the corner! The days are getting longer, and the sun is shining brighter. The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, and everything is becoming more vibrant and alive! One of the most exciting parts of spring is watching the flowers bloom. They come in such a variety of thrilling colors and shapes, that you could never find two that look alike! Flowers bring joy and interest to a landscape or garden that has been asleep for the winter. Sometimes it looks as though a giant has spilled its paint all over the green foliage. For this colorful time of year, the Lighthouse has put together a drawing challenge for you! You can probably guess what the theme is by now… flowers!
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
The flowers that you will be drawing can be drawn with any medium of your choosing! Pencils, paint, oils or charcoal, just to name a few. You can draw any type of flower you want! Some common spring flowers include Tulips, Daffodils, Daisies, and Roses. You can even draw a flower that you came up with yourself! You can get as creative as you like. This is a non-competitive challenge, and all art submissions will be included in the next publishing in the Arts and Culture section.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ART
All art should be submitted byMay 1st, and you will see your artwork when articles are published on May 5th. We accept kids of all ages, and ask that you please give us your age and first name. You may include your last name, or last initial. We value your privacy! You can submit your art to us by taking a picture and emailing it to us at thelighthousetve@gmail.com.
We hope to see your artwork! Remember, you can get as creative as you like.
Spring has almost sprung. And you know what that means… wildflowers! Yes, it also means debilitating allergies for some lucky folks but the beauty is worth it. Soon we will see oceans of lovely colors floating above our bay area fields. In fact, the northern California area has some very unique wildflowers. The bay area is very fortunate and special to have so many native plants still growing in such a metropolitan space. It seems everywhere you look you might be able to find a sprout reaching for life, like on the side of the highway, crack in the road, anywhere! The usual season for most wildflowers is the end of February and typically lasts until early May. So what wonderful varieties do we have to expect?
Photo by Nature Hills Nursery
Photo by Seed Corner
Lupine
The lupine is a beautiful looking and smelling, herbaceous (and partly woody) wildflower that loves to pop up anywhere, even clay soils. If you live in the bay area you are bound to have seen one of these bluish-purple flowers sprouting about. They are a very versatile variety with over 200 different species. With their love of Mediterranean climates you know when you see them first pop up that warm, sunny, spring skies are ahead.
Photo by Annie’s Annuals and Perennials
Photo by iNaturalist
Franciscan Wallflower or San Francisco Wallflower
The Franciscan Wallflower or San Francisco Wallflower (or if you would like to be fancy the Erysimum franciscanum) is a biennial that is commonly found from the hills of Sonoma to the beaches of Santa Cruz going wherever it wishes. This flower is in the mustard family and can be seen from the end of winter to late spring.
Photo by California Native Plant Society
Photo by PictureThis
Douglas Iris
The Douglas Iris (or Iris Douglasiana) is a purple flower that can be found mostly in the coastal regions of California–or wherever has a lower elevation–but, if you are lucky, can sometimes be found at heights of up to 1,000 meters (3,300 ft). It can occasionally be considered a noxious weed in pastures because of its tendency to form clumps that hinder other vegetation, but when not found pasture it is regarded with fond looks and smiles for being an absolutely beautiful iris.
Photo by Ava Salado
Photo by The Bashful Botanist
Puget Sound Gumweed (Grindelia Integrifolia)
If you find yourself walking around the beaches of the San Francisco bay in late spring/summer you might stumble upon the gorgeous Puget Sound Gumweed (Grindelia Integrifolia). A strong and rugged plant, being resistant to almost all diseases and pests and being delightful while doing it. Commonly found in meadows, marshes, beaches (anywhere that is wetter in climate) this flowering plant is sure to bring the pollinators–and the cameras–close.
Photo by The Valley Post
Photo by The Guardian
California Poppy
And finally, we must end with a classic…the California Poppy! If you have lived in the golden state for a while, you’re lying if you say you haven’t seen one of these pretty, deep orange flowers at least once. Once spring hits, they are everywhere! Some fighters even pop up in early-winter. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a California state-protected poppy field found in northern Los Angeles County. It is extremely popular for expert and amateur photographers alike. But please, if you are going to go there for the breath-taking sights, don’t step on the flowers! Mother nature, park rangers–and the plants themselves–work very hard to grow and stay healthy and plentiful for generations, and the bottoms of your shoes aren’t helping. So please, admire at a safe distance. But most of all…enjoy! Take some allergy medicine and get out into nature. Wildflowers wait for no one so enjoy them while you can!
Take a hike such as:
Mount Burdell
Mount Diablo State Park
Coyote Ridge
And, if you are feeling rather inspired, create a picture of your favorite flower and submit it to The Lighthouse’s “competition” exhibition! Learn more here: Springtime Art Challenge!
The Lighthouse 