Blog - Around the Spinney

Filling and Threading the Bobbin

Don’t let frustration stop you from sewing! I’ll show you how to fill a bobbin and thread it into your machine, while giving you tips on figuring out how to do it with your specific machine. There is usually a guide at the top of your machine that helps you to see where to put…
Johnny Chuck, Woodchuck

Woodchucks or groundhogs seem to be an animal with so many different names. Why is that?! What are some other questions you might have about them? Here are some answers, but there is even more to discover about each question so don’t let your discussion stop with these answers! They seem to be quite the…
Mocker, the Northern Mockingbird

I grew up in the DFW area in Texas from the age of six until I was out of college. I was aware of birds, but I really didn’t pay attention to them. I was keen on words, however, and the word Mockingbird was all around me. There was an elementary school in my town,…
Seek Seek, the Spermophile

Spermophiles are also called Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels. If you live somewhere in the Plains they may be a common occurrence, but maybe you haven’t seen one before. What are some questions you might have about them? Here are some answers, but there is even more to discover about each question so don’t let your discussion…
Brownie, the Brown Thrasher

In Chapter 30 of The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Jenny Wren asks Peter if he has seen her bigger cousin. If you know the size of a House Wren, you would be just as surprised as Peter was at her question. This larger super family that she is speaking of as her second cousins…
Striped Chipmunk

Striped Chipmunks may be the cutest thing to see during the Spring, Summer, and Fall in northern Illinois. You can always hear them when walking in the woods. What are some questions you might have about them? Here are some answers, but there is even more to discover about each question so don’t let your…