There are two topics so controversial that to avoid arguments you don’t bring them up in polite company. They are religion and politics. But if you are in Pittsburgh, you may want to add a third subject to that list: pigeons. People in Pittsburgh either love or hate pigeons. Unlike their gray feathers, there is no gray area when it comes to these birds. Some view
Read the Full Article →
When you think of gardens in Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Garden in Oakland, the Biblical Botanical Garden at Rodef Sholem Synagogue, and the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden near Settler’s Cabin Park immediately spring to mind. But there are other lesser-known gardens and arboretums in the area that are no shrinking violets when it comes to natural beauty. The Arboretum at Penn State In the mood for
Read the Full Article →
Taste Real Maple Syrup After enjoying real maple syrup, you may not be willing to go back to the store-bought stuff. Better yet, attend a maple sugaring event and learn that maple syrup doesn’t come from a glass bottle, but a tree. Plant an Indoor Herb Garden A little investment in the spring could pay off well into the fall. Your cooking will also improve
Read the Full Article →
With warm weather, school out of session, and less responsibilities, who doesn’t love summer? If truth be told, sometimes all that freedom can lead to that dreaded lament of children, “I’m bored.” There’s no need to be bored with all the wonderful summer camps in our area to choose from-everything from arts camps to zoo camps. The following is a list of camps to enrich
Read the Full Article →
You’ve got to feel for the poor peregrine falcons in Pittsburgh. They were all the sensation when they began nesting in Pittsburgh in 1991, but recently, they’ve been shunted from the limelight by the return of bald eagles to the Pittsburgh area. The Audubon Society is excited to announce that, in addition to the Hays Bald Eagle Nest WebCam that’s been running for the past
Read the Full Article →
Visit a Museum Everything old is new again when you visit a museum, especially for the youngsters in your family. OK, so you’ve been to them a gazillion times, but this time, see it through the eyes of a child. There’s so many museums in the area, we’re sure you’ll learn something at one of them. Play Board Games Have a good old-fashioned Family Game
Read the Full Article →
As the snow falls steadily and begins to accumulate, you scan the television, scroll through websites, or turn your ear toward the radio, waiting. Then there it is. What you’ve been waiting for: the cancellation. It’s a snow day! A perfectly legal excuse for changing your regular routine and enjoying one of winter’s special gifts. While the rich may fire up their private jets for
Read the Full Article →
In Pittsburgh, We Sled Ride We know Pittsburghers have a unique way of speaking. Apparently, even when it comes to describing having fun in the snow, Pittsburghers are a bit unusual. While it’s perfectly normal for people to go “sled riding” here when we get a snowfall, it seems that most of the country goes “sledding.” Whether you call it sled riding or sledding, there’s
Read the Full Article →
This Christmas, you may want to leave the partridge in his pear tree, and instead give a gift to the birds by taking part in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. For more than 100 years, volunteers across the United States, Canada, and many other nations in the Western Hemisphere, have participated in this bird census, counting species in a 24-hour period. The
Read the Full Article →
Nothing smells more like Christmas than the scent of a freshly cut tree, and for making holiday memories, nothing surpasses loading the family into the car and visiting a nearby tree farm or nursery to chop down your own tree. One thing to keep in mind when visiting a tree farm is to dress for the weather, paying special attention to footwear. You may want to wear
Read the Full Article →
