Yesterday I took the boys on a hike to Timber Lake. The lake is located about 10 miles west of Iron River, just off of US 2. I really like Timber Lake because there is no public access to the lake for boats. There are also no cottages on the lake. The only way to get to the lake is to take the 1 mile+ hike in from the trail head.

We spent a wonderful afternoon on the shores of the lake. We were sitting around the house and my brother was watching television in the lazyboy. I don’t like the kids to watch too much television so I put them in the car and headed west. They enjoy hiking, as they pick up sticks and pretend they are weapons. We went for a swim and drank pop and I read from the “Choose Your Adventure” series. Owen had a leech on his sandal and we tried to identify it. We also saw a squirrel, woodpecker, and a slug. The highlight was when we were packing up. We had talked about all of the animals that could possibly kill you in the northwoods, such as a pack of wolves, bear, cougar, etc. All of a sudden a German Shepard dog came running up to us. It was a friendly dog and just wanted to play. It had a big red collar on it. But it terrified Oliver as he was caught on the shore of the lake and the dog between him and us. All of our talk on how we would defend ourselves against a hungry pack of wolves didn’t help him as he just paniked. I quickly intervened and put him on my shoulders. The dog was owned by a woman who was also coming to the lake.

We had the lake to ourselves for 4 hours. We also heard the call of the loon. A great day together and introducing the boys to the rejuvenating effects of wilderness. I wish Iron County had more lakes like Timber. Most lakes have cottages on them or one can hear the drone of motor boats. That is what makes Timber Lake special.

Can Anyone Identify This Species of Freshwater Leech

For Kids, Two Languages Can Be as Easy as One

By Peter West
HealthDay Reporter by Peter West
healthday Reporter – Thu Jul 9, 7:04 pm ET

THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) – European researchers are contesting the assumption that bilingual toddlers have more trouble learning language skills than children who know just one language.

“While the remarkable performance of children acquiring one language is impressive, many children acquire more than one language simultaneously,” said study author Agnes Melinda Kovacs, a research fellow at the International School for Advanced Studies, in Trieste, Italy. “As bilingual children presumably have to learn roughly twice as much as their monolingual peers [because they learn two languages instead of one], one would expect their language acquisition to be somewhat delayed. However, bilinguals pass the language development milestones at the same ages as their monolingual peers.”

The finding, which appears online July 9 in Science, came from a test of the responses to verbal and visual cues from 64 babies who were 12 months old. They came from monolingual and bilingual families, although the study did not specify which languages the families spoke.

The toddlers were exposed to two sets of words that had different structural characteristics. After each word, the children viewed a special toy on either the left or right side of a screen, depending on the word’s structure. They then were presented with words they had never heard before but that conformed to one of the two verbal structures. No toy followed.

Researchers determined whether the infants had learned the word structures by measuring the direction of their gaze after hearing each new word. Judging by their eye movements, the bilingual kids did better in recognizing words than their monolingual peers.

“We showed that pre-verbal, 12-month-old, bilingual infants have become more flexible at learning speech structures than monolinguals,” Kovacs said. “When given the opportunity to simultaneously learn two different regularities, bilingual infants learned both, while monolinguals learned only one of them.”

This means, she said, that “bilinguals may acquire two languages in the time in which monolinguals acquire one because they quickly become more flexible learners.”

According to the study, the cognitive pathways developed during the learning of two languages might make bilingual children more efficient in acquiring new information.

Earlier research has often confirmed the benefits of learning more than one language. In a 2004 Canadian study, for example, researchers found that bilingual speakers were more proficient at dealing with distractions than those who spoke only a single language. That ability was even more pronounced for older people, suggesting that multilingualism might help elderly speakers avoid age-related cognitive problems.

A significant percentage of humanity speaks more than one language. In the United States, more than 18 percent of the population aged 5 and older speaks a language other than English at home, according to the 2000 U.S. census.

One child psychologist who read the Italian study found the results intriguing and said she would like to see further research on how children learn different languages, especially ones with different tonal structures, such as Chinese and English.

“We now know, thanks to [functional MRI] studies that allow us to observe the working brain, that learning does result in discrete changes in ‘wiring,’” said Marta Flaum, whose practice in Chappaqua, N.Y. specializes in diagnosing and helping children with dyslexia and other language handicaps. “It would make sense that learning a second language affects brain changes as well.”

However, Flaum said, “we know that the young brain is more plastic than the older brain, making it easier to learn at an earlier age.”

More information

The Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics has more on the emerging field of psycholinguistics.

 

 

I snapped the photo above during the Iron River Independence Day parade last week.

I think sometimes people forget that America is a very religious country. Many people came to the USA seeking religious freedom. Pennsylvania was founded by Quakers, there are large colonies of Amish and Mennonites, and there are many more examples. In my state of Michigan, in the lower peninsula near the city of Holland, Dutch Reformed (Calvinists) church settlers from the Netherlands came and still form a majority in that part of the state. Many of the early settlers in New England were Puritans, as well as other Protestant religions fleeing the Catholic church.

The religious beginnings of America are still seen today. That is one of the things that foreigners need to realize to understand America. I have a large number of friends and acquaintances that mention Jesus daily in conversation like he is a neighbor. There are many fundamentalist, enthusiastic Christians like the marchers above. I noticed in the Iron County Summer Fun Guide, published by the local newspaper, the Iron County Reporter, on the Church Guide page, there were over 30 churches listed for our county. Iron County has a population of 13,000 and is about one-third the size of Kosovo. The churches run the gamut of Protestant religions. There are seven different Lutheran churches, three Catholic, and several Baptists. The high number of Lutheran churches probably is a result of large numbers of Swedish and Finnish immigrants to Iron County. Other interesting points are as follows;

There are two Episcopal churches. They were formed after the Revolutionary War because the clergy of the Anglican Church had to pledge alligiance to the monarch in England. To avoid this, they formed their own church.

An American religion, the Seventh Day Adventists, have a beautiful stone church in Iron River.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have churches in Iron County. The term “Jehovah” is a mis-translation of Yahweh.

There are no non-Christian parishes. The Upper Peninsula is mostly Caucasian with very few Jews and people of color. I’ll be surprised if there ever is a mosque or synagogue built here.

The number of Catholic churches is dwindling. The Catholic churches were originally affliated with ethnic groups. In my town of Caspian, the St. Cecilia Parish was founded by Italian immigrants. In Iron River, the Assumption Church, which is no longer functioning, was founded by Polish immigrants. I know of three Catholic churches that are no longer in service and parishes have consolidated.

I was surprised not to find the fastest growing American religion, the Church of the Latter Day Saints (mormons) do not have a church here.

There are many smaller, Bible-based churches. These as well as the evangelical churches are very popular in the USA.

It is nice to have such a variety of faiths able to practice together peaceably. I don’t particularly like the effects of a high percentage of religious people have on America. As a former science teacher, I find it ridiculous to walk around with a placard denouncing evolution and human reasoning. It is denying the Enlightenment and humanity’s progress. But there are huge numbers of Americans who think like this and literally take every word of the Bible as truth. It is very similar to Islamic countries and the Koran. I know that an atheist could never be elected President. The strong religious nature of America is the greatest in the south and small towns like the one I am from. It coincides with the Red State / Blue State dichotomy of US politics.

I respect the American ideals of freedom of speech and the separation of the church and government. I am happy that people like those above can do this, but I don’ t have to agree with their message. I am raising my children to be secular humanists and to think for themselves. That doesn’t mean ignoring right and wrong and many of the messages of the organized religions. Our family has a strong sense of ethics.

Yesterday we took the kids to a presentation by the artists of the Pine Mountain Music Festival’s (PMMF) opera performance. The PMMF is a five-week festival that brings classical music, workshops, and master classes to the small towns in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was started by a former cellist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that was from Iron Mountain. It is quite an opportunity to see world-class performances in this remote area. I guess the artists enjoy the beauty of the north woods .

The video above shows the performers in The Secret Marriage, an opera written by Italian Cimarosa, a contemporary of Mozart. They did a workshop for kids. We were impressed by the voices of the performers! We hope it inspires our chlidren to develop themselves in the performing arts. The audience got to ask questions and Owen asked the performers if they ever got sick and couldn’t go to a performance. The baritone answered that is how young artists such as themselves break into the business. When the veteran performer is ill, they serve as alternates and get their chance for gaining experience. Most of the performers came from music families, either having parents as music teachers and/or performers.

I was a bit disappointed at how many people came to the workshop. What a great opportunity for kids! I feel bad that I have not been able to support the festival by attending many of the performances. We don’t have babysitters here in Michigan. Perhaps as the kids get older, I’ll be able to. I encourage everyone in the area to take advantage and enjoy any of the performances. I would also like to thank the artists and the organizers of the festival for reaching out to the UP and providing us with this enlightening entertainment.

Yesterday Owen, Oliver, and I ventured to Chicagoan Falls. The UP has many waterfalls and it is enjoyable to make a day of it and visit one of them. The weather was a bit cool yesterday, but the sun was shining and the boys were restless so we took off.

The waterfalls are located near Long Lake, about halfway between Iron River and Crystal Falls. We did the mile hike and the boys absolutely loved it. They were climbing over the rocks, crossing the log bridges, and generally being boys. Owen kept referring to the survivor series on Discovery Channel. The water was surprising warm, perhaps it is in comparison to Lake Superior. There is always some outdoor adventure awaiting us in the UP.

boys love to explore

Wild Men, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Yesterday we drove up to Marquette, Michigan to go shopping at the Target Store located there. We wanted to buy a duna for Ocean, shoes for the kids, as well as get a new set of pillows and towels for my Dad. Without my mother, he lacks that woman’s touch around the house.

After Target, we hit the beach as you can see. Marquette is my favorite town in the UP. It is the largest at around 20,000, and has a university (Northern Michigan University). It is located on Lake Superior and receives 144 inches of snow per year. It is one of the few places I would come back to live in the USA if I could find a good job there.

Ocean

Lake Superior is a huge freshwater inland sea. It is the largest of the Great Lakes and always pretty cold. We all got in yesterday, but not for that long. The kids really enjoyed the sandy beach, making sand castles, playing football, skipping rocks, and burying each other.

In the morning we watched the Federer versus Roddick final.

Yesterday we had the traditional 4th of July BBQ in our backyard. The kids ran through the sprinkler and around the neighborhood. The adults laughed a lot and we ate a tremendous amount of food and drink. It was a nice way to reflect on 233 years of USA independence. I had a copy of the Declaration of Independence for us to read. It is one of the sacred documents of our country. In reading it yesterday, the authors are pretty clear in their opposition to King George and England’s policies. I can see why war ensued after the King received it. I wonder how long it took him to get it?

Two Famous Icons - Smokey the Bear and Riverside Pizza

Hitchen's Book on Thomas Paine

I finished reading Christopher Hitchen’s book on Thomas Paine’s “Rights of Man.” It was interesting to learn more about Thomas Paine and with today being Independence Day in the US, an appropriate blog post.

Paine is famous in the US for his pamphlet, “Common Sense.” This was an era before television and blogging, and it is today’s equivalent. Paine with his writing, motivated Americans to break free from England. He was the first to use the phrase, “United States of America” and his line, “a continent ruled by an island” resonated with the revolutionaries.

I still am amazed at the experiment called the USA and on its 233rd birthday, am proud to be an American. I admire the wisdom and boldness of the founding fathers to do something so original and new. What a great concept and opportunity – to start a nation based on individual freedoms and ideals (especially the pursuit of happiness) and not on race, religion, or a higher power anointed monarch or individual. Of course over the past two centuries, we have not lived up to the ideals set forth by our constitution and declaration of independence, but we have led the way for a better world.

"The world is my country, all mankind my brethren, and to do good is my religion."

Getting back to Paine, I didn’t realize that he really didn’t spend much time in the US. He didn’t come to the US until 1774 and he was 39 years old. He lived a full life back in Thetford, East Anglia, and if his wife hadn’t died, and his second marriage didn’t fail, he never would have come over. It reminds me of Simon Bolivar. His bride died a few months after reaching Venezuela, and if not, he probably would have lived a quiet existence as a plantation owner instead of liberating 5 countries. The same with Paine, and he could have just worked in the customs office and own his tobacco shop. I did like the “Headstrong Club” a group of guys at the local tavern in Thetford that would get together for “spirited dining and debate.” This practice would help him in the Pennsylvania.

I liked many of Paine’s ideas such as being anti-slavery, anti-monarch, anti-church controlled government, and seeing the absurdness and contradictions in the Bible. These beliefs were ahead of their time and he took a lot of criticism and back lash for them. After writing Common Sense and helping the US gain their independence, he left for 20 years and became a French legislator during the French revolution.

He eventually returned to US and died penniless in New York. But what a life he lived. His works still are quoted often and he continues to influence politicians and thinkers like Hitchens. Obama quoted him in his inaugural address and his works are required reading for many important leaders in the US. He was at the center of two major revolutions that changed the world. He experienced the equivalent of several lifetimes of others, with two families and two careers in England, and then his two famous periods in the USA and France. And what a nice legacy to leave with his published works. I can’t disagree with one of his quotes, found on the bottom of his portrait above.

So on this Independence Day, a big thank you to Mr. Paine!

New Vocabulary For Me from the book

absolutism – The idea of all power or authority vested in an individual

pertinacity - the trait of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose

repudiate – to reject the authority of, to refuse to recognize

demotic – of or relating to the common people (from demographics)

The Jacobins – a political group during the French revolution that believed in the need to remove all social classes, universal vote, and social welfare for the poor

Robespierre – A leader of the French revolution who is known for leading the “reign of terror” and who also ended up on the wrong end of the chopping block

This is the big 4th of July weekend in the USA. Ocean and Ollie are shown above in Grandpa’s garage on the John Deere riding lawnmower. Ocean’s looks are changing every day! I spent the morning with these two as Nadia and Owen went for a run on the Appple Blossom Trail. I took them in the wagon over to the Caspian Community Center playground. In the afternoon we headed over to my brother’s home in Iron Mountain. Shelly was putting on my nephew’s birthday party. She rented a bouncy castle and they set up the swimming pool. Despite the cold water and cooler temps, the kids and I enjoyed swimming. The highlight of the party was the neighbors lighting the smoke stack across the street. There is a 50-meter smoke stack ear Jim’s house that was left by the mining companies. There were many iron mines in the area in the early part of last century. It was known at the Menominee Range and millions of tons of iron ore were shipped to Chicago and Detroit from here. Today all that are left are museums, open pits that have turned into lakes, and huge underground caverns and shafts that are largely unexplored and occasionally cave in. This was an era before the Environmental Protection Agency forced mining companies to clean up and restore the landscape when they were finished.

The Fire Truck Puts Out the Fire as the Kids Enjoy the Party

Anyway, unknown persons lit tires in the bottom of the unused smokestack in honor of a relative who passed away this week. He used to do this occasionally on the 4th. A while later, the Iron Mountain City fire truck came and put it out. I think it was unneccesary as it was not a fire hazard and only causing a bit of pollution. The police asked us who did it and we said we didn’t see anyone lighting it (true).

Owen slept over his cousin’s house and we took his little brother Beau.

Ocean and Nadia

I didn’t have the camera with me yesterday (yes, surprise, surprise) but I wish I did as we had a fantastic adventure hiking to Bennan Lake. Jim and I took the four boys (Owen, Ollie, Tony, Beau) as well as Ocean on the Ge – Che Cross Country Ski Trail in the Ottawa National Forest. It is located close to our home in Caspian and is 6 miles long and goes by three lakes, Hagerman, Ottawa, and Bennan. Ge Che means “big lake” in the Ojibwa language.

We started from the car park near the Orville Lunn overlook and we walked the approximately 3 miles to the lake. Along the way we caught a toad, identified slugs, and picked up many ticks. The first half of summer is full of ticks. We had to pick them off several times off of all of us. When we arrived at the lake, several of us went for  a swim. It is a beautiful, little lake with only one dock on that we could see. A pair of loons were swimming near by. When we got back, Nadia had prepared some pumpkin risotto and an angel food cake berry delight. What a great end to a great day!