Mom was looking at her calendar today. She checked it against her 2011 and 2012 calendars, and guess what? The frogs should start serenading us this month!

Mom keeps a simple calendar on her computer where she records events as they happen each year, such as when she hears the first frogs calling, when the first wild violets bloom and the first time she sees a horse fly in the barnyard (ow!). She likes to see when everyday things happen from year to year. It takes only minutes a day to keep a calendar like this. Maybe you’d like to keep one, too?

For instance, she heard spring peepers calling on Feb. 17, 2011, and Feb. 22, 2012. When will they sing their first song this year? We’ll let you know! She also records our birthdays and adoption days on her calendar. That’s how she knows when we each deserve special treats.

Mom names each month’s moon for something that usually happens at that time each year. She calls February the Geese Fly Moon because geese are heading north this time of year. March is the New Leaves Moon because that’s when our trees begin producing leaves. Wild yucca plants bloom in May, so she calls May the Yucca Moon. June is the Green Beetle Moon, July is the Dragonfly Moon, August is the (hiss, boo) Biting Fly Moon, and September is the Cools Off Moon.

It’s easy to get started keeping track of things on a calendar, and it doesn’t have to cost a dime. You can record these things on a real, paper calendar or download a calendar page from the Internet. She downloads free pages from a site called Calendars That Work but there are lots more to choose from. To find them, search “free calendar pages 2013” on Google or another search engine

Once you have a calendar, start looking for things to record. It’s almost like journaling, but it’s quicker and easier. It makes you more aware of what’s going on in the natural world around you. Try it, and you’ll see. It’s fun.