Well-groomed and smiling, the flight attendant of the 1950s and early 1960s played a traditional woman’s role. Hers was one of the glamour careers for women, usually terminated by marriage after two or three years…. Pilots kept a close watch on their “girls” – expecting deference and admiration both on the plane and off…. As […]
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In memory: Marjorie Rachlin, a lover of and force of nature
by Marlene Berlin Marjorie Rachlin died on Sunday, August 22nd. She was 99 years old. Forest Hills Connection readers may know her best from her “Backyard Nature” articles. To her friends and neighbors, she was known throughout the years as a labor educator, community activist, and avid gardener and birder. She was also one of […]
Marjorie Rachlin’s Backyard Nature: Garden colors don’t entirely fade in September
by Marjorie Rachlin Most gardens wind down down in September weather but there’s still colorful bloom in Forest Hills yards. We’ve got everything from “weed” plants native to the Americas to banana “trees” that came here long ago from Asia. Natives in the back In my back garden, I grow a number of hardy native […]
Marjorie Rachlin: A ‘Great Resource’
Readers of Forest Hills Connection know Marjorie Rachlin as our ace nature writer. She also enjoys hanging out at the Chevy Chase Library. On Saturdays you will often see her volunteering for the Friends the Chevy Chase Library at their used bookstore upstairs. Barbara Parker profiled Marge for the Friends newsletter, and gave us permission […]
Backyard Nature: Make birds feel at home in your backyard or on your balcony
by Marjorie Rachlin Do you ever wonder what those birds in your backyard are doing? Do your children ask, “What’s that bird?” There’s an easy way to find out. Just install a few simple attractions like a bird bath, a hummingbird feeder or a wren house. I have all these “amenities” in my Forest Hills […]
Backyard Nature: Hello, hummingbirds
by Marjorie Rachlin It’s time to get your hummingbird feeder out. The ruby-throated hummingbirds are here, having flown all the way from Central America in early May. A feeder with sugar water will give you a close look at this busy, tiny bird. An adult male ruby-throated hummingbird, as its name suggests, has a lovely […]
Backyard Nature: The Broad Branch frogs are putting on a show
by Marlene Berlin I must admit I have been worried about the frogs. I’m used to hearing the hum of the American toad permeate the neighborhood beginning in early March. This spring, I heard nothing. Not until last week along the Linnean trail. Many years ago, when I first noticed the high-pitched hum, I was […]
Backyard Nature: Our early bloomers have ancient and foreign roots
by Marjorie Rachlin The warm February weather has brought us surprising flowers – yellow jasmine bushes everywhere, lovely little white snowdrops in the garden, bright yellow aconite at our feet and the many colors of hellebores. Some of these plants have been around since the Greeks. All of them have come to the U.S. by […]
Backyard Nature: This cold weather really is for the birds
by Marjorie Rachlin Have you noticed the mallard ducks swimming lazily in Rock Creek when it’s cold and there is snow on the ground? “Why aren’t they freezing?” a friend asked. I went to the web to find out. It turns out that birds have several different kinds of feathers that keep them warm. When […]
Questions about squirrels and parking on leaves: Some of the web search terms that brought readers to us in 2021
Most of our readers come to us through email notifications when we post new articles (see “Subscribe to our blog” in the sidebar, or on mobile, scroll down), and through our monthly newsletter. Many also come to us after searching the web for questions about local places and policies. And if you are here because […]