The Heat Is On, Revisited: The Rivers Run Dry

It's been a hot one out there. Summer, that is. Record breaking in many ways, as I wrote about in my July 11th post "The Heat Is On: Sizzling & Sweltering this Summer."

Since then, the heat has continued. I'm fascinating by the number of articles I've run across that have revealed true "hidden treasures" that have literally surfaced in the drought conditions we have seen. Riverbeds have been hit hard in the drought, and items that were down at the bottom have essentially found their way to the top...not by being dislodged or floating there, but by the drought-stricken rivers falling to record low water-levels. As these have dropped, finds have been founds and made visible. Everything from prehistoric remains, historic insfrastructures, and wartime wreckage. 

The Danube River has been hit particularly hard and many items have been found in its riverbed and along the now-visiable riverbanks. Historical finds include:

• Ice Age Woolly Mammoth remains near Ryahovo, Bulgaria iinclude a lower jaw, tusks, and possibly a rib. 
• Elements of Constantine’s Bridge have been exposed in Bulgaria. This was a Roman bridge opened in AD 328.
• World War II German ships near Prahovo, Serbia. This area in particular could also contain some wartime ammunition that has yet to to be detonated, so that area is being treated with extreme caution.
• WWII Wehremacht motorcycle and other military artifacts and wartime debris near Budapest, Hungary. Again, with the potential for munitions, that area is being treated with caution.
• World War II shipwreck near Mohács, Hungary has resurfaced.
• The Fulton cargo shipwreck near Opatovac, Croatia has a now-visible hull showing from this coal-carrying ship that sank in 1937.

But, the Danube River is not alone in its findings of hidden relics. Here are some other surfaced appearances:

• “Hunger stone” in the Elbe River, near Pirna-Oberposta, Germany (near the Czech border). This historic carved stone has dates going back to 1707 from other droughts, when exposed due to low water levels. These served as both warnings and historical stories of other times when poor harvests, shipping/transport issues, and hunger and famine were an issue to due drought conditions.
• Remains of Nero's bridge in Rome are exposed by the Tiber River in Italy, dating back to 39 AD
• Similar low-water inscriptions appeared in the Rhine River, near Leverkusen, Germany. One showed a low-level date of 1959.
• Lake Brenets, which borders Switzerland and France and is a big sight for tourism, had near-nonexistent water on the exposed lake bottom due to water levels dropping from the nearby River Doubs.
• 
  The “Spanish Stonehenge” (Guadalperal Dolmen) in the Valdecañas Reservoir, Spain resurfaced again, thanks to the overly-dry conditions. This prehistoric megalithic monument which typically is submerged once again became visible. 
  

As with any find like this, these are historical artifacts. It is not a collectors' paradise. Stability problems coincide when water levels are so low such as unstable banks, contaminated sediment, protected archaeological material, and unexploded munitions. These are finds that should be reported to local authorities so they can safely examine the heritage and history of these items.

While the droughts have exposed some amazing historical finds, they also reveal the force of our changing climate. Riverbeds are meant to carry water, and drought has disrupted and impacted the water needs of these communities. River ecosystems are not operating as needed--nor are shipping systems and local water supplies for drinking and more. The reappearance of  "hunger stones" show us this isn't the first time that area has been in crisis. The dry conditions also raise the risk and highlight the fire danger that we also have seen in France and Spain this summer. 

All of this is a reminder to that preparation, shared care, water conservation, and healthier landscapes can make a meaningful difference. These drying riverbed appearances serve as a warning and an alert system. These discoveries are an invitation to pay attention to the world we live in, and they offer a chance to learn from the past while thinking more carefully about how we protect water, landscapes, and one another in the future.

Map from https://edulearningss.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/europe-rivers-map-with-names-for-education-use/; other images from https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/10/historic-drought-rivers-reveal-hunger-stones-warships-and-mammoth-remains and https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/31/climate/shrinking-rivers-reveal-past-relics-in-europe and https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2gp3zmkpmo

Summer You, School You

'Tis that season: the school year is coming... or perhaps for you, it's even already here and has begun.

The transition time for teachers from "Summer You" to "School You" can be a little bumpy. It's hard to let go of one, and then move into the other. (Especially if summertime is your thrive time of feeling alive through the gift of time.)

"Summer You" knows how to breathe and decompress, reading entire book chapters at end without interruption, basking in the pool. "Summer You" loves late sunsets, patio-sitting, day-tripping, and vacation-jaunting. "Summer You" adores the "real time" of being in the moment, not living in the "scheduled time" of the school year.

But "School You" has its own perks: loving and being energized by work. Making a difference. Connecting with colleagues. Capitalizing on the creativity that comes from an inspired lesson plan, feeling that flash of brilliance. Being lit up from the joy of engaged students and their electric current of learning, all a part of what put us in this career to begin with.

But work comes with work, busy-ness, and sometimes weightiness: planning lessons, answering questions, writing emails, updating paperwork, tweaking slides, assessing students, and definitely being "on" for everyone! Including our families or our kids and maybe even making time for our own friends.

August comes like clockwork, with a collision when "Summer You" and "School You" comes crashing together. "Summer You" is still sun-kissed and hopeful, relaxed and fresh. "School You" is sharpening pencils and multi-tasking with too many open computer tabs and brain compartments. You are feeling the wistful melancholy of "Summer You" slowly slipping away, all too soon. You really, really liked her and don't want to see her go!

If only there was a way to merge the two, bringing "Summer You" into the school year, perhaps even creating the most sustainable version of you?!

Probably starts with boundaries. Making time for weekend and after work fun. We have all probably learned the hard way that no one gets points for working 24-7, being exhausted, or burnt out. No one wins from that... including our students. I remember my workaholic days in the early years of my career! Sleep, laughter, the outdoors, and time for the people in our lives that matter are restorative. Same for stepping away from the computer, carving out some down time, and not checking every chore off the list in one fell swoop. Laundry can be very, very patient and doesn't all need to get done "today." We all need breathing room and pockets of "summer" in our lives... even in the middle of winter! That comes by the way of our own "me" time with activities we enjoy. Likewise "we" time with our families building in group fun and relaxation.

Add in, there is no denying that we live in the land of AI now. It's a huge productivity tool that can carry some of the weight. Can it do everything? No! Nor should it! We need to be human, and relationships in particular need empathy, creativity, time, nurturing, and humanity. But AI can save time working as our personal assistant, buying us energy when it helps us differentiate material for our students, create project rubrics or slide shows, or streamline mental loads. 

Along those lines, our lives are more tech-centric than ever before. The gravitational pull to our phones, iPads, computers, TVs, and more is strong! I circle back to my long-time love-hate relationships with devices. They are an amazing in all they can do... and equally amazing in the level of "time-suck" they can bring. Often, when talking with teachers or parents about how students/kids are using technology, I ask: are they "creating" or "consuming?" Are they active or passive? It's a good question for all of us. It's especially a good one to ask as the educational pendulum continues to swing back and forth between the "to tech or not to tech" question in classrooms. 

I landed on these questions, and I think they serve as a good reminder during this quest for "Sustainable Me." Points to ponder when I am thinking about creating (or redesigning) meaningful and engaging activities for my students. (I think they also will serve me well when I find myself going down the rabbit hole of tech-consumption wasted time, whether it's doomscrolling social media or mindlessly playing that silly phone game when I need to decompress!)

• Does this activity ask students to create: code, design, compose, build?
• Does it help them connect: collaborate, give feedback, see perspectives beyond their own?
• Does it invite them to contemplate: reflect, question, think about thinking?

Perhaps all of this helps create a preservation plan that leads its way to "Sustainable You." A mix of the best of both worlds. A hybrid where "Summer You" and "School You" peacefully co-exist, maximizing potential and harnessing inspiration & innovation. A way to maintain your well-deserved, vital energy for the school year ahead. May we all find our very own sustainable selves! Have a great school year ahead.

Images created using the EduGem "Career Caricature" prompt: https://www.edugems.ai/gem/career-caricature and then compiled in www.canva.com

AI Acrostic Back-to-School Teacher Poster Fun

Here's a fun AI back-to-school teacher prompt that I've been enjoying playing with for both myself and friends. Created by LaNedra Johnson, her prompt is on her Facebook page "Canva Creations for Teachers." LaNedra's Facebook pages is decorated with a ton of colorful creations from teachers sharing their posters. It has definitely inspired me to play around with it too. You can play around with the level of photo realism and cartoony" caricatures you'd like. (The photo realistic ones are scarily spot on!!) I've adapted the prompt several times, making a few for my family, my fun bunch, and my partners in crime.

To find the full prompt, go to LaNedra's original prompt post here, then you can cut and paste into your favorite AI Platform. Then go forth and have fun!

Image created in Perplexity.ai, using & adapting the prompt found here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZgiAWobsC/

Corny, But True: Making Fuel at the Grocery Store

Summertime and the living is easy. Picnics, BBQs, cookouts, fresh fruits and vegetables. Summer comes with a lot of edible perks. Corn on the cob--yummy!

My most recent trip to the grocery store showed me another, when I was greeted with this bin, right next to to the table of corn I was grabbing for that night's dinner. Typically we shuck our corn at home, but this had me at "turning corn husks into renewable energy," and left me wanting to learn more.

What I discovered is that I've apparently been living under a rock and this technology has been around for about a decade. While I'm not the primary grocery shopper in my house, I will say I am 100% sure this circular waste collection piece hasn't been in the shopping marker that long. The corn husks and stalks are called "corn stover" and they are one of the many agricultural parts that make up biofuel. Reusing this agricultural waste is one of many ways to get there.

When you think of summer time and picnicking and you think of the vegetable waste alone, what a brilliant idea to have grocery stores starting to insert themselves in the process. 

Reminds me of my composting days (before the neighborhood rodents started using our french drain in the backyard like the sewers of Paris!)

Of course, there are many proponents who urge you not to do this in the store due to moisture loss and other reasons, so you do you. But I love it when circular economy is put to use.

To learn more about corn waste as a biofuel, check out this video or go toWashington State University's May 2025 article "Scientists Discover a New Way to Convert Corn Waste into Low-Cost Sugar for Biofuel."

Video from https://youtu.be/-AbjfwIhrV0?si=0E3TPGFY-VG_hpVZ, Pics from my camera.

Starry Night in the Dark Sky

Jane Taylor's simple rhyme from 1806 still hold true here, now 220 years later. There's nothing like a sparkling star-filled sky above, especially here in the summer. Of course, how much are any of us seeing in our neighborhoods given the light pollution we all encounter.

But imagine what all we would see in deep dark sky. DarkSky International is dedicated to helping you find that. On their website they have over 270 certified Dark Sky Places in 22 countries listed, ready and waiting for you to help you see the stars and all that nighttime nature that thrives under dark skies.

Makes you want to go out stargazing. Find the darkest place you can, or check out a Dark Sky Places to find a Dark Sky Sanctuary, Reserve, Park, Community, or Urban Night Sky Place near you. 

Twinkle Twinkle Image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQOWkxTz-A, Protect the Night Image created using Perplexity.ai with this prompt: Use this website to create an infographic about the importance of dark sky locations that are free of light pollution: https://darksky.org/