Hiking with children takes some extra planning to anticipate what you'll need on the trail. Add a large dog (or two) into the mix and you'll discover, as we did, that the combination becomes a test of organizational skills in packing and a go-with-the-flow type of attitude for the adventure.
We are not dog owners, but the girls were dog-sitting for friends and decided to take their two furry charges on a hike with us to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park in Freeport (Maine state parks, with only a few exceptions, are pet-friendly).
At 11 and 13 years old, the girls are well versed in organizing their backpacks for a hike, but they figured out quickly that a few hours with a couple of large dogs was really going to weigh them down. In addition to their usual binoculars, water bottle and snacks, they had to pack a large water dish (with a towel to keep their packs dry after the dish was used), a couple of extra water bottles, doggie treats and poop pickup bags. But my 13-year-old, the driving force behind taking the dogs hiking, took the heavier load of water without complaint.
Once we arrived at the park, everyone had to use the bathroom (an amenity we appreciate about state parks) before we started on the trail. The girls led the dogs to a spot to take care of business as well. They were grateful that the dogs only peed, but it wasn't two minutes on the trail before the messier business came along.
That's when a debate ensued about who was going to pick up the poop, because neither was keen on the idea. There were a couple of whines – "Oh mom, this is sooooo gross!" This from kids who regularly clean up after cats, as well as cows, pigs and chickens. Apparently the gross factor is all about what you're not used to.
Daddy came to the rescue by agreeing to do the job. By default (i.e., he was already holding the bag), he became the designated dog-poop carrier until a trash can could be found to dispose of it (which turned out to be near the end of the hike). A couple of times I heard my 13-year-old tell the dogs, "please, no more poop" (between the two dogs they'd managed to do their business at least a four times within the first 15 minutes of the hike). She started to worry that the number of dog poop bags she'd packed (which included a couple from the ranger at the entrance gate) wasn't going to last long enough for our hike. But her estimate turned out, thankfully, to be just right.
An unexpected challenge my 11-year-old faced hiking with dogs was our stop to view the osprey on Googins Island. She wanted to take a closer look at the nest, but the dog she was holding had different ideas and was tugging on the leash so she couldn't keep her binoculars steady. The leash was turned over to me so my daughter could take some time to look at the nesting birds. She commented several times it was hard to do her usual birding on this hike because the dogs "move around too much" (although it should be noted that these dogs were trained and very well-behaved and the issue was with my daughter, not the dogs) and she couldn't focus on listening and looking out for the birds as she usually does.
After a detour down some stairs leading to the water's edge, the girls found another challenge of hiking with dogs. Their furry friends had a hard time walking on the uneven rocky surface, yet were tugging on their leashes to get closer to the water. The girls were feeling as unsteady as their charges and opted to encourage the dogs to sit down. And as dogs will prefer, they flopped themselves into a puddle of water and the girls decided that wet, messy dogs were not going to be so great on the car ride home. They made haste back to the main trail.
The whole family agreed the highlight of this hike was meeting other dog owners. Every single person with a dog stopped to say hello and chitchat with us. After years of greeting other hikers with children, we all concurred that we'd never stopped to talk so much while hiking. But then again, a greeting that usually includes a question about the breed of your dog doesn't exactly translate well to parents of human children.
This hike was also a particularly good workout even though we were on mostly level ground because the dogs took us on a much faster pace than we're used to (but the stopping to chitchat helped us catch our breath). This was a plus for my older daughter, who has a lot more stamina for fast-walking and was just plain happy to be out with the dogs. But my younger child felt it was too fast and lamented that she couldn't "look around at everything as much."
Fino and I listened to the girls' various comments during the hike and had a chuckle about something we already knew. Our 13-year-old is a true dog-oriented person and happy to follow a furry friend's lead. And even though our 11-year-old likes dogs, she's not likely to share her life with one when she's older because she's just not wired for accommodating a pet's needs over her own.
Overall we had a very enjoyable day on this trail system and my 13-year-old was eager to bring the well-behaved dogs on another hike with the caveat that her dad also come along to scoop the poop again (though she conceded she could take care of that business on her own next time). My 11-year-old was less eager to take the dogs because they interfered with her hiking pace and her usual birding activities, but she enjoyed chitchatting with other hikers so she's still on the fence about it.
Fino and I enjoyed the dogs, and although it took a bit more work to plan a day on the trail with two kids and two dogs, we agreed we'd definitely bring our friend's dogs along again. We could continue to enjoy the dog culture without having to actually own one. That's a compromise with our 13-year-old we all liked.
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, August 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Exercise at a gym? No need, I've got pigs
Rain and pig pens are not a good combo. Not only has the pen been a muddy awful mess for weeks, the puddles of water that are not drying up are now becoming a health issue for the animals.
A farmer friend told L. when she first got the pigs that she needed to check their poop every day. That the poop was the best way to confirm the health of her pigs. If something with the poop changed, that would be the first indicator that something could be wrong with the animal. And L.'s resource book about pig health explained that with pigs, a simple case of diarrhea could lead to death in just a few days.
Over the weekend I saw a couple of watery poops from Titus which made L. (and the rest of us) concerned.
The pen used to be dry in the spring (for all the irony that is at the moment) but now the water situation is at critical mass. I’ve joked about "Pig Lake" on my Twitter account a couple of times and the expansion of Pig Lake’s Basin (at the entrance to the pen). But the situation became more serious the other day and we cursed the weather and the pigs' natural inclination to root. They do this (dig) frequently and enthusiastically and the holes they create collect water that take much longer to dry up (maybe they're hoping to swim to China instead of digging to it?).
We also noticed that the smell of the pig pen had changed. This may sound strange to people unfamiliar with farm animals but there is a healthy stench to a pig pen. I think we’ve got a handle on that smell (which isn’t all that great but we’ve gotten used to it) and believed the standing water in Pig Lake was changing the smell into something more foul and unhealthy for the animals.
So it became time for us to review our options to deal with the situation this past weekend.
One option was to dig up the fencing and move the pen, which presented all sorts of logistics problems on how to contain each 200+ pound pig while we did that (an all day project in the best scenario). Our other option was to figure out a way to dry out the pen with sand. The sand option was considered the more do-able choice.
Getting sand into the pen meant digging it up in another part of our property and using the wheelbarrow to dump it into the pen. Yes, we could have purchased bags of sand from the home improvement store but we were worried about the store's sand salt content. In case you didn’t know, salt (even a small amount) can kill a pig so it’s important to minimize their exposure to it. We thought it best to use what was already in the pigs' natural environment (with the bonus of being the thriftier choice as well).
Earlier this summer we had dug a couple of holes in a far off corner of our property to bury the manure and dump the sand we dug in to the pig pen. We decided to do the same thing again only on a larger scale. (i.e., dig deeper holes, get more sand).
Each wheelbarrow filled by Fino and I required L.'s assistance once we got the wheelbarrow to the pen's entrance. She had to use a board to direct the pigs in to another part of the pen so we could wheel in and dump the sand. This was tricky because (1) the pig's are always angling for an escape route and (2) the pigs were thrilled with the piles of sand and immediately set to root in it before we could spread it out. We got a handle on getting in the pen but gave up on spreading of the sand with shovels and just used our boots to push it in the general direction that we believed would do the most good.
After more than a dozen sand-filled wheelbarrows and a sprinkling of hay and shavings we decided the pen was as dry as we could make it at that point. It was an intense aerobic workout that lasted nearly four hours and we were exhausted by the end. And as funny as this sounds, so were the pigs. They were laying down and snoozing as soon as we left the pen (around 10:30 p.m.) after the last wheelbarrow dump and didn't wake up until after 8 a.m. the next morning (usually L.'s out at their pen at 6 a.m. to give them breakfast but they were still fast asleep so she let them "sleep in" until 8 a.m. when she roused them by poking their noses to get them up to eat).
Of course it rained that night (this is the crazy summer of 2009 after all) and although Pig Lake had not fully returned, there were still plenty of puddles in the pen the next morning.
So last night we set about digging another hole (hopefully no one will trespass on our land and fall in to one of the large 4-foot holes!) and filling another half dozen wheelbarrows of sand for the pen.
Then finally, after much sweat and blisters, I think this morning we finally have a handle on the pig pen situation (which would be aided by the rain subsiding for a day or two, just putting in my cosmic order for that). The pigs' healthy stench is back and Titus' poop is back to being solid and looking normal again, much to L.'s relief.
Oh, and for those who have more experience farming than we do, it's OK to have a chuckle at our expense after reading this blog. It's our first year with pigs and we (kids and parents) are living the 4-H motto -- "Learn by doing."
I do think we're deserving of points for effort in getting this pig thing figured out though -- and my family is becoming healthier in the process with all the exercise we've had building the shelter/pen earlier this spring and taking care of these pigs during this crazy weather. There isn't much sitting around watching TV at our house this summer. The pigs and rain (as well as Chickenland) have ensured we have had plenty of exercise in our daily routine.
Who needs a workout at the gym when you've got pigs?
PIG LAKE - before
PIG PEN - after hours of manual labor
It's not pretty but the pen does seem to be a heck of a lot drier than it was the other day. Now if the rain can stay away for a few days we might not have to do another sand dump...
PIG PEN IMPROVEMENT - in progress
Pigs loved the piles of sand and there were many happy pig grunts as they set to work immediately to root.
L.'s getting good at directing the pigs with the board and pushing them around (they're twice her body weight now). This will serve her well at the fair in September when she shows her pigs.
The pigs love a good scratch. L. can have them on the ground in seconds and in a trance-like state of bliss afterward, which will be handy in keeping her pigs calm when they go to the fair.
And as you can see by the photos, there were those of us doing the manual labor and another (G.) who took a more documentary - and less muddy and physical - approach to the situation (although we cut her a break because she deals with plenty of mud and wet at the cow farm).
A farmer friend told L. when she first got the pigs that she needed to check their poop every day. That the poop was the best way to confirm the health of her pigs. If something with the poop changed, that would be the first indicator that something could be wrong with the animal. And L.'s resource book about pig health explained that with pigs, a simple case of diarrhea could lead to death in just a few days.
Over the weekend I saw a couple of watery poops from Titus which made L. (and the rest of us) concerned.
The pen used to be dry in the spring (for all the irony that is at the moment) but now the water situation is at critical mass. I’ve joked about "Pig Lake" on my Twitter account a couple of times and the expansion of Pig Lake’s Basin (at the entrance to the pen). But the situation became more serious the other day and we cursed the weather and the pigs' natural inclination to root. They do this (dig) frequently and enthusiastically and the holes they create collect water that take much longer to dry up (maybe they're hoping to swim to China instead of digging to it?).
We also noticed that the smell of the pig pen had changed. This may sound strange to people unfamiliar with farm animals but there is a healthy stench to a pig pen. I think we’ve got a handle on that smell (which isn’t all that great but we’ve gotten used to it) and believed the standing water in Pig Lake was changing the smell into something more foul and unhealthy for the animals.
So it became time for us to review our options to deal with the situation this past weekend.
One option was to dig up the fencing and move the pen, which presented all sorts of logistics problems on how to contain each 200+ pound pig while we did that (an all day project in the best scenario). Our other option was to figure out a way to dry out the pen with sand. The sand option was considered the more do-able choice.
Getting sand into the pen meant digging it up in another part of our property and using the wheelbarrow to dump it into the pen. Yes, we could have purchased bags of sand from the home improvement store but we were worried about the store's sand salt content. In case you didn’t know, salt (even a small amount) can kill a pig so it’s important to minimize their exposure to it. We thought it best to use what was already in the pigs' natural environment (with the bonus of being the thriftier choice as well).
Earlier this summer we had dug a couple of holes in a far off corner of our property to bury the manure and dump the sand we dug in to the pig pen. We decided to do the same thing again only on a larger scale. (i.e., dig deeper holes, get more sand).
Each wheelbarrow filled by Fino and I required L.'s assistance once we got the wheelbarrow to the pen's entrance. She had to use a board to direct the pigs in to another part of the pen so we could wheel in and dump the sand. This was tricky because (1) the pig's are always angling for an escape route and (2) the pigs were thrilled with the piles of sand and immediately set to root in it before we could spread it out. We got a handle on getting in the pen but gave up on spreading of the sand with shovels and just used our boots to push it in the general direction that we believed would do the most good.
After more than a dozen sand-filled wheelbarrows and a sprinkling of hay and shavings we decided the pen was as dry as we could make it at that point. It was an intense aerobic workout that lasted nearly four hours and we were exhausted by the end. And as funny as this sounds, so were the pigs. They were laying down and snoozing as soon as we left the pen (around 10:30 p.m.) after the last wheelbarrow dump and didn't wake up until after 8 a.m. the next morning (usually L.'s out at their pen at 6 a.m. to give them breakfast but they were still fast asleep so she let them "sleep in" until 8 a.m. when she roused them by poking their noses to get them up to eat).
Of course it rained that night (this is the crazy summer of 2009 after all) and although Pig Lake had not fully returned, there were still plenty of puddles in the pen the next morning.
So last night we set about digging another hole (hopefully no one will trespass on our land and fall in to one of the large 4-foot holes!) and filling another half dozen wheelbarrows of sand for the pen.
Then finally, after much sweat and blisters, I think this morning we finally have a handle on the pig pen situation (which would be aided by the rain subsiding for a day or two, just putting in my cosmic order for that). The pigs' healthy stench is back and Titus' poop is back to being solid and looking normal again, much to L.'s relief.
Oh, and for those who have more experience farming than we do, it's OK to have a chuckle at our expense after reading this blog. It's our first year with pigs and we (kids and parents) are living the 4-H motto -- "Learn by doing."
I do think we're deserving of points for effort in getting this pig thing figured out though -- and my family is becoming healthier in the process with all the exercise we've had building the shelter/pen earlier this spring and taking care of these pigs during this crazy weather. There isn't much sitting around watching TV at our house this summer. The pigs and rain (as well as Chickenland) have ensured we have had plenty of exercise in our daily routine.
Who needs a workout at the gym when you've got pigs?
PIG LAKE - before
PIG PEN - after hours of manual labor
It's not pretty but the pen does seem to be a heck of a lot drier than it was the other day. Now if the rain can stay away for a few days we might not have to do another sand dump...PIG PEN IMPROVEMENT - in progress
Pigs loved the piles of sand and there were many happy pig grunts as they set to work immediately to root.L.'s getting good at directing the pigs with the board and pushing them around (they're twice her body weight now). This will serve her well at the fair in September when she shows her pigs.The pigs love a good scratch. L. can have them on the ground in seconds and in a trance-like state of bliss afterward, which will be handy in keeping her pigs calm when they go to the fair.And as you can see by the photos, there were those of us doing the manual labor and another (G.) who took a more documentary - and less muddy and physical - approach to the situation (although we cut her a break because she deals with plenty of mud and wet at the cow farm).
Monday, July 27, 2009
A sunny day aboard The Treehouse
We went cruising on the Merrimack River with Grandma and Papa Guy for our annual visit to The Treehouse (a houseboat). And thankfully, the weather cooperated beautifully for a great day on the river.
Both of the girls were offered their chance to drive the boat and G. served as captain for a significant distance on the river (to and from Newburyport from the Treehouse's mooring is about 15 miles round trip) and was a competent driver this year. Captain G. had a handle on the river's buoys and navigated the faster boats' wakes well and with very little assistance. L. spent less time as captain (her choice) and still had to use the step stool to see over the helm. But she was just as happy to be the passenger kicking back in the deck chair instead to enjoy the ride.
Newburyport is a favorite summer destination (by boat of course) for the girls because they love to visit the 'fairy store' and then stop off next store at Gram's Ice Cream for an Italian slush (a family favorite that we always indulge in time and time again when we're in MA).
I took some video of G. driving the boat and even caught the bridge opening for a passing sailboat.
One of the more interesting anecdotes on this trip was a man approaching The Treehouse at the Newburyport public docks and chatting it up with Papa Guy about watching a video that featured the boat. At first Guy thought it might have been the video of he and my mom's wedding last year that got some press because they were married on the unique-looking boat at the public docks (and the ceremony included bagpipes and bell ringers so this was not an unfounded assumption). But no, apparently he ran across a silly little video I took back in 2007 of L. driving the Treehouse and posted on my family's YouTube channel.
This social media stuff makes the world a much smaller place some days -- and gives boasting rights to a boat captain who seemed pleased to have a fan of his special boat.
Both of the girls were offered their chance to drive the boat and G. served as captain for a significant distance on the river (to and from Newburyport from the Treehouse's mooring is about 15 miles round trip) and was a competent driver this year. Captain G. had a handle on the river's buoys and navigated the faster boats' wakes well and with very little assistance. L. spent less time as captain (her choice) and still had to use the step stool to see over the helm. But she was just as happy to be the passenger kicking back in the deck chair instead to enjoy the ride.
Newburyport is a favorite summer destination (by boat of course) for the girls because they love to visit the 'fairy store' and then stop off next store at Gram's Ice Cream for an Italian slush (a family favorite that we always indulge in time and time again when we're in MA).
I took some video of G. driving the boat and even caught the bridge opening for a passing sailboat.
One of the more interesting anecdotes on this trip was a man approaching The Treehouse at the Newburyport public docks and chatting it up with Papa Guy about watching a video that featured the boat. At first Guy thought it might have been the video of he and my mom's wedding last year that got some press because they were married on the unique-looking boat at the public docks (and the ceremony included bagpipes and bell ringers so this was not an unfounded assumption). But no, apparently he ran across a silly little video I took back in 2007 of L. driving the Treehouse and posted on my family's YouTube channel.
This social media stuff makes the world a much smaller place some days -- and gives boasting rights to a boat captain who seemed pleased to have a fan of his special boat.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Clouds in the sky
The morning rain and intermittent thunderstorms today have produced some interesting cloud formations and G., my aspiring photographer, grabbed a camera and took a few photos of the white puffy clouds overhead a few minutes ago.
There is a peek of blue sky and sun right now but further on the horizon the sky has swirls of dark blue and black and I can hear the rumble of thunder so another storm is on its way as I type.
All the steady rain lately has been a real drag but there is some beauty in watching, and listening, to a summer thunderstorm roll in and out of town (from the safety of an inside-the-house vantage point). This is the sort of rain -- and heavy air (humidity) -- we usually see in July.
Not that I hope unsettled weather like this continues but at least I feel like maybe, just maybe, summer really has (finally) arrived in Maine.
There is a peek of blue sky and sun right now but further on the horizon the sky has swirls of dark blue and black and I can hear the rumble of thunder so another storm is on its way as I type.
All the steady rain lately has been a real drag but there is some beauty in watching, and listening, to a summer thunderstorm roll in and out of town (from the safety of an inside-the-house vantage point). This is the sort of rain -- and heavy air (humidity) -- we usually see in July.
Not that I hope unsettled weather like this continues but at least I feel like maybe, just maybe, summer really has (finally) arrived in Maine.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Guinea fowl good watchdogs ... in theory
We've raised chickens since the girls were little and overall it's been a great learning experience for my family. We don't raise meat chickens (ours are egg-layers) but the wildlife in the woodlands bordering our property find them a tasty meal on occasion.
We lose between 3-5 chickens a year, some to old age (a chicken's typical life-span is approximately 5-7 years with only a couple of those years as egg-layers) but it's the predators that get them mostly.
(In addition to foxes and fishers, one year we found a full grown red-tailed hawk in our yard stalking the chickens. We were about three feet away before it decided to take flight. It was the most impressive bird we'd ever seen so close -- and the most intimidating as the wing span was wider than our mini van was long!).
A couple of years ago some friends were calling it quits with their chickens and offered us their remaining flock (about a dozen birds) and included in the mix was a guinea. Up to that point we had never had any guinea fowl but had been told they were great 'watchdogs.' They make a very loud screeching noise whenever they perceive danger is near and Fino had already been doing some research about these birds so he was pleased with this new addition to the coop.
And as it turned out, since the guinea became part of our flock we have lost fewer chickens to predators.
So fast-forward to this spring. We've had the single guinea for a couple of years and things were going well and not overly noisy. But with the ordering of some new baby chicks (our flock is getting older and their egg-laying was becoming less reliable so we needed a few new chicks this spring) Fino decided to order THREE new guineas.
The girls and I tried to convince him that three was too many; one more would do us just fine. The one guinea we had already made an awful racket at random times (including the crack of dawn) and we thought adding more than one more to the mix was not a good idea.
But no, Fino was set on three (I still haven't figured out why he chose this number except that he was feeling ganged up on by the females in his life, which admittedly does happen frequently, so he dug his heels in to be contrary) and that's what he ordered from the feed store (and I made note a while back that I was concerned about this decision).
The new guineas are about three months old and have been fully integrated in to the flock for about three weeks.
And in a nutshell... they are a friggin' non-stop irritation!
The guineas start their racket at the crack of dawn (sometimes earlier) along with the rooster (a reluctant adoption but he's turned out to be only a minor irritation in comparison to the guineas) and are pretty much non-stop yapping "watchdogs" all day. There are actually times when they really get going that even the air conditioner and/or TV does not drown the noise out while we're in the house (which is to say nothing of days we have the windows open).
Yesterday morning I went outside with L. to record her morning pig chores for a video project she's doing and we gave up on her voice narration because the guineas were busy scaring away every predator within a 10-mile radius.
OK, I'm exaggerating but I have a one-minute video clip to share to demonstrate how truly annoying this noise really is. Yes the video offers a visual of the pigs and L. but it's the sound track I want you to make note of.
And I'll go out on a limb here and wager you won't make it through the whole minute before you turn the sound down and/or click the pause button.
Actually a real life pause button would be really nice right about now.
The Almeida guinea posse:
And because I have recent video of Chickenland (for those new to my blog, that's the kids' nickname for our chicken coop and flock), here are the usual noises and activity that start at dawn (sometimes earlier) on any given day in our backyard.
We lose between 3-5 chickens a year, some to old age (a chicken's typical life-span is approximately 5-7 years with only a couple of those years as egg-layers) but it's the predators that get them mostly.
(In addition to foxes and fishers, one year we found a full grown red-tailed hawk in our yard stalking the chickens. We were about three feet away before it decided to take flight. It was the most impressive bird we'd ever seen so close -- and the most intimidating as the wing span was wider than our mini van was long!).
A couple of years ago some friends were calling it quits with their chickens and offered us their remaining flock (about a dozen birds) and included in the mix was a guinea. Up to that point we had never had any guinea fowl but had been told they were great 'watchdogs.' They make a very loud screeching noise whenever they perceive danger is near and Fino had already been doing some research about these birds so he was pleased with this new addition to the coop.
And as it turned out, since the guinea became part of our flock we have lost fewer chickens to predators.
So fast-forward to this spring. We've had the single guinea for a couple of years and things were going well and not overly noisy. But with the ordering of some new baby chicks (our flock is getting older and their egg-laying was becoming less reliable so we needed a few new chicks this spring) Fino decided to order THREE new guineas.
The girls and I tried to convince him that three was too many; one more would do us just fine. The one guinea we had already made an awful racket at random times (including the crack of dawn) and we thought adding more than one more to the mix was not a good idea.
But no, Fino was set on three (I still haven't figured out why he chose this number except that he was feeling ganged up on by the females in his life, which admittedly does happen frequently, so he dug his heels in to be contrary) and that's what he ordered from the feed store (and I made note a while back that I was concerned about this decision).
The new guineas are about three months old and have been fully integrated in to the flock for about three weeks.
And in a nutshell... they are a friggin' non-stop irritation!
The guineas start their racket at the crack of dawn (sometimes earlier) along with the rooster (a reluctant adoption but he's turned out to be only a minor irritation in comparison to the guineas) and are pretty much non-stop yapping "watchdogs" all day. There are actually times when they really get going that even the air conditioner and/or TV does not drown the noise out while we're in the house (which is to say nothing of days we have the windows open).
Yesterday morning I went outside with L. to record her morning pig chores for a video project she's doing and we gave up on her voice narration because the guineas were busy scaring away every predator within a 10-mile radius.
OK, I'm exaggerating but I have a one-minute video clip to share to demonstrate how truly annoying this noise really is. Yes the video offers a visual of the pigs and L. but it's the sound track I want you to make note of.
And I'll go out on a limb here and wager you won't make it through the whole minute before you turn the sound down and/or click the pause button.
Actually a real life pause button would be really nice right about now.
The Almeida guinea posse:
And because I have recent video of Chickenland (for those new to my blog, that's the kids' nickname for our chicken coop and flock), here are the usual noises and activity that start at dawn (sometimes earlier) on any given day in our backyard.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A geocache box replacement and fun rocks
We hid a geocache box at the Lowell Preserve hiking trails in Windham many moons ago (May 2005 to be more precise) when we were first learned how to geocache. It was our very first geocache hide.
I wrote a story for the Sunday Telegram about our first experiences and how to get started with the game. When prepping our first hide I asked our staff designer to create a treasure map to find the cache without a GPS for those people who were curious about the game but didn't want to invest in a GPS unit without learning a bit more about it.
[If you are a geocacher, you can find this geocache listing here]
About two years ago we had to replace the log book in the cache because it was full (and a most enjoyable read) but haven't been back since. Then over the winter a geocacher admitted to breaking the top of the container when he tried to pry it from it's hiding spot in the snow and ice (I very much appreciated his honesty in letting me know the cache was damaged) and I knew the container needed to be replaced.
I had it on my list of things to do since that email back in December but it wasn't until this past weekend that I got around to actually driving over to the trail to replace the container with a new one (which just goes to show that writing my lists does not always ensure the doing part).
We decided to replace the broken plastic container with a much sturdier and nearly unbreakable ammo box I picked up at the Army Surplus store in South Portland (it's the box of choice among geocachers because of it's sturdiness and color to blend in to the environment).
The one thing about the ammo box I don't like is carrying it on the trail. It looks a little suspicious and requires an explanation to non-geocachers. But we didn't run in to anyone and I was able to replace the old container, which was in very sad shape and full of water, without incident.
L. was the one who actually chose the hiding spot for this geocache because she thought all the kids who might visit our family's geocache would like the "fun rocks." The rocks are on a low-lying part of the trail and since they were a good landmark, they were identified on the treasure map per her request.
And even after all these years, hopping from rock to rock is still a highlight of this trail and geocache hide for her.
Then...
Now...
I wrote a story for the Sunday Telegram about our first experiences and how to get started with the game. When prepping our first hide I asked our staff designer to create a treasure map to find the cache without a GPS for those people who were curious about the game but didn't want to invest in a GPS unit without learning a bit more about it.
[If you are a geocacher, you can find this geocache listing here]
About two years ago we had to replace the log book in the cache because it was full (and a most enjoyable read) but haven't been back since. Then over the winter a geocacher admitted to breaking the top of the container when he tried to pry it from it's hiding spot in the snow and ice (I very much appreciated his honesty in letting me know the cache was damaged) and I knew the container needed to be replaced.
I had it on my list of things to do since that email back in December but it wasn't until this past weekend that I got around to actually driving over to the trail to replace the container with a new one (which just goes to show that writing my lists does not always ensure the doing part).
We decided to replace the broken plastic container with a much sturdier and nearly unbreakable ammo box I picked up at the Army Surplus store in South Portland (it's the box of choice among geocachers because of it's sturdiness and color to blend in to the environment).
The one thing about the ammo box I don't like is carrying it on the trail. It looks a little suspicious and requires an explanation to non-geocachers. But we didn't run in to anyone and I was able to replace the old container, which was in very sad shape and full of water, without incident.
L. was the one who actually chose the hiding spot for this geocache because she thought all the kids who might visit our family's geocache would like the "fun rocks." The rocks are on a low-lying part of the trail and since they were a good landmark, they were identified on the treasure map per her request.
And even after all these years, hopping from rock to rock is still a highlight of this trail and geocache hide for her.
Then...
Now...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Never too old for fingerpaint
We bought some pots of fingerpaint at Michael's craft store last weekend and the girls and I spent an enjoyable morning painting like we were all in preschool again.
The girls were initially put-off by the fact that fingerpaint only came in four colors (primary and green) but they discovered mixing them up to create new colors (which required they remember their former art class color wheels) was fun.
They were also quite adept at painting each color with a different finger because it was a hassle to wipe your finger after using each color (getting that bit out of the fingernails is a pain and if you don't, it really can mix in to the next color you use). I didn't care for the awkwardness in using my ring finger to draw and I did a lot more cloth wiping than the girls did.
So less you think that your kids (or you) are too old to spend a morning fingerpainting, think again. It really is a lot of fun, especially on a rainy day ... and a lot less messy when your kids are 11 and 13 years old (although I think messy is good when it keeps the kids busy for hours so this was an activity we did a lot when the girls were little because these washable paints really don't stain anything).
By the time we were tired of painting we had about 20 pictures among the three of us. We did a variety of styles and subjects as you can see. The great thing about fingerpainting is that anything goes and it's easy to do even if you don't have a talent for painting (which I don't think I do, nor does G. feel she does either but we still had fun making designs and abstracts).
Oh, and I highly recommend that you get paper designed specifically for fingerpainting. The paint doesn't spread well on regular paper and the watercolor effect just isn't as nice.
The girls were initially put-off by the fact that fingerpaint only came in four colors (primary and green) but they discovered mixing them up to create new colors (which required they remember their former art class color wheels) was fun.
They were also quite adept at painting each color with a different finger because it was a hassle to wipe your finger after using each color (getting that bit out of the fingernails is a pain and if you don't, it really can mix in to the next color you use). I didn't care for the awkwardness in using my ring finger to draw and I did a lot more cloth wiping than the girls did.
So less you think that your kids (or you) are too old to spend a morning fingerpainting, think again. It really is a lot of fun, especially on a rainy day ... and a lot less messy when your kids are 11 and 13 years old (although I think messy is good when it keeps the kids busy for hours so this was an activity we did a lot when the girls were little because these washable paints really don't stain anything).
By the time we were tired of painting we had about 20 pictures among the three of us. We did a variety of styles and subjects as you can see. The great thing about fingerpainting is that anything goes and it's easy to do even if you don't have a talent for painting (which I don't think I do, nor does G. feel she does either but we still had fun making designs and abstracts).Oh, and I highly recommend that you get paper designed specifically for fingerpainting. The paint doesn't spread well on regular paper and the watercolor effect just isn't as nice.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Art camp, movie about little red ball
The 'flip book' L. referenced in the reminder note she posted on her door last week included the culmination of a week's worth of drawing for an animated movie she had been working on at art camp.
Her book included 74 individual drawings she made in order to create an animated movie (hence the note to herself not to freak out that her special drawing book, that represented hours and hours of work, wasn't home that night).
The movie was made by simply taking a picture of each drawing (using a tripod to frame all the photos the same way) and then importing them in to iMovie. She imported the Dvorak piece (her choice as she believed the music suited her story best) and added the titles and credits to finish it off.
This project was done in a similar way to the claymation movies she made earlier this spring. As I said to a friend, it's no drooling possum (the subject of her first animation movie), but there are some recognizable characters and is still amusing all the same.
The movie is done (and the camp over) and after watching "The Story of the Little Red Ball" and seeing how much work she put in to it (and how happy she was with the final results), I told her I'd post her movie on my blog today.
And just to be clear, making an animated movie like this is not that hard to do (and this post is not meant to be braggart-like, just a special recognition from mom for a kid who worked hard on her project). I offer the step-by-step instructions on making the claymation movies that are the same for this sort of animation only substituting the drawings for the clay movements (but L and I agree that clay is much less time-consuming).
This is also a GREAT rainy day activity for older kids and can keep them busy for hours, which I mention just in case the sun doesn't hold out all week.
Her book included 74 individual drawings she made in order to create an animated movie (hence the note to herself not to freak out that her special drawing book, that represented hours and hours of work, wasn't home that night).
The movie was made by simply taking a picture of each drawing (using a tripod to frame all the photos the same way) and then importing them in to iMovie. She imported the Dvorak piece (her choice as she believed the music suited her story best) and added the titles and credits to finish it off.
This project was done in a similar way to the claymation movies she made earlier this spring. As I said to a friend, it's no drooling possum (the subject of her first animation movie), but there are some recognizable characters and is still amusing all the same.
The movie is done (and the camp over) and after watching "The Story of the Little Red Ball" and seeing how much work she put in to it (and how happy she was with the final results), I told her I'd post her movie on my blog today.
And just to be clear, making an animated movie like this is not that hard to do (and this post is not meant to be braggart-like, just a special recognition from mom for a kid who worked hard on her project). I offer the step-by-step instructions on making the claymation movies that are the same for this sort of animation only substituting the drawings for the clay movements (but L and I agree that clay is much less time-consuming).
This is also a GREAT rainy day activity for older kids and can keep them busy for hours, which I mention just in case the sun doesn't hold out all week.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Apple doesn't fall far from tree with lists
I'm a fan of 'to do' lists and notes. I've usually got multiple lists going at once - work to be done at the office, grocery shopping, household chores and whatever else needs doing. Sometimes I write my lists in a notebook, or on a scrap of paper and sometimes on a post-it note.
Early on in my marriage I tried to induct Fino in to my list writing - and following - world but that was met with much resistance. So I adapted to making a list (for him that I keep in my notebook) and reminding him about things verbally, a little bit at a time. Not an ideal situation for either of our natural preferences but an OK compromise we have both lived with for more than 16 years of our married life.
But I have found the girls respond well to lists when chores and school work need to be done. I write a handful of things I want them to do in the morning and ask that it be completed by dinner time. That way the girls have some level of control over when they get their work done.
I am also very specific with the tasks I ask them to do. Instead of "clean the bathroom" I will list "wash the bathroom sink and counter," "shake out the bathroom rugs," "scrub the inside of the toilet," "wash the tub and faucets," etc. That way they have the satisfaction of crossing each item off with a more immediate sense of accomplishment and each smaller task on the list doesn't seem so overwhelming to them (and I ensure I cover the bases as to what I consider the tasks required to consider a bathroom "clean").
This list-making thing works pretty well but I'll admit we have our days of "I forgot" or "I don't want to do that!" So just like every other family, the actual completion of the chores is up to the moods of the household on any given day.
And although I encourage G. especially to write lists to remind herself of her own schoolwork she needs to do (part of her ADD challenges is her short-term memory issues), L. is the one who is wired for making lists.
This morning I woke up to see this on L.'s door.
(8053_Lorgainzer_580.jpg)
Apparently she felt the need to remind herself that the notebook of her artwork she's been taking home from camp every day was left with her teacher yesterday. And the smiley face (which I often include in my own notes to her and her sister) she has on this note to herself made me laugh.
Early on in my marriage I tried to induct Fino in to my list writing - and following - world but that was met with much resistance. So I adapted to making a list (for him that I keep in my notebook) and reminding him about things verbally, a little bit at a time. Not an ideal situation for either of our natural preferences but an OK compromise we have both lived with for more than 16 years of our married life.
But I have found the girls respond well to lists when chores and school work need to be done. I write a handful of things I want them to do in the morning and ask that it be completed by dinner time. That way the girls have some level of control over when they get their work done.
I am also very specific with the tasks I ask them to do. Instead of "clean the bathroom" I will list "wash the bathroom sink and counter," "shake out the bathroom rugs," "scrub the inside of the toilet," "wash the tub and faucets," etc. That way they have the satisfaction of crossing each item off with a more immediate sense of accomplishment and each smaller task on the list doesn't seem so overwhelming to them (and I ensure I cover the bases as to what I consider the tasks required to consider a bathroom "clean").
This list-making thing works pretty well but I'll admit we have our days of "I forgot" or "I don't want to do that!" So just like every other family, the actual completion of the chores is up to the moods of the household on any given day.
And although I encourage G. especially to write lists to remind herself of her own schoolwork she needs to do (part of her ADD challenges is her short-term memory issues), L. is the one who is wired for making lists.
This morning I woke up to see this on L.'s door.
(8053_Lorgainzer_580.jpg)Apparently she felt the need to remind herself that the notebook of her artwork she's been taking home from camp every day was left with her teacher yesterday. And the smiley face (which I often include in my own notes to her and her sister) she has on this note to herself made me laugh.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A day with sheep and new confidence
G. was invited to work at Ossipee Fair last weekend to help a farm with their sheep at the fairgrounds. After her experience at June Jamboree with her spirited cow Sparkles, G. was reluctant to walk back in to a show ring. I (as well as her 4-H leaders) thought this opportunity would be a good way to re-introduce her to working with animals at the fairgrounds without the pressure of showing an animal. Plus, she loves grooming and caring for any sort of animal and was curious about sheep so decided to give it a whirl.
I'm really glad she did because she ended up getting coaxed in to the show ring to help with the Sheep Open Show because the farm needed a couple of extra hands.
G. worked with the 4-H kids from Breezy Knoll Farm and she really enjoyed her time in the sheep barn.
The farm had a bunch of sheep slated for the open show so it took a couple of people to get them gathered outside the show ring. G. was part of that wrangling and that's how she was coaxed in to the ring to help show a couple of them.
G. didn't have a chance to change out of her barn clothes for the open show but it didn't matter because this sort of show is all about the animal and has nothing to do with the person showing it (at June Jamboree G. was in the show ring with her cow to be judged on her showmanship of her animal, which included how she handled it, her grooming skills and showing it to it's best advantage).
G. was pleased as punch that one of the sheep she brought in to the open show ring won a blue ribbon. And even though this show did not consider her showmanship skills, she had a good handle on the sheep (who, truth be told, was even-tempered anyhow) walking and moving it around for the judge.
Even though G. was well-aware that this show was about the sheep and not her, she was still quite excited about handling the sheep that won a blue ribbon. And it was a sweet gesture that the farm let her keep the sheep's ribbon after showing her enthusiasm for it.
She was feeling so good after this show that she willingly took a cow for a walk around the fairgrounds. That was another milestone since G. was sure she didn't ever want to walk a cow around a fairgrounds again after Jamboree. She and this mellow cow had a nice walk about and the boost in confidence by the end of her day at the fair was great.
Now G. is thinking that showing animals at the fair isn't quite such a nerve-racking experience but she's not sure she and Sparkles are up for a repeat performance in the show ring together this fair season. But she is at least reconsidering the option open for the possibility at Cumberland Fair in late-September.
And no, G. has no plans to change her beef project to sheep next year. She still loves the cows she works with at Wenwood Farm and has every intention of continuing with her beef project next year, with one caveat. She wants a new calf in the fall. She's even more certain now that Sparkles is just not wired for the fairgrounds ... but she believes she might be with the right animal partner.
It's always an interesting journey to watch how your children learn and gain confidence with the things they enjoy.
And I want to do a shout-out for David Smith who gave G. a nice pep talk about the fun of showing and helping her learn the ropes at the fair -- and for encouraging her to get in to the open show ring with the sheep and have fun with it. Thanks!
I'm really glad she did because she ended up getting coaxed in to the show ring to help with the Sheep Open Show because the farm needed a couple of extra hands.
G. worked with the 4-H kids from Breezy Knoll Farm and she really enjoyed her time in the sheep barn.The farm had a bunch of sheep slated for the open show so it took a couple of people to get them gathered outside the show ring. G. was part of that wrangling and that's how she was coaxed in to the ring to help show a couple of them. G. didn't have a chance to change out of her barn clothes for the open show but it didn't matter because this sort of show is all about the animal and has nothing to do with the person showing it (at June Jamboree G. was in the show ring with her cow to be judged on her showmanship of her animal, which included how she handled it, her grooming skills and showing it to it's best advantage).
G. was pleased as punch that one of the sheep she brought in to the open show ring won a blue ribbon. And even though this show did not consider her showmanship skills, she had a good handle on the sheep (who, truth be told, was even-tempered anyhow) walking and moving it around for the judge.
Even though G. was well-aware that this show was about the sheep and not her, she was still quite excited about handling the sheep that won a blue ribbon. And it was a sweet gesture that the farm let her keep the sheep's ribbon after showing her enthusiasm for it.She was feeling so good after this show that she willingly took a cow for a walk around the fairgrounds. That was another milestone since G. was sure she didn't ever want to walk a cow around a fairgrounds again after Jamboree. She and this mellow cow had a nice walk about and the boost in confidence by the end of her day at the fair was great.
Now G. is thinking that showing animals at the fair isn't quite such a nerve-racking experience but she's not sure she and Sparkles are up for a repeat performance in the show ring together this fair season. But she is at least reconsidering the option open for the possibility at Cumberland Fair in late-September.
And no, G. has no plans to change her beef project to sheep next year. She still loves the cows she works with at Wenwood Farm and has every intention of continuing with her beef project next year, with one caveat. She wants a new calf in the fall. She's even more certain now that Sparkles is just not wired for the fairgrounds ... but she believes she might be with the right animal partner.
It's always an interesting journey to watch how your children learn and gain confidence with the things they enjoy.
And I want to do a shout-out for David Smith who gave G. a nice pep talk about the fun of showing and helping her learn the ropes at the fair -- and for encouraging her to get in to the open show ring with the sheep and have fun with it. Thanks!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Piggie Titus Rocket launches redux
The rocket L. made at her rocketry class - Piggie Titus - is still operational and she and Fino are quite literally having a blast with it.
Last weekend Fino built some sort of pressurized rocket launcher thingie that connects to his air compressor. (Can you tell I'm not the science genius at our house?) I don't know exactly how he made it but he and L. have been launching Piggie Titus in the backyard over and over again for the past week and a half.
L. has been experimenting with the rocket's wings and decided that the pizza box ones she made last weekend were inhibiting the rocket's potential for flying higher. Both she and Fino agreed Piggie Titus was better off with a nose adjustment (there's clay in the tip of the rocket that they tweak and re-balance). So Piggie Titus has been launching sans wings lately and since that adjustment, has been flying over the house and clear in to another part of the backyard. L.'s theory about going wingless appears to be working out just fine.
L. wears her coat for launches so she doesn't get too wet (water rockets spray everything out as it launches) and the ear protection because she doesn't like the loud popping noise at launch. She's a persnickety one with some things but it usually doesn't stop her from having fun.
G. was going for some photos like she took at the Maine 4-H Day's rocketry class but had less open space to set herself up to take video and photos.
G. took some video but missed the first launch when the chickens didn't know what was going on and were curious so they got really close to the launch box (they are always part of the backyard antics). But they backed off more quickly than they did with the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment a few years back because they sensed this blow up was going to be much bigger once the air compressor started.
And because I can't resist a moment to reminisce, I tracked down that Mentos video (Fino loves to make things explode - it's his inner child that L. in particular appreciates), you can watch the initial curious chicken turn in to a runaway:
I'm not sure how much longer Piggie Titus is going to stay together (the bottle and tape are showing signs of significant wear today) but I would guess before the summer is out there will likely be a next generation rocket on the horizon. This backyard science stuff has been keeping the kids (I include Fino in that reference) happy in the yard even if the chickens aren't so keen on it.
I'm a little worried what they will come up with next...
Last weekend Fino built some sort of pressurized rocket launcher thingie that connects to his air compressor. (Can you tell I'm not the science genius at our house?) I don't know exactly how he made it but he and L. have been launching Piggie Titus in the backyard over and over again for the past week and a half.
L. has been experimenting with the rocket's wings and decided that the pizza box ones she made last weekend were inhibiting the rocket's potential for flying higher. Both she and Fino agreed Piggie Titus was better off with a nose adjustment (there's clay in the tip of the rocket that they tweak and re-balance). So Piggie Titus has been launching sans wings lately and since that adjustment, has been flying over the house and clear in to another part of the backyard. L.'s theory about going wingless appears to be working out just fine.
L. wears her coat for launches so she doesn't get too wet (water rockets spray everything out as it launches) and the ear protection because she doesn't like the loud popping noise at launch. She's a persnickety one with some things but it usually doesn't stop her from having fun.G. was going for some photos like she took at the Maine 4-H Day's rocketry class but had less open space to set herself up to take video and photos. G. took some video but missed the first launch when the chickens didn't know what was going on and were curious so they got really close to the launch box (they are always part of the backyard antics). But they backed off more quickly than they did with the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment a few years back because they sensed this blow up was going to be much bigger once the air compressor started.
And because I can't resist a moment to reminisce, I tracked down that Mentos video (Fino loves to make things explode - it's his inner child that L. in particular appreciates), you can watch the initial curious chicken turn in to a runaway:
I'm not sure how much longer Piggie Titus is going to stay together (the bottle and tape are showing signs of significant wear today) but I would guess before the summer is out there will likely be a next generation rocket on the horizon. This backyard science stuff has been keeping the kids (I include Fino in that reference) happy in the yard even if the chickens aren't so keen on it.
I'm a little worried what they will come up with next...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Summer fair season opens tomorrow
The Ossipee Valley Fair marks the start of the summer fair season (it opens tomorrow) and the kids have been busy putting the final touches on their 4-H exhibit hall projects for the past couple of weeks.
Last night myself and another mom from the girls' 4-H club took the trek to the fairgrounds with all of the club's entries (30+ different projects) to set them up in the hall and turn in the kids' entry form paperwork (the judging takes place today, it's always the day before the fair officially opens).
As is the case every year, there were plenty of parent volunteers from various clubs setting up their respective club member's entries. It's a friendly group and we usually chat while doing our set-up and several people commented on what a difference a year can make. Not in the kids' projects but in relation to the weather.
Last year setting up the 4-H exhibit hall at Ossipee was a test of stamina in the sweltering heat and humidity (I'm sure you're disappointed I don't have any pictures of hot sweaty mamas from last year to post here). This year most of us were wearing fleeces underneath raincoats and lamenting the prep work required to get some of the projects wrapped to transport to the fairgrounds in the rain (i.e., all the posters and artwork that could NOT get wet - we all managed the feat without incident thank goodness).
But as in past years, we made quick work of getting the 4-H exhibit hall set up with all the displays (which requires hammers, nails, tacks and some creative decorating skills by the more experienced volunteers) in only a few hours.
My crew will be at the fairgrounds on Friday (and Sunday and probably Saturday because we never seem to stick to my more minimalist plans) and it looks like maybe the weather might actually cooperate with a break in the clouds!
But I'll still put in my plea to the sun powers to please cut G. and her friends a break and actually provide that sunshine because handling livestock in the rain and mud really is not much fun for anyone.
This shot was taken with my cell phone so it's not so great. But the exhibits this year by all the various 4-H clubs are both interesting and clever and worth a stop to the exhibit hall if you're headed to the Ossipee fairgrounds this weekend.
And in case you didn't know, anyone can enter exhibits in nearly any county fair in Maine. The general exhibit hall (which is different from the 4-H designated halls) is open to any Maine resident of just about any age (I think the minimum might be 3 years old at most fairs). Entries usually require some minimal paperwork (name, address, category/class of your entry) but it's a whole lot of fun for the kids to see something they've made at their local fair. My kids have entered projects as general Maine residents (not 4-H) in the Topsham Fair and had a lot of fun getting ready for that fair with their friends. They dressed up their dolls for judging, entered a painting they did with finger paint, decorated cupcakes, framed photos they've taken, made a variety of crafts, etc. It was lots of fun and no 4-H connection was required.
If you've never done this before and are wondering how to enter your kids' projects in a fair, post a comment below with the fair you'd like to enter and I'll post a link (or phone number) with that fair's exhibit hall information (each fair is different so you've got to find the specific fair's exhibit guidelines).
Last night myself and another mom from the girls' 4-H club took the trek to the fairgrounds with all of the club's entries (30+ different projects) to set them up in the hall and turn in the kids' entry form paperwork (the judging takes place today, it's always the day before the fair officially opens).
As is the case every year, there were plenty of parent volunteers from various clubs setting up their respective club member's entries. It's a friendly group and we usually chat while doing our set-up and several people commented on what a difference a year can make. Not in the kids' projects but in relation to the weather.
Last year setting up the 4-H exhibit hall at Ossipee was a test of stamina in the sweltering heat and humidity (I'm sure you're disappointed I don't have any pictures of hot sweaty mamas from last year to post here). This year most of us were wearing fleeces underneath raincoats and lamenting the prep work required to get some of the projects wrapped to transport to the fairgrounds in the rain (i.e., all the posters and artwork that could NOT get wet - we all managed the feat without incident thank goodness).
But as in past years, we made quick work of getting the 4-H exhibit hall set up with all the displays (which requires hammers, nails, tacks and some creative decorating skills by the more experienced volunteers) in only a few hours.
My crew will be at the fairgrounds on Friday (and Sunday and probably Saturday because we never seem to stick to my more minimalist plans) and it looks like maybe the weather might actually cooperate with a break in the clouds!
But I'll still put in my plea to the sun powers to please cut G. and her friends a break and actually provide that sunshine because handling livestock in the rain and mud really is not much fun for anyone.
This shot was taken with my cell phone so it's not so great. But the exhibits this year by all the various 4-H clubs are both interesting and clever and worth a stop to the exhibit hall if you're headed to the Ossipee fairgrounds this weekend. And in case you didn't know, anyone can enter exhibits in nearly any county fair in Maine. The general exhibit hall (which is different from the 4-H designated halls) is open to any Maine resident of just about any age (I think the minimum might be 3 years old at most fairs). Entries usually require some minimal paperwork (name, address, category/class of your entry) but it's a whole lot of fun for the kids to see something they've made at their local fair. My kids have entered projects as general Maine residents (not 4-H) in the Topsham Fair and had a lot of fun getting ready for that fair with their friends. They dressed up their dolls for judging, entered a painting they did with finger paint, decorated cupcakes, framed photos they've taken, made a variety of crafts, etc. It was lots of fun and no 4-H connection was required.
If you've never done this before and are wondering how to enter your kids' projects in a fair, post a comment below with the fair you'd like to enter and I'll post a link (or phone number) with that fair's exhibit hall information (each fair is different so you've got to find the specific fair's exhibit guidelines).
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Kid Tracks Column: Outdoor summer fun ideas
The Almeida family has a few suggestions for you of activities and places to explore this summer with your family.
Mining for gems
You don't have to know anything about rocks and geology to take your kids on a mining adventure. Just gather a couple of simple supplies and hike to a public quarry. Oh, and be prepared to bring home a large bag of treasures, because the kids are going to want to keep everything they find.
Get a full listing of public quarries at the state's website (www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/mining). Below are a couple of places my family has visited and really enjoyed.
A suggested supply list:
Hammer; chisel; sturdy canvas bag to carry treasures home; safety glasses (There can be a lot of flying debris when kids are splitting rocks with hammers, so be sure to protect their eyes. If you don't have safety glasses, sunglasses work OK in a pinch).
MOUNT APATITE, AUBURN
There are two quarries at Mount Apatite open to the public, the Maine Feldspar and Greenlaw quarries. Quartz, feldspar and mica are plentiful here and for families new to mining, these gems are easy to identify and can be quite pretty. My family has also found small pieces of tourmaline and apatite and the kids covet those finds. (Read previous blog entry about this area)
PERHAM'S, WEST PARIS
Perham's is a jewelry store (800-371-GEMS), but it also has a mineral display of uncut gems from the mines of Maine. It's a great stop to learn more about identifying rocks and gems you might find while mining. Perham's also owns several quarries and you can request a free map at the store to visit its public quarries. My family has visited the Waisanen Quarry and the 1/4-mile hike from the trail head is an easy trek with our gear (it's the outbound trip with our bag full of treasures that would make anything longer more difficult for us to manage). When we have visited this quarry there have been both coarse and fine screens next to a nearby pond. This is a great way to gather, rinse and identify various gems – not something found at many other public quarries.
WESTERN MAINE MINERAL ADVENTURES, PARIS
This mining experience is a bit different because it is a screening location. Here you screen a bucket of mine run material containing different gemstones from local mines. Visitors are assigned a worktable to screen and wash the contents of their bucket to find gems. What we like about this experience is that there are knowledgeable people on hand to help identify the gems you find. But be warned that screening can be addicting and it can get a bit pricey if you fill multiple buckets (prices start at $10 per bucket). Check out the website for pricing details - www.diggems.com. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
Hiking
During the summer, a hike that leads to a quiet swimming hole or another special destination motivates everyone in the family to take a trek together.
A suggested supply list: Bathing suit and beach towel (if there's water anywhere along the trail the kids are going to want to go for a dip); binoculars; sunscreen and bug spray; bird and/or tree identification guides; water (frozen overnight so it stays cold in backpack); picnic lunch.
DIANA'S BATH, WHITE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL FOREST, NORTH CONWAY, N.H.
A short hike (less than a mile) on an easy, packed gravel trail brings visitors to waterfalls at Lucy Brook that includes rocky basins to take a dip. There is an outhouse at the trail head but not at the waterfalls so plan accordingly with kids. And bring a change of clothes to do a bit of shopping at the outlet stores a short distance away. Also note there is a $3 parking fee at the trail head. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
MORSE MOUNTAIN, PHIPPSBURG
The two-mile (one way) trail, which is mostly paved, takes hikers to the summit of Morse Mountain and then on to Seawall Beach. The elevation gain on this hike is around 100 feet total, so it's not a difficult climb – and it's stroller-friendly for those with little ones who might not be able to walk the full distance on their own. Be sure to bring both bug spray (for the wooded trail) and sunscreen (for the beach) on this hike as well as beach towels, because no one will be able to resist hanging out at the beach and taking a dip in the ocean. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK, NEWRY
The trail to Table Rock is approximately a three-mile hike (a round-trip loop) that's well suited for children with some experience hiking (the elevation gain is about 900 feet, so be sure your child is ready for that) and includes some time on the Appalachian Trail. My kids enjoy chatting with thru-hikers they meet on the AT and it makes for an interesting geography (and history) lesson about the trail. If you are not up for hiking a mountain, there are some shorter (with less elevation gain) hiking trails that will appeal to younger family members at the park. Screw Auger Falls is an interesting place for kids to explore with its exposed rock and pools of water (good for dipping feet). And Moose Cave is also a fun stop to explore and learn a bit about the geology of the area as well. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
PINE TREE STATE ARBORETUM, AUGUSTA
There are several miles of hiking trails on fairly level terrain so families can choose a loop that suits their fitness level. The hosta garden is particularly entertaining and features "Abba Dabba Do" and "Elvis Lives" varieties (yes, those are real hosta plant names). The Almeida kids love reading the plant identification plaques on this trail and the hosta garden is a great incentive to get the kids excited about this trail system.
(Read previous blog entries about this place)
Orienteering
Orienteering is a treasure hunt using a map and compass – only instead of a treasure chest, participants try to find various control stations. Each control station has a unique hole punch, which participants use to mark a course card before moving on to the next station. Control stations are positioned both on and off trail but are always located on a distinct feature like a large boulder, the top of a knoll or near a stream. It's a great way to teach the kids about maps, and even if mom and dad aren't fluent with using a compass, these courses offer maps that are easy for novices (and using a compass is not required).
One suggested supply apart from hiking gear: compass.
PINELAND FARMS IN NEW GLOUCESTER; LIBBY HILL IN GRAY
Both have established orienteering courses with maps available year-round.
(Read previous story about Pineland's Orienteering course)
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, July 2009
Mining for gems
You don't have to know anything about rocks and geology to take your kids on a mining adventure. Just gather a couple of simple supplies and hike to a public quarry. Oh, and be prepared to bring home a large bag of treasures, because the kids are going to want to keep everything they find.
Get a full listing of public quarries at the state's website (www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/mining). Below are a couple of places my family has visited and really enjoyed.
A suggested supply list:
Hammer; chisel; sturdy canvas bag to carry treasures home; safety glasses (There can be a lot of flying debris when kids are splitting rocks with hammers, so be sure to protect their eyes. If you don't have safety glasses, sunglasses work OK in a pinch).
MOUNT APATITE, AUBURN
There are two quarries at Mount Apatite open to the public, the Maine Feldspar and Greenlaw quarries. Quartz, feldspar and mica are plentiful here and for families new to mining, these gems are easy to identify and can be quite pretty. My family has also found small pieces of tourmaline and apatite and the kids covet those finds. (Read previous blog entry about this area)
PERHAM'S, WEST PARIS
Perham's is a jewelry store (800-371-GEMS), but it also has a mineral display of uncut gems from the mines of Maine. It's a great stop to learn more about identifying rocks and gems you might find while mining. Perham's also owns several quarries and you can request a free map at the store to visit its public quarries. My family has visited the Waisanen Quarry and the 1/4-mile hike from the trail head is an easy trek with our gear (it's the outbound trip with our bag full of treasures that would make anything longer more difficult for us to manage). When we have visited this quarry there have been both coarse and fine screens next to a nearby pond. This is a great way to gather, rinse and identify various gems – not something found at many other public quarries.
WESTERN MAINE MINERAL ADVENTURES, PARIS
This mining experience is a bit different because it is a screening location. Here you screen a bucket of mine run material containing different gemstones from local mines. Visitors are assigned a worktable to screen and wash the contents of their bucket to find gems. What we like about this experience is that there are knowledgeable people on hand to help identify the gems you find. But be warned that screening can be addicting and it can get a bit pricey if you fill multiple buckets (prices start at $10 per bucket). Check out the website for pricing details - www.diggems.com. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
Hiking
During the summer, a hike that leads to a quiet swimming hole or another special destination motivates everyone in the family to take a trek together.
A suggested supply list: Bathing suit and beach towel (if there's water anywhere along the trail the kids are going to want to go for a dip); binoculars; sunscreen and bug spray; bird and/or tree identification guides; water (frozen overnight so it stays cold in backpack); picnic lunch.
DIANA'S BATH, WHITE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL FOREST, NORTH CONWAY, N.H.
A short hike (less than a mile) on an easy, packed gravel trail brings visitors to waterfalls at Lucy Brook that includes rocky basins to take a dip. There is an outhouse at the trail head but not at the waterfalls so plan accordingly with kids. And bring a change of clothes to do a bit of shopping at the outlet stores a short distance away. Also note there is a $3 parking fee at the trail head. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
MORSE MOUNTAIN, PHIPPSBURG
The two-mile (one way) trail, which is mostly paved, takes hikers to the summit of Morse Mountain and then on to Seawall Beach. The elevation gain on this hike is around 100 feet total, so it's not a difficult climb – and it's stroller-friendly for those with little ones who might not be able to walk the full distance on their own. Be sure to bring both bug spray (for the wooded trail) and sunscreen (for the beach) on this hike as well as beach towels, because no one will be able to resist hanging out at the beach and taking a dip in the ocean. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK, NEWRY
The trail to Table Rock is approximately a three-mile hike (a round-trip loop) that's well suited for children with some experience hiking (the elevation gain is about 900 feet, so be sure your child is ready for that) and includes some time on the Appalachian Trail. My kids enjoy chatting with thru-hikers they meet on the AT and it makes for an interesting geography (and history) lesson about the trail. If you are not up for hiking a mountain, there are some shorter (with less elevation gain) hiking trails that will appeal to younger family members at the park. Screw Auger Falls is an interesting place for kids to explore with its exposed rock and pools of water (good for dipping feet). And Moose Cave is also a fun stop to explore and learn a bit about the geology of the area as well. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
PINE TREE STATE ARBORETUM, AUGUSTA
There are several miles of hiking trails on fairly level terrain so families can choose a loop that suits their fitness level. The hosta garden is particularly entertaining and features "Abba Dabba Do" and "Elvis Lives" varieties (yes, those are real hosta plant names). The Almeida kids love reading the plant identification plaques on this trail and the hosta garden is a great incentive to get the kids excited about this trail system.
(Read previous blog entries about this place)
Orienteering
Orienteering is a treasure hunt using a map and compass – only instead of a treasure chest, participants try to find various control stations. Each control station has a unique hole punch, which participants use to mark a course card before moving on to the next station. Control stations are positioned both on and off trail but are always located on a distinct feature like a large boulder, the top of a knoll or near a stream. It's a great way to teach the kids about maps, and even if mom and dad aren't fluent with using a compass, these courses offer maps that are easy for novices (and using a compass is not required).
One suggested supply apart from hiking gear: compass.
PINELAND FARMS IN NEW GLOUCESTER; LIBBY HILL IN GRAY
Both have established orienteering courses with maps available year-round.
(Read previous story about Pineland's Orienteering course)
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, July 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Strawberry picking then canning, baking
We went to Chipman Farms in New Gloucester with friends yesterday morning to pick strawberries. We each brought a container and it turned out my family picked 22 pounds in about 1/2 hour, which was an indicator that the berries were plentiful even if the poundage was a bit more than I had planned on buying.
The girls decided they wanted to make jam and after a quick stop back at our friend's house for some rhubarb, we decided on a strawberry-rhubarb jam recipe.
Once the canning was done, both girls wanted to do more baking with the extra rhubarb (thunderstorms were keeping us indoors anyhow) and after sifting through several cookbooks L. settled on rhubarb pie and G. chose rhubarb coffee cake (a recipe suggested by our friend Sarah). I had never cooked with rhubarb and the girls liked the jam so much that they really wanted to experiment with some other rhubarb recipes.
The girls made them all by themselves (I was tired after cleaning up the canning mess) and both desserts received a thumbs up by the whole family (especially the coffee cake, which reminded us of spice cake that we all love). Here are the recipes in case you're inspired to do some baking with your fresh fruit.
RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY JAM
From: Ball (canning) Blue Book
4 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar
Combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yeilds about 6 half-pints. (We made this recipe twice)
RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE
From: MerryMakers 4-H Club 3rd edition cookbook by Nanie Thibault
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 cups rhubarb, cut up
Topping:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped nuts
4 Tablespoons margarine
Sift 2 cups flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, soda, salt and spices. Beat eggs, then add oil and milk. Combine flour and milk mixtures. Fold in rhubarb. pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Mix 2/3 cup flour, brown sugar, margarine, coconut and nuts. Sprinkle over top of the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
(We didn't have coconut or nuts and the recipe still came out great. Oh, and G. used a bundt pan instead of the suggested pan and it worked fine. She said cakes taste better when she uses that pan.)
RHUBARB PIE
From: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
1 pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh sliced rhubarb
Crumb topping
Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
Mix flour and sugar until combined. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add rhubarb. Gently toss until coated. Transfer rhubarb mixture to pie crust. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling.
Bake at 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.
The girls decided they wanted to make jam and after a quick stop back at our friend's house for some rhubarb, we decided on a strawberry-rhubarb jam recipe.
Once the canning was done, both girls wanted to do more baking with the extra rhubarb (thunderstorms were keeping us indoors anyhow) and after sifting through several cookbooks L. settled on rhubarb pie and G. chose rhubarb coffee cake (a recipe suggested by our friend Sarah). I had never cooked with rhubarb and the girls liked the jam so much that they really wanted to experiment with some other rhubarb recipes.
The girls made them all by themselves (I was tired after cleaning up the canning mess) and both desserts received a thumbs up by the whole family (especially the coffee cake, which reminded us of spice cake that we all love). Here are the recipes in case you're inspired to do some baking with your fresh fruit.
RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY JAM
From: Ball (canning) Blue Book
4 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar
Combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yeilds about 6 half-pints. (We made this recipe twice)
RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE
From: MerryMakers 4-H Club 3rd edition cookbook by Nanie Thibault
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 cups rhubarb, cut up
Topping:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped nuts
4 Tablespoons margarine
Sift 2 cups flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, soda, salt and spices. Beat eggs, then add oil and milk. Combine flour and milk mixtures. Fold in rhubarb. pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Mix 2/3 cup flour, brown sugar, margarine, coconut and nuts. Sprinkle over top of the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
(We didn't have coconut or nuts and the recipe still came out great. Oh, and G. used a bundt pan instead of the suggested pan and it worked fine. She said cakes taste better when she uses that pan.)
RHUBARB PIE
From: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
1 pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh sliced rhubarb
Crumb topping
Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
Mix flour and sugar until combined. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add rhubarb. Gently toss until coated. Transfer rhubarb mixture to pie crust. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling.
Bake at 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Rain in Maine has to stop sometime, right?
There are a couple of things wrong with this picture I took tonight of L. feeding her pigs. Can you guess what they are?
1. L. weighs less than a hundred pounds yet her boots are sinking in to the mud up to her ankles by the feeder and it's making dumping grain tricky (it's actually much deeper in other places in the pen where we haven't been dropping hay and shavings to soak up some of the water). It's also a majorly messy affair with the pigs swinging their bodies around in excitement of getting their dinner, which means that she's typically covered in mud in less than a minute. The upside is that at least she knows how to use the washing machine...
2. L. is wearing her winter coat. Yes, that is the same coat she wore on the February cover of the magazine (which was shot during a big snow storm) and it's not because she's one of those kids who is always cold. No, the temperature reading at our house says 55 degrees and it's not even fully dark yet (is it really July 2?).
3. Even after dumping leaves, wood shavings and hay today, I don't think the mud pit, which used to be the pig pen, will ever dry out. I usually take the glass half-full approach to things but I'm thinking that half-full isn't sounding as ideal as half-empty right now.
4. Not pictured. The creative stringing of the cord that powers the electric fence, which has shorted out a couple of times recently (that's very bad since the pigs still haven't given up on their dreams of freedom) because of the increasing volume of puddles around the pen.
Even with these wrong things, there is some frolicking -- gloating even -- going on at our house with all this rain.
Curse those ducks.
The ducks are in a constant state of motion running from puddle to puddle in our yard and happily quacking the day away. So much so that I couldn't even catch an in-focus picture of them because they appear to be elated to have so many bodies of water in such close proximity to play in these days. They can't seem to settle on just one.
OK, I've said my peace that life with animals isn't so easy right now but I figure at this point things can only get better. Right?
1. L. weighs less than a hundred pounds yet her boots are sinking in to the mud up to her ankles by the feeder and it's making dumping grain tricky (it's actually much deeper in other places in the pen where we haven't been dropping hay and shavings to soak up some of the water). It's also a majorly messy affair with the pigs swinging their bodies around in excitement of getting their dinner, which means that she's typically covered in mud in less than a minute. The upside is that at least she knows how to use the washing machine...
2. L. is wearing her winter coat. Yes, that is the same coat she wore on the February cover of the magazine (which was shot during a big snow storm) and it's not because she's one of those kids who is always cold. No, the temperature reading at our house says 55 degrees and it's not even fully dark yet (is it really July 2?).
3. Even after dumping leaves, wood shavings and hay today, I don't think the mud pit, which used to be the pig pen, will ever dry out. I usually take the glass half-full approach to things but I'm thinking that half-full isn't sounding as ideal as half-empty right now.
4. Not pictured. The creative stringing of the cord that powers the electric fence, which has shorted out a couple of times recently (that's very bad since the pigs still haven't given up on their dreams of freedom) because of the increasing volume of puddles around the pen.
Even with these wrong things, there is some frolicking -- gloating even -- going on at our house with all this rain.
Curse those ducks.
The ducks are in a constant state of motion running from puddle to puddle in our yard and happily quacking the day away. So much so that I couldn't even catch an in-focus picture of them because they appear to be elated to have so many bodies of water in such close proximity to play in these days. They can't seem to settle on just one.
OK, I've said my peace that life with animals isn't so easy right now but I figure at this point things can only get better. Right?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Camping trip fun, especially with friends
The weather held out (mostly) for our overnight camping adventure to Maine 4-H Days and everyone in the family gave the trip a big thumbs up. It was not however without a few bits of drama -- and humor.
We got a late start leaving the house even though the car was packed, the pigs, chickens and cats had their respective food supplies prepped the night before and our neighbor on board to check on them to ensure everyone had enough food until we got home.
But L., in her half asleep state at 6 a.m., went out to clean up the pig's pen one last time before leaving and followed her usual routine and opened the chicken coop (we were planning to keep the coop closed while we were gone). After 20 minutes of trying to direct the 25+ chickens back in to the coop along with a couple of uncooperative of ducks (typical for them) and a guinea, we gave up. I talked to our neighbor again and asked her to close our coop that night (the chickens always go in at dusk so round up then is much easier; the ducks are another matter and we told her to ignore them) and she agreed to take on the extra duty.
We got on the road an hour later than planned and arrived at the fairgrounds in time for the girls to start their first workshop (this was a 4-H event with overnight camping at the fairgrounds).
L. had an NXT robotics class in the morning and programmed the robot she and her partner built to bounce off walls and redirect itself. There were several modifications to the design during the 3-hour workshop and L. really enjoyed herself.
G. had an all-day silk painting class (it was a modern way to batik) and Fino was hanging out with her (I wanted to go to the robotics class with L.). A little while in to the class G. told me Fino fell asleep in his chair and when G. nudged him awake, the teacher suggested he do some painting. He likes to doodle so decided to take her up on the offer and painted a rooster. After some bantering with a friend about his painting, I couldn't resist making a quick Tweet.
Sarah suggested Fino draw a hen to go with rooster to fill page. Fino said no, his rooster is happy without the female. Funny guy.
We set up our tent next to friends (the girls' 4-H club decided to camp as a group) in a great spot under some tall trees in a grassy area with an electrical outlet nearby that my friend Nicole had picked out. It was an ideal location.
During the afternoon workshops though (L. at a mechanical robotics class, G. and Fino still in painting class) we started hearing the Emergency Broadcast System warnings about severe thunderstorms and hail.
Our group made the decision to scope out a barn to move our tents to and settled on the pulling ring (part of relocation effort was finding a barn that was not already in use with animals, had a dirt floor (no cement dairy barn floors) and didn't have a scheduled show the following morning).
Moving our gear, which was plentiful among the group, to a new location across the fairgrounds was a chore (but funny in retrospect) and prompted another Tweet.
Moved tents to pulling ring in anticipation of storms, hail. Quite a site moving set up tent to new locale. No pics of that. HA!
After relocating we found a silver lining in moving from our original (and much nicer) spot - we were closer to the bathrooms and the cement blocks used in the pulling ring were helpful in setting up the grills.
Before we fired up the grills though, we had some pre-dinner entertainment with a Zumba class and that required another Tweet.
We're taking a Zumba class at 4H days and even got Fino to shake it up. Video to come later for sure. G is on job.
Sarah organized a dinner plan that included an old club tradition (she's been involved in the club since she was little) - make-you-own chicken and veggie tinfoil packet. It's the perfect campsite meal when feeding a group of kids with different food preferences. My family marinated chicken strips and others brought a wide variety of veggies. The kids were given a section of tinfoil and directed to butter a square in the center of the foil (to prevent sticking) and add whatever ingredients they wanted. Afterward the foil was folded closed, names written on the top with a permanent marker and then set on the grill. It took about 15 minutes to cook the packets (the chicken was cut thinly, as were the potatoes to ensure shorter cooking time) and it was really tasty.
Sarah also brought supplies to make homemade ice cream and of course that was another big hit. L. had a bit of trouble because she didn't close the inside baggie correctly and the salt from the ice on the outside leaked in to the cream and well, that batch was a salty concoction no one wanted to eat. But they got another serving going and it came out just right.
The after dinner activities included bean bag tossing, biking, jump roping (with light up ropes) and a bunch of other outdoor games Nicole brought (she brought tons of fun stuff for the kids to do) and I was very appreciative she had a variety of ways to keep the kids entertained since sleeping was the last thing on their minds.
There was some evening rain (an affirmation moving to the shelter of the pulling ring was a good thing) and we woke up early (in part for me because the bleating goats were so loud even though they were several barns away - and L. can debate all she wants, we aren't getting goats) to get breakfast rolling before more workshops.
L. woofed down her pop-tart and then broke out her "Bad Cats" book. This is a book that is not exactly appropriate for her age-group (some adult humor) but most goes over her head. I do not however encourage L. to share this book her friends but she ignores this advice because it's a favorite (she blogged about this book if you're unfamiliar with it) and this prompted another Tweet.
L just broke out her 'bad cats' book at breakfast. Now corrupting her friends with potty humor. Good thing lots goes over their heads.
After 15 minutes of hysterical laughing on L.'s part with her friend S. about various cats in this book and S. trying to convince his mom he had to get a copy for himself (sorry Nicole!), the group digressed into more colorful breakfast conversation that prompted yet another Tweet.
Breakfast conversation at campsite also includes story from friend of beer drinking goat. Then, cats don't lay eggs.
After much laughing the group headed off to their various workshops. G. worked with a group of younger 4-Hers in a digital photography class in the morning and L. had a blast (literally) with her Rocketry class with the NASA Challenger Learning Center instructors. The rocketry class was so successful with their various designs that an announcement had to be made to ensure everyone on the fairgrounds was aware of flying rockets and to keep an eye out to avoid them (one rocket shot over several barns and landed several hundred yards away from its launch pad). L.'s rocket only shot 10.5 meters high but I think naming her rocket, "Piggy Titus" (after her pig Titus, which she explains to people means "giant" in Latin), was actually the highlight for her.
My kids said several times during this trip that they really liked camping with friends and Fino and I agreed. Both Sarah and Nicole has brought all kinds of 'extras' we don't typically bring on a camping trip. My kids were happy to have other moms around who had the planning skills (and energy) to pack all those things that made a trip extra special and this prompted another Tweet.
Everything we forgot camping our friend Nicole had. Her car and trailer held all, along w/3 kids and a chicken. My kind of mom friend.
We don't have any other firm plans to go camping again this summer but if it ever stops raining I know the kids will be calling their friends and trying to talk their parents in to planning another trip.
We got a late start leaving the house even though the car was packed, the pigs, chickens and cats had their respective food supplies prepped the night before and our neighbor on board to check on them to ensure everyone had enough food until we got home.
But L., in her half asleep state at 6 a.m., went out to clean up the pig's pen one last time before leaving and followed her usual routine and opened the chicken coop (we were planning to keep the coop closed while we were gone). After 20 minutes of trying to direct the 25+ chickens back in to the coop along with a couple of uncooperative of ducks (typical for them) and a guinea, we gave up. I talked to our neighbor again and asked her to close our coop that night (the chickens always go in at dusk so round up then is much easier; the ducks are another matter and we told her to ignore them) and she agreed to take on the extra duty.
We got on the road an hour later than planned and arrived at the fairgrounds in time for the girls to start their first workshop (this was a 4-H event with overnight camping at the fairgrounds).
L. had an NXT robotics class in the morning and programmed the robot she and her partner built to bounce off walls and redirect itself. There were several modifications to the design during the 3-hour workshop and L. really enjoyed herself.
G. had an all-day silk painting class (it was a modern way to batik) and Fino was hanging out with her (I wanted to go to the robotics class with L.). A little while in to the class G. told me Fino fell asleep in his chair and when G. nudged him awake, the teacher suggested he do some painting. He likes to doodle so decided to take her up on the offer and painted a rooster. After some bantering with a friend about his painting, I couldn't resist making a quick Tweet.
Sarah suggested Fino draw a hen to go with rooster to fill page. Fino said no, his rooster is happy without the female. Funny guy.
We set up our tent next to friends (the girls' 4-H club decided to camp as a group) in a great spot under some tall trees in a grassy area with an electrical outlet nearby that my friend Nicole had picked out. It was an ideal location.
During the afternoon workshops though (L. at a mechanical robotics class, G. and Fino still in painting class) we started hearing the Emergency Broadcast System warnings about severe thunderstorms and hail.
Our group made the decision to scope out a barn to move our tents to and settled on the pulling ring (part of relocation effort was finding a barn that was not already in use with animals, had a dirt floor (no cement dairy barn floors) and didn't have a scheduled show the following morning).
Moving our gear, which was plentiful among the group, to a new location across the fairgrounds was a chore (but funny in retrospect) and prompted another Tweet.
Moved tents to pulling ring in anticipation of storms, hail. Quite a site moving set up tent to new locale. No pics of that. HA!
After relocating we found a silver lining in moving from our original (and much nicer) spot - we were closer to the bathrooms and the cement blocks used in the pulling ring were helpful in setting up the grills.
Before we fired up the grills though, we had some pre-dinner entertainment with a Zumba class and that required another Tweet.
We're taking a Zumba class at 4H days and even got Fino to shake it up. Video to come later for sure. G is on job.
Sarah organized a dinner plan that included an old club tradition (she's been involved in the club since she was little) - make-you-own chicken and veggie tinfoil packet. It's the perfect campsite meal when feeding a group of kids with different food preferences. My family marinated chicken strips and others brought a wide variety of veggies. The kids were given a section of tinfoil and directed to butter a square in the center of the foil (to prevent sticking) and add whatever ingredients they wanted. Afterward the foil was folded closed, names written on the top with a permanent marker and then set on the grill. It took about 15 minutes to cook the packets (the chicken was cut thinly, as were the potatoes to ensure shorter cooking time) and it was really tasty.
Sarah also brought supplies to make homemade ice cream and of course that was another big hit. L. had a bit of trouble because she didn't close the inside baggie correctly and the salt from the ice on the outside leaked in to the cream and well, that batch was a salty concoction no one wanted to eat. But they got another serving going and it came out just right.
The after dinner activities included bean bag tossing, biking, jump roping (with light up ropes) and a bunch of other outdoor games Nicole brought (she brought tons of fun stuff for the kids to do) and I was very appreciative she had a variety of ways to keep the kids entertained since sleeping was the last thing on their minds.
There was some evening rain (an affirmation moving to the shelter of the pulling ring was a good thing) and we woke up early (in part for me because the bleating goats were so loud even though they were several barns away - and L. can debate all she wants, we aren't getting goats) to get breakfast rolling before more workshops.
L. woofed down her pop-tart and then broke out her "Bad Cats" book. This is a book that is not exactly appropriate for her age-group (some adult humor) but most goes over her head. I do not however encourage L. to share this book her friends but she ignores this advice because it's a favorite (she blogged about this book if you're unfamiliar with it) and this prompted another Tweet.
L just broke out her 'bad cats' book at breakfast. Now corrupting her friends with potty humor. Good thing lots goes over their heads.
After 15 minutes of hysterical laughing on L.'s part with her friend S. about various cats in this book and S. trying to convince his mom he had to get a copy for himself (sorry Nicole!), the group digressed into more colorful breakfast conversation that prompted yet another Tweet.
Breakfast conversation at campsite also includes story from friend of beer drinking goat. Then, cats don't lay eggs.
After much laughing the group headed off to their various workshops. G. worked with a group of younger 4-Hers in a digital photography class in the morning and L. had a blast (literally) with her Rocketry class with the NASA Challenger Learning Center instructors. The rocketry class was so successful with their various designs that an announcement had to be made to ensure everyone on the fairgrounds was aware of flying rockets and to keep an eye out to avoid them (one rocket shot over several barns and landed several hundred yards away from its launch pad). L.'s rocket only shot 10.5 meters high but I think naming her rocket, "Piggy Titus" (after her pig Titus, which she explains to people means "giant" in Latin), was actually the highlight for her.
My kids said several times during this trip that they really liked camping with friends and Fino and I agreed. Both Sarah and Nicole has brought all kinds of 'extras' we don't typically bring on a camping trip. My kids were happy to have other moms around who had the planning skills (and energy) to pack all those things that made a trip extra special and this prompted another Tweet.
Everything we forgot camping our friend Nicole had. Her car and trailer held all, along w/3 kids and a chicken. My kind of mom friend.
We don't have any other firm plans to go camping again this summer but if it ever stops raining I know the kids will be calling their friends and trying to talk their parents in to planning another trip.
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