|
My butterfly garden has been growing quite well
|
Yes, it has been hot. Most days ever above 110 degrees. All my summer squash fried and I had a invasion of squash bugs (start as little red eggs on back of leaves - turn into white to cream colored bugs with black legs). Needless to say I lost all of my squash and my honeydew. I only got a few yellow neck squash before the unending heat struck. So sad! However, my butterfly garden has been doing quite well! So far only 2 monsoon rains this year.
 |
No Social Distancing Allowed during afternoon social hour
|
 |
Mars Rover
|
We are currently learning about the Solar System. We started paper on fire using a magnifying glass to show the power of the sun. Even though I had done it before, when Jules was here, we couldn't get it to work. It was about 115 degrees outside and we couldn't create even smoke! Jules began to get worried, thinking that I would get heat stroke, so she kept bring out ice, cold towels and putting it on my back and head to keep me cool. I think that I had the magnifying glass too close to the paper, so we tried it again the 2nd week and it worked great. Later I found a wet frozen hand towel in the freezer, just waiting for the next hot day. Well, we also did one quick experiment for each planet after she had drawn it. For example, Mercury has lots of craters, so we threw rocks into flour covered with cocoa powder. We made volcanos for Venus as it has most inactive volcanos. We made a baking and vinegar powered rocket for earth, she made a Mars rover out of legos. We made a tornado in a jar for Jupiter, ice on strings to twirl around like Saturns rings, a stink bomb for Uranus and a cloud in a jar for Nepture.
 |
One of Venus's volcanos made with baking soda, vinegar, dish soap & food coloring
|
Ok, when I went to the post office to renew my passport just in case I ever get to travel again, I stopped at Carolina's to get Mexican food. Tacos for Mom and I for lunch, a dozen tamales (8 red beef, 4 green) and a dozen flour tortillas. I know that all the out of towners are very jealous. Whenever my sisters or extended family come into town they always insist upon stopping at Carolina's on the way home or going to the airport to stock up. It is at 12th street and Mohave.
 |
Those in my family will recognize this as Carolina's our favorite Mexican food hole in the wall!
|
The week after we get irrigation, the local ditch is still flowing with water to deliver to other houses in the neighborhood. Jules and I often go and play in the ditch. Reminds me of the open ditches we played in and walked along on the way to school in South Phoenix as I was growing up. It is so wonderful to have a little bit of rural Phoenix still left and so close to my house. Most irrigation now go entirely through concrete pipes (invented by my great uncle in Australia!) so are no longer open. I love this little section of old Phoenix in my neighborhood. Jules does also as you can see! She built a raft type boat out of sticks tied together with packing string with 2 apricot leafs for a sail. We race them in the ditch. She ended up sitting in the ditch to get totally cool!
 |
I made this sweet blanket and 2 hats for a baby girl at church
|
 |
Peach faced love bird enjoying the sunflowers
|
 |
Soaked patio, Praise the Lord!
|
 |
This was a double rainbow after our first monsoon rain
|
As part of our unit, "In Case of Fire" we studied how to use a fire extinguisher, how to put out small kitchen fires without a fire extinguisher, how to safely use fires in wilderness. We also did chemistry experiments to see how baking soda and tartaric acid produces CO2 which can put out a flame. We also did fun, slightly scary experiments to make green fire from boric acid and methyl alcohol (in form of Heet) and a black snake from powdered sugar, baking soda and isopropyl alcohol seen above!
