Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hatching! With Updates!

8:16 am Scroll down for latest news!


No time to do this right... with pictures, complete sentences.

Zelda and Puff are sitting on eleven eggs. Zoltar is strutting. One little pollito is breaking through.

Now I have to clean my kitchen.

Can you imagine what a mess my kitchen would have to be to keep me from blogging-photographing-observing this Chica-docious moment!?! Mercy.

Back with updates asap!

9:47 am

Okay I washed some dishes! SO, I have earned blogging minutes!

Besides tracking hurricane Irene, you can follow Zelda and Puff's chick report. I wish the storm were as eagerly anticipated and joyful as waiting for chicks to appear. Stay safe East Coast kin.

Last March, the fourth to be specific, Zelda hatched chicas. It happened during the San Diego FIRST robotics competition, where FIRST 2102 Team Paradox won a second Engineering Inspiration award... that was not a random robotics plug... I believe there is significant meaning in the timing of these things. It is totally cosmic. I think it could mean they are getting Chairman's this season.

Oh. Right. Chicas. Focus.


Even though Zelda was the broody hen, it became apparent that some of those chicas had to have belonged to dark feathered Puff, and Puff did look a little hurt to be missing out on the gratification of motherhood... so this time, she stepped in the nest box and has been incubating beside her Silky sister.


Two Mamas.
Eleven eggs.
One proud Zoltar.


They are so dear.
They slip the eggs under their wings, gently, with their beaks. Side by side, the Silky sisters are waiting for the arrival of their chicks.


Oh! Hello!


Welcome to the world little one.

hmmm... petite Silky mamas and...


a cocky-little dude Bantam papa? This should be interesting!

Friday, August 26, 2011

{this moment}


A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
:: Idea from Soule Mama ::

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

How Would You Use It?


Seriously. What kind of emergency calls for the donning of a clown nose?
I know, some people think clowns are funny, that they can brighten a child's mood, turn a frown upside down.

Some of us know better.
Bozo?
Ronald-The Burger Pusher?
Clem Kiddlehopper?

Shudders

Maybe "emergency" is when I am having a parental meltdown, and want everyone to jump when I tell them how high. I could don the nose, and they would think, "Holy clown nose, mom's losing it! Everyone! Clean! Polish! Play soothing music! Get the leaf-blower off the dining table!"

Yeah. Emergency Clown Nose, when you need to scare someone straight.

What emergency would bring out your clown nose?

Monday, August 22, 2011

A Geodesic Figgy House


This is a geodesic dome.

Also, known as a sculpture project designed, and built by Grant.


This post is going over to Love and Rockets, 'cause that's where we Make our stuff, and share it, and think about other stuff we're gonna Make. Love and Rockets :: Art of Engineering is our Make and Young Makers Club. Yay!!!! Makers Clubs!


Grant and Suki came by last week with all the triangles, nuts and bolts to finish the geodesic dome. Oh, and they brought paint, because all those triangles needed to be painted. So everyone painted triangles in our driveway. Maria painted. Alex painted. Suki painted. Grant painted. And when the white paint ran out, they switched to blue, and that is how the geodesic dome became an eyeball-dome.


I could launch into a detailed description of the geometry and engineering aspects of this project, but really we should let Grant 'splain all that. I will comment on things like, how fun it was holding up walls, looking for bolts in the long grass, propping parts with shovels and brooms, imagining how cool it would be to sleep in the dome... you know, the technical parts.


With many willing residents at the Bird House, assembling the geodesic dome went fairly smoothly. I think. I cannot imagine one or two people trying to assemble all those panels, balancing walls, while stapling or turning nuts on bolts. But with friends on hand, almost any endeavor is going to go better.


Pentagons were assembled on the ground, and then those larger panels were added together to make the long "peal" that made the base wall.


Supplies include: cardboard, 2x2 boards, nuts, bolts, staples, and duct tape... of course there is duct tape.


It also takes confidence and humor. Confidence and humor are staple ingredients in almost any worthwhile project.


Right, Suki?


The dome has a door.

Hello?
Is anyone home?


A lot of the effort was about holding panels up while people were attaching them. I was holding a wall, and photographing. Actually, it made me feel very good to be so useful while standing and taking pictures.


Everyone was needed.


Maria was especially helpful when it came to passing parts, and finding parts.


If someone were to take a geodesic dome to say... Burning Man, that someone would have an artistic, shaded retreat that could last the week.


Suki is going to paint a pupil. I suggested a monocle in front of the eye,and Grant wants to add a top hat. Maybe those are obvious choices, but jolly good ones, I think.

And now we interrupt construction for shadow fun.
Can you guess who is who?
James
Max
Grant
William
Alex
Maria
Suki


A


B

C

D

E

F

G

G is tricky, because someone does amazing shadow effects!


Maria brought out the duct tape.
She loves to help,
and play,
and laugh.
She laughs a lot.


... and the top goes up...


... and Ta-da!


An eyeful.
A shelter.
A playhouse.
Art.
A cozy place to sit while eating figs.
A Geodesic Figgy House.