More Than a Little Excited About this Solar Eclipse

August 21 is quickly approaching and I am more than a little excited about this fantastic event. Especially because we live smack in the path of totality! What a gift!!!

Our daughter Rachel called one day with a raging cold and explained that she needed money to pay for her tax-exempt status for the Northern Illinois Regional Science Fair that she is in charge of.  My mommy bear instincts kicked in and I realized I could help.

So I came out of summer retirement to organize a benefit science lab for the NIRS.  It was a great decision.  After all, It's been 99 years since a total solar eclipse came this way.  I don't have time to lose to wait for another one!

We had some fun with the green screen.  :)

We learned how to make cereal box projectors

 pinhole viewers, solar box viewers, colander viewers,

We learned about the history of solar eclipses. 

We learned when to expect the next one.

We learned what to expect during the contact points of the eclipse.   

We learned how to photograph the eclipse and also how to protect our eyes.   

Some attendees accidentally purchased some knock-off defective solar glasses as they discovered during the class.  I hope they can get the right ones before the eclipse.  

We learned about Solar Eclipse Apps.  This is my favorite.  

Hope you enjoy the solar eclipse Monday!!  Please send pictures to my Facebook page.

Benefit Eclipse Science Labs

My daughter Rachel has taken on the responsibility of heading up the Northern Illinois Regional Science Fair.  Its a daunting task and she needs money to set up their tax-exempt status and to get prizes for the hard working children.   





I thought maybe we could have a few benefit Eclipse Science Labs to raise funds for this super great program.

After all... my grandchildren are future scientists and need to have this science fair!!

                          

If you would like your children to learn all about the eclipse, just donate any amount to this most important organization. 

Click Here to see the dates and times I am offering these classes.

The registration form is on the payment link.  

Please click on the registration link when you donate.  THANK YOU!!!

The 2017-2018 Schedule is Here

2017-2018 School Schedule

Those Feisty Frogs

YOU KNOW YOU WANT ONE

One what?  Why a bunny of course!!

This is Cleopatra.  She is the new mother of seven (yes seven) adorable baby bunnies.

Cleopatra had her babies sometime around Christmas.  We were in Hawaii at the time and received this picture from Holly who cares for the farm when we are away.

The bunnies came to school last week and my students are doing an excellent job taming them.  

Recently, I took them back outside and put them in an outdoor cage.  The next morning they were ALL gone.  All seven of them!  Horrors!!!  A mom was coming to pick two bunnies up for her children the next day.  What was I going to tell her?  Never fear.  We found all seven of them under the front porch.  Catching them was another matter entirely... That took most of the day.

A friend of mine told me that rabbit tea helps your plants grow.  So I looked it up.

Rabbit manure has more accessible nitrogen that will not harm your plants.  It is better than manure from cows, horses, sheep, goats, pigs or chickens. Yet, it is classified as a cold manure. This is because the nitrogen in rabbit dung is a slow release nitrogen, making it less likely to burn tender roots.  Rabbit manure is less aromatic and has fewer pathogens than other fertilizers.  Put about a gallon worth of rabbit manure into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, then add water, and stir occasionally till you have a weak looking tea. This can take a day or two.  Just dip your tea out of the bucket, thin it down till it is a weak tea color, and apply about 1 to 2 pints to the soil around each plant, not on the plant itself. Manure teas are especially beneficial in helping plants in the growth stage. Don’t apply manure tea once the plant is ready to set fruit, since the nitrogen in your tea will encourage the plant to grow larger but set less fruit.

Rabbit manure tea is a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Rabbit manure is lacking in some trace minerals so add an ounce of concentrated sea minerals to your tea. Some sources add molasses. 

Now after reading all that don't you want one??  You know you do!