DoWackers that Play Giant Cds and Ed the Scorpion

Staying on course to travel this summer has been tough. My student and I would much rather play than get this house together. We’ve been spending our time going through boxes in the basement, mainly to stay out of the midwest humidity, but also so we have a place to stow our kayaks. There aren’t many boxes left to survey, but there were 2 two that were fun. They were simply labeled “33LPs - Good Stuff”.

It was the first time my student ever saw an “album”. Man were there some classics: The Who, Stones, Aerosmith, Heart, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Cat Stevens, Marshall Tucker, Almann Brothers. I had some classic Jazz and Blues too and always the Jimmy Buffett albums, only on these covers Jimmy was skinnier and had more hair. My student wanted to know what the device was called that we played “albums” on. “Oh!” I said.
“The dowacker that plays those giant CDs is called a turntable.”
“That’s dumb. Ebay mom” he said and moved on to another box with dead bugs in it and asked if I remembered Ed the scorpion.

Now Ed was an interesting creature, may he rest in peace. Ed was the brown scorpion that stowed away in our duffle from when we stayed in the High country in Guatemala ,
in the Atitlian region. Scorpions are hardy little beasts. After 2 weeks of the total darkness of the duffle, Ed screamed “sanctuary” from the bottom of the empty bag on my bedroom floor. There I was with a scorpion in my luggage and my then seven year old wide-eyed watching to see what I’d do. Instinct dictated that I swat the tar out of the scorpion with my shoe and scoop him up in the dust-bin, but the terror in my student’s eyes demanded that I take another approach. I scooped the animal up in a jar and called the Zoo. We named the scorpion Ed and drove him to the Zoo where for several years my student believed he lived with the other insects in the insect house. Needless to say, I think Ed ended up at the end of one of the pins in the display cases in the insect house. Poor thing.

Maybe one of these days I will put my albums up for sale at Ebay, but for now these boxes are stowed next to the one box labeled "chuck this in the hole with me when I die".

Journeys in My Own Backyard: Dowackers that Play Giant Cds and Ed the Scorpion

Staying on course to travel this summer has been tough. My student and I would much rather play than get this house together. We’ve been spending our time going through boxes in the basement, mainly to stay out of the midwest humidity, but also so we have a place to stow our kayaks. There aren’t many boxes left to survey, but there were 2 two that were fun. They were simply labeled “33LPs - Good Stuff”.

It was the first time my student ever saw an “album”. Man were there some classics: The Who, Stones, Aerosmith, Heart, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Cat Stevens, Marshall Tucker, Almann Brothers. I had some classic Jazz and Blues too and always the Jimmy Buffett albums, only on these covers Jimmy was skinnier and had more hair. My student wanted to know what the device was called that we played “albums” on. “Oh!” I said.
“The dowacker that plays those giant CDs is called a turntable.”
“That’s dumb. Ebay mom” he said and moved on to another box with dead bugs in it and asked if I remembered Ed the scorpion.

Now Ed was an interesting creature, may he rest in peace. Ed was the brown scorpion that stowed away in our duffle from when we stayed in the High country in Guatemala ,
in the Atitlian region. Scorpions are hardy little beasts. After 2 weeks of the total darkness of the duffle, Ed screamed “sanctuary” from the bottom of the empty bag on my bedroom floor. There I was with a scorpion in my luggage and my then seven year old wide-eyed watching to see what I’d do. Instinct dictated that I swat the tar out of the scorpion with my shoe and scoop him up in the dust-bin, but the terror in my student’s eyes demanded that I take another approach. I scooped the animal up in a jar and called the Zoo. We named the scorpion Ed and drove him to the Zoo where for several years my student believed he lived with the other insects in the insect house. Needless to say, I think Ed ended up at the end of one of the pins in the display cases in the insect house. Poor thing.

Maybe one of these days I will put my albums up for sale at Ebay, but for now these boxes are stowed next to the one box labeled "chuck this in the hole with me when I die".

Once, Daphne the Science Guinea Pig Wanted a Tattoo

I sat down this morning to plan our trip to Canada. We just got back from a trip in North East Ohio. We went to COSI and then to Ohio Amish country. It was our “end of 7th grade” trip. My student got to pick a place and I got to pick a place. My student chose Science and industry, I chose peace, quiet and a Morris Chair.

We have been traveling to Amish country for years for serenity. Many people who travel in this area come away remembering the Amish people for their quilts and buggies, backward life style and strange dress. I don’t. In fact, I have never seen it that way. As a matter of fact, I think the Amish have the right idea. A simple life. In my opinion, they live much like the Native Americans did/do, taking only what they need from the land. I admire both groups, as I sit here at my computer.

Canada. How does one plan a trip through Eastern Canada? Last year at this time we started our journey across country. We were moving from Utah to Ohio and decided to make journey out of this chore. We had Daphne the Science Guinea Pig with us. We took her camping at Yellowstone National Park where it snowed two of the three nights we camped. That is an interesting tale, Daphne writes about it her FAQ page at our website. You can find her description of her Scientific break through under the topic of "hand warmers".

We also took Daphne to some historic hotels in Wyoming and South Dakota. We stayed at Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyoming and at the Historic Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City South Dakota. At the Alex Johnson, Daphne rode to our room in style on the old time brass luggage carrier, atop our duffel the duffles of several bikers. When we pulled up in front of this hotel there were about 50 classic motorcycles parked in front, many of them Harleys, some were Indians. It seems there was a very large group of bikers staying for the night as well. A great group of wandering souls. Now you are probably imagining bikers and Guinea Pigs and thinking that this is a good place to stay away from. Well, let me tell you, those bikers were some of the most interesing people I’ve ever met and Daphne the Science Guinea pig was the most interesting creature they had ever met. It was a memorable expirience, one I should have photographed but didn’t. Daphne came away with a bandana and a desire for a red and green tattoo.

Maybe I’ll plan our trip to Canada like I planned the trek across country....

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Visit our website at: www.brightkidsathome.com

Once, Daphne the Science Guinea Pig Wanted a Tattoo

I sat down this morning to plan our trip to Canada. We just got back from a trip in North East Ohio. We went to COSI and then to Ohio Amish country. It was our “end of 7th grade” trip. My student got to pick a place and I got to pick a place. My student chose Science and industry, I chose peace, quiet and a Morris Chair.

We have been traveling to Amish country for years for serenity. Many people who travel in this area come away remembering the Amish people for their quilts and buggies, backward life style and strange dress. I don’t. In fact, I have never seen it that way. As a matter of fact, I think the Amish have the right idea. A simple life. In my opinion, they live much like the Native Americans did/do, taking only what they need from the land. I admire both groups, as I sit here at my computer.

Canada. How does one plan a trip through Eastern Canada? Last year at this time we started our journey across country. We were moving from Utah to Ohio and decided to make journey out of this chore. We had Daphne the Science Guinea Pig with us. We took her camping at Yellowstone National Park where it snowed two of the three nights we camped. That is an interesting tale, Daphne writes about it her FAQ page at our website. You can find her description of her Scientific break through under the topic of "hand warmers".

We also took Daphne to some historic hotels in Wyoming and South Dakota. We stayed at Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel ” in Cody, Wyoming and at the Historic Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City South Dakota. At the Alex Johnson, Daphne rode to our room in style on the old time brass luggage carrier, atop our duffel the duffles of several bikers. When we pulled up in front of this hotel there were about 50 classic motorcycles parked in front, many of them Harleys, some were Indians. It seems there was a very large group of bikers staying for the night as well. A great group of wandering souls. Now you are probably imagining bikers and Guinea Pigs and thinking that this is a good place to stay away from. Well, let me tell you, those bikers were some of the most interesing people I’ve ever met and Daphne the Science Guinea pig was the most interesting creature they had ever met. It was a memorable expirience, one I should have photographed but didn’t. Daphne came away with a bandana and a desire for a red and green tattoo.

Maybe I’ll plan our trip to Canada like I planned the trek across country....

Journeys in My Own Back Yard: Ferocious Wolves and Pizza Eating Yogis

Recently we moved into the city. We have a park nearby. This morning t 6 AM, I decided to start power walking again. I headed up the hill - straight up the hill. At the top of the hill where the path through the woods to the park begins, I saw a wild animal. Well, I saw his (or her) hindquarters and a fluffy tail resembling that of a wolf.

I froze. I waited. I turned off my Jimmy Cliff CD and hoped this creature would disappear. I braved the path slowly remembering the Dimple Dell Canyon in Utah I used to walk where they warned of lions, tigers and bears - oh my (no really, it was coyotes, wolves and mountain lions). I completed this wild city path without another sighting of the ferocious wolf. Once I was actually in the park, I passed a person peacefully practicing yoga. I figured a wolf of all creatures would respect a yogi. I sighted another power walker and asked them if they had ever encountered a wolf in the park. She said there were no wolves and that she was glad I saw the local fox.

When I returned home from my walk, my garden was populated with a lizard, a snake and a hummingbird. A good day was beginning for sure.

When my student got up, for what I hoped was one of our last days of school work, I told him about the wolf-fox. He laughed. He wanted to know where the path came out because we tried to find it the other night from the park-side. When we went for coffee and croissants, I drove to the park to show him. The yogi was the only other person in the park I observed, still peaceful as the time of day. I showed my student where the path came out. As we left the park a Dominos pizza delivery truck was entering the park. My student said “20 bucks says the yogi ordered a pizza.” “It’s like you and your Twinkies ”. We giggled.

Book Burners and a Rare White Buffalo

There are days when my email is just loaded with all kinds of goodies. I can join in a debate going on between left and right-wing homeschoolers about a list of books that should not be read, I can get directions to go see a rare white buffalo , I can track those items I ordered from LL Bean.

The living gets easy when I’m winding down the school year. Well, I never actually ring the “dismissal” bell at our school, we just switch gears from being bookworms to traveling fools.

We have our list for this summer. COSI is at the top, followed closely by Niagara Falls , Quebec City , Prince Edward Island. We also want to buy those kayaks and spend a few days at a lake, maybe near the white buffalo's farm, learning all the “stuff” we’ll need to know to take them to Cabbage Key this winter. Yep, our summer is planned. Now if we could just finish the work in the Algebra book!

Sleeping on a rock under a hankie, continued

So here we are in the wee hours, Daphne the Science Guinea Pig is chewing on her timothy hay and one of my neighbors is either drunk or really upset with his dog because he’s been outside for the last 20 minutes calling somebody’s name.

May is great sleeping weather, you don’t need the furnace and you don’t need the air conditioner either because you can sleep with the windows open. This time of year is also great for camping, that’s why we went last weekend. We beat the Memorial Day crowds and the muggy humidity that the midwest is sometimes known for.

We camped at Daniel Boone National forest in the Zilpo Campground. I can honestly recommend campsite H17, H18, H19 as the choice spots. On the lake, private and just far enough away from the bathrooms. At night you can hear the muskies jumping in the lake, the raccoons looking for goodies and my student crunching on crackers - all accompanied by darkness.

The one thing I can say about camping is that in the woods with all of the creatures I can possibly imagine, I’m always dog-tired, and I typically manage to find the one unlevel spot for my Kelty mummy bag. Every time I camp I tell myself I should have gone for the LL Bean Burrito Bag because the mummy bag isn’t very good for mommies. For whatever reason this sleeping bag manages to transform me into a real stiff mummy by morning. Maybe I should have paid attention to the name. However this time, I decided it was time for my student to enjoy the privilege of an “adult” sleeping bag and I would take the one that unzips completely leaving me plenty of room to toss, turn and easily grab crackers away from crunchers in the dark.

Just as I got settled in under the unzipped hankie and the crackers stowed, my student asked me to recall the time we slept at Alta in the snow. I was just getting started on envisioning tucking myself in at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, then I traveled in my mind to the The Ritz-Carlton at Amelia Island Florida and then on to Le Meridien Etoile in Paris and the New Otani in Tokyo and I was being asked to revisit this camping trip to 10 below zero weather. Sigh. I decided it would be more fun to remember the Hotel Atitlan, Guatemala and the brown scorpion we accidentally brought back from the lake country in Guatemala. We named the scorpion Ed and donated him to the local zoo but that’s a story for another day.

Also as part of our “little getaway” we took a kayak lesson with the Cave Run Bicycle and Outdoor Center . April was a great instructor and managed to get us seriously thinking about a bigger kayak adventure. As I have written before after we get our new house settled, we intend to go to Niagara Falls, though no kayaking will be involved. I read that you can stay at a lighthouse on Prince Edward Island , Canada so that is on our list to do.

The kayak instruction went beautifully and we now feel we can at least intelligently try out a variety of water craft for our future adventures. My student ended up taking the lesson, mainly because tiddlywinks are difficult to find in Kentucky, but also, kayaking it seems, is a sequential activity. Our instructor went through the concepts step by step, instead of tiddlywinks, my student went "tilt, tilt, tilt" on the dock. It seemed the visual instruction in his head and the steps presented weren't quite lining up and he was eventually forced to join us on the water to actually learn the strokes and moves. I knew I'd love this sport!

With this entry we have joined a group of other intrepid travelers over at travelblog.org . We're dual blogging now!