Bigger Than You

Looking Out the Boat

She: I’m bigger than you.

He: We’re not going to talk about that.

She: I’m still bigger than you.

He: So why is that?

I think he held his own pretty well. She’s 11; he’s 4…

Where Have All the Nurdles Gone?

Great day at Long Beach Green Port Fest…

She followed up last year’s science project with one focusing on Nurdles (pre-production plastic pellets). She went to the District Science Fair and from there was selected to go on to the Green Port Fest.

We had a BLAST! Rode our bikes to downtown, and then met with a group and took the new bike path together to the Fest. It’s fun when the person taking pictures at a community event says hello to you by name (sailing instructor…).

Lots of educational stuff…

Boat tour of the harbor…

Fire boat showing off…

Falcons live here (that’s where they’re coming from!)…

Bands and bounce houses and food and shark balloons…

The girl and I both won camp chairs…

Stopped by the Aquarium on the way home…It was Southeast Asia Day…

Beautiful Day!

Where Have all the Nurdles Gone?

Where Have all the Nurdles Gone?

This is at the District Science Fair. She did a super job, and we all had a lot of fun learning about Nurdles. She was chosen again to select her project at the Green Port Fest–a huge honor and super good time. Woohoo!

Below is the acknowledgment she included in her report. She’s fairly generous with sharing credit:

Acknowledgments

I want to thank a few people for what they did to help me make a science project a success. I want to thank my mom for helping me put together my awesome green display board, and my science teacher Mrs. J. for being so positive in science lab. And I offer a big thank you to my dad for guiding me along as we got closer and closer to finishing my science project, and for driving us from beach to beach. I also wish to thank J.K. Rowling for writing such an entertaining series of Harry Potter, (I read book 4) which kept me busy while I waited to arrive at our next stop.

Thank you

Weather (for Today)

(Alignment of Jupiter, Venus and Moon by Lucas Janin)

Early in the morning, unable to sleep
Fumbling to the living room
I look out the window to see
The fog dampening the flowers and grass,
Yes, dampening the flowers and grass.

Early in the morning, unable to sleep
Stumbling out to the backyard
With my face I feel and hear
The wind thundering in my ear,
Yes, the wind thundering in my ear.

Later in the day, unable to work
Holding still as a lizard
I look out the window to see and hear
The rain drumming on the roof and ground,
Yes, the rain drumming on the roof and ground.

Late at night, unable to sleep,
I see with my eyes
Softly swaying in the sky
The moon waking up,
Yes, the moon waking up.

~Wondering Wood (12-18-08)

This is the poem that was read on the local TV station.  She refers to it as her “weather poem.”

A Spider’s Web

What is so perfect

About a spider’s web

Besides the fact

That its maker

Has mastered

Spinning and threading

The star-like figure in the corner

On its very first try?

And that,

When beads of dew are strung on,

The spider looks like royalty

In its twinkling castle of thread?

And that a grasshopper

Couldn’t escape its tight clutches?

And that it is transparent

Against a sky of grey, purple, black, or blue?

I don’t know what’s so perfect about a spider’s web.

Do you?

~Wondering Wood, 3/2009

In the Valley Below

Another poem:

Standing here, in the valley below

Watching the shadows grow and shrink

With time

Wondering if the beams of golden sunlight

Sifting their way through the trees

Could be even more peaceful and beautiful

Than they are now?

Could the grass tilting away from the breeze

Be more silent than it is now?

Could the dew from the morning

On a spider’s web

Twinkle more than it does now?

Could there be anything imperfect now

In this valley below?

~Wondering Wood, 3/2009

The Woodworks Interview

Click here to hear the interview…

It will open in a new window.
Click on the play symbol.
Get ready to laugh…

The Story of Spotted Zebra

The Story of Spotted Zebra

A long time ago, in the forests of Africa, there lived a spotted Zebra who had heard of a wide, flat land called the savanna. He heard that it was like a blanket of luscious, green grass. He heard that the trees were like giant umbrellas, shading yards of space. He decided to set out on his quest to the savanna.

An orangutan had told the zebra that the savanna was toward the setting sun. So Zebra set out the next morning, towards the opposite direction of the rising sun. By late afternoon, he was exhausted. Just then, a black and white striped giraffe saw spotted Zebra and offered a place to stay. The giraffe stared at Zebra’s spots and said, “Every giraffe must admire your spots.” “And every zebra must admire your stripes,” said Giraffe. With those words, a beautiful canary came fluttering by, perched on a willow branch and said, “And every animal must admire your peace. Now close your eyes Zebra and wish for the stripes, and Giraffe, wish for the spots.” Suddenly a soft, whispering breeze blew, and rain droplets swirled in spinning patterns around the giraffe and zebra. “And now,” said canary, “Open your eyes.” With those words, the zebra found Giraffe’s stripes upon him and looked at Giraffe, who wore brown spots and smiled. He turned to thank the canary, but the beautiful golden bird that gave them what they wished for because of friendship, had vanished.

The next day, in the afternoon, Zebra set out for the savanna with a load of food on his back from Giraffe, and his beautiful stripes. Night fell and Zebra wanted to continue with his journey, but he couldn’t see and his eyes had been poked from rose thorns. A fruit bat came upon him and said, “I see that you can’t see. If you spare me five papayas of red and yellow, I will help you. But first you must tell me why you have come all this way from the forest.” The Zebra replied, “I have come to seek the huge flat plains of luscious green grass as far as the eye can see. Where the trees can shade four elephants at a time.” “Ah, the savanna.” Remarked the bat. “Follow the sound of the rustling leaves, and I will tell you what awaits the seeker of grass. I now give you the name, Nose of a badger. Use the nose to smell danger and safety. Listen carefully, or you won’t complete your journey.” Zebra listened carefully to the bat’s instructions.

“It will take you five days to finish your search. On the first day, you must find the first papaya in the rocky mountains where an ebony colored mountain goat will lead you to it. The second day, you will search in the misty jungle where you will meet a spider monkey who will help you find the second papaya. The third day, you will travel to the sandy beach where a bright orange crab will lead you to the third papaya. The fourth day, you must journey to the dry desert where an armadillo will show you the fourth papaya. He will spare lots of water for your journey back. Sleep in the desert and travel to this same spot in the morning and give me the papayas, and when you return I will help you see.” With that, the bat flew away. Zebra rested and began his journey the next morning.

Returning on the sixth day, to the same spot, the bat said, “You have completed your journey. I now name you, Eyes of a hawk.” Zebra looked around, and everywhere he looked, everything was visible again. He thanked the bat and went on his way. Traveling along the rocky path, Zebra met a chameleon who couldn’t eat or talk because he lost his tongue. Feeling emotional, Zebra named it, Tongue of a giraffe, and went on his way. Soon he met a cricket who lost the strength in his legs. Again Zebra felt emotional, and again he gave a name. He named the cricket, Legs of a kangaroo. The cricket was grateful, and hopped away.

Zebra couldn’t go much longer. He was out of food and water, and he was exhausted. He stumbled and was about to give up, when a handsome toucan said, “You’ve reached the savanna, you’ve reached the savanna.” Zebra crawled into a clearing and discovered that he had finally completed his journey. All of Zebra’s decedents lived happily in the savanna and they all wore black and white stripes.

Wood, Wondering

Nov. 6, 2008

Heavenly Crater,

Thank you for this wonderful fork, and thank you for this wonderful napkin, and thank you for this wonderful table, and thank you for this wonderful water, and thank you for this wonderful food.

AMEN!

(At the table with Wandering Wood…)

(The Pledge of Allegiance is rather amusing, too.)

For All You Science Fans…

Green Science

She went to the District and was then chosen for “Best Green Science Project” to be displayed at the Port this Fall. We had a blast with this.