Sunrise or Sunset?

Is our children's future growing brighter or darker? Are we getting stronger or weaker?

"Whilst the last members were signing it (the Constitution of the United States) Doctor Franklin looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have, said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun." (The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, Max Farrand, Vol II, page 648, 191, Yale University Press)

I recently took up the challenge of learning more about our country's history and that of its founders. This is the first quote from the book we are reading. "The 5000 Year Leap" by Cleon Skousen. I have to admit I'm inclined to feel that the sun is setting. The future is getting darker, harder to see through to what is on the other side. I feel that we are stumbling around in the failing light in a feeble attempt to prepare for the darkness to come. My hope is that there is light on the other side of the darkness, that the sun will come back up. We only need to be ready to get ourselves and our children through the dark while losing as little as possible. That is what I'm doing. I'm learning, talking with others, reading books, gathering books, in an effort to know as much as I can and be able to pass that knowledge on to my children and those around me.

Monday

Monday's apparently suck. We had a dentist appointment this morning in Laguna Beach, but I over slept and had to cancel it. Then we thought we would go to the water slides in Yucaipa instead, but found out it is closed on Monday's. And then I got my husband to take a few minutes off during the week and go to the used book store with me, but it is also closed on Mondays!

We did have a good time playing with a science experiment kit that I had hiding in the laundry room. Tom had all the stuff all over the table and ended up burning paper roll caps one by one over a candle. He tried to fill a balloon with steam for quite some time but gave up. Jake mixed oil and water and food coloring and sprinkled salt to make lava in a cup. That was cool. Science Bob is an awesome website. We talked a long time about molecules, heat, and reactions. I was thinking that there should be some kind of kit of common stuffs with a book to make fun science in your house. I think I'm going to make it myself. Everything I've seen out there is too technical for my kids and my attention span. And it has to be cheap! I'm thinking of naming it "The Dollar Store 'DIY' Science Kit"!

Sunday Sunday

It isn't hot!! Ok, it may be hot to you and it may really be hot, but it doesn't seem as hot as it should be at the end of August. It was 90 degrees today and pretty windy. This morning it felt like fall, windy and dry and cool. So nice.
One of our chickens is sitting on eggs. I'll keep you posted. Dan is still working on replacing the garage roof, but it is coming along nicely. The plywood is all up and he is working on putting primer on the face boards. Nikki is teaching Tom to play guitar. She is teaching him all the things that Eric has taught her. It sounds so nice to hear them work together on something. And Tom is really spending time on it. Jake spent some time teaching Grandma Ann to shoot the pellet gun this afternoon. Then she came over for dinner. It has been a nice afternoon. I even got a nap!

Moonridge Animal Park

We drove up to Big Bear today for the first time since we moved out to the desert. It is a much nice drive from here, only an hour away and no traffic. It is such a pretty drive too. We went up there to visit Big Bear's Zoo, Moonridge Animal Park. It was an awesome trip.

The zoo is a rescue place that helps the animals in the area and keeps animals that can't be released into the wild. It is small but cute and not expensive. We spent about an hour looking around and then went and had lunch at "Get The Burger" which had the best onion rings ever. Well, except for the "Julian Cafe" they have the BEST onion rings. Then we drove around, found some other things to see next time we came up, and went back to the zoo to see the animal feeding tour. Coolness watching a bald eagle tear up a rat!

It was warm and muggy up there, but it wasn't 100 degrees so we were happy. I got a bit sunburned. We got ready to head back down the mountain and we heard thunder. It was very loud! Tom kept jumping out of his skin every time he heard it. We ran into Walgreens to get a candy snack for the road and when we came out it was pouring and hailing!! We couldn't believe it. Crazy weather. We watched it from the car and then drove on the mountain much to the dismay of my son who thought we were all going to die. It was a great day!!

As Promised...

Here are a few pictures of my flock!

Today was a nice day. Hot but nice. I spent some time with my feet in the kiddie pool on the back porch with a glass of iced tea in one hand and a book in the other. It didn't last long though because Jake thought maybe I wanted to be more wet.

Dan finished the rabbit hutch today. It is beautiful! We put it over by the chicken coop, our "barnyard".

Tom and Dan went to the hardware store to gather parts for a potato cannon. And Nikki has been strumming away on her guitar all day.

Pie!

Jake is very fond of pumpkin pie and has been begging me to make one for the past three days. Today I broke down and finally made one. He devouerd his piece and saved one for breakfast tomorrow.

Tom and Jake both love the moon tonight. Tom said it looks like cross, the way the light emanates from four sides. Jake says that God probably did that to remind us.

Dan and I went to buy a used car for Ann today. The Pontiac she has been borrowing from us was on its last leg and the air conditioning didn't work anymore. We found a maroon Cadillac Catera. Perfect!

Dan showed the boys how the swamp cooler takes heat out of the air by putting it through water. He did it by doing a play with them as the molecules. Too funny. Jake said he would rather it be a musical.

Nikki is trying to run a band with the boys but it isn't working out. Her and Tom are just too much alike and are butting heads. There is a talent show coming up for the California Homeschool Network Expo and they want to perform. I told her to let Tom be the boss of the band and she could do a solo act separately. That seems to have smoothed things over a bit. We'll see.

Almost time for bed. I'm tired. It was hot today, but only 90, not much wind. The rooster tried to kick my butt!

Chickens

I love my chickens! I'm going to post some lovely pictures of my flock tonight. They are so sweet. The past few days, I have let them out of their coop to wander the property during the day. I had a feeling they would go back to their coop as soon as the sun started to go down and they did. All day long they have been hanging out on the front porch picking at bugs and eating my plants. It is worth it to have to clean up after them in the evening. It's so fun to sit and watch them up here. They crack me up.

Yesterday morning they were up on the porch, but then suddenly Frankie (the Americauna) went missing. When I looked around the yard for her, she was heading back from the coop. I checked her nest and sure enough there was an egg!

Today I cleaned the coop. They hung out around the coop while I cleaned and followed me over to the front of the house while I cleaned their waterer. Then followed me back when I was done.
They are much happier chickens now that I let them wander during the day. The risk of a coyote getting them is there. We have one that walks right through the middle of the property. But they are so happy, I'm willing to risk it. Especially since they spend most of their time right next to the house. It drives my dog, Kiara, crazy. She sits at the screen or by the fence whimpering. She wants to chase them so bad. The Colonel (the rooster) stands right at the fence and harasses her, strutting back and forth and crowing.