Sunshine and Science

We enjoyed the beautiful weather last weekend. Went out jogging on Friday morning (before it got too hot), then spent the rest of the morning out in our yard reading to each other. I finished Spilling_the_Beans_on_Charles_Darwin which we both loved (on to STB on Tutankhamen now). A read a chapter of Pippi_Longstocking - a brilliantly funny and anarchic tale about a nine-year-old girl who lives on her own and does things her own way, ignoring adult advice/intervention. This is one of my all-time favourite children's books.

Reading in the sun

We had friends over for a barbecue Saturday night, and we all happily stuffed our faces with Linda McCartney sausages.

A went out with my camera yesterday and took some 'abstract photos' (her words) around the town and neighbouring gardens. Here are a few:

Yesterday was also 'science day' through at Inverness_College, organised by one of our HE group parents and hosted by the STEM club. A had a great time, she worked mostly in a group with two other girls, but there was a really nice friendly feel to the whole group - including the parents, and I had quite a laugh too (much needed at the moment!). Briefly, the experiments were:

Enzymes - looking at how enzymes in pineapple and kiwi fruit affect the protein in gelatin, by leaving the fruit in some jelly for three hours and checking for changes.

Fruit battery - wired up a lemon/orange/grapefuit to a LED using a copper coin and a galvanised nail, then added more fruit to the circuit, testing how many were needed to light the LED.

Fat Content and Diffusion - looking at how fat affects diffusion by adding one drop of food colouring into pots of different types of milk (skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole) and comparing them.

Protective Packaging - each group had to design a container for an egg that would prevent it from breaking when dropped from head height, using newspaper/bubble-wrap/straws/tape. The designs were very varied, but they all worked.

Soda Snakes - using sand, bicarbonate of soda, icing sugar, alcohol, and a match, some very impressive 'snakes' emerged for some groups! Really should have taken my camera - for this alone - but, of course, I didn't :0(