Launching Rockets at School

As most of you already know, I am teaching a combined 4th and 5th grade class this year. I have 16 5th graders and 5 4th graders. It just so happens, Sam is one of my students. We recently made and launched water bottle rockets (with an egg on board) in science class. It was a challenge to see which rocket could remain in the air the longest, and return the "eggronaut" to earth, unbroken. Here are some of the photos that were taken. I love the picture of the kids looking at the other rocket and the three boys laughing their head off (they couldn't believe the egg had not broken)

Finally, here are some of the final barn photos. This is what the floor looked like with all vertical timbers taken down. The center, drive through, area had a layer of 1x12 pine planks with a layer of 1x12 maple planks laid over the top of them. My guess is that this was to help shore up that section once Mr. Churchbaugh made the switch from horse drawn wagon to a small tractor. The top planks were pretty well worn but the pine underneath was in great shape. Notice how much care was put into the notching of the floor joists. The timbers that came out of the center section of this floor were the largest and best preserved of the entire barn. I was amazed at how much wood was hidden in here. The wooden dowels came out fairly easy but some needed to be drilled or tapped.

After Ron left, I hired a man named Wendell. He was a real Godsend, in that I couldn't have asked for a harder worker than him. I have enjoyed getting to know him and we work well as a team.

More Photos......

Then the "Big Barn"

"Little Barn" Dismantled First

Barn Dismantle Begins

We started the barn project on July 10th. My brother Ron, sister Debbie and her son Andrew, along with my buddy from the Army, all came down to lend a hand for a few days. We started with the little barn to get some practice in before we hit the big one. After one week, I am very pleased with the progress we made. Thanks, you guys, for coming down to help out. I know we worked hard during some long, hot days, but we sure had a nice time. I'll try and post weekly photos here so those of you that are interested can keep an eye on the progress.

I'll start with some early photos of the barn and try and progress forward as things happened.

B.W.C.A. Trip in Minnesota

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Sam and I headed into the Boundary Waters for a week's adventure with my good friend Skip and his grandson. It was Sam's first time to the B.W.C.A. and we had a great time. We plan to make this trip an annual summer event. Next year, Hannah will join us too.

We had our share of rain but most days were nice. The mosquitoes were out in full force and kept the bug juice flowing. We tried our hand at fishing but all of us, except Sam, were skunked. You can see him holding the prized catch in the above photo. What a great trip!