soap making in the city

Our church has a bazaar coming up very soon. Our contribution was teaching soap making and making a bunch of soap. Tabitha put together a whole curriculum.

I made a bunch of soap molds the days leading up to the event.

They needed to greased up and put together.



father Stephan kept dropping in to see what was happening.

Kassi's Godmother sporting the latest in kitchen wear.

It was quite a production.

Not really something to eat.

mix until trace....

The pouring of the liquid soap.



Here is a bunch of cut soap from the day previous--an attempt to teach the whole process.

This soap is set and ready to cut.

Here I am at home cutting the soap made the the previous day at church.



I made this miter-box in Missouri.

vernal pools

Yesterday we went for a hike to some vernal pools in the Berkeley hills. Part of our homeschooling group organized this excursion. It was up hill both ways;)

I was carrying Rome on my back "paxie".

It was roughly a five mile hike. My legs are very sore today.

Tristan and Kassi got out their nature journals and drew the different plants and general landscape.
The trails through the area were cow trails. Toly had a great adventure.

The view was spectacular.

All the home school kids climbed the cattle gate and waited in silhouette for the adults tho catch up.

It was such a steep climb that I had to take several breaks.

Here I am standing on the edge of one of the mostly dry vernal pools.

There were lots of blooming plants. The purple stuff is a type of field mint.
Rome was fascinated by the huge cracks in the ground.

Everybody loves Rome.

This is about half of our group.

We plan to come back in the early spring when this place is allegedly teeming with life.

This seems like the deepest one.

Vernal pools in California