Picture 146 - A perfect day

This is our tent we used to sit under at the beach when the sun had become too hot. What an amazing idea the tent was. Turned out today was completely gorgeous, not a hint of a storm, not even a cloud really. Clouds, though, can sometimes be wonderful things. They provide some shade and help you stay cool. Thanks to the tent though, we were able to relax and enjoy the whole afternoon sitting by the ocean. Yup, today was a good day.

Picture 145 - protection

Traveling to the beach in the south has taught me that I burn a lot faster here than I do in Michigan. Normally a day at the beach would involve a tan enhancers, not a sun block. I've been burned a few too many times to risk having to work in excruciating pain for the next few days.

Picture 144 - Summertime

There's nothing quite like a watermelon to make you feel like it must be summer. I know it's a lot, but I couldn't resist the temptation to bite into it and just feel the cool juices drip down my chin. All that would be needed to complete the perfect summer meal is corn on the cob, grilled steaks, and a house full of family.

Picture 143 - What to do, what to do.

Last year, for memorial day, a group of friends and I took a trip down to Myrtle Beach. It was such a success, we figured we'd try it again. The plan was made, the supplies readied, and the book chosen. The problem seemed to be the weather. The forecasts weren't inspiring to say the least. I bounced around to three different weather sites hoping for some good news. After much debating, we decided to go with the top forecast and risk a storm.

Picture 142 - Thank you YouTube

So in my enthusiasm for homemade tortillas, I made some that tasted wonderful, but looked.... less than wonderful. After round 1 attempt, it was time to head to YouTube for some further video instruction. What is pictured here is attempt number #15 out of 24. No one would ever mistake them for store bought and I think that's a compliment. I figure I'll apply Dad's philosophy on mashed potatoes to these tortillas, he couldn't tell if his mashed potatoes were real without the lumps.

Picture 141 - Uniformity (for now)

Because I needed something to take a picture of and feel like I have exhausted all the obvious choices, I decided to embark on the adventure of homemade tortillas. Having two sisters that are amazing cooks, this can be a daunting idea, but I figured if it didn't work, I just wouldn't tell anyone. And besides, the recipe said idiot proof. With this in mind, I measured everything precisely, mixed it all together and kneaded it as instructed. The dough, as evidenced by the picture, turned out beautifully. Rolling it was another matter entirely. Turns out that, yes, the recipe is idiot proof, rolling out the dough is not.

Picture 140 - It's Science!

I loved Bill Nye. It wasn't the "I'll watch it if it's on" kind of love, it was the "This show has my complete and total attention" kind. I loved the experiments and learning how things work. So it's no surprise that today one of my favorite subjects to teach is science. I love using things all around the kids to teach them concepts. We have been studying plants and pollination these last few weeks. Because of what I brought in, we ended up discussing how coconuts in Florida and Africa can be genetically linked. This then led to a time at the giant map carpet discussing gulf stream currents, which brought us around to the oil spill and its effects. Yeah, it was a good teaching day.