Machetes

So in scouts we decided a few months ago that we were going to make machetes, so we did

this is a picture from a few weeks ago of my machete

Here I am trying to sharpen it with a file (since then I have sharpened it with a grinder and it is actually sharp)

This is my scoutmaster's machete, he plans to actually use it on his many woodsman expeditions

It's all been very fun to make these machetes, and we are still working on them. This Tuesday we will be putting the wooden handles and then we should be just about finished

Here is a video I found on youtube that talks about making machetes

p.s. I haven't seen this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imtrgI6KeVE

This blog post also just got me communications merit badge so thank you

Kylie

I've Been Trained to do THIS!

Every day, lately, as I walk in the back door, this guy greets me: I find him very funny. I can only guess who arranged him there, but I do enjoy his greeting. I thought I would take his picture and let you all enjoy. THEN, I have the genius idea to play

I SPY

Just look for this list of things. It could be fun. Comment about what you could or could not find!

tissue packet; glasses; x-ray file cover; blockbuster phone #

wrapping paper cutter; how many calories in 1 serving of tomato sauce

a mis-spelled word; a machine gun

**note: you may or may not be able to find 2 of those items. I was able to use the zoom on the picture, but I see after I publish the post I do not have that tool anymore....

Rootbeer!

Mr. Lucky, also known as your dad, won a $100 gift card to BevMo. That is like a big warehouse that sells drinks. He decided to buy several different types of Rootbeer! We were going to (which we did) have a rootbeer tasting party during the Superbowl. Well, we started a few days before the superbowl. It is quite fun and interesting to taste different types of rootbeer. I highly recommend it, especially if you can do it for FREE!!

We still have plenty left over. It is a delight to pull one out of the box and give it a try!

Still Pictures of MORE Trees...

Here is a long shot of the trees lined up on Santa Anita This is a tree up on Elkins. Those roots! That tree was SO big:
SEE! I am 5' 7 3/4" tall....The tree's circumference is as tall as me!

Ok, now back to Santa Anita....That is steam coming off the top of the foliage pile! I took these pictures at about 9:00am.

Huge pile of foliage in the parking lot of the county park on Santa Anita

Foliage pile meshing into the log pile

OK! The end of the tree pictures!

The Consequence of Winds

I made 2 videos for your enjoyment!
I HATE the new blogger. I pushed the button that suggested I "try" it. I do not like it!!








I have still pictures, too. They will come later.

Try, Try Again

Many times today have I tried to fix that "Wind and Blown Down Trees" Link. I THINK I have finally fixed it.

Please click on it again. The pictures are amazing.

If the link doesn't work, you are supposed to comment and say, "hey, the link did not work!"

Thanks.

I'll Huff and Puff and BLOW your Trees Down!

Wednesday night, November 30, 2011, the winds blew with great force. I heard a report that at times the winds blew 90 MPH. We heard it and it was scary. Our electricity went out at 10:00pm. Who knew...I thought it would be back on in a few hours. I wondered about how we would wake up in time for school. Little did I know.

Our electricity was out for 5 1/2 days. Our city looked like a tornado hit it, BUT, thank goodness, no houses were blown down; just a lot of trees. On Thursday morning, I drove around and took pictures. It was amazing. No school Thursday or Friday. Monday, Quinn went to school, Tuesday all the children went to school and a few hours later the electricity came on! Yea!
Here is my reporting:
This is a couple of blocks from our house. On the corner of Wilson and Sierra Madre. I think a very old lady lives here. The tree is still like this one week later.
The blessings of having a pine tree:

Ok, I have SO many more pictures to show you, I have put them up on Picassa.

Here is a link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/thxhune/TREESDecWinds?authkey=Gv1sRgCKjXgajn_aXJjAE

Mom/Nana: click on the line above. When you get to the pictures, click on the small pictures and they will get bigger, then there is an arrow (kind of light, so look) at the side of the picture that you can press to see the next big picture.

It gets better...or worse, depending on your perspective.

EyeLID Caught in a Zipper

SETUP: We/Chase, had/has a jacket like this.

It is one he got for free from Sports Illustrated.

It says FALCONS on it.

More SETUP: On Friday morning I went to go to a funeral.

(Shauna Miller's mother died.)

STORY: While I was gone, Quinn went outside to work on getting all the leaves out of our pool. Griffin went out too. He was wearing the jacket.

As boys will do, he tried to turtle himself into his jacket; to shrink down below the zipper, then he tried to zip up the jacket. Somehow, he got his EYELID caught in the zipper!!

MORE SETUP: This was all during our power outage. I learned to charge my cellphone at every opportunity. I was charging my cellphone in another room with the phone off. I did not want the phone to ring, or beep at an improper time during the funeral.

STORY, CONTINUED: Griffin cried/screamed as anyone would. Quinn came and saw what had happened. He tried calling my cell phone, but I did not answer. He tried calling Dad, but by that time he was almost at work, about 40 minutes away. He called Heather, but because of the traffic it would take her about 40 minutes to get to our house, then he tried calling Angie Jensen. She came over.

About this time, I went to check on my cell phone and found many messages, and missed calls and missed texts. Griffin had zipped his eyelid in a jacket zipper. I had one message from Griffin just crying so pathetically for about 3 minutes. It was awful. I raced home!

It was hard to know what to do, but eventually, I cut the jacket off his head with just the section remaining that he had zippered to his eyelid.

Then Angie saw that we had to just zip UP the zipper to release his eyelid.

I told him it would hurt, then quickly zipped hard and fast.

Within 30 seconds he felt so much better.

Sorry, there are no BEFORE pictures. I was REALLY tempted to run and get the camera and take a picture, but that seemed a little cruel.

Here is Griffin's eye right after his release:

It looks awful!
Here is a side view so you can see the swelling:

Many days later, he is fine. We are lucky and blessed he did not have to have any stitches.

Plus is makes for a good story.

Just be careful how and what you are zipping...

Cupboard Looks Bare....(not naked, tee hee)

True, untouched photo....

I don't think this has happened much in the life of the Cole family.

Only THREE boxes of cereal!

That is what happened after Thanksgiving and boys left for school.

Almost eaten out of house and home....and happily so!

Don't worry, the cupboard has now been replenished!