Rock Collecting Lake Michigan.

 I have been mulling the idea over and over in my head for a while now.   How can I get Earth Science to be relatable and educational for the kids who are bored with Geology?  I mean,  Rocks bore the crap out of me!   Why should I expect anything less for kids trapped in school?  

The wrong answer is to not teach them anything.  Even I would be bored with that plan.   So the right answer (which happens to also be the hard answer)  is to somehow make it interesting and "fun" for them. How do I do such a thing?  

Well,  with the help of my retired partner in crime,   I set out on a mission to collect various rocks from along the Lake Michigan shore.  They are pretty, after all.   And plentiful!  And perhaps an idea or two might hit me along the way.   

After lugging about 50 lbs of rocks up and down the beach... in the sand and the summer heat,   I had an "Ah HA! moment.   Possibly induced by a minor case of sun stroke...  I'm still working out the details in my head, but I think it will add a touch of fun to the mineral classification process.  I shall keep you posted.  

Speaking of Cheryl,   we found a huge stash of beach glass again.   ( She collected glass while I collected rocks.) After several hours,  we headed to the Beer Garden for some Fish and chips and beer.   Not a bad way to spend a Birthday Weekend.  

The biting flies and mosquitoes were kept away by the HORDE of Dragonflies that hovered around.   I LOVE Dragonflies!   Not only are they the coolest thing to watch in the skies with their darting, hover and strike flying patterns;    Or their colorful green iridescence. But mostly because they hunt, kill, and eat the bugs that make the great outdoors not so great!   With the Dragons hovering around,  you know that you are going to have a peaceful outdoor experience.  ( Too bad they do not continue after dark.)  

Cheryl is back in Iowa as of the writing of this blog post.   We enjoyed a hot fudge Sundae on one of the last days of Summer.   Well,   Last days for me.   This next week is one of the last few days where I can tweak any lesson plans and hopefully formulate an idea on how I plan to accomplish this upcoming school year.   I shall continue to pray for inspiration and more "Ah HA!" moments as the lessons continue.  I'm sure God will not abandon me. (Hebrews 13:5)

And one final note:   This evening,  as I returned home from the Reach Service,   The Great Egret was out and about walking the neighborhood.  He was very "chill" and I was able to drive right up to him and take his picture from the window of the Silver Surfer Subie.  This is the closest I have ever been to one of these, so I was kind of excited.  And I might as well share the pic with the blog while it is still fresh in my mind.  

That weekend flew by way too quickly!   And it seems like the next few weeks are going to do the same.   I don't have much time before the School year begins. Now more than ever... I'm realizing every second counts.