I Don't Think This is Spring

IF I was blogging daily you would already know we've been enjoying warm temps of upper 30's. Many began to say spring was here. I was a tad bit sad yesterday. Spring is really break-up, and it's muddy, wet, drippy....The side of our road was packed brown snow, Yuuki has left yellow snow everywhere....it made me sad to say goodbye to fresh, clean snow.  Yesterday, we'd shoveled the drive and various paths down to the gravel/grass.  This morning I woke to THIS.

We'd had about 2 inches over night. It's continued to snow and a fairly clip pace all day. It's piling up again.

I was alarmed when I saw the spots on the above photo. I cleaned the lens and took another photo.

I enlisted Michael's help.....he got the same...

Until he pointed down - oh - SNOW. Duh! 

We even had to use the 4 wheel drive to get up the mountain on our way home from therapy and groceries.

I'm pretty sure this is not spring/break up yet....maybe I'll have an easier time figuring the seasons out next year. I do think it's safe to say we've weathered our first winter in the Valley just fine.

Dusting for Prints is MESSY

Stacia and I are working through various Forensic Science this year - possibly our last year to play with science before we have to move to more traditional courses of study. She's in 7th grade this year. Among other things, we have used the book Crime Scene Investigations.  We've had fun comparing writing samples, typewriter prints, making casts of shoe prints, and more. 

We are currently working through a Crime Scene Science Kit from Home Science Tools. This week we are learning how to lift a print from glass microscope slides, faucets and door knobs. 

(OK - before I go ANY further - the main thing I am learning is that dusting for prints is MESSY. Imagine thick, sooty, charcoal powder all over YOUR kitchen. Ah, the things we do for our children's education.)

Yes,Stacia, he DOES look like a likely suspect! 

Stacia began by finger-printing all the people running around here and creating a master list of "suspects and their prints."

After learning to lift prints, she began to try to get them from around the house and match them to the master suspect list. She's had moderate success - but plans to keep on trying.  (Did I say this is MESSY? I need to buy another case of Clorox wipes.)

Why did I envision printing powder as white????

It's hard to believe we are on our last week of our 3rd quarter of this school year. No, we are NOT taking spring break this week. We started weeks late due to our move-in schedule. We took much time off in December due to Mom's illness and death....by the end of spring break we should be on schedule to finish with the "real schools." And, maybe, next year to celebrate my 30th year as a homeschool teacher, we'll have a NORMAL SCHOOL YEAR!!!!!!