Fire by Friction

We headed out to learn how to make Fire by Friction this weekend. We were not totally sure what we were in for however based on our previous love of fire lighting we were pretty certain it would have some level of fun for all of us.

We once again had a California moment as the class did not take place in a forest but out back of a Human Enhancement centre, in a narrow faux forested space. The instructors were all super knowledgeable and we got started right away making Bow Drill Kits.

This involved first sawing a large piece of cedar (or so they thought we however discerned it was likely some either kind of wood) Pucky and Mitch got straight to getting us the sizes we needed for our platform.

We also picked up a rounded piece of wood that would be our Spindle. The rest of the work was completed using straight blade knives, that both boys were very pleased to be able to use. We had to carve the spindle so it had a rounded ended and an end that was slightly more pointed. We then carved a whole, to match the rounded side of the spindle on our platform. Then we had to dig out a triangle shape at the platforms edge where the black dust was going to fall .. 

After that we made the bows our of tree branches, string and a new knot tie .. next up was the addition of friction 

We were super stoked to get smoke right away .. however the saying "where there's smoke there's fire," wasn't true for us. We kept at it for quite some time creating first some brown dust, then some blackish dust however never a coal that would burn on its own. 

There was the cooking of food on the fire, the preparing of pizza for a wood burning pizza oven and time for a little more wood carving.

We were able to check out a few other fire by friction tools created by others ...

And before leaving Mitchel had the chance to create fire using a coal from the groups communal fire and a bed of tinder he had built. (he says this was his favorite part)

On the way home we of course had to search out knives, just in case we were ever lost in the forest and forgot to bring along our bow drills, we would be able to make new kits with our knowledge.  

And then of course the following day, in 35 degree weather we had to go out in to the forest to do some carving and exploring. We however could not do any fire lighting due to the afore mentioned temperature and the lack of rain in the past six months !!

Beach Time

.. we did make it out of downtown San Fran to the beach .. aaaaahhhhhhh

Stuck in San Francisco

The boys and I accompanied Puck to pick up his passes for the Oracle Conference (big geek gathering). In Puck's brain we would just pop in to down town San Fran and pick up the passes and then pop on over to the beach. Things turned out a little differently.

First off ... the boys had to pee in that right now kind of way .. so Puck let us out while he found parking. What one should know about down town San Fran is that peeing doesn't come cheap. You see all establishments have set up systems to keep people out of the bathrooms. So this means in order to urinate in down town San Fran (indoors that is) you have to be of a certain socio-economic status. We found one bathroom in the parking structure Puck was parking in however in order to use the restrooms you needed the swipe key that is on the back of your parking permit. So to pee here you need to be able to afford the outrageous hourly parking fees and be on your way to one of the upper class stores and or events being held in the area.

Fail on that attempt, boys holding penises to avoid spillage. All local establishments require you purchase something from their establishment in order to use their bathroom ..

Our cost to pee ... 10 dollars in FreeStyle Frozen Yogurt swirling.

One would expect that after paying such a large price to pee you would at least be met with a clean toilet in which to make your deposit. As opposed to a toilet that shares space with a urinal and makes you want to scrub the skin from your hands in order to avoid contracting some sort of illness.







The distraction of consuming the large dishes of yogurt was long enough for Puck to park, pick up passes, return and retrieve us.

Getting out of downtown was a lesson in ... survival .. there was the grid lock traffic with firefighters blaring sirens and people moving vehicles in a diagonal fashion in order to create the slightest amount of space to for the trucks to eek their way through. Note to self: never get caught in a fire in downtown San Fran cause ain't no one showing up to save you !!

We literally passed the same block three times before orienting ourselves in the correct direction. Which would be fine if it didn't take 20 minutes to make it around the block !!

This video .. shows a few interesting moments .. if you listen carefully you can hear the man in the white T-shirt that folks are gawking at as he clears a winder berth then the fire trucks by simply wandering down the sidewalk sharing his enthusiasm about walking with Jesus.

Santa Clara Wine Festival

 
We were pretty stoked that there was  a wine and art festival with in biking distance of our home (though we didn't actually bike there cause apparently last weekend when KJ rode there on the busy city streets he was terrified and thus unwilling to do it again).

The write ups spoke of children's entertainment, foods from afar and wineries abounding.

As we entered we realized we were in for something completely out of OUR ordinary.

Yes folks that sign says deep fried oreos and milk

We chose to keep looking for something a little more up our alley.

The next startling moment for Puck and I was when we realized there was drinking everywhere and anywhere in the outdoor space. Yep buy your glass, your tokens and fill up before heading to the playground to watch the children.  The glass pictured here, has a few sips out of it after Puck and I split the "taster in half". The glasses were being filled to the brim.

I was shot more then one nasty comment from folks whom I bumped in to while maneuvering the fully crowded pathways. My response, "I guess that's what happens when you drink in public." Really people it's my fault that your near spilling over glass dropped a little on your shirt while you pushed through this congested walkway.

Proof that here in Santa Clara pigs do fly .. which made this all seem so much less surreal 

Puck and I were both awarded these wrist bands that meant we were of drinking age and thus permitted to wander around with booze in the park .. 

Mitch spun a wheel at a stall advertising some sort of foot wear and won this water bottle. 

We were also approached to become Republicans and choose appropriate School Board Members (while wearing our unschooling t-shirts). 

 We did discover the children's section of the "festival" were parents were drinking and / or supervising their children as they went on various rides .. with the Santa Clara police smack dab in the middle handing out coloring sheets. I wondered if they were also just trusting us drinking parents wouldn't drive home in the cars parked up and down road ways as far as the eye could see. 

Two brothers made the long climb up .. 

 Only one slid down .. (the other chose to walk back down the stairs)

 We did find the entertainment and I think if this picture could speak it would say "What these old guys singing eighties cover tunes is the best they could do ?" 

Apparently we were the only ones who noticed, or maybe it's cause we were sober, cause most folks were kicking up their heals .. 

I know now why so many films and TV shows take place in California .. you can not ask for a more brilliant cast of characters .. 

 

This woman for example, with all that blond hair and her bedazzled jacket with it's matching belt and suede boots sat down on the steps in front of us with her entourage of characters just in time for her suede boots to be the recipient of some red wine that was at the end of Mitchel's toe ...

It was only a drop or two but it was enough to send the entire group flying in an uproar .. 

 well that is all except this guy who picked up a discarded napkin from the ground and tried to remove the wine from the pavement .. where it had already been soaked in .. he stopped to ask Mitchel if he was in fact using the camera he had pointed his way and then to offer up "the world's best pose". 

I really could go on and on about the whole adventure with copious photos of crazy characters .. however I think I have made my point. I will however be adding some video soon that Puck took on the sly of some of the nearby dancers. 

Fondant

.. Mitchel has been asking me for some time now to get him some ding dang fondant so he can make cakes like the Cake Boss.

.. finally I found a source we picked some up and we made some cakes (cause one shared cake canvas never works)


First there was the baking of the cakes

And the rolling of the Fondant

And the cutting of decorative parts

Then we had to add the butter cream icing to Mitchel's cake so we could apply the Fondant, stops the bubbling I read .. KJ just went with straight up butter cream icing with Fondant decorations. 

The results ....

No one is as of yet willing to cut in to and eat the cakes .. they may simply be decorations for as long as possible 

Mad Scientist

KJ decided he wanted to do some experiments. I of course pulled the classic move of grabbing a science book of the shelf and looking some up. To which he responded, "mom that's not an experiment. An experiment is when you mix stuff together and see what happens."

So I then moved to getting some stuff for him to mix.

 insert loud cackling 

Then I recalled we had collection of beakers and test tubes (that's why we keep a cluttered house) and he kicked things up a level     

Once the mixture was just right it was time to have it all bottled up and squirted in to the giant cauldron to see what emerged 

 

brother could not resist joining in at this bubbling sizzling point

Fake Blood ..

The boys have wanted to try their hand at making fake blood for a while now. I finally remembered to stock the house with the required ingredients and the fun began

And naturally led to the creation of some fake fights to match the fake blood 

And then there was the idea to send Daddy the shot below, suggesting a fight had broke out (though the timing was pour because right after we hit send the feeling of sticky things on our body hit critical mass and it needed to be removed immediately by jumping in the pool. Which meant we were not here when Daddy tried to contacted us to see if everyone was okay .. oops)

Here is what we followed to create our blood should the need arise in your household ...