Being Prepared

We live in Florida.

And its Hurricane Season.

We live in a part of the state

that doesn't get hit by hurricanes.

Unless we do.

We are a little weird.

We like hurricanes.

When one is looming,

we hook the TV to the battery backup

and put in the Twister dvd.

(We own a small business,

so we can't really leave...)

However, we also do LOTS of preparing.

Real preparing.

Not putting duct tape on the windows.

And we pay big bucks for insurance.

(We live less than a mile from the ocean.)

(which means we have a ridiculous

wind storm deductible)

Anyhow.

In our continuing search for things

to help us weather the storm

(literally)

Kyle and I found a great book!

We gave it to Rod on Sunday

for Fathers Day.

And then all the males in the house

spent the rest of the day drooling

over all the cool things you can do!

It's like the BEST science project EVER!

There are lots of pictures and

just enough information to "wet your whistle".

(And then you head to YouTube...)

Kyle made a candle!

He spent lots of time experimenting

with various wicks.

He started with a strip of an old t-shirt.

It worked really well.

Until it fell through the hole and sunk.

Then he used a hunk of Rod's old

shoe lace.

It didn't work very well.

Too much plastic or something.

Then he found some 100% cotton

cotton balls.

Stretched one into a long string

and tried that.

(each wick has to be soaked in a

heavy salt water solution and then dried

overnight.  Or stuck in the microwave

for a minute...)

That worked well.

Then Jim arrived for dinner and they

got even more creative.

They stretched three cotton balls

and braided them.

SCORE!

I think their next try will include poking

more holes in the lid and doing 3 wicks.

It's a neat candle, burns for a LONG

time, but doesn't put off much light.

So they are hoping by adding wicks

that will help.

Next up?

They want to make charcoal.

And a water turbine.

And gun powder.

(I'm sticking to barley fodder...)
(By the way, I made the chocolate mousse filled,
Reddi Whip topped crepes last night.
YUM!!!!!)