Friday, November 8th, 2024

Molecular Models

In science, we are studying water. Water, like everything else I can think of that is larger than a single molecule, is made up of multiple molecules. I happen to have three molecular modelling kits (thanks, Mom!) with largely interchangeable parts, tho according to Akiva, the bonds in the newest set function more easily than the bonds in the others.

 

Akiva quickly moved beyond constructing boring ol’ H2O.

He looked at molecular diagrams to build molecules with cyclohexanes and phenyl groups and whatnot.

I’d have to look in the booklet to see what he built.

 

 

 

Iris, the mad scientist, focused on symmetry.

This unidentified carbon molecule eventually absorbed all carbons in three kits into its crystalline structure.

It was lovely.

 

 

Wednesday, November 6th, 2024

Pink Jacket

Akiva puts on the pink jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

Then he puts it on again.

 

 

 

 

 

Iris isn’t in a photogenic mood, but Brook is.

Lacking photos of my daughter, I present you my daughter’s dog.

 

Thursday, October 31st, 2024

The Halloween Loot

In lieu of building the traditional Candy Faerie house,

the kids choose to split the loot and distribute it to humans.

*SNIFF*

 

 

Goodbye, Candy Faerie.

I will miss you.

Sunday, October 20th, 2024

We bring Charlie to the Johnville Bog.

Iris knows all the dogs in town, and all the dog owners know her. She’s currently walking an Australian shepherd named Charlie pretty regularly. I gave Brook to Iris for the autumn equinox (gifts on all solstices and equinoxes!), so now Brook is hers. When we go to the woods, Akiva walks Charlie and Iris walks Brook.

 

Akiva & Charlie

 

 

 

Iris & Brook

 

 

 

Akiva likes climbing and balancing more than Iris does.

 

Sunday, September 29th, 2024

We visit the sun.

For our final inspection of the solar system, we visit the observatory museum and telescope at Mont Megantic National Park. We took an educational tour of the museum, then we drove up to the telescope at the top of the hill. Sometimes, they have sky shows at night. We didn’t see one.

 

They have a larger and more permanent model solar system than the one that we built. We found all the rock planets and Ceres, formerly known as a rock planet, now classified as part of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The English language version of the interpretive sign reads as follows,β€”

 

 

 

SOLAR SYSTEM

in a Model Scale

 

Welcome to the Solar System of the Mont Megantic International Dark Sky Reserve. Designed to scale by size and distance, spread out along the Summit Drive, this is one of the largest models of this type in the world!

 

Measuring hundreds of millions of kilometers, our Solar System is so wide that it is difficult to imagine it well.

 

What would be its proportions if we could reduce the Sun to the size of the Ovservatoire du Mont Megantic (1.4 million km to 14 m)? Compressed 100 million times, our planetary neighbourhood would spread out across the whole region!

 

 

 

 

 

SUN

 

You are actually right at the heart of the scale model Solar System! If the sun was the size and in the same position as the Observatory, Pluton would be in Sherbrooke, Uranus in Lac-Megantic, and inner planets would be located within the park. Real markers are installed for each planet, and you are invited to visit them!

 

Born 4.6 billion years ago, our star alone accounts for 99.9% of our Solar System’s mass. A true thermonuclear heater, its core is heated to over 15 million degrees Celsius.

 

 

 

 

The map.

 

 

Download this PDF to locate all the planets:

https://www.astrolab.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/18_211_pnmm_guide_systeme_solaire_geant_en.pdf

Thursday, September 26th, 2024

Goodbye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, September 12th, 2024

Akiva writes in his new chair.

Thursday, September 5th, 2024

The Craft

1

Iris writes.

 

 

 

2

Martin and Akiva play ball.

 

 

 

 

3

Iris and Akiva trace shadows.

 

 

 

 

 

4

Akiva and Iris make footprints.

 

 

 

5

Martin reads.

 

 

 

6

Akiva and Iris find a pallet; I add logs.

 

 

We build a craft.

 

 

They set off!

 

 

Iris is upβ€”

 

 

and down.

 

 

Iris and Akiva push offβ€”

 

 

into the sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024

Iris, Akiva and I hike the trail towards Tadoussac.

Perhaps some year we will hike all the way there.

 

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024

Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay, Baie-Sainte-Margeurite, year 4

 

 

1

Witness the strange optical illusion of inverted footprints on sand.

 

 

 

2

Cars are an important part of any camping trip.

The orange Toyota 4×4 (right) is a favorite. Most parts of it return every year.

 

 

It is one of Martin’s jobs to play with cars on rocks.

 

 

Playing with cars on rocks is always done early in the morning.

 

 

 

3

Iris takes a photo of me cooking.

 

 

 

4

I take a family portrait.

 

 

 

5

While the tide is out, the kids go climbing on an otherwise inaccessible rock.

Akiva has an easy time going up. Iris has less confidence in her grip.

 

 

Akiva demonstrates that, in addition to jumping, he can climb down the way he went up.

 

 

Iris is open to jumpingβ€” if she can get close enough to the ground first.

 

 

Two people up on top.

 

 

 

6

Iris takes a photo of me resting.

 

 

 

7

Contrary to typical engineering practices, the best sand-home engineers always build where the next high tide will cause great devastation.

 

 

 

Historic photos of the Toyota 4×4.