A Busy Thursday

Is it jello? Is it a sundae?

No, it's a rainbow in a jar! My first attempt, which didn't come out as well as it could have, but later versions worked very well. This was my practice batch as I practiced my presentation for the WV Library Association's Spring Fling. Storyteller Jo Ann Dadisman and I shared ideas for ways to include science with folktales to help the librarians with their plans for summer reading.

 Jo Ann and I got together early Thursday morning to put together our program. We'd been working independently on finding connections between stories and science experiments that would be easy, inexpensive and fun. The library in Sutton, WV graciously lent us their meeting room to put the final touches on our presentation.

 Who's been here? I don't know but they left their prints for posterity. I hope the birds (probably pigeons) were able to fly after putting on concrete sandals!

 Tiny little flowers were blooming in the grass, and I was anxious to get home to see how my flowers were coming along. The daffodils were opening up pretty well before I left that morning.

Downtown Sutton is charming with brick streets and many restored buildings.

 I particularly liked the steeple on this church building.

 Then it was time to take our program to the mountain! Well, to the Days Hotel on top of a hill overlooking Flatwoods, WV (home of the Braxton County Monster, in case you're interested). I have no photos of our presentation, sadly, because we were too busy to take them.

I hope someone will share photos they took so I can post them here. We had a great time experimenting with making a chicken cluck with a plastic cup, making water and light bend, making the rainbow in the jar and blowing up a balloon with baking soda along with lots of other easy experiments. Every attendee left with a handmade bookmark (by Jo Ann), a bag of candy for all sorts of candy experiments (from me), and handouts with stories, experiments and ideas from both of us.

After the drive home and my evening walk, I returned to find things much greener than when I left in the morning. The day's showers helped, I'm sure, along with temperatures in the 70's.

I love spring!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.