Sun, Stars, and Cat Calling!

We have been living the mantra here, and making fun the priority. The summer sun has finally come out, shining strongly in blue skies. What a mood lifter!!! We've been out in the sun for both work and play. We've been cleaning out the pond, swimming in the pool, playing with the dogs, and laying out reading. We've been grilling and eating out on the patio, enjoy night time swims as well.

All this fun and sun has recharged us. Friends are always an important part of our adventures. We spent all day Friday at Dorney Park with friends, and the girls even talked me onto a roller coaster. Once. (I tend to stop breathing...not a good thing). We attended a wonderful graduation ceremony and party for a number of our FSA kids at a local Catholic retreat center. It's been so lovely to attend events that I have not organized and am not responsible for!!!

We are refreshed. So much so, that yesterday we added stars to our summer of fun and sun. Or at least, the study of astronomy. HoneyGirl and I started it, and Buzz even tagged along a bit, working on his astronomy badge. We are using a very eclectic approach, as Honey wants to make a lapbook instead of lots of notes from a textbook. Allowing her to take the lead, I have just gathered up lots of materials, and she is leading the way. I think this is ideal with her personality; and sparks her interest even more.

After a brief review of the planets, we moved into the bigger concepts of stars and space.
We had a great time yesterday studying the history of astronomy and some of the major theories. Standard Deviants astronomy DVD does a great job at explaining Kepler's and Newton's Law conceptually, so that one does not need trig or calculus to understand the basics. Plus, it's depiction of Tycho's death is hysterical!

With all this free time away from lesson planning since Honey has taken the reigns, I have been spending the wee hours of the morning cat calling. Or maybe a better term would be cat wooing. You see, for years we had a neighbor who allowed his cats to run wild and live on his back patio. You would drive by and see stacks of open food cans lying everywhere. They were never in a house, and are not trained. Last month, he stuck a for sale sign in the ground and moved out, without a thought to the cats.

These two semi-wild cats have been wandering around ever since. I have caught them sleeping on chairs on our back patio, and have watched them mousing in the woodpile. The dilemna, of course, is what to do about them. They are certainly used to surviving outside, are very savvy in avoiding cars and our dogs, and make no attempt to destroy property. Calling the humane society would be a death sentence, because they are not indoor cats and are at least ten years old.

The family took a vote, and we have decided to share our patio with Bruce and Oscar, as we call them. Bruce is grey, and Oscar is an orange tabby. They have been warming up to me slowly. They used to run as soon as they saw us, but will now stop twenty feet away and watch me as I put down a can of food. I would really appreciate tips from any of your with farm cats as to their care, especially in winter.

Honey's dream is that they eventually trust her enough to pet, as we had seen the neighbor's daughter hold them in the past. This is a wish come true for her, as my cat allergies had always made cat ownership an impossibility. The guys are just happy to not have to set and empty mouse traps in the shed and garage, as the cats are doing the job nicely. Yesterday, after a week of feeding, I found one laid out for me on the steps. I think we are building a beautiful relationship here!