Animal Behavior: Project Butt Buffet
Challenge: Get the most skittish beach birds to eat bread off your body.
It took three tries and the implementation of a breathing tube (the bottle) as Experiment #2 yielded the comment, "I felt dizzy under the tarp."
Mission Accomplished: The birds happily plucked the bread off of Kai's posterior.
This is a picture of Attempt #1 which failed miserably as seagulls are terrified of people.
It took three tries and the implementation of a breathing tube (the bottle) as Experiment #2 yielded the comment, "I felt dizzy under the tarp."
Mission Accomplished: The birds happily plucked the bread off of Kai's posterior.
This is a picture of Attempt #1 which failed miserably as seagulls are terrified of people.
Leia's Learning Curve
From Zero to Hero. No greater proof of learning than the fact Leia will now ski Black Diamond trails that her teacher (me) will not. This picture shows "Lower Dry Creek" which is a run we've seen experts conquer for a couple months now. It's steep, rocky, and narrow. In other words, it's dangerous and also Leia's favorite run.
Woody's Ice Fishing Questions & Answers (Answers provided by the only ice fisherman we know – Andy Nelson)
1.What is the easiest way to cut threw the ice
- We have an auger, some are manual, some are gas powered. Kind of looks like a giant corkscrew!
2.Do you use a normal fishing rod when you ice fish
- Looks like a normal pole, but really short, only about a foot long.
3.Do you catch different fish in ice fishing because of the tempature of the water
Yes, there are some fish that go dormant, sleepy during the winter. Large mouth Bass for example you almost never catch during the winter. We usually catch small fish we call Crappie, Sunfish, Bluegills, etc and the best are Walleye (for eating) and Northern Pike. These can be huge!
4.Do you use different bait when you ice fish
We use different sizes of minnows, wax worms, depending on what you're fishing for (and what's been working)
5.Can you only ice fish in certain places
You can fish anywhere there's enough ice, people usually fish in water anywhere from 8 - 20ft deep, too deep and won't be many fish, these days people have things they call Vexlars, or Marcums, that they drop a sensor down and it's basically a computer that shows the exact depths the fish are at, even if they are looking at your bait! Aquaview is the camera people sometimes lower down, pretty cool but kind of cheating if you ask me.
6. Are there less fish when you ice fish
Yes, it takes a lot of patience, but if you're in a good spot you can catch a lot. I think they are just less active in general when really cold.
7.Are there different kinds of fishing lines to use
There are many different types of "weight" I usually use around 4-8lb test. If it's too think, hard to feel the fish, but if too light can break easier. They do have line that resists cold a little better but for the most part all the same.
I was told that you need at least 4 good inches of ice to be able to drive a car on, this is with no cracks, but that's pretty thin! The ice we usually fish on is between 6-14 inches of ice. Good questions. Be careful, let me know how else I can help.
The other thing I really like about ice fishing are these things called "tip-ups" You could probably you tube it. You just set them up wherever you want and if a fish swims by and takes your bait, the flag goes up and you know a fish is on. Super exciting.
Pics below are from this past winter break on a lake in Wisconsin. We had a portable fish house, heater inside, it was -20 outside but we were sweating inside!
- We have an auger, some are manual, some are gas powered. Kind of looks like a giant corkscrew!
2.Do you use a normal fishing rod when you ice fish
- Looks like a normal pole, but really short, only about a foot long.
3.Do you catch different fish in ice fishing because of the tempature of the water
Yes, there are some fish that go dormant, sleepy during the winter. Large mouth Bass for example you almost never catch during the winter. We usually catch small fish we call Crappie, Sunfish, Bluegills, etc and the best are Walleye (for eating) and Northern Pike. These can be huge!
4.Do you use different bait when you ice fish
We use different sizes of minnows, wax worms, depending on what you're fishing for (and what's been working)
5.Can you only ice fish in certain places
You can fish anywhere there's enough ice, people usually fish in water anywhere from 8 - 20ft deep, too deep and won't be many fish, these days people have things they call Vexlars, or Marcums, that they drop a sensor down and it's basically a computer that shows the exact depths the fish are at, even if they are looking at your bait! Aquaview is the camera people sometimes lower down, pretty cool but kind of cheating if you ask me.
6. Are there less fish when you ice fish
Yes, it takes a lot of patience, but if you're in a good spot you can catch a lot. I think they are just less active in general when really cold.
7.Are there different kinds of fishing lines to use
There are many different types of "weight" I usually use around 4-8lb test. If it's too think, hard to feel the fish, but if too light can break easier. They do have line that resists cold a little better but for the most part all the same.
I was told that you need at least 4 good inches of ice to be able to drive a car on, this is with no cracks, but that's pretty thin! The ice we usually fish on is between 6-14 inches of ice. Good questions. Be careful, let me know how else I can help.
The other thing I really like about ice fishing are these things called "tip-ups" You could probably you tube it. You just set them up wherever you want and if a fish swims by and takes your bait, the flag goes up and you know a fish is on. Super exciting.
Pics below are from this past winter break on a lake in Wisconsin. We had a portable fish house, heater inside, it was -20 outside but we were sweating inside!
*Pictures from Andy Nelson
Woody's Follow-up Questions for Kumu Andy
What is an auger?
Can you use aqua view for normal fishing?
Probably, would just need a way to lower the camera into the water...maybe by your drone!
What are minnows?
Basically small fish, like the mosquito fish you would find in our lily pond.
How does the aqua view detect that there are fish around – heat or motion?
The aqua view is just a camera, but the other detectors send out signals that get bounced off of objects. Fish, a tire, whatever.
Are wax worms real or fake?
Can get either, the ones we use are real. Like little grubs you'd find in the garden.
What is the weight of a normal fishing line?
Maybe anywhere from 5-8 is typical but can be more/less. They call it "test"
Do cracks in the ice affect the fishing?
I don't think so, unless they are too big and you fall through. Then the fish would swim away!
Probably, would just need a way to lower the camera into the water...maybe by your drone!
What are minnows?
Basically small fish, like the mosquito fish you would find in our lily pond.
How does the aqua view detect that there are fish around – heat or motion?
The aqua view is just a camera, but the other detectors send out signals that get bounced off of objects. Fish, a tire, whatever.
Are wax worms real or fake?
Can get either, the ones we use are real. Like little grubs you'd find in the garden.
What is the weight of a normal fishing line?
Maybe anywhere from 5-8 is typical but can be more/less. They call it "test"
Do cracks in the ice affect the fishing?
I don't think so, unless they are too big and you fall through. Then the fish would swim away!
Woody Drone Shots in Winter
Project Thankwich: Lunch for Eastern Sierra Disabled Sports
We've seen them on the slopes all season. We call them "The Orange Coats" but what they really should be called are heroes. These are the people supporting disabled skiers.
Leia spearheaded this lunch buffet on Saturday for these heroes. She had to plan it, take a meeting about the logistics, shop for it, set it up, and host it.
Leia spearheaded this lunch buffet on Saturday for these heroes. She had to plan it, take a meeting about the logistics, shop for it, set it up, and host it.
Attending the Olympic Trials at Mammoth
http://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-spolympic-snowboard-finals-20180121-htmlstory.html
Wait. What? We can do the Olympic halfpipe, too?
Leia and Woody Curling Questions & Answers
Woody's Coding Adventure
Woody Out-Sources Music Production to Leia
She came up with three choices for a soundtrack for Woody's ski game he is coding.
Leia's Nature Pictures After New Snow 1/25/18
A Network of Tunnels Under the Snow: Mice
Not only did we uncover a network of tunnels, we learned that foxes hunt mice under the snow using their incredible hearing and pouncing skills. But get this, when they face North they have a 75% success rate. Scientists believe the foxes are somehow tuning into the magnetic North Pole which increases their ability to track their prey. Wow.
Neighborhood Beautification Project
Drone Work by Woody
SnowPerson by Leia and Woody
Music by Cranberries
Terrain Park Fun & Risk-Taking
Once again, Leia and Woody learn that what seems scary and unreachable at first, it is only reluctance and fear that holds them back.
Ski Progress: Hard work pays off!
Wooly Mammoth Inquiry
GoPro + Drone + Editing = Skill-Based Learning
Leia is the GoPro expert; Woody is the drone expert. Together, they are now able to capture a variety of footage, help choose music, insert titles and transitions, and most importantly trim their video clips in order to create a video that flows and entertains and educates. Next, we'll learn how to add narration.
Woody Drone Shots of Our Snowy Neighborhood
February 20, 2018
Wooster Tail: Woody performing a drenching "rooster tail"
Leia's Tenzi Project: Skills, not Content
This is one of our favorite group games that we've modified to offer tons of loud, quick-thinking, competitive fun.
Skills learned: Professional photography set-up, writing explanations, and graphic design.
Skills learned: Professional photography set-up, writing explanations, and graphic design.
Grammar & Punctuation Edits
Run-on sentences, punctuation, quotations, and capitalization need work.
Leia's Tenzi Report: Final Draft
Woody Jumps Mammoth
Leia Photography: Level Up
Woody Drone Weather Monitoring
TimeLapse Photography + Music Production
Leia worked hard to create the perfect soundtrack for the GoPro time-lapse footage taken on a snowy day outside our window.
Woody's Snow Comparison Drone Shots 2.0
Capturing Sledding from Three Sources
Handheld camera
GoPro Helmet Camera Mount
DJI Drone Spark
Then we import the footage, trim the fat, add titles, music, and transitions.
More Leia Nature/Food Photography & Photo Editing
Easter Skiing: Leia Bunny
Woody's Ski Calendar Design & Product
April Fool's Joke
The text to about a dozen people read: "Ski Patrol on the way. She says she heard her thigh bone snap."
About six people expressed concern and horror...suckers.
Next text: "In ambulance now. On the way to a hospital that specializes in blood loss and April Fool's jokes."
Lessons Learned:
1. There's a sucker born every minute.
2. Too many people in this world think Leia's daddy would take and share pictures of his daughter BEFORE pulling her out of a ditch.
About six people expressed concern and horror...suckers.
Next text: "In ambulance now. On the way to a hospital that specializes in blood loss and April Fool's jokes."
Lessons Learned:
1. There's a sucker born every minute.
2. Too many people in this world think Leia's daddy would take and share pictures of his daughter BEFORE pulling her out of a ditch.
Miniaturizing Effect in Photo Editing Software
Leia has been dabbling with this trendy effect we see in movies and photography. The "trick" seems to be blurring everything BUT your focus, and for some reason that creates a miniature effect.
Garage Project: Whimsy & Organization
Life Skills 101:
Painting the walls
- choosing paint
- buying and ordering paint (mixing colors lessons from DIY workers)
- how to use a paint roller and finish with a brush
- how to store paint
Painting the walls
- choosing paint
- buying and ordering paint (mixing colors lessons from DIY workers)
- how to use a paint roller and finish with a brush
- how to store paint
Installing Gladiator Geartracks Storage Solutions
- using a stud finder
- tapping screws using a power driver
- leveling the track using a level tool
- driving the screws into studs and knowing when you miss the stud
- using a stud finder
- tapping screws using a power driver
- leveling the track using a level tool
- driving the screws into studs and knowing when you miss the stud
The Schwengels Ice-Fishing Adventure
Leia: Music Producer
Challenge: Create a music piece that enhances this time-lapse video of us painting our garage.
Woody: Pegboard Construction & Organization
Challenge: Create a storage solution that is both organized and attractive. We opted to use cardboard so our background isn't religious (holey).
Mammoth Jump School!
Open Firehouse Event
Woody and Leia attended an open house at the Fire Department.
Leia Food Photography & Photo Editing Continues...
Woody Drone Monitoring of Neighborhood
Leia's Yosemite Pictures
May 22, 2018
Ski & Bike: June 3, 2018
Day #152 on the Slopes of Mammoth
Rock Creek & Mosquito Flats Hike: June 12, 2018
June 12, 2018: Summer Snow
It's our last chance...
Witnessing the last 30 mad minutes of the ski season was something we'll never forget.
A Rainbow Connection...
It's a moment. A moment when all pistons are firing. Just minutes prior they were fighting about God knows what.
Leia photographing our bikes and Woody attempting to create a rainbow for her. Perfect.
Leia photographing our bikes and Woody attempting to create a rainbow for her. Perfect.
After Leia's Photo Editing...
Woody's Neighborhood Drone Shots
Leia's Neighborhood Flower Pictures
The Circle of Learning...
Mami makes the food.
Leia photographs the food.
Kris eats the food.
Original Shots.
Edited Shots.
Circuitry, Hacking, Coding, and Slime
Leia and her cousin Blaine created an experience where a user touches one of three slimes and the recipe for THAT slime appears on the screen.
Circuitry: They had to wire the conductive elements
Hacking: They had to fool the laptop into thinking the slime was a button on the keyboard (using the Makey Makey)
Coding: They had to code lines of string telling the program what to display and when
Slime: They had to first discover if slime was conductive (it is) and then create a user experience that was easy to understand.
Circuitry: They had to wire the conductive elements
Hacking: They had to fool the laptop into thinking the slime was a button on the keyboard (using the Makey Makey)
Coding: They had to code lines of string telling the program what to display and when
Slime: They had to first discover if slime was conductive (it is) and then create a user experience that was easy to understand.