ReAL Racer Pinewood Derby Car

Ok, so not really a green car per se, but this car is completely emission free and still goes pretty fast, provided you have a nice slope.

My son designed this car and helped me build it for his most recent pinewood derby.  It is inspired by our favorite sports team, Real Salt Lake.  On the tail it has my son’s soccer jersey number (and also that of Chris Wingert, defender for RSL).

I would like to report that the car is as fast as it looks, but I would be lying.  Unfortunately, I made the mistake of tacking weights onto the bottom of the car which dragged a bit on the track.  I think the car also needed to be better aligned as it veered a little right.  Well you can’t have it all I suppose, or at least not when I am in charge.  Maybe next year we will go for the speed and leave the looks behind.

Now we just need to get Chris Wingert to sign it.  That would be a nice touch.  Here are a few more views (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

You are here somewhere

Well today is the day we celebrate our wonderful planet. I am going to try and spend a little time to get out and enjoy wilds of my backyard to watch some birds or something.  I know my feeders could all use a good topping off and my suet cage is empty again so time to hang a new one.  I will probably also open the blinds in my office for the day and let some sun shine in.  I will also not be driving to work today, which is easy to do since I work from home.

How about you dear readers? How will you be spending the day?

By the way, there are still 2 unclaimed free suet cakes on the line for the first two US based readers to leave a comment today. Enjoy!

Recycled material bird feeder, an easy weekend project

Given that Earth Day is quickly approaching I thought I would come up with a quick and easy bird feeder project made of reused and recycled materials that would have otherwise been garbage.  I don’t recall how I came up with the idea for the feeder, but it really works well and doesn’t require very much to build.  To get started, you first need to gather the materials.

The main structure of the feeder comes from Kirkland Organic Animal Crackers (which are yummy). The seed hopper is an empty 2 liter soda bottle, I purchased a bottle of Shasta club soda special for the project.  It had the 2 things I was looking for; clear plastic and a 5 footed base which is an important part of the functional design as the feet push the seed out so the feeder can be completely cleaned of seed by the birds.  You can enjoy a snack of crackers and soda while working on the project.

The rest of the materials – clothesline cord, 1/4 inch bolt and wing nut, and a carabiner are likely materials you have around the garage or house or can be easily acquired.  Tools include a permanent marker, electric drill, box cutter or sharp knife, and may need some Goo Gone to get rid of label residue.  Once you have the materials and tools, you are ready to get started.

Click here to view the step-by-step tutorial:

It is fun to involve the kids, but use caution as a drill or box cutter can seriously injure a curious helper.  Also be sure to check out my other … Continue Reading

Wow, two book reviews in two days hard to imagine.

Today I am reviewing a great children’s book called Trout are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre (Author) and Kate Endle (Illustrator). This book offers an educational, yet fun look at the circle of life in a trout stream and describes how trees ultimately become trout.  It is a great way to teach your kids about ecology and start them on the path to amateur entomology, we call fly fishing.  This is a timely read given that Earth Day will soon be upon us and you will have a fun book you can share with your kids.