Monday

The boys and I started our day at the Barboursville Library. They invited a lady from the Marshall Forensics Lab to come and speak to the kids about Forensic Science. For a few days now I'd say

"Hey boys, do you want to go see what's going on at the library Monday morning? They're having a forensics lab there and they're going to teach you about fingerprinting and stuff."

They would both groan....

Not suprising though. They groan every time I drag them anywhere.

So we met up with some friends and sat down. The girl that was our speaker was very VERY VERY uncomfortable around children. She started talking about all the education she had and then something about different wave lengths of light.... and other stuff.... and..... she totally lost us!

So she was really nervous and there would very often be total "dead air". I finally said during one of the dead air moments "uhm, I don't think the kids here at my table are real clear about what forensice science IS"

Then she said "oh, yeah,, I guess I should have mentioned that!"

She talked like she was talking to college students. I just kept asking questions that would force her to "dumb it down" a bit.

Once she "got it" the boys started to get really interested! It was neat. We learned all about how to make a footprint mold, how to dust for fingerprints, how to classify our fingerprints (Arches, Loops and Whorls!) and a few other things.

I also asked her a lot of other questions and I'm reasonably sure that the other people in the room thought I was plotting the perfect crime!

"how easy is it to wipe fingerprints off of a surface?"

"how can you tell the fibers in my clothes from other people's clothes?"

"how much of a "window" do you have to cast footprints?"

Here's a tip for all you budding criminals, don't wear latex gloves because they can lift prints from the insides, fingerprints are easily removed from surfaces, if you wear plain white cotton forensics really can't track your fiber trail, and always walk in the grass!

After that we went over to the pool and swam for a few hours. It was completely dead today and we had the whole pool to ourselves. Rather,, the boys had the pool to themselves and I sat and read a book for about 4 hours.

I'm reading "They Fought Like Demons Women Soldiers in The American Civil War" by Deanne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook. It's really interesting but it doesn't have any story line. It's mostly historical facts and accounts of battle records. This book sheds light on the diminishing tolerance Victorian women had for their social restraints. It also makes clear that a great many women can step outside the "shrinking violet" persona and fight with dignity and vigor (thus the name of the book).

You might assume that the women who chose to take on a male identity and fight alongside the men were "rough and tumble" and possibly not very feminine. More often than not that was not the case at all! Many lady soliers followed their husbands, brothers and fathers into battle. They did it for love of family AND country.

Often I find myself saying, "I'm going to skip blogging today, I have nothing to say." This was one of those days. Wow,, not a thing to say huh?