The kids and I went to the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals. We saw fuzzy crystals that are actually soft and that rats made a nest in (how soft is that!) whose name is now escaping me and a large Thunderegg (Oregon's state rock) and a good bit of gold, which was thrilling to Samuel, who dreams of a gold bar collection. We bought a little sample of gold at the gift shop and he was very disappointed that he cannot take it out of the little bottle of mineral oil it is kept in. The bottle is sealed shut!

OK, I don't usually check the weather because I like to take it as it comes, but I was wondering about the Arboretum tomorrow and it has been raining a bit, so I checked and even I paused after I saw a full 10 days of rain predicted. Rain, showers, rain, showers, rain, showers, rain, showers...When it rains, it pours. Hehe. We are all set, though. The kids have their hippety hops out and are hopping around the house in perfect winter fashion and I got some blues buster light bulbs. Ready to enjoy the flow of the seasons...