Doc Wing- The pendants are beautiful, a nice addition to anyone's jewelry box. I am wondering how long does it take to bore a hole into the slate... and what is the youngest age of student you think can do this activity. The lingonberries looked good for their age. Are there any cloudberries or brambleberries? Deanna Wheeler

Michael Wing

Hi Deanna:
If you have plenty of sharp pointy bits of quartz on hand and a thin piece of slate, you can bore a nice hole in about half an hour.  A few third graders can do it.  Most fifth graders can if they want to.  Temperment (determination and desire) is more important than size or strength.
You have to remember it is early spring here - the lingonberries on the bushes are left over from last year and were frozen solid all winter.  Then they thawed out a few weeks ago.  They are a bit mushy.  No, I haven't seen any other kind of berries.
yours, Mike Wing