Gary, Mariya, Cathy, Delanae and daughter Angelina, presented a water rocket workshop at this years, Women/Girls and Men/Boys Conference in Gold Bar, WA this past Wednesday, August 25. After a several hour trip in the maroon van, whose air conditioning didn’t work (of course on one of the hottest days of the year), we arrived and setup for the afternoon’s activities.
We had about 20 participants who made their own water rockets and then flew them in an open space at the front of the Conference Center. We had several spectacular flights and all were exciting. The launches drew a largish and admiring crowd of enthusiastic supporters.
After the launches, we cleaned up and were treated to a really good dinner after which we hit the road and were home by 9:00pm. Many of the younger folks expressed interest in learning more about rockets (and science and all things connected).
This past weekend Gary went to the Pasture Blaster, a rocket launch sponsored by the 4-H Olympic Peninsula Rocketry Club. It was held just south of Discovery Bay and they logged about 250 launches over the 2 ½ day event. Gary launched two high powered rockets that carried and altimeter and video camera and a rocket that he built especially for this weekend. It also carried an altimeter and video camera. His highest altitude was 2300’ Clouds kept the launches lower that what was possible. Here are some photos (mine is #16).
Several of the rocketeers had met the NWIC Space Center people in Mansfield and remembered our water rocket launches. They spoke highly of what our rockets had done and the organizer of the Pasture Blaster asked us to do a water rocket demo if we decide to come next year. He offered to set aside some launch time for us.
Yesterday Gary and Dave used the College’s brush whacker and started mowing a launch area near where the old block house used to be on the dike road. It’s about half done and will be completed by week’s end. We hope to begin launching soon after classes start.