No, no metal sheep were shorn and knitted up here at String this week. It was however February Break Week for the public schools. Younger Daughter attended a “Staycation” program at Minuteman Technical High for the week.

It’s a very nice program, even for kids not on the vocational school track. Lots of hands-on opportunities to try out various skills. She’s taken some of their programming and robotics classes before, but it’s been cold lately so I think that warmth was on her mind. This session she opted for a day split between welding in the morning, and baking in the afternoon. She loved them both. Good classes with excellent instructors, and ample scope for independent creativity.

Welding was a serious class, not a coddled, watered down experience. She handled arc welding equipment and plasma cutters, first gaining safety awareness and operational skills, and then moving on to her own projects. Here are her final two projects:

Dragonfly has a two foot wingspan, Spider is similarly sized. Both will adorn the garden come summer.

Baking was also fun. And very prolific, with quite credible, professional looking (and tasting) results. We’re swimming in cookies, rolls, scones, bread, muffins, danish and cheesecake. We’ve fed friends, family, co-workers, frozen a ton of stuff, and even sent a care package off to Elder Daughter at college. To continue the creature theme, two of today’s loaves were a bit creative, too:

I suspect Death Hamster will not outlive supper tonight, with Turtle guest-starring at lunch tomorrow.