Day Five - New Beginnings

Thanks to Serena who took the blog reins tonight! Morning dawns, and we get ready to begin a new and exciting day.

Building on the skills developed during the chariot races, Gever presents the new challenge - wheel your entire team down four and a half miles down the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail. We head to the barn to discuss and plan.

In order to begin, we must first access and divide the scrap pile - and then for the fun part, the gathering and examining of the wheels. New teams are assembled for the new challenge - Piki: Griffin, Emma and Josh, Kablooi: Lauren, Noah, Zachary, Nooi: Adam, Eloise and Mori, and the Panda: Liora, Harry and Brigid.

Our new guests from Madrid have come to learn how Tinkering School works. Adam explains and guides them through proper chop-saw operation.

The newly formed Panda team, Liora, Harry and Brigid begin to assemble their tandem skateboard.

Emma's (not quite complete) scooter goes for a test run.

Just before being sent back to the house to put on real shoes, Noah hangs ten on his mini board.

Harry takes a nose dive as he tries out the Panda skateboard.

And of course, after a new start, we need a new goat break.

It is terrible to see such suffering on the faces of young and innocent children. Griffin suffers along through the abysmal sweat shop conditions.

In the cathedral of the barn, Gever and Mackenzie kneel at the altar of tinkering as they discuss difficult design choices.

Lunch has become home to a secret reading society. Head of this, is, of course, Lauren.

Emma at work on her prototype.

Adam at work on yet another mount for their scooter-sidecars.

Portrait of a Tinkerer: Mori the Monster

Brigid gets a plumber's tape tutorial.

Emma works on a brake for her scooter.

Harry's work with plumber's tape comes to a screeching halt when he sees the clementines arrive.

Caravaggio's got nothing on us. Noah working on his scooter.

Brigid tries out the Panda's tandem skateboard - will it hold her?

Lauren works on a parts basket for the Kablooi bicycle.

Gever asks for advice on the placement of his new hat - "Do I look more intelligent with it in back? Or in front?" Lauren and Zachary wonder what has come over the director of Tinkering School, but offer their opinions.

Mackenzie and Griffin share a moment of mutual appreciation as they work out the details of Griffin's scooter.

And this happened. (Mori)

Portrait of a Tinkerer: Josh

Noah builds a steering handle for his scooter.

Zachary works on his scooter - there will be squadrons of scooters tomorrow.

During the afternoon lull, we decide to take a hike break.

Little did they know, that the "little" hike was about to become an adventure.

Eloise demonstrates how to properly jump over a fence - wearing a big grin.

"Let's take this well graded road! It must lead somewhere… " - these might of been the last words of Doctor Livingstone.

A well graded road becomes a somewhat groomed trail - but it's no trouble for us tinkerers. We press on.

From a hillside down into a verdant canyon. Suddenly, we aren't quite as sure of where we are.

Refusing all of Serena's efforts to give (sound) advice, Noah tests his scooter without handle bars. It looks like this.

When his doesn't work, he borrows Griffin's.

Noah plays tube toss, using Griffin as a post. A moving one.

A short trip to the eucalyptus grove is declared necessary. On the way back, eucalyptus on top a'flyin', the truck returns triumphant.

Gever on the top of the truck. Again.

Thursday evening barbecue- Brigid gets cozy with her burger as Liora looks on.

Another well loved Thursday night tradition is the campfire. We all gather up to enjoy its heat and one another's company.

And we roast marshmallows.

Gever and Mackenzie harmonize on the John Prine classic - Angel from Montgomery.

Tonight we feast on s'mores. Tomorrow will be a new adventure.