Spritz of a water bottle and squirts from a syringe

How to explain a well versus and artesian well. First, how does a well work? You need to drill a hole in the ground until you hit water, insert a tube and connect the tube to a pump to suck-up the water.

Sort of like a trigger pump water bottle -- Hee, hee -- I blasted the kids with the water from that bottle. For those munchkins that giggled and shouted, "You didn't get me wet!" A second and third blast from the bottle was enough to send water droplets onto just about every kid.

Then, using an inflated balloon to show how energy seeks the path of least resistance, I used a thumb tack to "pop" the balloon. The path was the hole in the balloon and the result was a sudden release of pressure as an escape route for the air was found.

Similarly, underground water, undergoing recharge from rain tends to create a similar pressure, except, instead of air, it is water. So, I filled-up a 25-mL syringe and by depressing the syringe released a stream of water that shot across the classroom. Again, the shouts and giggles goating me that I missed, resulted in several more squirts from the syringe.

As we discussed artesian wells (locally, springs), I talked about yesterday's blog in which I mentioned Loyalsock Creek's origin, and the birthplace of Rose Valley Lake, as well as , the story of Springside, a home on Fifth Avenue in Williamsport.

Although it was a Friday and the kiddoes are getting sick of learning about freshwater, there was a lot of learning going on, today, in the classroom. We talked about water tables, aquifers, and the zones of saturation and aeration. By the way, my kiddoes now know aeration means air and what we mean by using aerators in aquariums and why farmers plow their fields.

Ask your kiddo what it means when I say, "The deeper the well, the cleaner the water."

Have a great weekend, everyone. Kids!!!! We may have a chance to have a "firnball" fight this weekend!!!! Explain that one to your parents.