Avocado fun

I ate a half of an avocado out of it’s shell with a spoon. When I was finished eating it, the shell made me think of a little toy sailboat. Some clay, purchased or homemade**, (or maybe just some chewed bubblegum) could be pressed into the bottom of the shell to weight it so it wouldn’t tip over easily. Use a toothpick or perhaps a longer wooden stick like the ones used for making shiskabobs to make the mast to hold the sail. Cut a sail out of heavy paper or lightweight cardboard or plastic. Push the stick through the sail – once at the top and once at the bottom. Push the bottom end of the stick into the clay or gum to hold it up straight. Then find a puddle to float your little sailboat.

Don’t throw away the avocado seed. It isn’t hard to grow an avocado tree from the seed. Very carefully poke toothpicks into the sides of the avocado so they can support the avocado above a glass or jar of water. Set the jar on a sunny windowsill. It will take about three to six weeks before you will see any leaves, so be patient and keep water in the jar at all times.

In a few more weeks the tree will be ready to plant in a large pot. Only put the bottom half of the seed under the soil and water it carefully and often. Your tree will do well outdoors in the summer, but unless you live in a very warm climate, you will probably have to keep it indoors in a sunny window in the winter time.

Here is an excellent website with more information about planting and growing an avocado seed: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/seed/2002114535011263.html

**Recipe for small batch of homemade play dough:
1/3 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons oil
few drops of food coloring

Mix together well and store in plastic bag in refrigerator.