Ancient skill

On today's walk by Powell's pool the kids found goose feathers. Here A is busy writing in her nature diary having witnessed the process of cutting the nib and learning about dipping in the ink (which is quink permanent) and blotting...... I didn't use quill pens at school but I am old enough to remember using dipping pens with replaceable nibs and that the teachers ink well was filled with red ink whilst ours was blue. Another memory which resurfaced (in the face of not having blotting paper) was that rolling chalk over wet ink dries it up nicely.