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August 29, 2009

Today we went to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead in DeSmet, Sout Dakota.  She is the author of By The Shores of Silver Lake. 

We learned that Little House on the Prairie and her other books were real books about her life.  We visited her old shanty and dugout.  We also went to Ma’s house.  Then, we took a covered wagon ride to the schoolhouse. 

We learned about how when older boys were naughty, the teacher would draw an X on the blackboard, and make them put their nose to it.  We also learned about Lincoln’s Homestead Act in 1862.  And how homesteaders who were age 21 and up had to farm 10 acres of land for six months of the year, for five years, and then they could keep it.

Laura’s family were homesteaders.

Shane:

This book is about Shane, a gunman who is trying to escape his past.  But, he discovers that you can’t because he shoots a cattle rancher.

The cattle rancher had been trying to run the homesteaders out for a while.  He even got a man to kill one of the homesteaders.

Shane saves the homesteaders.  I think that although he doesn’t think it, Shane does escape his past because although he kills two men, he does it fro a good reason, and he saves many more.

August 28, 2009

Today we went to Mount Rushmore.  My mother and Alex think it’s horrible to carve a mountain.

For god’s sake, it’s just rock.  I don’t thing the rock minds much.  Plus, they turn it into an outstanding piece of art.  They turned it into an American symbol of how we can accomplish things like the great accomplishment of carving a mountain!  I think that it’s a wonderful thing.

They even have a huge document room up there.  So, should anything happen, future generations can read about us.  This was brilliant.

I completely disagree that it’s a bad idea.

August 27, 2009

Today we left Yellowstone National Park.  We went to the Bighorn Medicine Wheel.  It is a religious place for Native Americans.  It’s like a circle of rocks. 

The Native Americans tie things to the rope around the medicine wheel and pray.  It has been here for one thousand years.

Later, we went to Custer’s Last Stand.  It’s the place where General Custer  and the 7th Calvary fought a group of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians.

It was because the European Americans wanted the Indians on reservations, and they did not want to.  As more and more pioneers and settlers moved West, there were more and more conflicts between the Indians and them.

No one is sure about what happened to General Custer and the 7th Calvary because only one horse lived, and no humans.

August 19, 2009

Today we arrived in Yellowstone National Park!  We went to see some mud pots.  I’m not going to try to sound serious or educated when I tell you this.  I’m just going to say it as it is – they sound like farts.

Educated people call the bubbling mud "mud pots."  But, the name "Mud Farts" suits it much better because when they pop, you’re going to laugh.  These mud farts were called the "Artists’ Paint Pots."  At the sound of mud farting, Alex and I became incredibly immature.

We threw dirt, rocks, sticks, gravel, or anything we could find at the mud.  But, we later discovered that it was illegal.  We are very sorry for doing it.  That does not change the fact that it’s hilarious. 

So, if you’re ever in Yellowstone, see the mud farts, and be prepared to laugh.

August 20, 2009

Today we climbed Mount Washburn.  It was very fun.  I was at least two miles ahead of Alex and Mom half the time. 

I ran into many Pronghorn Deer halfway up the mountain.  At the top, I enjoyed looking ate the mountains through the observation deck.  I signed  the guest book with two poems Alex and I wrote.

August 21, 2009

Today we met up with Ann, Clara, Abby, and Granny Lynn.  We went Wolf Watching, although we saw none.  We also went hiking at Slough Creek.  We saw a fox there!!!!  It trotted right down the road.  Only Clara managed to get a picture.

August 22-24, 2009

We went on a three day, two nights backpacking trip.  The first campsite was beautiful, and had a waterfall.  On the second day, it rained …. a lot.

And, it was Alex’s birthday.  We had to backpack and set up our tents in the rain. 

I had to throw a rope over a  twenty feet high pole so could hang our backpack of food away from the bears.  It’s not easy, but I did it.  The next day, we had to walk along a road so mom left Alex and I on the side of the road with the packs while she went to get the car. 

In the meantime, Alex and I played Sweet n’ Sour with the passing cars.  This is where you wave to them, and if they wave back they’re sweet.  In not, they’re sour.  If they honk back, they’re extra sweet.

August 25, 2009

Today we went to a Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.  The wolved were so cute.  We also saw a cute birdy there.  We went to an Imax Moview also.  It was very fun, and we ate popcorn and Laffy Taffy during the movie.

August 26, 2009

Today we went to see Old Faithful.  We did a Young Scientists program thing.  I had to make a Question, Hypothesis, and Conclusion. 

I wondered if the short bursts of water before eruption had anything to do with constriction.  I hypothesized that it’s because not enough water is constricted, and I concluded that it was just letting a little bit of water out so it could make room for the big explosion.

August 12, 2009

Dear Journal,

Today, we went to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.  I watched a movie in which I learned two things.

1. The wetlands in which birds lived were drying out because people were stealing water.  That’s why the refuge was created, so they could have water.

2. I also learned that some birds are capable of very elegant, yet hilarious, dance moves.

We went on a drive through the Auto Tour and we saw many birds.  We saw egrets and grebes and pelicans.  It was very fun.

August 10, 2009

We went to Antelope Island on Great Salt Lake in Utah.  We are camping there.

The lake is really salty, even more than the ocean.  Although I did not swim, I sat in a chair in the water reading.  I did, however, get wet from Alex’s splashing and the fact that the water is deep enough for my bum to touch it even in my chair.

As the water dried on my skin, I noticed that it like turned to salt.  My skin was covered in it.  By the end of the day, my skin was a shade lighter.

Although we did not try it, we were told that if you put an egg in the water, it would float.

August 5-7, 2009

We went backpacking on the Granite Canyon trail at Grand Teton National Park.  We went for three days. 

On the first day, Dad discovered that I snuck gum with me even though I wasn’t supposed to because bears will try to steal it.  Dad threw away the gum

We backpacked through an area that still had snow!  I threw a few snow balls at Mom, Alex and Dad.  Mom was a super slow backpacker.  We had to stop every ten seconds so that she could catch up.

On the second day, I woke up to hear Dad shouting, "Bear, bear, bear!"  Apparently, a grizzly ran right next to my tent!

That night, we didn’t just have to set up our tent in rain, but also hail.  And, lucky me, my tent pole broke so I had to share Alex’s 1 person tent with him.  It rained a lot, so we were also cold and wet…miserable.

On the third day, on our way back, we picked many huckleberries.  They were very yummy. 

Despite the hardships of this backpacking trip, it was fun.

August 3-4, 2009

We are staying at the Alpine Mountain Climber’s Ranch.  We have bunk beds.  We share the cabin with strangers also.  Next to the bathrooms is a fun, but small rock wall.

We were at the Grand Teton Visitor’s Center, and don’t forget I’m in the middle of Wyoming.  Guess who we ran into?  Elana and her family!  Elana is my school friend from New York.  We set a time to go climbing together in the afternoon.

Later, I went fly fishing for the first time.  Although my Dad has been fly fishing all summer, he still hasn’t caught anything.  So, he was pretty pissed  when I caught one on my first time.

Later, we went top roping with Elana.  It wasn’t bad, although I prefer California climbing.

Even later, Alex and I played the Worst Case Scenario Survival Game.  I learned that in order to eat worms, you have to clean them and grind them into a powder.  Now, I’m looking everywhere for an earthworm ‘cuz I want to try it.

Dear Journal,

Yesterday, we picked Dad up at the airport.  He is going to stay with us for a while. 

Today we went to a fossil quarry.  We found many trilobites.  It was kind of boring for people like me who don’t particularly enjoy smashing rocks with a hammer. 

On our way there and back, we saw many very cute cows, and baby cows.

We gorilla glued many things on the table there.  I even spelled "U-Dig" which is the name of the fossil quarry.  Unlike his competitor, a man who likes to refer to himself as the "King of the Trilobites", the man who owns U-Dig Fossils likes to refer to himself as the local quarry slave.

Today, we are driving to Utah from Idaho.  We are going to pick up Dad in

Salt Lake City.  On the way, we accidentally made a wrong turn that took us 1 hour out of our way…AND IT WASN’T MY FAULT!!!  It was Mom’s!!!

We went to the Sacajawea Center.  I learned that Lewis & Clark had a code so that if they were to send a top secret message to President Jefferson, it would stay secret.  What I think was funny was that the key to the code was “artichokes!”  I guess it’s cuz every letter in the word is different. 

After that, we had to drive another hour back in the correct direction.

Then, we got to the Lava Hot Springs pool. It was fun when we went down the fast slides!  When we finally arrived in Salt Lake City, it was midnight!