Camping

A while ago now I went camping with girl scouts. It was like two weeks ago. I know, I'm so bad. Sorry.

Anyway it was really good. We stayed in the A-Frames at Cedarledge. I always thought it would be fun to name the different sites at girl scout camp with the fake indian names and such. Kiamecia. Tanda. Ahwenasa.

We did horses and got a tour of the barn and learned how to groom a very pretty horse named Phoenix. All the wranglers are really nice. Fun. The horses are so old and used to the trails you barely have to direct them. Seriously. It was still a really nice time.

So then we went canoeing. It drizzled. Bree (who has her own blog now but I like her fake name so much I'm keeping it) and I basically just paddled out into the middle of the lake and watched the rain fall and make circles because it was really really amazingly beautiful. And not that wet either.

We were supposed to have archery Saturday too but Kiamecia missed their time at one so they stole our time. Everything worked out okay; we got to do it the next morning instead. But. That was not really very nice or fair of them to do that. I was a lot better this time, though. I popped like seven balloons! I also figured out that I shoot better left handed. Which make total sense since I'm left-eyed. Duh.

Overall it was really good. Besides the rude people at Luckystone right across from us and the archery mix-up, it was nearly perfect. The weather, the people (I like the people that were in my cabin; it turned out good), there were like no bugs.

(Bridgett and Bree both wrote about this too, about two weeks ago)

Camping!

Finally! I know, right? This is the post you have been waiting for all of your life.

Or maybe not and you've just been thinking, "Hey, I wonder if Emma has said anything lately. Oooh, she went camping in the Smoky Mountains!"

Anyway, I just got back from camping in the Great Smoky Mountains. There were just five girls and all of their moms so it was a really nice mother daughter trip. We stayed at the Cosby campsite. The bathrooms were really really nice with flush toilets. Although no hot water and no showers. There was a bathroom lady who cleaned it everyday!!! Which was nice because the bugs were really attracted to the light at night and the millipedes crawled in through the drain and vents.

There was a nature trail right by us and also an amphitheatre where Ranger Richard led a talk about the history of the park.

But the food had to be packed back into the car every stinking night (bears).

We went rafting, not whitewater but just more of a float trip. We didn't even paddle. That was the chosen special thing that cost extra money.I think we chose well. Extremely fun.

The name of the creek right across from our campsite was Cosby Creek I think. We did a creek walk up that which was fun and refreshing. Except for the Great Laurels, with their branches all spread out and low right through the path. There was also a swimming hole which was FREEEEEZZINNG.

One day we hiked 4 miles round trip to Grotto Falls, very beautiful. That one was cool because the path actually goes behind the waterfall. It was beautiful. The hike wasn't too tough either and not even that long. Also at the top of the mountain it was much cooler than at the bottom probably by like 15 degrees.

The rest of that day was spent at the Cades Cove auto tour loop but trust me, we weren't the people there who just drove around loops and never got out of the car. When we stopped at the Sugarlands Visitor's Center (air conditioned!!!) my mom got me a GSMNP t-shirt, a GSMNP pin that I put on my Girl Scout sash and some things for my sisters.

On the loop it was cool but also sad to see the cemeteries at the old churches. There were lots of babies and young people buried there. The saddest one was twins, I can't remember the names, one lived to be old and one died the day she was born. There were lots of Olivers buried there and there were also some very new additions to the cemetery like in 2011. You could really tell who was poor because the headstones were very home-made.

Also on the road by our campsite was Gunther Cemetery. It was reeeely ooooolld. Most of the headstones you couldn't even read but the ones that you could were from like the early-mid 1800s. Old.

Also something sad was all of the dying Hemlock trees. Stupid foreign bugs that are bad for them. The only way to save a tree once it has them is to either inject it's roots with tree medicine(too expensive to do every tree so they only use it on the really old ones) or cover every single needle of the tree with dish soap to smother the bugs, only for small saplings.
One night there were barred owls. They say who-cooks-for-you and its sooo freaking annoying at 2 in the morning. They don't even sound real. Then the crows came and were almost equally annoying at 6 am.

Then it rained alllllll night one night and stormend and stormed. Our tent was collapsing and leaking and thank goodness my clothes didn't get wet because I would have been so mad. Poor Clarity and K who moved to the bathroom floor and then to the truck. My mom and I moved to the van at 3a. Uhh in the morning everything was wet. I'm glad that I didn't go on the 10-mile hike that day with Bridgett, Fiona, Zelda and Bree. I didn't sleep at all the night before so Ann, Trudi, Clarity, K and my mom and I all stayed behind and hung everything out to dry. Everyone on the hike was pooped when they got back. I can't even imagine hiking up a "three mile staircase."

Clarity read Anne of Avonlea to K almost every night. It was adorable because she was making different voices for all of the characters and it was just really really cute.

Even through the rain and no sleep, the trip was still really fun and I can't wait to go again to another national park. Thanks to my wonderful troop leaders, all the moms, and everyone who bought cookies and helped to fund the trip. It was really awesome.

Girl Scouts

Our first meeting for this year is tomorrow. I am so excited!

AND we have a camping trip next weekend! Excitinger! Both the Bridget/tt s are coming! Yay!

Okay, I think you get it. I'm EXCITED!

Things to be Excited About

1) SUMMER!

2) MY BIRTHDAY!

3) Me, Dorothy, Bree, and Linda are bridging to Cadettes in Girl Scouts!

Sorry it's such a ridiculously short post.

Glad Tomorrow's Not Monday

Because I really wanna sleep in so bad.

Sorry, Mr.  Teacher, but I'm not ready for school yet.  Within good reason, because the weekend isn't over. 

And I have Girl Scouts tomorrow, at Mrs. W's house, which I love.  We are having a badge ceremony and are going to plan the bridging ceremony for the people (me!!!) who are going to be Cadettes next year. 

Now I'm going to bed.

Ten on Tuesday: Things to Bring Camping

Again, sorry I totally took your blogging idea, Mrs. W.

1) Water bottle.  And maybe a caribbeaner to clip on to your pants in case you don't have a backpack on a hike.

2)  Bandanna.  You use it to dry your hands on.  This might also come in handy for a number of other things--bandage if you sliced your arm open on something, sling if you broke your arm, and of course to tie your hair back or keep ticks off.

3)  I think baby soap is a good idea, like instead of shampoo and all of the other soaps.  You can use it for hair, body, face, AND it won't get all gross like bar-soap.

4)  A piece of rope or bungee cord.  I like to use it to tie my pillow and sleeping bag together so everything is easy to keep together and carry.

5)  Mess kit.  You put all of your non-breakable food stuff (plate, bowl, cup, cutlery...) in a mesh (dunk) bag.  After you've rinsed all your dishes off, you sometimes dunk the whole bag in water/bleach then hang it on a line to drip-dry.  Caribbeaner or clothespin to hold it to the line.  Best camping idea possibly ever.

6)  Shoes for inside tent or lodge.  Really, the floors are gross, so you want something other than your poor socks on your feet.

7)  Poncho/raincoat and rain boots.  Especially if you're going camping with our troop, it's bound to rain.  Although we've broken our bad weather streak this past weekend.  Yea.

8)  KEENS if you have them.  They're like the BEST SHOES EVER.  Waterproof, SUPER comfy, and great for hiking.  I've figured out that they don't smell if you rub them with tea-tree oil.

9)  Always jeans for the fall, winter, and in spring with a backup pair of shorts.

10) A book to read/activities to do in case it rains.

GS Camping

This time I have pictures.

My daisy friend was Laney (not her real name...) .  She was so cute!

The beds.  I was next to Abigail and on the other side of me were the Bridget[t]s.

The shower house was next door.  But, if you use the shower house, you have to clean the shower house.

We stayed at Petite Chalet, which according to Genevieve means small castle in french.  I think that is hilarious for whatever reason. 

The fake Indian names are pretty funny too.  Like, we stayed next to Tanda, Ahwenasa, and Kiamecia, all permanent tents.  Heh.

The daisies came out for the day but didn't stay the night.  We climbed up a 'mountain' on Pioneer Trail, elevation like 815 feet or something.  Poor daisies.  Then after that we went on a creek walk where most girls found interesting rocks and fossils, which of course had to be shared afterwards.  Molly found a wolf spider, so of course everyone had to crowd around and get their look at something that might bite them and really hurt. Bah, who cares about safety?

So then the daisies went home and there was an all-camp campfire.  Luckily, I got to stay behind with one of the Bridgets.  Phew.  And that was fun. 

In the morning it was fantastic because nobody got up and stomped around and slammed doors or whispered so loud that you would be able to hear them with your fingers in your ears.  It was good.  Then we (the juniors, not brownies--that's against the rules) did archery.  Mrs.  Wissinger was happy with Cedarledge's equipment, I think.  They actually had a bow stringer, unlike Tuckaho who had a bucket with everything thrown in it.  Good.  Only thing was, the targets were SO easy to hit 'cause they were only like less than 15 feet (or something, I'm bad at judging distances) away.  But it was good. 

And I had fun.  That's the important part, right???

PS  My science project got a blue ribbon!!!!

Three on Thursday (totally stole that title idea from Mrs. W... sorry!)

1)  I have an awesome pun.  Well, it's knot as awesome as it wood have been yesterday, but still.  May fourth be with you.   You have to say it aloud.I'm reading this book, The Phantom Tollbooth, which is chock-full of puns. The watchdog (he keeps track of time), the mountains of ignorance, the island of conclusions (you get there by jumping)... love it!

2)  We have a field trip tomorrow.  There is a naturalization ceremony at the courthouse downtown tomorrow, and my class gets to sing God Bless America and The Star Spangled Banner!  We get to dress up fancy!

3)  Girl Scout camping this weekend!  Getting better at packing, didn't bring ANYTHING extra except for extra socks.  All in one backpack. 
The brownies and daisies are coming though, all energetic, bouncy, talkitive people.  Yay.

Knots!

Because frankly, I can't get enough of them.  At school I tied a hangman's knot (useful for a hitch) and Mr.  Matt said, "What's with all of these kids tying nuaces?"  My dad taught me.  Well, he tied one and showed me and then I figured out how to tie it.  Anyhoot.

This is a half-hitch.  Heh.  You use it to begin ALMOST EVERY SINGLE KNOT.

Sorry, it's kinda blurry.

This is a clove hitch.  It's made of two opposing half-hitches.

I didn't take my own picture of that one only because I didn't really have anything good to tie it to.

This is a bowline knot.  It doesn't slip, so it is known as a 'life saving knot' because of that.

This is a climbing knot (I really don't know what it's real name is), which also doesn't slip, thus is used for rock climbing.

This is a climbing knot hitched to a handle (not that you would use a handle to go rock climbing).

Note that the knot is kinda doubled over, that's because you have to thread it through it's self (does that make sense?) for it to be complete (not slip).

This is a hangman's (really the name according to my dad; I don't know if that is the real name.  I assume so because Mr.  Matt called it a nuace and that's basically the same thing.).

It has a large loop that slips so I have found it is useful to hitch onto things.
It is VERY annoying to take apart....................................................................................

This is the hangman's hitched to a handle.

And, the all important square knot.

The granny knot is like the cousin of a square knot, but whenever I try and tie it I get confused and mess up or just end up tying  a square knot.  So here is a picture I found on the Internet.

I think it looks exactly the same.

There is also this one called the bowline on a bight, but I just don't get that one....

You Can Tell it's Spring When.....

You get April Showers-ed

You go on walks

We get the walking sticks out

Our neighbor puts her moth balls out to 'keep the squirrels away.'

Things turn pink

Our lilac blooms!

Shaw Nature Reserve

I went to stay in a lodge there with Girl Scouts.  It was very fun.

On the first night we went on a night hike.  We did the Halloween thing where you reach in the bag and try to figure out what it is.  There was an antler, a TURKEY FOOT, a freshwater mussel shell, and a turtle shell.  It kinda creeped me out.  Then we did the thing where you chew the Winto-Green Life Saver with your mouth open and make the funny noise.  Well, you don't really need to make the funny noise, but still.  It makes sparks inside your mouth!  but doesn't hurt (duh).

When we got back we played Bananagrams in the Gathering Hall and stuff.  I think we played to late, though because I didn't get as much sleep as I was hoping....

In the morning we had french toast for breakfast with the home made butter that we shookandshookandshookandshookandshook the night before.  It was so good!!!  Then we did a GPS finding your way course and that was very fun.  We got lost, but it was fun.  Not too lost.  But lost.  You know.  The GPS doesn't talk to you like it does in the car.  That would be funny.  "Turn   right   at   the   next   tree.   "   Hah.

Then it snowed.  Wassup wif dat?  I am so mad.  C'mon, it's officially spring, right?  Seriously?

RDKWTWA

Really Don't Know What To Write About.  RDKWTWA.  Yup.  It seems like I just had something looming in the back of my head, but I can't remember now!

Oh, okay, I have something now.  Girl Scouts!

Cookies, cookies, cookies, COOKIES!  I love them!  Selling them is fun, but eating them is better.  So--indulgent.  I pick them up tomorrow!!!  So, if you ordered cookies from me, they're coming!  I sold 135 boxes, but I could of done better.  Abigail was selling cookies this year.  AARG.

And, we have a meeting on Sunday.  A talent show or demonstration.  I don't know what to do!  (Help, Bridgett!?  Well, maybe my dad can teach me a new song on the guitar.)  And we have archery coming up sometime soon!  (Love the picture?)  Still working on the bronze award. Fun fun fun.

But, ohhh.  I can't wait for cookies!

S is for Sick. And Snow. And School. And Scouts.

And Seriously.  I don't wanna be sick anymore.  I don't think my throat can take much more strep.  And I wanta go to school!  I miss it.

Sick sick sick sick.

Doing better.  So on Monday I woke up, breathed in, coughed once, and vomited (thank fully in the toilet), went to the doctor, and slept, and then took a miserable shower, and slept all day and all night.  Some well needed sleep!  20 hours!  My dad said that I played video games in my sleep with him but I think that was his sarcasm coming out.  I'm sure.  Right?!  People don't play video games in their sleep!  Or do they?

Snow snow snow snow.

It snowed.  Again.  I really didn't think we'd ever get this much in one year, living in Saint Louis!  We still didn't get to go sledding... ah, the disappointment.  But it's okay.  It snowed, and that in itself is enough for me.  But since it snowed and freezing-rained and sleeted and hailed, we didn't have any

School school school school.

I wouldn't have gone anyway so that's good because it didn't count against my absence.  But darn it, now we have to go to school into June!  My mom probably won't make us go, though.  (Smirk.)

And, to top it off, I sold 135 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.  Yay me!  Last year I sold 160, but I sold less this year because I had to give a lot of my customers to my sister this year.  Still, that's alotta cookies!  Enough for me.

Ucky

Today at school the sewage system backed up.  I guess I timed this cold just right because my nose is so stuffy I couldn't smell it!  Everyone was like, "Emma, you're so lucky you couldn't smell it!"  "This is so gross"  "It smells so bad!"  It was nice and funny because Mr. Rouse moved the trash can by me because I used so many tissues! 

I even tried the Neti Pot and it didn't work!  If you don't know what a Neti Pot is, it's this thing that looks like a little teapot.  You fill it with warm distilled water and this special packet and you put it up your nose.  You lean over and put the end spout thingy in one nostril and all of the junk is supposed to come out the other nostril.  I can't believe this.  How does it not work?!?

I want my nose to be un-stuffed and this nasty cough to be gone.  Pleez?

Oh, let me know if you want Girl Scout cookies by FRIDAY because the form is due this weekend.  Thank you!

Admiration

I've been thinking about people I really admire.  Celebrity and non-celebrity, dead and living.

•The two Bridget(t)s.  Not necessarily friends, just two people by the name of Bridget(t).  They do know each other.

  *Bridget:  a teacher from my school.  She's awesome, funny, and nice, but she calls herself mean (her funny part, I guess).  I am as tall as she is.  Actually, she gives away her clothes to some of the kids (not me, I'm too big.).

  *Bridgett:  Girl Scout troop leader.  Very experienced, understanding, and nice.  Blogs, sews, knits, does Girl Scouts, and has 3 kids!  Impressive.

•Stephen Hawking:  physicist.  Awesome guy.  Has ALS, a wife, 2 or 3 kids and like 4 grandchildren, and has written like 20 books!  Again, impressive.

•Jesus:  savior!  Even awesomer guy. 
God demonstrates His own love for Us in this, that while We were still sinners, Christ died for us.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (that's a song, as well as some bible verses).  He is three who's (father, spirit, son), and wrote the greatest book ever, the bible, which seems to change every time you read it.  That connects to this, and that to that, and those to that, and him to this guy over here, it's all connected.  Like math.  Adding.  Oh look, subtraction.  Oh look, multiplication.  Oh look, division.  Algebra!  Trigonometry!  Calculus!  Quantum physics! 

I'm sure that there's plenty of other people that I admire,  but you would probably figure it out yourself (like my mom and dad, for instance, of course I admire them!).

Cookies

So, everyone knows that Girl Scouts sell cookies in the winter.

It's so fun.  Except for when your little sister suddenly decides to join and steal half of your customers.  And she's cute, too!  So she could be the most horrible salesperson but people would buy from her anyway just 'cause she's cute! 

AARG!  It makes me angry.

But it also makes me very happy because it's fun and very easy to do.  Everybody knows what they are and what kind they want.  It's funny though, because this year we switched bakers.  All of the cookie names changed so all the younger girls who have  never sold cookies before don't know what to do.  Advantage!

My favorite ones are the Caramel deLites (Samoas), Thin Mints, and Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs).  I guess that's kinda a lot.  I can't decide which ones I like best!  Probably Peanut Butter Patties.  I wish the name didn't have to change!  It just doesn't seem right!

So, if you like Girl Scout cookies and want to buy some, give me a ring!

Again?!?

Sick?  Again?  Really?  Already!  This is an outrage!

So we went to doctor Winnie-the-Pooh-Bear again yesterday and he said that I had strep again.  More yucky penicillin. 

So that means I couldn't go to school.  I got a-let's see.  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and possibly 6-day weekend.... but I don't really want it anymore!

I also feel really bad cause this means I could have all of the Girl Scouts who went to camp, and my Grandpa who has cancer sick.  This is horrible!

Girl Scout Camp

This weekend our Girl Scout troop went camping at camp Tuckaho.  It was very fun.

At the lodge we stayed in, there were no beds, only mattresses.  I slept in the same row as SW,  PW, FL, and GC.  We were all early birds, which is good, otherwise I would of been awake all night.

On Saturday we basically just hung out.  Some people went out to play in the snow.  We tried to sled without sleds, which didn't really work, so we just rolled down the hill (which was awesome) instead.  When we got back I did some knitting (I'm making a scarf) and then me SW, PW, and FL did some tumbling on our beds since they were on the floor.  We also played Bananagrams, which is a really fun game where each person basically is making their own board out of the tiles they have.

We also earned some badges. 

First we worked on the 'sew simple badge.'  We decorated socks and made fun things.  I made a sock puppet out of mine and my baby sister Esther is afraid of it.

We also earned the theatre badge.  We played group scherades and it was really funny.  After that we split into groups and made up skits.  My group (me, JB, MB, NS) made one about a crazy teacher and two students who won't stop picking their noses.  I played the teacher, MB and NS were the students, and JB was the principal.  It was so fun.

Overall, it was really fun and I'm really glad that I went.

S is Also for School

I really like school.

Especially my school.

It's a Montessori school.

Montessori is a very different style from regular schools.  Every body has different work to do, and they all do it at different times.  The teacher may give a lesson to one person or the whole class.  Everyone works at their own pace.  If something is too easy, you get to move on, even if not everybody is ready.  It is a safe work enviorment where everybody is seen both as an individual and as the same, which is good.  I like that.

Another thing that kinda has to do with school is Girl Scouts.  Well, not really, but I wanna talk (write) about it. 

I love my Girl Scout troop.  Espically my leader.  She is really nice, and has tons of experience.  We get to do a lot of fun things and a lot more of it than some other troops.  Even though there are some certain people in my troop that may not be my absolute favorite people in the whole world, we all get along and everybody, for the most part, has a good time.

This year we are working on our bronze award and we have gotten to do some really fun stuff.  In the spring we will be doing a service project and I am realy looking forward to it

We are also having a camping trip this weekend.  So excited!

(PS: our leader wrote a really good post on her blog [most of my inspiration] about girl scouting...
http://south-city-musings.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-girl-scouting-for.html)

S is for Snow Day

Today (last night) it snowed.  Not very much, but enough to have a snow day.  We can't go anywhere, though, because my dad took our van to work instead of his tiny Daewoo 'roller skate car.'

Since I really have nothing to do, I think.  Here are some things I'm thinking I'm glad I have.....

My  old-fashioned Smith-Corona typewriter-very handy for type-writing.

Yarn-all the better to knit with, my dear!

Modern day technology-cell phones, computers, electricity, you name it.

A safe, warm house-very good for living in.

Girl Scouts-I love my troop and we always have so much fun.

Friends and Family-Family and Friends

Chocolate!

Such a wonderful God-3 whats, 1 who.

Snow days!