Candy Hill to Cherry Hill

Before I begin this blog post, I must first tell you that August 31 is Blog Day on Brain Pop! I learned it online! Isn't that cool. It tells about the short history of Web Logs, or in shorter form, blogs.

Anyway, yesterday was pretty boring, just a two hour drive from Virginia to Maryland.

We went away from D.C. in the first place because of the hurricane, but now since it is well away, we came back. The R.V. Park, Cherry Hill, is VERY VERY close to D.C. Just a 30 or so minute drive.

The main reason why we came back is because we have barely scratched the surface of D.C. Let me refresh your memory.

We went on a night tour, and saw many of the monuments. ABSOLUTELY (inside joke) fun!

Then, the next day, we went to Arlington Cemetery and saw the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. That was very touching. We also saw the Silent Drill Team next to The Iwo Jima monument.

The day after that, we went to Mount Vernon, and had a cool time seeing G.W.'s house.

After that, we saw the miraculous Air and Space Museum, and it was high flying (ANOTHER STINKIN PUN).

Then, we stayed in Virginia, which was only 100 miles away. It took us four hours, instead of two, the first time, because EVERYBODY was trying to dodge Irene.

Irene. I dislike you. I don't care who or what you are, but you're mean! Yeah, now leave! That's right, get out of here!

Anyway, it took us a lot shorter this time.

So, between the times of us leaving Candy Hill and going to Cherry Hill, I read about World History, read about how ancient people told time, and I learned that July was named after Julius Caesar, and August is Augustus Caesar.

January was chosen to start the new year, and January was named after Janus, the god (in roman mythology) of doorways. January was the ENTRANCE of the year.

February means "great harvest" and Augustus took one day from it to add to his. That's why it only has 28.

March after Mars, the roman god of war.

April meant "to open" so it possibly might mean that since buds open during April.

May, after Maia, the mother of Mercury.

June after Juno, the roman queen of all the gods.

That's why the first months don't sound the same and September, October, November, and December do. Those are all Latin numbers!

Anyway, we got to Cherry Hill, about at 3:30.

Right when we got there, I got a little bit of money, and rode my bike to the cafe, and then devoured a BLT. Then, I Skyped a friend I met at a campground.

After that, Dad and I went to the grocery store.

Dad dropped me off at the pool when we got back, and I played with Rebecca for a good 30 minutes.

Then, Rebecca scraped her knee and Mom pushed her on top of Mom's bike. Mom led the bike, and I'll tell you they looked like Mary and Joseph on that bike, steadily riding through the dark twilight air. I took R's shoes, and her goggles, and her bike. I guess I was the pack mule. Wait, did the have a pack mule? Oh well.

We got back to the R.V., and I watched police shows with dad for a while. Then, I had the bed in tonight, and went soundly t sleep.

Jan, Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec,

Andrember. I just added that month. It's fake. But, it has a nice ring to it. Who votes for another month?

For now, goodbye.

Summer Cleaning(Really short, not worth reading)

Yesterday, August 29, we did basically Summer cleaning. Rebecca and I also did a good game of Teatherball where I beat her 8-3. That was a lot of fun. Then we got lunch at Subway and ate it back at the R.V.

It was a great lunch.

At Redbox, we got two movies, Soul Surfer and True Grit.

We watched Soul Surfer, which was very touching and sad.

We made a campfire, met two nice people who joined us, and talked to them for a LONG time.

When they left, we saw True Grit, but I went asleep in the middle of it. Oh well.

BAM BAM!,

Andrew.

Luray Caverns

On my Mom's birthday, after giving her stellar presents and goodies, and making her breakfast, we got in the jeep and prepared to go to Luray Caverns, which Mom said she wanted to go to.

Luray Caverns is reachable by going through the wide, big Shenandoah Mountains, into the town of Page, on the far side of the mountains. You go on a parkway called the Skyline Drive.

Unlike Mt Washington, the Shenandoah Mountains were leafy, wide, and big. They were shorter than Mt Washington, and less menacing.

Unlike the Shenandoah Valley Mountains, Mt. Washington was bare, had little to no plant life at the top, and was very, very tall and slim. Although, we are comparing a mountain to mountainS.

Anyway, we came out of the mountain range, and parked at a nice looking complex. It had a garden maze, a car museum, a history museum, and of course, Luray Caverns. All of the building were somewhat connected, but the history one faced the Caverns, dividing the too by a road. The parking lot was by the caverns. They were all of a beige color.

We went into the Caverns building, and got tickets for the next tour. While waiting, we looked around in the gift shop for anything that might catch our eye (you should say eyes, but oh well). I found a fake ID card saying I was an FBI agent. It is funny.

A girl named Paige told us she was the tour guide, and opened a big door and showed us down a staircase. Going down the staircase, I opened my eyes to see a big chamber, with many different formations. On the right of me, I saw a cross firmly planted on the ground. On the left, through all the people I could see a beautiful formation. In the center of the room, there was a big white column looking thing.

Paige told us the story of three men, who saw a small hole that had cool air coming out of it. Then, they increased the whole to the size they could fit through, and jumped down, coming down the hill the Cross was on. (It was a small hill) After that, they saw the column thing in the middle.

Those three men made the walls farther apart, and later went all around in it. Unlike the guys who discovered Ruby Falls, these guys had big, large corridors, and not tight spaces (comparing the two, Luray was a lot more roomy than Ruby Falls). Amazingly enough, the three explorers found it almost the same way we found it, roomy and big.

We traveled through big rooms, and saw beautiful columns, made by stalactites and mites that formed together. We saw a lot of just those too (very cool).

At first we went up ramps and around a few corners. Then, we got into a small long corridor, and saw a bright white twisty column, that they call Pluto's Ghost. Pluto, because it is a chasm, and we're underground. Pluto is god of the underworld in Greek myths. Ghost, because it was white and seems to follow and GET BIGGER EVERY TIME YOU keep going.

There were a lot of chasms, stalactites and mites, but the coolest thing I saw would have to have been the Dream Lake. It was a little pond, that is level with our heads. It looked like there were mites in the water, but it was really the reflection of the tites. It didn't even look like a pond, it just looked like a lot of mites. It was unreal. It looked like a small city.

We saw a lot of other formations, including Skeleton's Gorge, a small girls remains found in a small area, and the big Redwood. The big Redwood was a HUGE column, stretching over 150 fit high. It was so big!

We also saw the Wishing Well, which was a little puddle well thing with some money in it. When I say some, I mean 997,834 dollars in money. That amount started when it opened, it's not like that was all from this year. There was pennies, nickels, dimes, even dollars, one on top of each other People are actually ALLOWED to throw change in there. I threw two quarters, made a wish, and the two flopped on and came down with a BLOP. One went in a wide area with a lot of other coins, and the other actually went on a little mound of pennies.

Then, at the end of the tour, Paige showed us into a large room they do weddings in. Until about this time, I had been talking with an English girl (about 16) about Doctor Who. It was so cool to talk to one person who knew about it. She said it is really popular in England, but she was surprised that I knew of it. We talked about everything there is to know about DW, and it was a fun conversation. Take that Julie! People do know about DW! I'm a Who-er! And I'm not afraid to admit it.

Anyway, back to the wedding room.

In the center of the room, there was a small organ. It had wires that went into a dark corridor, and there was one wire that went up to a stalactite. It was actually an organ, that used the formations as notes. It was the weirdest thing you ever saw. A CONDUCTOR and inventor actually made beautiful sound with it. It was so cool. Beautiful music.

When the tour was over, we went back into the car, and had a nice birthday dinner for Mom at Houlihan's. It was a good day.

Luray was a really cool place. It was really cool to be underground, and yet still have all that coolness. It was a really cool time.

Who-ers are awesome! Go Doctor Who!,

Andrew.

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!(AGAIN!!!!!!!!!)

(I think these are pretty good pictures of my Mommy. Don't you?)

Yesterday, we went shopping. But before I begin this blog post, I must first recognize my wonderful, beautiful, kind, patient, awesome mother. It is her birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I WILL MAKE THIS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, we went early to the Patsy Cline House, but saw that it was a rip off. We went and got new shoes for me, because my feet are growing, going up against the points of my other shoes. We got them at a nice shoe store on the Winchester Walking Mall, and met a nice shoe salesman named Dennis.

Then, I went and got jeans at Old Navy. My aunt Beth called, and I couldn't answer because I was changing. I then called her back and had a very good conversation with her. Then I called my grandpa, and also had a good conversation with him.

We got home, and later in the night I did "face time" with my sister Julie. She showed me a tour of the outside part of a house in Winder. Very interesting.

Then, at 11:00 or so I went to bed. That was my choice; I was talking to multiple people on the computer, and then read a little. I had a pretty good day.

IRENE! YOU ARE NOT INVITED TO MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY PARTY! Okay?,

Andrew.

Drive to Winchester, West Virgna

To get away from the infamous Hurricane Irene, we got arrangements to leave to West Virgina and wait out the storm. You have probably heard of it over the major news networks. When it is over, we will return to Cherry Hill and go back to D.C., for we have only cracked the surface. Yesterday, we traveled two or more hours to West Virgina We just happened upon this cool town where Patsy Cline was born and some of the streets were made pedestrian only traffic. It is really cool. We are going to have my Mom's birthday there, which is only a day away.

For now, goodbye.

On the road again,

Andrew.

Smithsonian Institute: National Air and Space Museum

Space, the final frontier.

Air, the lair of birds.

Air and space has been a large part of our history. From the wrights' to Neil Armstrong. From Black Wings to NASA. From Charles Lindbergh's St Louis to Atlantis. Air and space has been a dream, and it has been an accomplishment.

Yesterday, we went to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, the most popular Smithsonian Museum. It would be a museum to remember.

We parked our car at a parking area by the infamous Ford's Theatre, and then walked to the Air and Space. It looked very big, and had a white brick style to it.

We walked in, and the security guard there said there was a bag check. Rebecca and I went through a metal detector, and we then got in. Above me, were planes, shuttles, and little spaceship. Sputnik, Apollo 11, an many old planes were above, looking like they were flying. It was fantastic.

The next section is divided into two parts, air and space. Air on the right side of the museum, and space on the left. Let us first start out with space.

We walked into many exhibits, some showing pictures of scape, and showing spaceships and astronauts tools, like tweezers and other things, like pooper scoopers, or trackers. We saw a lot of craft, and had a lot of fun. We learned about asteroids, black holes and space particles. There were many cool exhibits, about space travel. It talked about the space race, and also all the different space teams that went out.

In the main hall, and up on the second level, there were planes such as the Spirit of the St. Louis, and the Flyer (Wilbur and Orville Wright.), plus the Apollo mission space crafts.

Going down the aisle on the second floor overlooking the first floor, we saw all of that. The shuttle with creamy white showed themselves towering high above the others. The jet passenger planes, along with the small one person planes, were all equal in their uniquity. Some were more of a cylinder type, some more flat, but most cylinder.

Their was a beautiful array of colors. Most passenger planes had tree colors: silver(being metal), blue and red; silver, green, and yellow; and silver, orange and turquoise. They all had cool designs and some swirling of lines.

Also, it told about Charles Lindbergh, and his awesome flights, also with Amelia Earhart. It even told about a group that went around the world in planes, stopping only a little. I forget their exact name. Oh well.

We went over all that and more. I don't want to give it all away; I want you to see it for yourself.

They had 5 movie theatres in that one place.

In the air section, we saw what the inside of a '50's plane looked like, and learned about flight, planes (WWI, WWII, Military, Commercial), and the difference between then and now. Later, I got a book on the history of flight.

I was just absolutely amazed with all the space information they had, talking about how people looked at the sky, and movements of constellations. We saw all sorts of telescopes, and astronaut suits and materials they used.

In air, I really enjoyed the military usage of Ariel caera broadcasts over enemy territory, and of WWII bombers.

What the cool thing about the Smithsonian is that the aircraft were almost all original. They mostly had the real things, not factory reproductions. They were a great museum, filled with such priceless info as cannot be matched. The Air and Space had (it seemed) like museums inside of a muSEUM. Every little part was cool in it's own. I definitely will be coming back.

Houston, we have a problem,

Andrew.

Mount Vernon

Now, most people know a LITTLE about George Washington. Most people 'know' that he had wooden teeth and cut down his father's cherry tree. Most people know that he was the first president and that he was first in war (general) and first in peace. He's also the first president, and the first in the hearts of his countrymen. But, at Mount Vernon, two days ago, I learned a little more about George Washington.

At about 12:00, we arrived at Mount Vernon, and after parking, went into the visitor's center to find a restroom. Once we had all gone, we found out that we should probably do the Mansion Tour first, and all that jazz, and then tackle the museum they had there. It was supposed to take all the time we had.

Before doing the mansion tour, we ate a little food at the food court they had there. After that, we walked out of the museum, and walked up the road to G..W.'S house.

From a distance, we saw the beautiful red brick house.

Getting closer, there was a lady at a sign that said : Wait for guide at tour.

She said that the tour was a good way off, and that we should do all the slave quarters first, and see the blacksmiths, or the gardeners. We traveled in the garden, and saw many nice flowers. Then, we saw the male and female slave quarters, with two to a bunk, and some on the ground! Can you imagine sleeping on the ground? And, they all either worked in the house in big, sweaty skirts (female) or worked in the fields in blazing hot temperatures. Crazy.

After seeing a blacksmiths, gardeners, and other workers like shoemakers, we headed to the tour.

We entered through a side entrance, and saw the main dining room, many, many guest bedrooms, master bedrooms, and G.W. 's study. It was very interesting, but they did a sort of system where their was one guide per room. So, those guides mostly gave you good information, but each room was like 2 minutes. The guide would tell us things, and then send us off to another room, not even asking us if we had questions.

inherited

What I did find out was, G.W. inherited this property, became a farmer, and then married Martha Custis Washington who already had kids from another husband.

After the mansion tour, we went into the museum, and I thought that was very cool. It had stuff about his childhood, and that the cherry tree story was probably fake, saying G.W.'s dad was always on business trips, so it is highly unlikely that he ever noticed a chopped down cherry tree.

We learned about what his religion was, his first job as a surveyor, his time in The French and Indian War, and saw many videos and movies. It made me learn that yes, many people declared Independence, but it was G.W. who led in the war. He led us to Independence. And he was a pretty awesome dude... I'm sorry - am I allowed to say dude?

One of the most interesting things I learned, was that G.W. lost many teeth throughout his whole life, and had many sets of dentures, and only had one remaining original tooth when he got into his presidency, but never had wooden teeth. Very interesting.

There were many hands on activities and there was even an activity where you placed your hand on the bible and swore into office. I became the president for a day!

Mount Vernon was very fun, and at the end of the day, we saw the grave of G.W. It was very interesting.

Farewell my countrymen!

My teeth hurt,

Andrew.

Buses, Trains, subways, restricted speeds, guys named Bob, Arlington Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Solider, Iwo Jima performance, and EARTHQUAKES!

To get tickets to go on a subway train that went to Arlington National Cemetery, we took a bus to the train station.

On the bus, there was strangely a bumpy sensation. My mom was texted by her mom, saying that an earthquake was felt in Virgina, Maryland, NYC Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. I didn't feel it that much. All I felt was a rumble and a few bumps. Mom's mom (I love saying that) said it was a 5.8.

We then boarded an uncrowded train, hoping to get to L'Enfant Plaza, where we would transfer to another train to get to Arlington Cemetery. The announcer said the subway would be going at a restricted speed as a precaution to the effects of the earthquake. All about this time, people were getting in, and telling their experiences at the time of the earthquake. Most were in a building, some walking down the street and one guy said, "I was just taking my shower when the ground shook and I said 'What was that?"'

The subway went slower than previous ones I had been on, but it still went pretty fast. We got to see nothing but subway, but it was still enjoyable with the family and I joking about the earthquake.

We got off from that train, and went down stairs, to wait for the other on the blue line. It was crowded. All different kinds of people, red and yellow, black and white, all were crowded around, waiting for the train. Business people, tourists, locals, even a computer scientist, all were there. If you breathed, you breathed on somebody. You were literally shoulder to shoulder from another.

The train wasn't much better. Sure, most people had gone on the previous train, but dang!, after people filed in, it got much more crowded.

A red haired man with glasses was reading a newspaper when I got in beside him. Dad was above me, holding on to the rail.Mom and Rebecca were on the other side. It got heavily more crowded, so a lot of people were crowding over me. The guy's name happened to be Bob. After talking about the earthquake, bit by bit I got him talking. I found out he worked at the Library of Congress, and that he was a librarian. He was little grumpy (at all the people being there) but all in all he was pretty nice. Just a little boring.

When it was our stop to go to Arlington, I said goodbye to Bob, and charged my way out. I say this literally, and I mean it. The subway train was literally filled up with people. There was no room left.

I probably wouldn't of gotten out if a lady screamed in a new jersey accent, "HELLO?! THERE ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO GET... A FAMILY TRYING TO GET OUT! MAKE A WAY FOR THEM!"

Some people moved, but I mostly had to push my way out. I finally got out. Dad counted heads.

We got out of underground, and finally got out. "I'm so glad to see the light of day," I said. We saw a sign saying Arlington Cemetery Parking, behind a bush. We went to it, and entered, going straight for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

There were so many graves in there. They were all spread out in a straight line, having people as far back as WWI. There were so many graves! And for a while they all looked the same.

Some were sad, the grave saying 20 years to 30. It made me appreciate our troops even more after that.

The other members of the family were like that too.

A sign said Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All this time I had been asking my parents what it was. Dad finally said,"A long time ago, they found the dead body of an unknown soldier. Nobody claimed him, no one knew who he was. So, they had this idea to make him the symbol of all unknown soldiers, and they assigned guards to 'guard' him, signifying that the unknown solider... all unknown soldiers, are never alone and that we appreciated them and are with them.

"There are guards guarding it, and every 30 minutes, they do a ceremony, changing the guard. "

We got up to The Tomb, and saw a marine that was thin and had a stern face, and marine clothes (dress blues). He had a rifle type gun standing in front of the tomb. The tomb was under ground. A few minutes later, another man without a gun, came up with another guard. There was a sort of ceremony, where the formal guard kept getting away from it, and the new guard getting closer. It was really cool, and it made me cry.

Then the prior guard left with the other marine.

After seeing the Tomb, we got on a metro bus that was going to see the Marine Silent Drill Team and drum crew.

It takes place at the Iwo Jima Monument.

We got seats (more like areas on the ground) directly across from the Iwo Jima Monument. All veterans got to sit in high class seats, but we sat on the ground. The performance was amazing! All of the unity, flipping of rifles, no commands, wonderful music, and great choreography. It had it all. The only thing it didn't have was a hippo on roller skates.

But seriously, it was SOOOO good.

After getting recommendations to go to a Mexican restaurant called Santa Fey Cafe, we crossed streets and got to it. A man greeted us at the door, and I later got to know him as Kip. He was very nice, and the dinner was very satisfying. Even after the meal, he got us a cab! So nice!

In the cab, we drove all the way to Maryland. Then, we got out of the cab and into our jeep.

Well, that day I experienced an earthquake.

-Andrew.

Night Ride through Washington D.C. Part 2

The second part:

We then went down, about to go to the Vietnam Memorial. Although, we could not find it and we plan to go back when we have more time. Returning to the bus, we set off to go the Jefferson Memorial, which was close to the Potomac River. We got off, and entered the domed ceiling with Jefferson's statue in the middle of it. There were Jefferson quotes throughout the room, and columns on the outside of the memorial. It was big also, and Jefferson's Statue was like 20 ft tall.

We went back outside, and I got back into the bus. We passed by a few other memorials, but most were shielded by the dead of night. At this point I was as tired as a sloth, and I sat back in my seat and vaguely listened to Big Al's stories. Most sounded a little exaggerated.

People got dropped off, and Big Al talked and talked.

Then he turned the music on! Hello sir! I'm trying to sleep! I thought. It was rock. It seemed while he had it on, he would stop it sometimes to tell something. I was poofed!

Then, we came to Cherry Hill, and I slowly got off. I then got in the jeep, and we rode to our motor home. I then slept in Mom and Dad's bed. Like a rock on sleepy pills. And that, is the end of the night ride.

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!,

Andrew.

Night ride through Washington D.C. Part 1

Yesterday, Mom and I checked out the diner at the campground while walking the dogs. After meeting a nice man named Lee who showed us all the cool gizmo's of his rig, we ate breakfast at the diner and looked around the cool plaza. Then, we went to the Cherry Hill Campground Office and got good info on the tours they offered around D.C. Judy, the person who was telling us the info, highly recommended the night tour, which in her opinion, is very fun. We also met a nice lady named Earlene, who we gave this blog address too. Hi Earlene! (if you're reading) I hope I didn't spell your name wrong.

Anyway, we rode out for an hour or two, in search of a sign that said, "Welcome to Maryland." We never found it.

At 4:30, we prepared to get ready to board the night bus tour. It would be picking up directly across from the office. We ate dinner, hamburgers and hot dogs on our grill, and then got jackets for the ride.

Right in the nick of time, we got out of the jeep, parked it, and got on the bus as Mom said to the driver, a tall, buff, 50 or so man, "Just in the nick of time."

He laughed.

We got in, and met a nice family from Vermont, and a couple from California. We continued talking to them for the whole ride.

We were in traffic for a while, stooping on the outskirts of Washington D.C. We talked to them some more, and entering D.C. , we stopped at a place called Union Station. People got on, and the driver told us his name was Earl, but people called him (or he called himself rather) Big Al. He was a very nice man, and throughout the whole tour he would make jokes, mostly funny. But some, like "What did Dela wear? A new jersey." was cheesy.

He told us he was the tour guide, and that we would be going to our nation's capital. We finally entered Washington D.C.

In the 4-5 area, we saw the capital building, The Mall, The Washington Monument, and made many videos and pictures. Then, Big Al informed us we would be stopping at The South Side of the White House. The bus creaked to a stop, and Big Al said we had 25 minutes. We got out, and went right, and across a street, instead of going right and across a street. We walked this way, and saw people going in the yard of the White House (or so we thought). It didn't look like the picture, so a few eyes were wide. Then, I looked on the building top and saw the word's: U.S. Treasury Department. We then went left and went across the street, and saw the White House from the south side. It had beautiful flowers and a white building in the background. It was blocked by a black gate. It still made some really good pictures though.

Going around D.C., we learned a lot of cool facts and saw some pretty awesome sights before getting to the big stuff. We saw some of the Smithsonian and got more pictures than ever of the Capital Building.

As sunset came, we passed by the Arlington Cemetery and saw and Tomb of the Unknown Solider. Then, as night fell, we saw the notorious Iwo Jima monument. It was very moving to see it before my eyes. We would be going back to this place.

Big Al gave us leave of 30 minutes to see the Lincoln Memorial. Going up those steps, I saw Abraham Lincoln sitting in his chair with one hand clenched and one open. It was so big! And standing on those steps, we could see the Washington Monument and Capitol Building right by each other.

On the left side of the room, was the Gettysburg Address. It goes as follows:Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The 2nd inauguration address:

At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement, somewhat in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention, and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it--all sought to avert it. While the inaugural [sic] address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissolve the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.

One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether"

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

---

The Gettysburg, was to remember those that died and lost their lives defending our nation. The 2nd address, was to wipe away the past and start anew. Those were both great speeches. And Abraham Lincoln, was a great president, who's life was cut to short.

This is already pretty long, so I will cut it into another part!

Longest Drive Ever!

We left the Sodom Mountain Campground RV park and had a long drive to Maryland, where we are staying while we visit Washington D.C. We did some school work, read some books, and Dad and I talked a little. I called some people, and I called my cousin Daniel to wish him a happy birthday! (It was his 21st. !) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL! YOU'RE AWESOME AND I LOVE TALKING ABOUT MOVIES WITH YOU!

Anyway, we went through 6 states to get to Maryland: MA (our starting point), Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, before arriving in Maryland. Six states, 8 hours.

We stopped at trucks stops, and thought we might have to stay at a Walmart that night. But, at 8:30 t0 9, we arrived at Cherry Hill R.V. Park. It was very nice looking, having the lots of amenities and such. (pools, game room, TV room, conference center, playground, diner) I've stayed in nice R.V. Parks before, but this is awesome. I like it so much.

We hooked up while it was dark, and hooked up electricity, water, and sewage. Then, I made my bed out and slept the night away. In the morning, I took out the dogs with Mom, and the family and I ate breakfast at the cafe they have. Now, we prepare to embark on a great journey to our nation's capital.

To be CONTINUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

101 blog post of Bourne's Big Trip

THIS IS THE 101 BLOG POST OF BOURNE'S BIG TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT SEEMS LIKE JUST yesterday I was writing Leaving and the first day.

Now it is the 1o1st. The 100th was Mark Twain House.

Thank you for all loyal readers who stood with us the whole way - (so far, it's not like we're shutting down) We hope you will join us until we get home, and stop the blog post! You guys are awesome!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!

Mark Twain House

Two days ago, after going to the Springfield Armory, (and seeing a lot of cool guns) we drove 45 minutes in the jeep to go to The Mark Twain House, in Hartford, CT. If you didn't already know, my 4 favorite authors are: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons) and Moses - he wrote many books in The Bible. Well, Ezekiel and Daniel are good too. Not to mention David. And John. You know what, all authors of the Bible are good. So, I was pretty excited to go to his house. Little did I know that Harriet Beecher Stowe was also his neighbor. We didn't get to do them both! Stowe's closed before we got there. Oh well.

Anyway, we went in, and there was a visitor's center about Twain, featuring a bookstore, a dining room, a museum, and then the actual house of M.T. While Rebecca and Dad saw a Norman Rockwell exhibit, Mom and I looked in the museum, and learned about his life, his books, and his life books. He wrote many books on life. We learned about his business endeavors, and his childhood, his young adult life (when he traveled a lot) and his family, his wife, his kids, and his late years, as a man in the white suit. In his early years, he worked on river boat, where he learned the term "Mark Twain". So, Samuel Clemons adopted the term "Mark Twain" as a pen name, because it meant "safe water" so he thought it would be a good omen. Also, his birthday was on Haley's Comet, so his mother thought it was good luck. He died on the second come around of Haley's Comet. Kind of freaky when you think about it.

The store was cool, and before we went on the house tour, we looked around in it, and I bought an autobiography on him, and The Prince and the Pauper. I have already read, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" "Roughing It" "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Very good books, but I think Huck, Rough, and Yankee are my favorites.

We started the tour and a nice blond named Bridget was our tour guide.

She took us out of the center, and took us along a path, leading to Sam's (I'm going to refer to M.T. as Sam, just as the tour guide did) house. It was a very interesting looking house, with red and black decorations, and had a Gothic twist. It had big windows, sharp points, but at the same time was inviting. It showed Sam's character a little.

The tour guide, Bridget, asked us if we knew why Sam was named M.T. I answered it, because I learned it in the museum. She told everyone the rules, and not taping with a video camera was one. (BUMMER!) We walked in, and straight away, I saw a bust of Sam. From the head up. Also, it was very creepy, and had a staircase that went up three floors. It had a very cool feel to it. On the right was a drawing room, where the Clemons family would talk with each other and would talk a little. The other room, the den, had more fun time in it though, less formal meetings.

We also met the family, and found out that they were very "fake rich." They lived in quite a luxury for their time. But, they didn't have the money for it.

I saw and "met" Clara, Suzie, and Jean, his three daughters, and his wife, Olivia. We got into their dining room, their den, (where Sam would use objects in the room to tell stories. ) the green room, Sam and Olivia's bedroom, the nursery, the school room, Sam's man cave (billiards and desk in it) the library, Clara's bedroom and the butler's room. It was so amazing to see where M.T. wrote his most famous works. It was interesting to see not Mark Twain's house, but the house of Samuel Clemons. Mark Twain was the man in his books, Clemons was the father, the husband, the leader. (even though he smoked 30 cigars a day!) It showed where a man with a wit and charm, not to mention good writing skills, became the man in white.

Hope you enjoyed this blog post.

"It's my idontcarea!BEEP!suit," MT

Apparently there is nothing that can't happen today,

Andrew.

(P.S. This is the 100th blog post of Bourne's Big Trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have made our goal!!!!!! NOW FOR 200!)

Stuff in Springfield,MA

We left Sodom Mountain Campground at about 1:00 on Friday, August 19th, already having washed the motor home and doing some school work. We ate a common lunch at a place called the Summer House, and drove to Springfield, MA, where we would be going to The Science Museum and The Springfield History Museum. Since the notorious Dr. Seuss lived in Springfield,MA, they had a sculpture garden with all his characters on it, in his honour.

We got to Springfield, and parked in the Historical District, and saw that all of the museums which were right by each other.

The sculptures we saw first, posing with the Lorax and Horton Hears a Who. He(Horton) was very cool, having his left foot up in the air, and the flower in his trunk.

Among other characters, there were, on the platform around Horton, Sam I am, Sally, Thing 1, Thing 2, and some others.

Crouching behind the great book that has The "Oh the places you'll go!" story on it, was The Grinch and his dog Jack. They were good too.

Finally, standing by Dr. Seuss (his statue) at his desk writing, was the one, the only, The Hat in the Ca... I mean... The Cat in the Hat. Sorry about my blunder (that was embarrassing).

We left the garden, and then walked into the Science Museum. We first had to go through a gift shop, but we got into it. There on the first floor was animal stuffings and Indian tools. That was very interesting. Next, on the second floor was space, and rocks. It was cool to go onto a scale, that when you step on it, tells your weight on all the planets. On the moon I weigh 16.5 lbs! On Jupiter like 300! Anyway, there were so many rocks up there. And they weren't just normal rocks. They were gems and crystals. There were also quartz, silver, rhicrondite, ancrondite, and many others They sparkled, reflecting their great colors of orange and green and purple. Some were smooth, having crystals inside. Some spun around themselves, making balls of crystals. Some even had the weirdest shapes, looking like a spiral staircase. It was amazing.

Also cool was an exhibit about asteroid particles, which I got to look under using a magnifying glass. Also in that room, was a monitor where you got to choose the velocity and diameter, not to mention the speed and strength, of a meteorite hitting a target on some planet. Very fun to see the animated asteroid hit the fake planet.

Dad and I, after seeing all we wanted to see, went across the street to the Springfield History Museum, and for the last 30 minutes of it's opening, saw the firearms of Smith and Wesson, and saw Indian Motorcycles. It was really cool.

We went to the grocery store, and decided we wanted to have a cook out, but it was short lived. It started pouring, and we rushed to get the groceries inside. Lon g story short, we didn't have a campfire. Oh well.

Reduce Stress. Then Rest.,

Andrew.

Drive to MA (AGAIN!)

Before I begin this blog post, I must tell a special awesome sister of mine HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN! You are wise, nice, and a very good cosmetologist. Thank you for exposing me to mayonnaise and quoting me from time to time! I love you! I hope you have a great day!

I thought we were going to Connecticut, but at the end of the day (Aug. 18) we made it to Southwick, MA, (very close to Connecticut) in a campground called Sodom Mountain Campground. Long story short, we took a six hour drive from Sugar Ridge, in Danville, VT, and traveled through New Hampshire to get to MA. (VT is Vermont and MA is Massachusetts). So, we got to the campground and had a campfire with some very nice people at their campsite. We had a very good night with them.

Floating water bottles,

Andrew.

Wacky Story without punctuation and with punctuation

The blog post without punctuation. By Rebecca Bourne. (I had the idea to write a story without periods, commas, explanation points, or anything of the sort. I was bored.) If it is easier for the reader, he/she can read the edition WITH punctuation. [scroll down]Have a great day!:)

There was a kid named Dennis and he liked to dance he went to the store and bought some jelly beans taking the jar he ate them all and got sick the next day he went to the doctor and the doctor said you shouldn't of done this the expiration date is two months ago and he said i gotta go to the restroom when he went to the restroom he threw up the doc said u have the stomach ache he said yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i do not have to go to school and his mom said give me the medicine i will pay anything if he does not go to school he will go crazy the doc said it will take a month she said noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

as the got home he went in his room and poured all his belongings out the window even his 92 cats then his neighbor went to his door step with his pet dinosaur the kid answered the door with thousands of jelly beans falling out of his mouth as he was rolling on the ground panting as he said hi the man said what the dude rackets r u doing and he said just being my normal self as he screamed boogalygafjufbnjkmfghhkkgfdghvhghcfgdbghhjhjghdsvfhgjkhghjfjh then he said im gonna go get a squash as he rolled down his driveway doing the buggy he gets up on his head and is about to reach the squash as a purple limo pulls up at the end of his driveway and says hi were the government then pulls him in to the limo and his mother watching through her window while crying jumps out her window and lands on the outside of her car and follows them not far behind because she is speeding she calls her husband and tells him what happened and he said on my way when the limo stopped at a weird warehouse building the mom does not stop because she thinks there still moving as they put the kid oh and did i mention the boys name was Denis anyway as they lay denis down on a lab table and right before the test on his craziness he punches them and runs away laying on the ground the man in charge orders his thugs to catch denis they follow denis until denis runs into his dad walking and looking for denis he says dad then the dad realizes the thugs charging for them he quickly says denis close your eyes while dad kicks his leg up real high and kicks the thugs right in the noses they fall back dad taps denis and then the cross the street to find as giant teddy bear standing before them then they swiftly unzip the teddy bear and hop in as denis really confused the teddy bear is inside of a hot air balloon floating in the air they reach there house then the house roof disappears and the they reach his bedroom the roof is there and the teddy bear and hot air balloon is gone then the feels tapping and opens his eyes and his mother is standing before him and he asked what happened and she says well when we got home from the doctors office u went into your room and went to sleep i have been giving u your medicine and checking on u and your all better so long story short u have been asleep for a month so go eat your pancakes and then get ready for school THE END:)-Rebecca Bourne

What would the world be like without punctuation! This blog post was used to show people,mostly kids and teens, that the rules of literature are very important, and that no one can read a sentence where there is no punctuation. Texting language is, well, not promising, and shows the reader that the writer is sloppy and does not take care in his/ her writing. I strongly oppose text slang, and do not want to ever write it. Besides telling rules are cool, this blog post is a fun story with twists and turns, and confusing ends. It has two messages: 1, to confuse the reader and make him/ her read over what they just read, and 2, for the reader to imagine a life without punctuation. SOOOOO SCARY! Leaving with a positive outlook, please don't text talk unless you absolutely need to. It makes someone like me not understand what your saying! See u ltr! (You see, it's hard to read) Gdnght!(hard to read too!)

,The blogger.

Wacky story WITH punctuation

There was a kid named Dennis and he liked to dance. He went to the store and bought some jelly beans. Taking the jar, he ate them all and got sick. The next day he went to the doctor and the doctor said,"You shouldn't of done this the expiration date is two months ago!" He said," I gotta go to the restroom," When he went to the restroom he threw up. The doc said you have the stomach ache! "He said,"

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i do not have to go to school!!!!!!!" His mom said, "Give me the medicine i will pay anything !If he does not go to school he will go crazy!" The doc said ,"it will take a month." She said," nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o"

As they got home he (Dennis) went in his room and poured all his belongings out the window, even his 92 cats!Then his neighbor went to his door step with his pet dinosaur. Dennis answered the door with thousands of jelly beans falling out of his mouth as he was rolling on the ground panting as he said, "Hi!" The man said," What the dude rackets are you doing!" He said, "Just being my normal self," as he screamed "boogalygafjufbnjkmfghhkkgfdghvhghcfgdbghhjhjghdsvfhgjkhghjfjh!" Then he said ,"I'm gonna go get a squash!" As he rolled down his driveway doing the buggy he gets up on his head and is about to reach the squash as a purple limo pulls up at the end of his driveway and says "Hi we're the government!" As they say that, they pull him in to the limo and his mother watching through her window while crying jumps out her window and lands on the outside of her car and follows them not far behind because she is speeding. She calls her husband and tells him what happened and He said,"On my way!" when the limo stopped at a weird warehouse building the mom does not stop because she thinks there still moving. As they laid Dennis down on a lab table and were about to test on him on his craziness when he punches them and runs away. Laying on the ground, the man in charge orders his thugs to catch Dennis. They follow Dennis until Dennis runs into his dad walking and looking for Dennis. Dennis says," Dad!" Then the Dad realizes the thugs are charging for them. he quickly says,"Dennis, close your eyes!" While he says that, he kicks his leg up real high and kicks the thugs right in the noses. They fall back ,Dad taps Dennis and then they cross the street to find a giant teddy bear standing before them. Then they swiftly unzip the teddy bear and hop in. As Dennis crouches in it, really confused, the teddy bear is inside of a hot air balloon floating in the air. They reach their house. Then the house roof disappears and they reach Dennis's bedroom. The roof is there and the teddy bear and hot air balloon is gone then he feels tapping and opens his eyes. His mother is standing before him and he asked ,"What happened?" She says ,"Well, when we got home from the doctors office you went into your room and went to sleep. I have been giving you your medicine and checking on u. And you're all better. So long story short you have been asleep for a month. So go eat your pancakes and then get ready for school." THE END:)-Rebecca Bourne

Editing done by A. Bourne.

This is as a fictional story. Any relation to people, things, places, or animals, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Hope you enjoyed the story. We did.

Imagination is key for the growth of children,

Andrew B.

Living in a moving house

Living in a moving house is rather exciting. Each time we stop, we are at a new "neighborhood" (RV park) with different people every time. I've been to really nice R.V. Parks, and really poor ones. All are different from another.

Also, we always have to leave, getting the people's contact info and saying goodbye. We are nomads.

Before we leave the campsite, we load our bikes onto the jeep and hook up the jeep to the RV. We also get everything position to move in the sides of the RV. The "slides" are out at the campgrounds and in while we are driving. We also try to secure everything for the trip, but mostly we miss a thing or two.

Also, when we are moving, there is no space, save a small hallway. I'm usually at the computer, blogging away. Usually Rebecca is on her couch, and Mom and Dad are in the front. While we are moving, it is never quiet. There is the banging and bumping...don't forget falling, all are natural sounds for us. Let me show you a normal moving day for us.

(sound of something falling)

Dad: WHAT WAS THAT?

(SOUNDS OF FALLING THINGS)

DAD: (yelling) PICK THAT UP!

Rebecca: Pick it up! (talking to me)

Me: (getting out of chair, picking things up.) Rebecca, it's your stuff!

Rebecca: (in blanket, cuddling with dogs) I'm comfortable!

Me: (mad sigh) Really?

Rebecca: I'm sorry! I'll do it next time!

Me: Yeah, sure you will.

Dad: Will you too just quit bickering and PICK THAT UP!

Thus is a normal moving day in the Bourne family

I'm sorry you had to bear that.

Anyway, there is a lot of bumping and sounds. The motor is also very loud.

Although it is strenuous sometimes, this Intrigue 530 (our R.V.) has become home. It is 45 ft long, with the driver and passenger seats, two couches (which also pull out into our beds), the kitchen on one side and a dining table on the other side. Then there is the fridge, the bathroom and a shower. Next is the master bedroom. Home sweet R.V.

I hope when we return, you will get a final look at our moving house before we sell it.

y'ALL have a great day!

Today we are going to Connecticut,

Andrew.

"Home of The Worst Weather on Earth". (Mount Washington)

Yesterday, after eating lunch at Dylan's Cafe, we drove to Mount Washington, home of the worst weather on Earth. It is also a national forest. We got there rather late, about 4 or 5. We waited in a long line, and came to the foot of this great mountain. We paid 45 dollars to get up the mountain and we're told to stay on a low gear and also to not put on air conditioning. We were also told to stay 15 to 20 mi., and to yield to traffic coming down.

We put in their auto road tour CD in the jeep. Then we rolled down the window and prepared for the ride.

At the knees of the mountain, there was the recognizable maple, pine, and spruce. The knees were mostly covered by by shaded trees.

Further on, there were more littler trees that were... amazingly, hundreds of years old. Even in the extreme cold. They were very twisty, and cooly - made by God.

Later, we saw some pretty cool stuff. There was a wide open area as we went around the mountain, where you could see all of the other mountain ranges. They were about our height.

All throughout this time, we kept the suggested speed, and saw people in front of us (coming down) and people behind us. It was kind of scary.

Not as scary as what we were about to do though.

We entered a curvy, narrow road called the "Oh my God" curve.

And it was the "Oh my God" curve. It turned and twisted, and the road was made out of dirt! We went up a big slope, not seeing the road, only the little bit of what was in front of us. We saw beautiful blue and green mountains that glittered in the distance. Mom got scared and went down, not daring to look up again. Rebecca was on the in side, so she wasn't scared either. The driver, Dad, was looking around, sweat pouring from his neck. He kept going," Woo hoo! Woo hoo! This is crazy." He looked around a lot. "Focus on driving, " Mom said.

During this whole time, I wasn't scared, enjoying the view and capturing it with my video camera. It was breathtaking! (literally, the air was short.)

At other points along the road, we stopped at pull offs and enjoyed the view.

We, after 45 minutes, made it up to the top. It was freezing! I wore two shirts and a jacket.

There was an observatory, a store and tiny cafe. Also up there, was a train track that went down the mountain! Dang! I'm never doing that!

We parked in the parking lot, and went up many steps to get to the summit. Up in that environment, it was cold, and there were no trees or plants, save tiny grass and rocks. That was all.

We went into the building, and I ate harvest garden soup, that warmed me up and made my lips thaw. It was very good.

We went into the store, and I got a cool long sleeve shirt. I changed into it. It was blue, and very cool! (another pun!)

We took our picture on the elevation sign, and then went back down to our car. We then took a short drive back down.

While up on that summit, I saw a great view from the highest point of New England. It really made me realize,"I'm this high up. " Our trip to Mt. Washington was an amazing experience!

I like how the audio tour guide ended the CD, "You have now joined the long list of many people who have been to the summit of Mt. Washington: explorers, tourists, competitors, and family members. We hope you join us again soon."

We came back to the R.V. Park (Sugar Ridge in Vermont, sorry I didn't mention it earlier) at about 9:24. I had the bed in that night, and slept soundly.

Lizzie Bourne was the first women to fall off Mt. Washington,

Andrew.

Cabot Cheese Factory and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

I won't tell you about the arts and crafts project we did before we went to the factory. I won't tell you about how Rebecca creamed me in pool. I won't even tell you about the 30 minute drive to Cabot, going through forests and rural areas, and our search of a restaurant (there was none except a hardware store diner and sandwiches in a grocery store). We got those sandwiches and ate them in the car.

What I will tell you about is our experience at Cabot and the experience at Ben and Jerry's.

After the sandwiches, we walked into a building that looked like a store in the front but looked like a factory in the rear. There were many many cheese products, and many many kids and people. It was very crammed.

Dad finally got up to the counter, and he said, "Can I have the tickets for the next tour?"

"Yep. How many?"

"4"

"Okay," she said as she put in in the computer." And the money?"

Dad gave it to her.

"All righty then. You four are the 3:00 tour, and you will have pins since the last tour had stickers. Put those on just so you know you paid."

"Thank you," Dad said.

"Thank you!" She replied.

When the prior tour left, we got at the head of the line. The tour started, and we went through some doors to a small room, with a small TV and awards and gizmos. The room had "stairs" and levels of "seats". We watched a ten minute movie about the legacy of Cabot Co-op and Cabot Cheese Factory. The factory was started by a community of farmers who wanted to share their milk. They now have a cheese and creamery factory.

A tour guide answered some questions in the movie room, and then we went through a small hallway and saw them make the cheese. It was pretty awesome.

We also saw them pack the cheese, by a robot picking up the boxes and making the sides go in. Then it dropped it into the platform.

We saw the milk and cheese go together, and saw also it being chuncked and made solid. Very interesting to see that made in front of us. You get that kind of,"Ooo! Ahhh!" feeling.

We left the cheese factory, and headed out for Ben and Jerry's.

It took us a while, and we couldn't find a very good parking spot, (we took one on the top of the hill) but we got in and got tickets for the tour. Ben and Jerry's was a lot bigger than the former, and was very big and spread out. There was a big gift shop, and a staircase showing to another level. The only bad thing about this experience was that they cleaned the two bathrooms (outside and inside, men's) at the same time. That meant a million guys waited for the restroom, and nowhere to go. It was really madness.

We got tickets, and I sat down and talked to a kid from the Neatherlands, and it was very interesting.

Our tour came, and a girl named Mae who was very enthusiastic, telling us to MOOOVE right on. She was very fun.

We saw a movie on the history of Ben and Jerry's, and it was very interesting.

Then, we saw the cleanup shift of the workforce. It wasn't too interesting, but we learned the process, and the workers waved to us. We didn't see the ice cream making process though.

There was also a tasting room, where we tasted vanilla nut. That wasn't very good.

We did buy additional ice cream at the scoop shop, but I got a smoothie. It was a very fun day, and it was very late when we got home.

I read 3 chapters of my book, and then slept in Mom and Dad's bed.

ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S YOGURT! NOT ICE CREAM! AHHHH!

Andrew.

Drive to Vermont (through New Hampshire to get to it)

Before leaving Maine to go to Vermont, (a four to five hour drive) Dad and I got in the car to go mail the box full of papers of our trip, the wine stuff, the letter to the Fulton County Board of Education, and some nuts for one couple, and coffee beans for another. We went in to the U.S. Postal Service, and found out it opened at 9:00, instead of 8 (it was that time). So we left reluctantly, and went into the UPS building. There was a short haired lady who had grey hair. "Hello," she said in a rick NJ accent,"How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'd like to ship this,"Dad said as he put the box full of papers on the scale,"to my home address. "

"David Bourne, 10655 Woodstock Rd, Roswell GA, 30075?"

"That would be it."

"Okay. What else do you have here?"

Dad opened up the wine box, and just as he did, the lady said,"I... can't ship liquor."

Dad looked surprised. "Really, well that's weird. The people at the winery said you could."

"I keep telling 'em not to tell people that because we don't."

We did however ship the papers, and got boxes in which the nuts and coffee beans went into. We also got a return address for the note to the FULTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. We would be sending those things through the Post Office. At the UPS building, I met a home nurse who worked with a man who had lipheria. She said she tried to make his day better and better. I also met an old man who was writing an article for a historic magazine. He was also writing about his former boss who was a Republican senator.

We ate breakfast at McDonald's, and had a very good breakfast burrito. Then we went off, and finally got to the post office. Putting the addresses on the boxes while waiting in line, Dad noticed something. He didn't know which box was the nuts and which were the coffee. So, he opened it up with his knife, and then sorted them out. After taping it back on with a role up tape they had (selling for $3.49), he gave it to Anna, a girl who also needed it. She said thanks.

We got the stuff shipped, and then went out. We drove back to The R.V. I found out that Rebecca had been doing grammar, math, and spelling while I had been gone. Now it was my turn.

"Can I do it later?" I asked. "I need to do something for the blog."

Later, before we left, I left two books that I already read and got two more books at the Take One, Leave One bookstore. Most every campground has a place for books. I also talked to Mr. Brook's wife, Sharon, about a book I would like called Alex Rider. It was a spy kids book. We also went into Mr. Brook's camper, which was very roomy. It was cool.

We then said goodbye, and got ready to take off for Danville, VT. I looked online, talked with friends, saw the view, got out as rest stations, and blogged and read. (and snacked. We didn't have lunch that day.) We drove through a lot of Maine, and most of New Hampshire. We even went to a place called Mexico, Maine. That city was very pretty.

It took us five hours, and it was dark and rainy when we got to our campsite. But we put it the water supply and energy. We then had my mother's famous tuna surprise, and then settled down watching antique roadshow. Then I fell softly asleep.

Mom finished The Confession

New Bed, New Routine, New Weatherman

As I have lived in an R.V. for over two months now, I have been adapting to the differences of R.V. Parks. I have met new and interesting people, observed different accents, (e.g. Australian, french, Canadian, new jersean, new york, Maine, and ENGLISH) and have been adjusting to new routines. Let me now share with you a few new differences in my new life. Let me therefore start here.

At Roswell, I had a small bed with a dresser and window the left to it. This is the side I would normally wake up. At night, I would read with my lamp showing light, and then make a light from by bathroom shown a little, having the door to it almost closed. Then I would turn of the light. Rebecca had a big queen sized bed, and a big room. Now it is vise-versa, me having a blow up mattress bigger then Dad and Mom combined, having to take it out, (taking the cushions off) pull it up, and make it to look like a bed, blow it up, and put the sheets on it, every night.

Rebecca now has a small couch that turns into a footon. (a double couch.) I now turn my light off from a panel of light switches, that all turn on different things. My dresser is now an etch of wood along the window sill, home to my books and my phone (at night).

At Roswell, after waking up, I would go into my parent's bedroom, and take a shower in their bathroom. Then I would change downstairs in my room, and then pack up for school.

In the summer, I would still take a shower, but do leisurely activities in that time period, usually watching T.V. or reading or being on my stationary Dell. I would always (no matter school or summer) check my emails on Outlook Express. I would usually not get any.

Now, I wake up, get my clothes from the cabinets above me, and take them back to the shower and place them on Mom and Dad's bed. After my shower I would put them on, and go walk the puppies or write the blog or read.

Some days, I don't bother to take a shower so early and just walk the dogs or blog, taking a shower at maybe 10 or 11. (after Dad) On those days we take showers one after one each other, no blank periods.

At some places we (Rebecca and I) go ride bikes and play with the kids there. Sometimes.

Now that we have the new routine and new bed down, let me now talk about another subject. Weathermen.

In Roswell, you wake up with Channel 2 Action News, with Ted Blankenship and some other person. At the beginning of the trip, I didn't think I would miss them that much. Now, I expect to wake up in the morning and see them, only to be reminded they're not there. In different areas, I see new faces on the screen. Also, there is no Fox 5. There is Fox 16, among others. Very weird.

What I notice with every new place I see, is that in the northeast there is a lot of old weathermen and news anchors. They seem to very get older and more accented every place we go.

I know you probably don't want me to go on and on about weathermen and such, but I felt the need to tell about the new adaptions I face. I know you would rather hear about our adventures, so I will leave you now. Have a great day.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA!,

Andrew.

Church, lunch on the water, L.L. Bean, Atinque Shop, no dinner, guy talking about politics. That's all we did that day, and now for the details!

At 9:45, with all our church clothes on, we went to a nice Fellowship Church where the sanctuary was once a basketball court. It was very long, with wooden roof and walls, and had a sort of half- moon shape to it.

The singers were good, and it felt very good to be at a church again. Last Sunday we either read the Bible or watched online. The environment was very spiritual, and what was funny was that we knew the songs they sang, but at a different tune. It was very funny.

The preacher was amazing! He had such animation, such depth. He was funny at times, and was also very serious. He stressed the situation that we really needed to spread the good news, and he also read a little from Romans. It was a very good service. I liked it very much.

Dad looked at shoes at a nearby shoe store, yet couldn't find any shoes that fit his size. We then had lunch on the water at a nice restaurant called The Chart Room, and yes... I had lobster again. It was a very nice environment.

After that, we got some stuff at a winery store, and decided to ship it to some people.

We then went to an L.L. Bean outlet store, because I needed new jeans. My other ones were getting too little. Although they didn't have any in my size, we did get shoes and a shirt. You lose one, you gain one!

We were riding home at 3:23 and just happened to stumble upon a bookstore and antique market. It looked as if it used to be a building used for farming, having a red color and cylinder area at the top. Do you know what I'm talking about? Anyway, Dad and I went in, later followed by Rebecca. The first two floors contained antique things, mainly old kitchen ware, old things used, and statues and paintings. The third and fourth floors were all books. The fourth was a loft, that had many rooms, available by a wooden staircase. There were SO many books! American History, World History, Russian History, British History, Irish History, Irish American History, Mystery, Thrill, Agriculture, Planting, Sports, Philosophy, (blahh!) Religion, Classics, Fiction, Science Fiction, and Non Fiction. You name it, they had it! Guess how much time we spent in there? 1 hour, 3 minutes. And that was just going around! It was so big!

I bought two big books, knowing we didn't have room for any more.

At 4:26, we came out.

Then, we came back to the R.V. Park and met a man named Mr. Brooks. He had silky white hair, and a cool short ponytail. He was very nice. He showed Dad a very cool program where you can pull up R.V. sites, called Trailer Life.

But the most interesting thing about that night had to be Mr. Brooks talking about our national deficit, Obama, and the border of Arizona. He had some very interesting views on those subjects. It was very interesting to listen to him on many of his views, and it was a nice political lesson. Mr. Brooks, among many other things, made me think. He was a very nice man.

He also recommended me reading a book called Atlas Shrugged, about the mysterious name of John Gault and a book that has no punctuation. I looked that up, and I think I will put my hands on it someday.

The night ended, and I learned a lot of things. Mom and Dad, at the end of the night, stated that tomorrow, we would be starting our homeschool curriculum. And now I end this blog post, with that thought.

Andrew