Alphabet Story

A- person walked down the street, very
B-ored. Of
C-ourse, this soon changed because suddenly, out of the blue, came a gigantic
D-ictionary!! This dictionary wasn't just any old (huge) dictionary, either-- it had legs! And
E-very time it took a step, the concrete below it would crack dangerously. People were
F-alling into the big cracks! So the smart witted person (remember the person?)
G-ravely stood up to the terrible Dictionary. He shouted:
"H-ey, you there! Yeah you! Look what damage you're causing to our peaceful little town!
I-s this your intention--to come raging through this village, destroying everything in your path?"
J-ack, the smart-witted-person's friend, soon built up the courage to say something, too.
"K-ind old beast, won't you show some mercy? We are suffering because of your monstrous-ness!"
L-ittle did the villagers know, though, that the Dictionary was actually very
M-erciful, indeed. So he said: "Worry
N-o more, villagers, I am not a monster. In fact, I am here to help you all get smart! And with that,
O-ld Dictionary
P-lopped himself down in front of the local library
Q-uite exhausted, and said: "My dear, loyal citizens, come flip through my wise pages, learn about
R-eally interesting long words, and be merry."
S-o they did, really relieved that the Dictionary was not
T-errible after all. And the townspeople renamed they're town
U-ncruelville, after the Dictionary who's name was "Uncruel". After all these events, the people got
V-ery
W-ise and intelligent. So wise, in fact, that they started inventing cool things like the telephone, the
X-ylophone, the toilet, and the q-tip (which they called the anti-ear-waxer) . And all the
Y-oung children, the elderly, the adults, the dogs...had
Z-ero worries...and it was all because of their hero...the Dictionary.

Acrostic Poems

B ees on wildflowers
E ndless oceans
A utumn leaves
U kuleles playing
T rees in the wind
Y oung life begining

Haiku poems

The colors of fall
Are orange, red, brown, and green
The trees are changing.

The snows in winter
cover the Earth like a quilt
a vast land of white.

Springtime means new life
biennial plants come back
little sprigs of green

Summer sun is hot
Everything is lively
Plants are thriving now

Pineapple Weed

Description...

This plant gets it's name from it's distinct pineapple scent.
It is hairless, has leafy branched stems, and can grow 2-16"
high. Branches are alternate, deeply cut into fine segments,
and can be 1/2-2" long. Flowers are yellow to green.

Edibility...

Flowerheads can be a good snack, but Pineapple Weed
often times grows where there may be chemicals and oil spills,
so only choose ones that are growing in the right location.

Medicinal Uses...

Pineapple Weed has many medicinal properties that most
people are unaware of.
A tea made from the plant may be good for colds, upset
stomaches, diarrhea, fevers, and menstrual cramps. It has
been taken by women to build up their blood before child-
birth, to aid delivering the placenta, and to encourage
good, healthy milk.
This plant can also expel gas, relieve heartburn, and soothe
muscle contractions in stomach.
Since Pineapple Weed has a nice scent, Native Americans
used it as a perfume. It works as a sweet-smelling insect
repellent, too.

Habitat and Range...
Pineapple weed is often found growing near roadsides
and other disturbed areas, from the southern Yukon
and NWT to New Mexico.

Food

Why do you sit on that comfy chair,the one that makes you want to sink
deeper
and
deeper
into comfort, while you eat
and
eat
potato chips like a pig
until the bag is empty
and then you switch to a hamburger
you want quanity, not quality,
as long as it tastes good and is cheap.
you are like an ignorant pig
constantly consuming
never pausing to open your mind to reality
sitting slumped on your sofa watching commercials
advertising food
food, food, food,
it blocks your true thought and emotions
it causes you to take everything for granted
it is always there, available
as long as it's on the grocery store shelf,
there is nothing to worry about
you don't have to fight for it
seems simple.
The companies are making
you fat,
you give them money and they give you
trash food.
They are raising you to be a monstrous, yet powerless beast.
with fat on your weak bones,
you are vulnerable,
they are farming you like a pig
and taking your money as if it were meat.
Wake up.
You're not dead yet, there's still time.

Zoey Rockshindle: Chapter 10

Mellisa was at school.

This turned out to be quite a problem for the desperate birds, and as they wandered around
anxiously on Mellisa's doorstep waiting for her to come out, just that thought dawned on Zoey.
She stopped pacing.

"It's Monday," she muttered.
"So?" Woody asked.
"Mellisa's at school!"
"Oh, no," Woody said. He paused. "Wait, what's school?"
"It's...there's no time for explaining! And there isn't enough time to go get Mellisa, either! Now,
 what bird regurgitates food for their babies?"

Woody thought, then said: "Hens! Hens do!"
"Good! I know a spot where there are hens!"

And off she flew, beckoning Woody to follow her.

Soon they arrived at an animal farm, and both birds plopped down on the fence overlooking the
chicken coop. Zoey couldn't help but realize that, before now, she had always thought of this farm
as a "pig dwelling" and had never really appreciated it. But she pushed that thought out of her
mind and swooped down into the farm.

"Excuse me, hen, but--hen? Excuse me--"
"BucAWK! BAWK! Bawk-bawk-bawk-BUCAWK!"
"Hi, I'm--"
"BAWK!!"
"I was just wondering if you--"
"Bawk bawk BUCAWK!!"

And that pretty much explains how visiting the chickens went.

"We're hopeless. Chickens won't even acknowledge our existence, they just keep blabbering away
about eggs and roosters. Anyway...we better go back and check on the baby bird."

They arrived at the park about two minutes later. Woody plopped down in front of their tree, followed by Zoey. To their surprise, a plump little chickadee sat inside next to a sleeping baby bird.

"Uh...hello?" Woody said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, is this your little baby bird? It just looked so hungry and helpless...I couldn't resist,
I had to feed it..."
"No, it's great that you fed it! We were just trying to get it some food!" Zoey was practically jumping up and down. "What did you feed it?"
"Well, it seems to like torn-up flesh. I tried everything, until I realized what it wanted."
"Thank you so much, um..."
"I go by Pin. And you?"
"I'm Zoey, and this is Woody here--" she gestured to her friend. "--we just came upon an egg one
day, and...it hatched after a while of sitting."
"That's very interesting." Pin said.
"Well, Pin, it's been nice having you. And I was wondering...I'm not exactly in the position to take
care of a baby bird...are you interested in adoption?" Zoey asked.
"Um...Really? Wow, yeah! That would be great! Could I stay here to look after him?"
"Yes, I think it's time for me to move on to a different home. The tree's all yours."
And that settled it.

Our Big Move

Recently my family made a big move.

We packed up and left Bellingham, Washington.

After spending a few months in Colorado, we realized that we'd been missing out on sunshine, beauty, and fun. All the while we'd been up in Washington, waiting for a summer that basically never came! All we got up there was clouds and rain.

So, we took a little road trip to explore Colorado and New Mexico looking at towns we might want to live in. Santa Fe: too hot and dry. Taos: same deal. Telluride: we wouldn't be able to start a

farm there. Crestone (a small, cute town) too...in-the-middle-of-nowhere. Denver: no consideration involved. Too crowded!!

Then we came across a town near Aspen. It was perfect: great farming area, flat (for biking), enough sun, rain and snow, awesome place for skiing, nice community, cool schools, and a

gorgeous view of Mt. Sopris. We all loved the town (that I like to call Onnie), and we're in the process of moving here. I'm so excited!