Halloween 2009
We enjoyed a fun Ol’ Hallows Eve. The girls loved the concept of getting lots of candy from the neighbors all whilst wearing costumes.
We took a little video as the girls were coming in the door from their quest for candy. The girls sat on the couch and then started to take out all their candy. Megan put her candy in straight little rows on the couch.
Happy Columbus Day 2009
Columbus (Wikipedia)
Welcome, the honorable yet little celebrated Columbus Day.
It appears that we take more note of “lesser” holidays such as Valentine’s Day and “Talk Like a Pirate Day” but little notice is given to Columbus Day.
Yet, here is another year, and another Columbus Day. But where are our thoughts about the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria? Back in the 4th Grade I suspect.
It is fitting that at least once a year, we who live in the Americas should take note of the Explorer Columbus and his achievement.
From Wikipedia:
Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1905, and became a federal holiday in 1934. But people have celebrated Columbus’ voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other eastern U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the 400-year anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals were framed around themes such as support for war, citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress.
Columbus Day. (2009, October 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:18, October 12, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Columbus_Day&oldid=319352972
Although we may wish more was given to celebrate Columbus Day, I bet you didn’t know about Leif Erikson Day in the United States.
From Wikipedia:
Leif Erikson Day is an American observance occurring on October 9. It honors Leif Ericson (Leifr EirÃksson), who brought the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so. Presidents have used the proclamation to praise the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery.
Leif Erikson Day. (2009, October 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:24, October 12, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leif_Erikson_Day&oldid=318950325
Some interesting facts about Columbus’s voyage from Wikipedia:
While Columbus’s calculations underestimated the circumference of the Earth and the distance from the Canary Islands to Japan by the standards of his peers as well as in fact, Europeans generally assumed that the aquatic expanse between Europe and Asia was uninterrupted.
There was a further element of key importance in the plans of Columbus, a closely held fact discovered, or otherwise learned, by Columbus: the trade winds. A brisk wind from the east, commonly called an “easterly”, propelled Santa MarÃa, La Niña, and La Pinta for five weeks from the Canaries. To return to Spain eastward against this prevailing wind would have required several months of an arduous sailing technique, called beating, during which food and drinkable water would have been utterly exhausted. Columbus returned home by following prevailing winds northeastward from the southern zone of the North Atlantic to the middle latitudes of the North Atlantic, where prevailing winds are eastward (westerly) to the coastlines of Western Europe, where the winds curve southward towards the Iberian Peninsula. In fact, Columbus was wrong about degrees of longitude to be traversed and wrong about distance per degree, but he was right about a more vital fact: how to use the North Atlantic’s great circular wind pattern, clockwise in direction, to get home.
Christopher Columbus. (2009, October 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:43, October 12, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christopher_Columbus&oldid=319330533
Unbeknown to most of history, the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria actually got their start in the bath. Well, not really, but we had fun creating our ships for Columbus Day. We also learned from the History Channel that shortly after his discovery and thereafter for about 300 years, Columbus was not given the credit for discovering America. It wasn’t until the 300th anniversary rolled around that someone brought up that Columbus was the one who should receive the credit.
Even with its extra coat of wax, the Santa Maria encountered an untimely end due to large waves in the rough sea. Perhaps we should have taken pictures of the ships before they entered their voyage.
Horseback Riding through the Buffalo in Yellowstone
A once in a lifetime opportunity, we rode horseback through Yellowstone park. We spent almost 8 hours on horseback, and rode along side the buffalo. We went with family who owned the horses and go into the park quite often.
We got up at 3:30am and drove about 2 hours to Yellowstone, and then once in the park, we drove 2 hours to get to our spot to start the ride.
Right from the start, we were in the buffalo. We walked right through the middle of where they were. The buffalo didn’t care.
Angie had an English riding helmet. Our experienced riders called them “lids.”
The buffalo would roll on the ground there were all sorts of these wallows that were pretty well worn.
We got to see geysers/steam pots that 99% of park visitors never see.
We went up and down quite a few hills. For me, it was hardest on the muscles coming down the hills. For Angie, the hardest was going up the hills. However, throughout the ride, the toughest part on the muscles were on our knees trying to keep the stirrups right.
We rode for miles and miles through the back country of Yellowstone.
It was interesting that the horses did not want to cross even tiny streams of water. Mine to a leap into the air and over a stream. That was crazy! By the end, I think I learned how to help the horse step into the small streams first and then walk through. It felt like after the first big jump, that the horse wanted to jump more.
Just over the next hill. The horses would want to run up the hill, so we had to hold them back a little. Angie was on a Tennessee walker which walk a little more smoothly than other horses.
We stopped at a beautiful place for lunch. The grass was very soft. At lunch, we were pretty sore already. My legs were already so tired and trembling from being exercised in a new way.
The river above got a little deap that we crossed.
The rivers were set down in the ground a bit so it was quite a dip down to get in and usually a little jump to get out.
That buffalo above wasn’t too happy about us crossing right there. Perhaps he wanted to go first.
We had a great time, and then had 4 hours to get back to where we were staying
Read More24th Festivities 2009
We had fun at our 24th of July festivities. We helped out with the neighborhood breakfast, and the girls enjoyed the bike parade. In the second video below, the girls are in the middle of the circle, going in circles.
The pictures and video taken below were taken with my G1 Android Phone.
Secret Location for the 4th
We had a fun 4th of July and went to a park where there are hardly any people. It was great. The location is right outside the city, but there were hardly any cars there on the 4th of July. You’d think it’d be packed. We caught a few fish, got rained on just a little, but had a great time.
We’d like to say where this place is, but it’s just too good of a secret!
Oh, the joy.
We also attended a baseball game that had fireworks after the game. The picture above was taken with my Android G1 Phone. The game went into the 12th inning, and it was a lot of baseball. Our brother-in-law caught a foul ball while there.
Read MoreMemorial Weekend 2009
We’ve had a fun Memorial Day Weekend. We worked on our deck, and are getting ready to re-paint, we also enjoyed a fun little hike up the canyon.
On our hike, we saw a snake, birds, a mother duck and her ducklings, and lots of inch worms hanging down from the tree branches.
