In Pickens SC

On October 4, a friend from church let us go stay in their cabin in Pickens, SC. We originally went to work on the cabin because it wasn't built that well, but we also did a lot of fun stuff too.

Our Grandmother Memo came with us too. On Saturday we went to our Uncle Johnny's funeral in Black Mountain, NC. After the service, Aunt Sharon invited everyone to the Wild Hare event house for a reception. The whole time we were there I had to chase Peter John around the house because Mom told me to keep an eye on him. We left at about 8:30 P.M.

That Sunday, we went all over Pickens County looking for something to do until we passed a natural rock slide on the side of the interstate. The rock slide was phenomenal! I think we played on it for most of the day. My two favorite parts were the rapids and slippery rocks. When you got to the rapids, you weren't getting out even if you wanted to because the slippery rocks were at the bottom of the pool part of the river right after the slide, and when ever you tried to get out of the water you'd slip.

 During most of the week, we played in a stream by our house and built a dam that turned one side of it into a swimming pool. Before we built the dam, the stream was very small and there were  no animals in it.  When the dam deepened the stream, it turned into a whole ecosystem, and we found crayfish, huge salamanders that where sometimes a foot long, baby trout, catfish, minnows, toads the size of  a grown mans hand and other sizes, and frogs.

     There is a lot more about this trip, but these are some of my favorite parts of it.

     

Prairie dogs

In the 1900’s, prairie dogs were being exterminated as pests because they were messing up farm fields in the midwestern section of the United States. When they stopped the killing of prairie dogs, 98% of them were wiped out! These small rodents have an important role in the midwest prairies. For example, the Black Footed Ferret has also become an endangered species because prairie dogs are their main food source. Black Footed Ferrets also need prairie dogs because when one of their towns are abandoned, the ferrets can move into them, but with no prairie dogs around they’re unable to do so. Recently, conservationists have been capturing many endangered animals out west to raise their populations.

Amazing fact

Did you know that the largest prairie dog town ever recorded in the U.S. was 25,000 square miles and  was the home of about 400,000,000 prairie dogs!

 

    

Maine part 3

 When we got back to Dedicek and Ceci's, Kaija and Henry were in the pool, so Emory, Peter John, and I jumped in too. After the pool we all showered up for some green beans, mashed potatoes, and chicken.
When dinner was over we gathered around the TV to watch a movie. We lasted about halfway through the show before heading off to bed. For the last couple of days we just played around the house all day long.

On the last day, we all got up early to have our fill of the pool before we started heading for Aunt Tara and Uncle Brian's. I was sad to leave Dedicek and Ceci's, but at the same time I was excited  to see my cousin Jack again. It was an easy drive back until we hit a bunch of traffic in New York.
We got there a little late, but at least the pizza guy arrived an hour after us so we could get it while it was hot.

We did a lot in the three days we had in NJ.
Peter John and I spent most of the mornings building slipping slides in the back yard. Aunt Tara and my Mom took us to the Pondorosa park every day to play in the splash pool. One day we even bought  popsicles  from the ice cream truck. In the woods by the park there was a stream in which we had been building a dam since last October. The stream started to sort of turn into a swimming pool the bigger the dam got. Most of the time Dad and Uncle Brian were working upstairs so we only saw them in the afternoons and on their brakes.

On the second day Ceci came to stay for the night because her and Dedicek took Henry and Kaija to New York city before they flew back to Charleston.
That night at 6:00 we went to Aunt Tara's neighbor's restaurant Mara's because on Tuesdays, they have a balloon guy and a face paint lady come. We got their Gelato which was really good! I bought some mint and cookie gelato. Peter John got the coolest face paint job I've every seen! he got  a Captain America mask and he looked just like him. That was one of the most exciting nights.

I was not that happy the next day because we were going back to South Carolina.

  

Maine part two

As you might know we are missionaries to Northern Uganda to build a discipleship school. That is the reason we went to see the couple, Gary and Karen, for three days. They had an awesome little cabin by a lake which they called "the camp" because it was the old family name for it . They had all kinds of things to use on the lake! The stuff Peter John and I mostly used were the canoes and fishing poles.

You could tell it was a really old cabin because instead of the bathroom being on the inside it was under the house so you had to walk all the way around the cabin to take a shower.

On the first day, while Mom and Dad were in a meeting with Mr. Gary, they let us use the canoe to go fishing. It was very foggy out that day, so we just paddled up to small rocks and the little swim platform to eat our snacks. I think the only time we weren't in the canoe was lunch and dinner.

Even though we only stayed three days, it felt like a week.  On the last day, we got up early so we would have an early start on the lake. I think it was one of the best days of my life because while in the canoe by myself, anchored in a small cove by the cabin, I was fishing and all of the sudden, I got a tremendous tug on my line! It was a beautiful large mouth bass jumping around my boat trying to get free. Sadly he got what he wanted and snapped my line, but I was still excited because at least  I hooked the monster. He looked a little bit over a foot long to me.

Dad kind of broke away for a minute to go jump off of a huge rock in the middle of the lake with us. He said it was the warmest lake in Maine he had ever swam in. I agreed because I had just swam in the ocean in Maine, and there was a big difference. We jumped of the rock 6 times before we headed up to pack all our stuff to go back to Dedicek and Ceci's.

I was sad to leave the cabin and lake.
Maybe I'll go back some day.

To be continued on part 3       

Maine Part One

I'm very sorry I haven't written all summer long but I am going to tell you about some of it.

Our plan was to fly to our aunt and uncle's house in NJ a few days earlier. Then we would drive up to Maine with them because they had an extra car. Our grandparents, Dedicek and Ceci, invited the whole Tetrev family to stay at their house for a visit. I got to ride with with Aunt Tara, Uncle Brian, and my two year old  cousin Jack the whole day as we drove northward. Jack was sick, and he threw up twice in the car!

When we all got there, every cousin except Anja was there. It was 10:30 P.M. at night, so we pretty much just went straight to bed. All the kids slept in the basement which they sort of turned into a giant bedroom for us.

The next day we all got up for breakfast excited because it was the 4 of July!  In Bath, Maine the Fourth is a big deal just as it is anywhere else in the USA. At about 9:00 in the morning, we all loaded up in the cars to go into town for the parade. It was so hot out! There were a lot of old cars in the parade, a couple were model T's and old fire trucks. My favorite float had a bunch of WW2 and Vietnam vets on it. After the parade, I asked Dedicek if he would take Kaija, Caden, and myself to the fireworks store since it was Independence Day. We got roman candles, M-150s, fire crackers, bottle rockets, whistlers, and little lite up tanks.

That night all the boys slept in a tent not to close to the house. Caden didn't make it through the night in the tent because it was too hot so he went back to the house. The next morning we swam in the swimming pool, but it was like arctic waters even though the air was extremely hot. We ended up getting used to it.
After breakfast all the guys went golfing while Ceci, Aunt Macy, and my mom took all six of the oldest kids to Popham Beach, but the water was so cold we didn't know how people from Maine could handle it. I know that we couldn't because we are all from South Carolina and Texas. After the beach we went to an old restaurant called Spinney's for ice cream and some union rings. As I remember I think I got moose tracks.
when we were finished with our ice cream we hurried down to the civil war fort for a little look. It was huge!

When we got back Dedicek, Uncle Brian, and my Dad were all taking a nap. So we all jumped in the pool until they awoke to swim with us. Uncle Brian was the only Dad that jumped in to play. After dinner we watched a movie before we went off to the tent.

That morning we were all really fired up because Dedicek, Uncle Brian, and my Dad were going to take us to the 4 of July carnival! everyone except the Moms, Emory, and Jack went because they were setting up Emory's 4th birthday party.

 The carnival was under the bridge in Bath, were I think is the home of the 2, but  once the largest crane in the world until Japan built one. All the good rides were closed, but there ended up being some pretty fun ones. We did the giant slide, the, the Teddy Bear, the Tilt-A-Whirl, the helicopter ride, the jump castle obstacle course, and the bumper cars.

My least favorite rides where the people eater and the Ferris wheel because the people eater wasn't scary, but it was sort of funny for me and Henry because we got to watch each other go "Ohhhhhhhh"  until the ride was over. The Ferris wheel was boring because the scary guy running it stopped the ride every five seconds and didn't let my dad go on it with younger kids. My favorite rides were the bumper cars, the Teddy bear, the Tilt-A-Whirl, the helicopter ride, and the Giant slide.

 We where very thrilled when we got home because the Moms had finished the water obstacle course in the yard. Everyone had to run down the driveway to a baby pool and either get the objects with your teeth or with your feet. Then you would have to crawl though a small tunnel made of pool floats. Next you had to put your forehead on a baseball bat and turn 4 times. After the bat was the bean bag toss where you had to toss three bean bags in. I think the hardest ones were where you had to  use a noodle as jump rope, then hop with a ball between your legs to a chair to sing twinkle twinkle little star while being sprayed in the face with the hose. My least favorite part was the Dads spraying us with a hose and a blower. They would spray  at each other so it would make a powerful spritz that made you feel like someone shot you in the back with a shot gun. Then you had to jump in the pool and swim to the other side.

 When the excitement was over, we all went to the back porch for dinner and lobsters! They were very tasty. After dinner we played some field games and hopped in the hot tub with some of Emory's new birthday bath toys.
To be continued on part 2.   

Memorial Day!

    On Memorial Day we had Mrs. Elizabeth Bumpus, and our two Grandmas, Memo and Granny, over for a cookout. 

   Before everyone arrived, Mom, Dad, Peter John, Emory, and I jumped off our dock! Dad said Peter John and I had the biggest splashes and Emory did the funniest jumps. Since the current was moving at a tremendous speed, we had to watch so we didn't get swept down the creek.

    Earlier in the day, Mom and I went to the store and fireworks shop for some Zips, smoke bombs, and the loudest firecrackers on the market. When everyone got to our house, I lit some of them in the yard and off the dock because the firecracker box said that they would still blow up under water.  They did!

        For dinner we had corn on the cob, cooked vegetables, and chicken. We had a lot of desserts to choose from because Memo brought cake, cookies, orange cream pops, Heath ice cream, and Oreo ice cream. I was stuffed after dinner.

          My family celebrates  Memorial Day to honor the American soldiers who have served, including our family members.  I think it is an important holiday, and it is a lot of fun too.

If I Were an Eagle

If  I were an Eagle,
I'd sore up above,
And dive for mullet that spread like doves.
I'd head for my chicks that fuss and kick to feed on what I've brought home.
Now dinners complete.
If I were an Eagle,
I'd sore up above.                          

How to Make Blessing Cookies

1. Mix in your ingredients.

2. Flatten the dough onto a hard surface.

Make sure the dough is very thin.

3. Using a glass cup, cut out circles in the dough.

4. In whatever way you want make the bible verses on 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch peaces of paper.

5. Fold the circles in half with the bible verses in them. Squeeze the shapes shut at the top.

6. Put them in the oven for ten minutes.

7. Rap the cookies in some type of foil.                                                       ingredients
                                                                                           1 cup of  margarine
                                                                                           1/2 cup of sugar
                                                                                           1 egg
                                                                                            3 1/2 cups of flour
                                                                                            1/2 tsp of baking powder
                                                                                            2 tsp of vanilla extract 

Chimney Rock

On our way home from the New Wine Skins missionary conference in North Carolina, we went to Chimney Rock to take a brake from our busy schedule.  The town is named after a rock that is on the side of a mountain, and shaped like a chimney.  My dad wanted to go on it but we didn't have much time.  There was a  river that ran by the town  as well as lots of shops, restaurants, and sites. When we were there, it was quiet, but it is probably busy in the summer.

Across the street from the shops was a little bridge that lead to an island in the middle of the river. It moved like a fast car, and when my dad and I dipped our faces in its water, it felt good as it tasted sweet!
       

After that, Emory, Peter John, and I each got 10 dollars to spend in two shops. Out of both places I got some postcards, a Confederate flag, and a giant glider. Peter John got a sling shot, an American pin, and a set of cowboys and Indians. Emory Bought two pistols, a sheriff badge, and a cowboy hat.  I thought it was neat that my dad went there and bought the same things when he was a kid.

I felt sad when we left North Carolina.  I will miss the places and mountain scenery.

This is my grandfather and great grandfather at Chimney Rock in the 1950's.

William launches the flag

http://youtu.be/uCTt3BokjrA

William launches the flag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCTt3BokjrA&sns=em

Wildlife Poems

 Great Blue Heron

 He wades in the water
 Like a poised soldier.
A beak like a saber,
He gigs schools of fish.
His body, a sheath
When he's done for the day.
He'll fly to his base in a place faraway.
His babies are waiting for their skirmish of fish
While calling to Daddy,
 "Me first! Me first!"




Nature's Navy

Dolphin,
A mammal.
Abides in the sea.
Uses his sonar
Like a submarine.
Where have the fish gone?
He beaches them.
On the seagrassy shore.
Salutes people
He meets on the way
To cruise the creek
And frolic all day.

                                                                         

Setting up a fresh water fish tank is harder than you think…

because you must set your tank up two or three days before you get your fish. I almost made this mistake so listen carefully. You will need an un-cracked tank, a heater, a filter, enough rocks to cover the tank’s bottom, a floating thermometer, live plants, a center piece large rock/log or anything suitable for you, food, healthy bacteria for water, and a fish tank light to go on it.

Once you set up your tank and get it working, wait two to three days as I said, but don’t use the meds until you get your fish in the tank. This is said because you need the waste and algae for the bacteria to work.

Now it’s time for the fish!    

  

When you get your fish, you want a bottom feeder, a middle feeder, and a surface feeder.  I chose mollies, guppies, tetras, and a gourami.  You have to wait a month before getting the pleco, a bottom feeder.  The next fish you need are your show fish to make the tank stand out.  Fancy guppies are very pretty and unique. The fish you select cannot be aggressive otherwise they will harm your other fish.  Examples are Oscars and Cichlids.

 You should buy one fish per gallon but the fish need to be one inch or under in length otherwise you can only get a small amount of them. Real plants are recommended because they keep nitrates low.

Gifts From God

The other day two dolphins swished into our creek fishing...

We hurried to the dock immediately to see them play. When we got there, they both came up for air and talked to us with a clicking noise, and we talked back. There was a little dolphin and a big one. The large one was about six feet long, and the small dolphin was probably four feet in length. The large dolphin would stir the water up and use his sonar to detect the movement of fish.  Then he would slap the fish onto the banks and eat what he caught.  The small one loved to come up and talk to us every three minutes while doing tricks and feeding on mullet.

After the amazing show, it was time for me to go to Granny’s house. I was sad, but the dolphins have kept coming back every day so far. I expect to see them again.

The appearance of the dolphins in our creek I think is a special sign of love from God to me.  Not many people encounter this everyday, and God knows they are one of my favorite animals.

What a Site!

What a Site 

“But the Dove could find no place to set its feet . . . so it returned to Noah in the ark. . . He waited seven more days and again sent out the Dove from the ark. When the Dove returned to him in the evening,  there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf” Genesis 8:9-11                  

It was a very nice morning on the sixth day at our new house on Castnet Rd on Johns Island.  We were just sitting down for breakfast when all of the sudden there seamed to be a pair of almost every kind of animal in the creek.  The fish were already there when the sea birds started fishing.  Pelicans, hooded mergansers, cormorants, blue and green herons, great egrets, and marsh wrens flocked like children at a birthday party.  Out of no where, a pair of dolphins wizzed in and astonishingly beached schools of fish along the banks to devour.

My brother and I excitedly hopped into our pants and raced to the cock to see the site.  As we got out to the dock, two playful otters came around a bend and looked at Peter John and me.  I was amazed because I had never seen them that close before.  Peter John hurried back to tell our parents.  The otters climbed onto a floating dock.

Then two bald eagles  soared overhead to hunt for prey below.  And that was when Mom quoted Genesis 8:9-11 in her daily devotion and found the new name for our house, “The Ark.”      

My Visit to the Turtle Hospital

At the Turtle Hospital at the South Carolina Aquarium in
Charleston, turtles from all over the East Coast including the Gulf of
Mexico are picked up to be rehabilitated.

The types of turtles the Hospital takes in are Leather Backs,
Logger Heads, and Kinseys. The Logger Head is the most common sea
turtle they rescue. Amazingly, the Hospital has restored and released
100 sea turtles in the year 2012. In fact, some sea turtles were actually
born at the Aquarium and taken out of their exhibits so that they aren’t
eaten by other animals.

The Turtle Hospital is not only for turtles, but also a sick bay for
fish and other aquatic animals from the Aquarium as well.

When I lived at Camp St. Christopher, I was on Turtle Patrol. I
rescued and watched over the eggs until they hatched, so I wouldn’t
be surprised if some of the hatchlings I had rescued were some of the
Logger Heads at the Turtle Hospital. You should visit the Turtle Hospital in a sheltered area under the Aquarium.

A Joyful Thing

A

Lovely thing,

 The bells will ring,

What's on it?

Oh, yes you will see,

Lights, tinsel, and ornaments to behold.

It is great because it celebrates our Savior's dear birth,

On Christmas Eve the big man comes,

The children awake,

To open presents stacked up high,

There's wrapping stashed everywhere,

It's time for the big feast we've all been waiting for,

After grace in the family place,

The whole clan is together now as happy as can be, 

The children try their brand new toys, and oh, the ringing sound of joy!

 I'll tell you now,

What the Joyful thing is,

It's a Christmas tree!