Rafting

     Have you ever gotten really scared?  I have gotten pretty scared before, but I think this was the scariest time of my life!  Every year my grandparents invite two of us to their house for our birthdays.  If they go somewhere we get to come along.  I was invited to go rafting with them and my cousin near my birthday.  I was really excited.

     My parents dropped me off with my grandparents and we went to their house.  I stayed with them for a day.  The next day we packed up their truck, and we took off on the road.  We drove for a long time and my butt started to get sore from sitting down too long.  When we got there we unloaded the fully packed truck, and prepared the boats.  We inflated the rafts and put everything we needed for the trip on the boats.  It took about a half an hour to get everything ready, but we did it.  I climbed in the boat and we all floated down the river.

     The little blow up boat hit the first rapids for the day, and it shot forward, it was fun!  We rafted most of the day through rapids, sun, and the clear turquoise water.  It was all fun and I didn't have a sunburn yet.  We had rafted for hours before we found a good spot to camp on shore.  My cousin (Ryan) and I set up the tent then went to eat lunch.  We ate freeze dried food for lunch. I had mac and cheese.  The mac and cheese was a bit gritty but still refreshing after a long couple of hours of paddling and floating downstream.  After lunch my cousin and I paddled around in the water near the shore.  My grandpa and I fished for a while in the rapids near our campground.  I caught a little green fish.  Ryan and I played in the water till dinner time.  We ate, dug a gigantic hole in the hot sand just for fun, and then went to bed.

      The next day we packed up our stuff, filled in the hole, and ate breakfast.  While we were eating breakfast our grandma said that if we ever fell out of the boat we were to swim to shore.  After breakfast I had to go to the bathroom (which I tried to avoid but couldn't).  I told my grandma and she gave me the bucket, the fold up toilet and a shovel and told me to walk somewhere no one could see. I said o.k. and walked off into the tall bushes in search of a spot.  When I found a questionable spot I set up the plastic fold up toilet.  I sat down did my business and folded up the plastic potty.  I quickly found out that I should have gone first because when I opened the bucket a horrific smell and two flies came out.  I scooped the stuff off the ground with the little gray shovel and put it in the bucket.  I picked everything up and carried it back.

     Later after that little experience we got back in our boats and headed of down the river.  We floated down the river through more exciting rapids in search of Russo Rapids.  One rapid we went through was really fun.   It was bumpy, fast and water would splash in the boat, it was my personal favorite.  We searched and searched for the monstrous Russo rapids that everyone was saying was fun when finally we found them!  My grandpa went down first just in case something happened.  we had brought walky-talkies along so we could communicate.  Once my grandpa was down he told us when to go down.  Ryan and I were in the same boat and we went down together.  we started to paddle towards the rapids.  When our boat was in the rapids we went faster than we did in all the earlier rapids combined.  Big waves came towards us and splashed against the boat.  About half way down Ryan and I saw a big rock that made a big bump in the water.  We tried to paddle around it because we knew we'd flip over but the current was too strong.  What happened next changed the whole rafting trip for me and my cousin.

     We hit the bump and the front of the boat abruptly stopped.  I was in the front and Ryan was in the back.  the back of the boat kept going and then the whole boat flipped over.  I was under water and could not see a thing.  The water was so dirty.  I could feel the boat float away.  I floated up trying to get some air when a huge wave went over me.  I tried to keep my head over the waves.  I turned around and saw Ryan doing the same thing, luckily he was taller so it was easier for him.   After the wave passed I asked him if he was okay and he said yes.  I turned back around to face an unexpected wave.  Water flowed into my mouth and I swallowed it.  My knees hit a rock under water and I went back under water.  Good thing I had a life jacket on because I just floated back up.  I hit more gigantic rocks and went under more waves.  I knew there was nothing I could do but try to keep my head above water.  I noticed that I still had the paddle in my hands and remembered that my grandma said that if we fell out of the boat we needed to swim to shore.  I thought for a moment about if I should drop the oars so I could swim or try to swim with them.  I asked myself "if I lost the oars would I have to pay for them.  I decided to drop the oars and swim to shore.  I swam toward the rocks on the shore.  I quickly grabbed one with the tips of my fingers and pulled towards them.

     Later I saw grandma coming down the rapids in her boat and a wave of relief came over me.  I saw some of the things from the boat floating down the rapids.  My grandpa paddled toward us.  I looked over to Ryan who was also clinging to a rock.  I said to him, " that was scary."  He nodded and grandpa had paddled over to us and told us to grab on to his boat.  Ryan grabbed on and I did too.  Meanwhile my grandma was gathering up the boat and everything in it.  She found everything except a towel and Walkie-Talkie.  My grandpa paddled to the other side of the river to a little camp ground.  We stayed there for a while and hunted for rocks.

     Later we got back in the boat and paddled down the river again.  We went through more rapids but this time they weren't as exciting because I was afraid we might fall out again.  We stopped at one side of the river where we ate lunch, and saw wild horses.  This was when I realized I had a big sunburn.  The sun gave me big blisters behind my ears.  We rafted some more and went down more rapids.  Later we came to the end of our trip and put everything back in the truck.  We stopped and got lunch.  When we got home Ryan and I took turns talking on the phone to our parents about the experience.  Even though it was fun at first the whole thing was scary.

     There can be very scary things that happen in our lives and we cannot do anything to stop them.  The only thing we can do, is give the situation to God, turn and face our fears, and hope it won't happen again.  This is the best thing I could have learned from this situation.

Setting Up Toy Army Men Battlefields

     Setting up a battlefield for toy army men is effortless and fun!  All it takes is imagination, and the ingredients.  First you find a place to build your exciting battlefield, indoors or outdoors. You should do it on a hard flat floor so your men stand up. If you don't have flat floor you can set books out on the floor.  It is okay if the books are different sizes or thicknesses because it will make your battlefield more realistic, and it will make the ground lumpy and bumpy like hills.  To make your battle a little more fun, you can spread the books apart to make trenches between them.  Plastic boxes, and laundry baskets make good buildings for your battlefield.  With a little bit of imagination and smart thinking I bet that you could come up with some awesome ideas too!

Why We Should Have a Playground In Our Neighborhood

James Vaughn

 97707 55613 Swan road

Dear OWW2 POA,

     I think that our neighborhood needs a playground.  There are many ways that a playground would benefit our community.  I know that a park would have some expenses connected to it, however there may be ways to reduce expenses through neighborhood involvement.  Most parents in this neighborhood  don't like to take their children to other parks because they are too far away.  If the park got messy the community could lend a hand and help clean it up.

     Most adults in this community dislike driving their kids to other parks because they're too far away.  If we had a park nearby then our parents might trust us kids to ride our bikes to the park.  If it was built at the Marina during the remodel then it would be nearby almost everyone in this neighborhood.  If it was build there then people would be able to swim in the river and play on the playground.  The playground would be an attraction that people of all ages could enjoy. It would help increase the population and help build friendships in our community.
 The park would help build friendships.  The friendships would help teach the people in our neighborhood to: keep others safe, not argue, create growth, and increase community involvement.  If the people in our neighborhood were always bickering and not caring for others no one would want to live here.  The more friendly people there are here the more people will want to live in Oregon Water Wonderland 2.  There are some things that would need to be payed, but at the same time there are thing that we would not have to pay for.

      This extraordinary attraction would have expenses that we would have to bear.  However, some of the expenses that we would not pay for are lawn mowing expenses and cleaning up after the park.  If we just put rubber padding or bark chips on the ground then we would not have to mow lawn and that would save us money and energy.  Another cost that we would not need to pay is cleaning up after the park visitors.  If the park got messy I could organize a group of people from the community and help them clean up the park. I would be responsible for posting flyers organizing park clean up days. My friends in the community would be happy to assist me with this effort.
      A playground would be a big improvement for our community.  The park would be close to most everyone in the neighborhood, help make OWW2 a caring and strong neighborhood, and have a few expenses that wouldn't require payment for.  If there was a park it would help bring people together and help them to get to know one another better.  Thank you for reading my letter, and I hope that you will decide that this neighborhood needs a playground. Thank you for all that you have done for our community.

A reliable and thankful friend,
James

Nero's Martyrs

     Nero killed many people in his life.   He killed many Christians including Peter, and Paul.  Nero had a lot of ways to kill people.  Nero even had his own symbol!
     There are several ways that Nero had people martyred.  One of the ways that Nero had Christians killed was that he would put them on a stake in his garden and burn them to help give light to his palace at night.  He killed some people the way most other kings did sometimes he beheaded them,  poisoned them, and crucified them.  Nero even had people torn to pieces by big hungry animals!  There are a lot of people that Nero killed and one of them was Peter the apostle.
     Peter was crucified under the order of Nero.  He chose to be crucified upside down because he didn't think he was worthy enough to die the same way Jesus did.  The governor offered peter his life if he just denied God, but Peter stayed faithful to God.  In 1 John 2:22 it says "Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son".  Peter knew the reward waiting for him in Heaven.  Nero didn't only kill Peter but Paul too.
     Paul was beheaded under the order of emperor Nero.   Before Paul was executed he was arrested for two years for stirring up a crowd of Jews.  He was sailed to Rome where he was put in jail for another two years.  After two years of custody he was executed.  He too stayed faithful in God and was not afraid to die for God.
     What we all know as the peace sign today is Nero's symbol for peace without Christians.  It has a broken upside down cross in the middle of a circle.  The upside down cross represents no Christians and the circle means world peace.
     Nero was an awful man.  He ordered the execution of all the Christians and he had regular innocent people martyred.  This man was a very bad example and I hope not to turn out like him ever.

Why I Should Have a Birthday Party Before 13

Dear Mommy,

     I know that birthday parties can be crazy, expensive and drain a lot of my parents' energy. I also know that you want me to postpone having parties with several friends until I'm older.However, there are many reasons a birthday party before 13 years old could be appropriate for me. 
     One of the reasons I want a birthday party before thirteen is because I don't want to have to say to one friend, "Hey you get to come to my birthday!" and to the other, "I am sorry; you don't get to come".  It makes me sad to have to tell them that.    The only two friends I can think of that I would want two invite would be: Ethan Ossana and John Taylor.  I really like the idea of playing with two friends on my birthday and letting them meet each other.  These two boys are both very respectful. That  would make it easy to  keep my friends busy.
     Keeping my friends entertained wouldn't be a problem.  My friends and I would play outside the whole time.  We may come inside to get Legos or something, but we would probably take them outside to play with.  We would play safe games like: capture the flag, Nerf war, and water balloon fight.  We wouldn't play any games that were not appropriate.  The house would be peaceful if I had a birthday party.  There would be no kids bouncing off the walls. If we ate a whole bunch of sugar we could eat it at the end of the party and then send everyone home to their families.  If I was wound up to you could just send me to bed (after everyone was gone).  I might also offer to entertain my sisters half the time of the birthday party. None of our entertainment would come at a  high price.
      The party would not be very expensive.  We would play outside the entire time.  I would be willing to work within your budget.  It could end up being a little cheaper than a regular birthday activity.   It wouldn't only be cheep for you but it would be cheap for other people too!  The invitations would say not to bring a present because having fun at the party would be enough of a present for me. I would also clean up after the party, saving your time and effort. Another way I could take responsibility for the work of the party is to make my own invitations.
     I could make the invitations by myself and you wouldn't have to worry about it. The invitations would say no presents, would give strict hours for the length of the party, and would request that they bring quiet entertainment to help keep us busy.
     There are many reasons why I should have a birthday party.  I would entertain my friends the entire time,  keep the party inexpensive, keep the house peaceful, and make the invitations myself.  I hope that you agree that I should have a birthday party before thirteen.  Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Your loving son,
James

Cockroaches

     Cockroaches are interesting bugs.  They live in various places. Some people think cockroaches look scary, however other people think they look amazing.  Cockroaches love food!  Like many creatures cockroaches lay eggs.  Some of them are kept as pets! Usually people think of these bugs as pests. Can you guess how many types of cockroaches are really pests?  

      Cockroaches live in areas where it is heated, dark, and moist.  A lot of them live in walls because inside the walls it is very warm and dark.  Places that have food already available is where they'll want to be. We don't see cockroaches often because they hide in these dark, enclosed spaces. However, some people think they are handsome insects.

American cockroach

     Cockroaches look really neat!  They possess two tiny compound eyes and six legs. Compound eyes are eyes that have numerous  mirror-like lenses that help the insect see in every direction.  Cockroaches are several colors.  In tropical places cockroaches can be red, yellow, and green.  Being bright colors helps them blend in with their environment.  Black and brown are the color of the cockroaches in other areas.  Like turtles cockroaches have a hard shell on their back to help protect them from predators.  The hard shell helps make them hard to kill.  Normally, cockroaches are about 15 millimeters (almost a half an inch) long.  They can grow up to be about an inch long.  Some roaches have wings.  They don't only look neat they eat heaps of food.
     Cockroaches eat a ton! But, they can survive without eating for at least a month.  That is probably why they eat a lot.   Cockroaches like to eat almost everything: cheese, sweets, meat, grease, starch, you name it.  They will eat household items like wood, leather, and book bindings.  Plants and vegetables are another thing they like to eat.  Cockroaches love to eat dead things. Eating is not the only thing they do; like every other creature they reproduce.

nymphs= smallest bugs with stripes on their backs

     Like every other animal on earth cockroaches must reproduce themselves.  Their offspring are called nymphs (nimfs).  Nymphs are born in egg-cases the size of a bean you'd find in chilly.  The egg-cases hold 16 to 50 nymphs.  The nymphs grow up to be adults and lay eggs of their own.  At this rate areas where they live could quickly become infested.

Oriental cockroach

Asian cockroach

    Only Four kinds of cockroaches are pests: the American cockroach, German cockroach, Asian cockroach, and the oriental cockroach are the four  household pests. They'll eat your food and destroy your walls and belongings that are made from natural materials.  They will leave a smelly odor everywhere they go.  Worst of all cockroaches can give you allergies, diseases, and asthma.  Some of the germs that they carry can kill you especially if you are unhealthy already.

American cockroach

     There are 4,000 species of cockroaches!  It's amazing that only 4 kinds of cockroaches are pests.    Most cockroaches live away from people and don't bother us. A small number of Madagascan hissing cockroaches are even pets!  People keep them as pets because the roach will eat leftover food, dead animals, and dead plants.  Most cockroaches live in places where they never encounter people.

German cockroach

      Don't you just love cockroaches?  Encountering these bugs is a little rare because they like to hide.  If you see one take a moment and look at how neat-looking they are.  Once you are done you should keep it as a pet because unlike some other pets it will eat almost anything.  Only keep it if it isn't a pest.  After the cockroach reproduces you can let it go out in the wild again.

Great Wall of China

     The Great Wall of China is an amazing structure!  It is an important part of Chinese history.  It was made of many strong building materials, and is of enormous size.  Many things were lost during and after the construction of the wall. These included people and parts of the wall.

     The Great Wall of China was built to keep intruders out of China.  It was constructed during the Ming dynasty and the reign of emperor Qin Shi Huang (co-chang-she-wan).  The Chinese discontinued building the wall, and intruders soon found out they could go around it into China.  The Chinese saw that the wall was impossible to finish because China is a big country, so they abandoned it.
     In around the 7th century, BC the Great wall was being constructed.  It was made out of stone, brick, dirt, tamped earth, and wood.  Did you know that the Great Wall of China is 5,500 miles long?  It is 15 to 30 feet wide at the base and 16 to 26 feet tall!  It took 276 years to manufacture.  Soldiers, prisoners, slaves, farmers and other civilians helped build the wall.  The Chinese built watch towers on the top, and made a path wide enough for troops or wagons to travel on top. However, all this construction came at terrible price.
     Lots of people were lost before and after they abandoned The Great Wall of China.  Chinese workers were drafted against their will to work on the wall.  It is said that at least one person died for every foot that was built.  At least 3,000,000 people died.  Some of the great wall has disappeared because people have taken pieces from it to use on their own creations. The great age of the wall has caused disintegration because of weather. War also helped destroy the wall.
     The Chinese risked their lives and built the Great Wall of China to save their country and emperors.  Even though lots of people died and intruders still got around the wall and into the city the Chinese still stayed loyal to their country because of the great emperor Qin Shi Huang who had the vision to unify his country.