Gabe: Paddle Trip

Last Sunday Dad, Marney and I went canoeing at Webberville Park in the Colorado River with the Campfire USA.  There were a lot more people there than the last time.  There were about 20 boats.  When we got there we moved our cars to the other end of the river so when we were done canoeing we would have our cars.  Then we waited when the other people moved their cars.  When we started it was hard for us and we were turning in circles so I had to switch canoes.  I didn't weigh enough to weigh down the end of the canoe so the wind and the current was pushing us in circles.  Then canoeing went good after we switched canoes.  We paddled for two hours and went about 4 1/2 miles.  My favorite stroke is the one where you turn sideways, it is called a pull stroke.  You put the paddle in out far in the water, and you pull it in to the boat and it makes you move towards the side that you are pulling.  When I got to the end I went back and I got back in my canoe with Marney and Dad so I could finish with them.  Then we got out and went to go eat burritos.  I thought it was really fun and I am excited about going in February for our two day trip.

Daddio: 12/17/10 Blog of the Day

Write a story about the following picture:

It has to be a story about vampires.

Daddio: 12/9/10 Blog of the Day

Write a story about the following picture:

Daddio: 12/8/10 Blog of the Day

For today's blog of the day, I want you to pick one of the following poems and post about it.  You only need to pick one of the poems.  In your post, talk about what happens in the poem.  Also post about what the poem means-- in other words, is there a message or moral that the author is trying to get across by the scene and words used in the poem.


The Desert: by Bill McDonald

Every desert
is but an orphaned beach,
abandoned long ago
by ancient seas.
Thirsty sands
that still dream
of ocean embraces.

I am much like the desert
when we are apart.
My thirsty heart
still dreams of your embrace,
as if I were trying

to reunite my soul,

with something missing

from myself.

 

Deserts Come and Deserts Go: by Phillip Camitses

Is it a desert, only time will tell,

a landscape between heaven and hell.

Every ten thousand years or so,

the ice will come, the ice then will go.

In one place the ocean throws water across the land,

another place flowers beyond numbers to count grow.

In time, only a desert will tell,

the span between heaven and hell.

In the Desert: by Stephen Crane

In the desert

I saw a creature, naked, bestial,

Who, squatting upon the ground,

Held his heart in his hands,

And ate of it.

I said: "is it good friend?"

"It is bitter - bitter," he answered;

"But I like it

Because it is bitter,

And because it is my heart."

Daddio: 12/7/10 Blog of the Day

For today's blog of the day, I want you to pretend that you're going to be stranded at a desert oasis for a year.  Pretend that you're going to be there all by yourself, and you'll be alone for the entire year.  You'll have plenty of food and water, but you'll have no human interaction at all.  In other words, you'll be bored.  You'll have no electricity, other than batteries for your ipod and a flashlight to read at night.  So for this post, I want you to make two lists: (1) a list of the five books that you'll bring with you to the oasis; (2) a list of the five albums you want loaded on to your ipod.  Give the reasons why you chose the books and albums that you chose.

Daddio: 12/2/10 Blog of the Day

Today is Uncle Rob's birthday and tomorrow is Uncle Daniel's birthday.  For today's blog of the day, I want you to write another scene for a Christmas play.  Follow the same rules I gave you yesterday (at least 3 characters; about two minutes long; has to be about Christmas), but for this scene, you need to have either Uncle Rob or Uncle Daniel as one of the characters in the play, and the last line of your scene needs to have one (or both if you're really good) saying, "It's a Christmas miracle!"

Daddio: 12/1/10 Blog of the Day

It's the Christmas Season!  We had the most awesome Thanksgiving ever and even decorated our house for Christmas and put up the Christmas tree.  In public schools, kids traditionally put on Christmas plays just before the holiday break.  So in honor of the Christmas season, I want each of you to post up a scene from a Christmas play that you create.  The scene should have at least three characters who could be played by your brothers and sisters, and if acted out would last about two minutes long. The scene needs to be about Christmas, not just some kind of action scene that happens to take place on Christmas.

Daddio: 11/18/10 Blog of the Day

For today's blog of the day, I want you to pretend to be a lawyer!  Pick someone or some company and sue them over something.  First, pick any person or business or company that you feel has somehow done you wrong somehow-- if you can't think of a real example, then make something up.  Then, for the first paragraph of your post, write the name of the person or business you're going to sue, the reason you are going to sue them (what they did wrong to you) and what damages you're seeking in your lawsuit (are you seeking money or to have the other person ordered to do something?).

In the second paragraph of your post, I want you to make your opening argument to the jury (the men and women that will decide if you are going to win your case).  You can tell them whatever you want, but it should try to persuade them that you are right and they should give you what you want.  It should start, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury..."

Daddio: 11/17/10 Blog of the Day

Write a story about the following picture:

Daddio: 11/16/10 Blog of the Day

For today's blog of the day, I want you to write an essay entitled, "What my Dad Does For a Living."  In the post, I want you to write about what you think I do as a lawyer, what I spend most of my days doing, and what it's like when I go to court.

For reference, here's a link to my bio on my lawfirm's website.

Daddio: 11/11/10 Blog of the Day

Write a story about the following picture:

Daddio: 11/10/10 Blog of the Day

For today's blog of the day post, I want you to write some suggestions for the Jones' Family Suggestion Box.  A suggestion box is something that businesses use so their employees or customers can leave suggestions for things they think the business should change.  For instance, if I were going to leave a suggestion at HEB's suggestion box, I would probably write something about having more cash registers open on Saturday and Sunday mornings so that the lines wouldn't be so long.

You need to write a suggestion for the Jones' Family Suggestion Box, so that means you need to: (1) identify a problem or a situation that you think needs to be changed; (2) explain why the situation is a problem for you; and (3) offer a solution for the problem.

Special Note: This blog of the day post is not an excuse for you to complain about your brothers and sisters or other people in the family.  Instead, I want you to identify a situation and blog about that.  I don't want anyone referring to any specific people in the family.

Daddio: 11/9/10 Blog of the Day

I don't want to complain, but that's exactly what I want you to do for your blog post today.  Pretend that you recently bought an expensive large screen tv, but when you pulled it out of the box, it didn't work and looked like this:

Pretend you bought the television from Best Buy- here's a link to the television with the price you paid and the specifications.  So for your post, write a complaint letter to Best Buy about what happened and what you want them to do about it.

Daddio: 11/4/10 Blog of the Day

Aha, Toes!  Today I have a mystery for you!  Look at the painting below and then go on the internet to find out what you can about the painting.  Who painted it?  What's the name of the painting?  Who is the boy in the painting?  When was it painted?  And finally- what do you think about the painting?

I'll give you one hint: remember the theme for this week.

Daddio: 11/3/10 Blog of the Day

'Blue' is another word for 'sad.'  I want you to write a tragic, sad story about the following picture:

Daddio: 11/2/10 Blog of the Day

This weeks theme is: BLUE!  So for today's blog, I want you to research Blue Whales and write a short report about them.  Tell me what they are, where they live and a handful of other interesting things about them.

Daddio: Bonus Blog of the Day

For today's bonus blog of the day, I want you to read the following poem and post up about what you think the poem is about.  What does it mean?  What happens to the narrator in the end?  What do you think happens after the poem is over? How does the poem make you feel?

The Witch
By Mary Elizabeth Coleridge   I HAVE walked a great while over the snow,
And I am not tall nor strong.
My clothes are wet, and my teeth are set,
And the way was hard and long.
I have wandered over the fruitful earth,
But I never came here before.
Oh, lift me over the threshold, and let me in at the door!

The cutting wind is a cruel foe.
I dare not stand in the blast.
My hands are stone, and my voice a groan,
And the worst of death is past.
I am but a little maiden still,
My little white feet are sore.
Oh, lift me over the threshold, and let me in at the door!

Her voice was the voice that women have,
Who plead for their heart's desire.
She came--she came--and the quivering flame
Sunk and died in the fire.
It never was lit again on my hearth
Since I hurried across the floor,
To lift her over the threshold, and let her in at the door.

Daddio: 10/28/10 Blog of the Day

Write a story about the following story.  IF you include dialogue in the story, it must be less than ten percent of what you write.  Thus, if you write 10 sentences, then only one of them can be dialogue.

Daddio: Goose Attack in Llano!

We went letterboxing in Llano today and had a picnic lunch at one of Llano's nice parks on the Llano River.  Just as the kids got done eating, however, we were invaded by giant geese!  Here they are coming out of the river to steal our food:

Fortunately the kids were done eating, so I fed them the sandwich crusts and uneaten chips:

Here's a closer shot of these ugly, knob-billed dudes:

Daddio: 10/21/10 Blog of the Day

Write a story about the following picture:

In your story, don't use any dialogue (this also means that you can't describe people writing notes to each other either).