on Summer is leaving
Just look at the trees
The leaves are changing
And the leaf peepers are here
Hunting season is starting
And trout fishing is at its end
Days are getting shorter
Nights are getting colder
Apples are almost in harvest
And Orion is in the air
Smoke from wood fires
are flying everywhere
Hair is getting thicker
Air is getting crispier
Get ready Vermont
Fall is just around the corner
on Mountain men were amazing people of the wilderness. From Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnson to Jim Bridger, mountain men had a mission: beavers.
Like today, there were fashion trends many years ago. One of these trends was top hats, made from beavers. That was the fashion trend of the 19th century. In 1824, 16 trapping rendezvous started. 6 of those rendezvouses were held in the Green River Valley in Wyoming. The whole reason for all of this was the beaver top hat. Beaver top hats were soft and waterproof, made of the underhair of the North American beaver.
The phrase “mad hatter” was made because the mercury that hatters used to make hats made them crazy!
From 1824 – 1840, 16 rendezvous were held. A Rendezvous is where many mountain men spent the winter trapping. They often told tall tales and told where they caught many beavers, and bragged of their profits. 6 of the 16 rendezvouses were held in the Rocky Mountains, Green River Valley in Wyoming. The rendezvous was held 8 miles west of Pinedale, Wyoming, near Daniel, Wyoming. 3 famous mountain men, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, and Thomas Fitzpatrick, all went to this rendezvous.
Mountain men had a specific way of packaging skins. These packages were called fur packages. 1 package could contain 44 beaver pelts, 12 otter pelts, 5 bears, or 6 fisher.
Mountain men used many different strategies for trapping. One set they used was putting a trap in a hole then covering it with dirt. Another set is putting a trap underwater for beaver or mink. The usual foot-hold trap was the double longspring trap, which had two springs on either side of the jaws. Each trap was different in some way. Some had teeth, some did not.
There were many dangers that went with trapping. From Grizzlies to Indians, the pelt was something the Mountain Men thought was worth dying for. The Mountain Men were up in the mountains in the elements. Wind and snow killed many. The cold was one of the worst enemies of these men. Bears also were a huge threat. One Mountain Man, Jedediah Smith, was almost killed by a grizzly bear. His friend had to sew up his ear, it was so bad! Yes, trapping had its hardships, but the mountain men profited from it!
You could trade beaver pelts for equipment. For example, 11 beaver pelts could get you a musket, for 4 beaver pelts you could get a pistol. With one beaver pelt, you could get 20 fish hooks, one pair of breeches, 8 knives, 2 pounds of sugar, 2 shirts, 1 blanket, 2 hatchets, 1 pair of shoes, 12 dozen buttons, 2 yards of flannel, 1 gallon of brandy, 1 brass kettle, ¾ lbs of beads, or 1 ½ lbs of gunpowder.
Mountain Men had a tough, but amazing life. Though they faced many hardships, they got to live in what I think is the most amazing and beautiful places on earth – the Rocky Mountains.
on My Dad and I went to Plainfield, New Hampshire. It was youth season. When we walked around, we saw a hot spot. It had a huge buck rub and scrape. Since it was a windy day, Dad told me that when the deer came, they would be noiseless. I saw what he meant when a flock of turkeys came and a million squirrels (noisemakers of the woods) all of a sudden, a deer stepped out. Dad told me not to move. When he turned away, Dad told me to get in shooting position. Finally, I shot. I shot him with a 243 rifle. I was so happy! I thank God for sending this deer to me.
on Have you ever wondered about J.R.R. Tokkien? If you don’t, that’s okay. But if you do, you should answer my question! He was a famous writer. True or false? True! I’ll tell you about it.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s books are full of imaginary creatures. He wrote about hobbits, goblins, orcs, trolls, dragons, elves, and dwarves. Do you wonder about hobbits, dragons, dwarves, elves, goblins, trolls, or orcs? Well, you’re about to find out! Hobbits are little people who have very furry toes. A dwarf is a little person as well, but slightly taller than hobbits. They are greedy but smart. Dragons are creatures who breath fire. Smaug was a dragon called a firedrake. Orcs are scary creatures who work for Sauron. They live on blood. They are evil. Goblins are creatures who hate dwarves. They also like to pursue the company. Elves are good and bad. Elves captured dwarves in The Hobbit, but another group of elves helped the dwarves. In The Lord of the Rings, they helped them. Elves don’t like dwarves, but dwarves hate elves. Gimli, a dwarf, must not have liked staying in Elrond’s elf palace.
Where was Tolkien born? He was born in South Africa on January 3, 1892. Even though he was born in South Africa, he was not black or brown. He was white.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s full name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. He was friends with C.S. Lewis.
I bet you are thinking, “When did he die?” He died inside on September 2, 1973. People probably mourned inside where he died. I wish he were still alive.
Are you wondering where he died? Well, you should be explodingly excited to learn that he died in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. His age was eighty-one.
His books are good and really, really exciting. I think he was a good writer.
on O Lord, I give thanks to You. Your love endures forever. I look with happiness at my enemies. I who fear You say Your love endures forever. There is none who I refuge in but You. In the name of the LORD, I win the battles from my enemies. My enemy surrounds me, but they die as quick as a leaf on fire. For You have done many things. For Your love endures forever. I will no longer die but live! I will tell the world of Your deeds. You will never give me to death. Your love endures forever. This is the day You have made. I rejoice and will be glad in it. Amen.
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John Audubon
John Audubon had to leave his family for months. He was a bird journalist and had to go different places to find birds. His first site was the Mississippi River. His second site was a plantation which is now called John Audubon National Park.
I really like John Audubon. I have a connection with John Audubon and Lewis and Clark. Lewis and Clark probably saw some of the same birds John Audubon found. I also like to go outside and watch the birds, just like John Audubon.
on The pinching snow hurts my toes.
We go to and fro through the snow.
We see a doe and a crow in the snow.
I hear, “Whoa!” in the snow.
We hear a cock crow through the snow.
We see a scarecrow in the snow.
We tiptoe through the snow to see a glow
Beneath the snow, and oh!
What a show as many slow moles go through the snow!