Track

Katelyn Campbell

Oct. 13, 2011

    Track is my favorite sport.  I like it because it is a team sport, but it is an individual thing, too.  No one gets mad at you if you lose and I can push myself.   I like running because it clears my mind and I am good at it.  My favorite part about track is hurdles.   It runs in the family.  My brother does hurdles and my mom’s shuttle hurdle team went to state.  My mom is kind of our hurdle coach, but unofficially.  She does clinics and comes out about halfway through practice to help us. 

My best time is 19.1 seconds.  Last year our shuttle hurdle relay team was undefeated.  Our team was Shania Austin, Mary Ann Inthisan, Karna Hampton, and I.  It is a lot of hard work though.  We would stay after practice almost every night just working on form and driving off the hurdle, and even if I did not have a hurdle then I would stretch or lift weights.  

My season of hurdles is year round.  I go out for other sports so I stay in shape.  Then as soon as it gets warm I start going to the track and running, and if they have the hurdles out then I run a few.  Hurdles take endurance, speed, form, and heart.  Without endurance you will die after about five hurdles.  If you can do all ten hurdles that is great, but if you have no form then you are going to be slow because you will probably float over the hurdle.  You also have to be fast at them, too.  Heart is probably one of the most important things in any sport.  Without it you have no desire to work hard so you can win.  Someone can be the worst runner in the world, but if they work really hard all of the time they will beat the people that may have talent, but do not work hard. 

Horses

Katelyn Campbell

Oct. 13, 2011

Horseback riding is really fun and if someone is interested they should try it.  Someone can do so many different things with a horse.  People can barrel race, pole bend, goat tie, pleasure ride, trail ride, break away roping/ calf tying and so much more.  Some people just like to play with their horse.  I like to do both.  I have an all-around horse, which means I do about everything with him.  I love spending time with my horse and brushing him and playing with him.  It is really fun when I go to Leon Youth Rodeos during the summer with my friends.  At these rodeos, I do barrels, poles, and goat tying.  When you are out there you do not realize that you are doing all of the stuff you practiced and that you are looking and kicking.  You do not even realize it.  It is kind of an adrenaline rush.  When I’m out there, I cannot hear anything else; it is just me and my horse.

    I also really enjoy going on trail rides with my friends.  It is really fun to go exploring and to make your own path.  My favorite thing to do when I am trail riding is going through water.  Sometimes during the summer, we camp somewhere and go trail riding.  We sometimes camp at my grandparents’ house.  They have an arena and quite a few acres that we can ride on. 

    On Sundays we ride at Trails End Arena at Allerton.  If it is a 4-H meeting then we usually work on our techniques, but if it is not a 4-H meeting then we usually do something fun like barrels and poles, or roping.

Music

Logan Davis

10/13/11                      

                     

Music has changed our country by inspiring many people. There are many different types of music such as Pop, R&B, Rock, Alternative rock, Country, ect.  I listen to Pop, Country, and Rock and my favorite is Pop.  My favorite female artist would have to be Adele, because she is an amazing singer.  Some religions have certain music they use for worship.  And there is different music you can relate to in different ways.  People, like Artists, express how they feel about something or what they have experienced in the lyrics of their songs.  Songs can sometimes change lives or how you think about things.  Music can change your mood, like if it were a fast upbeat, happy song you would be happy, and if it were a slow sad song you will probably be down and not so happy.

Music is my passion because I love singing and listening to all kinds of music, and it interests me.  There is a lot of music I can relate to.

I love how no one sounds the same and that everyone is different when they sing; they all have their own unique way of drawing things out or saying things.  Music is like a book; you don’t know if you like it until you listen to it.  For me, I like at least one song of any type or sometimes more.  Most people focus on Lyrics and not the background music.  I focus on both because the background music makes up most of the song.

Hair Styling

MaryAnn Jamieson

10/13/11                      

            When I do my hair, I enjoy it because I always have loved my hair done cute; it doesn’t matter if I am just staying home or going to the store.  I have always loved doing hair on me and other people. Doing hair is actually one of the longest things it takes to do before school.  Even if I have to wake up really early, I have to get it done.  My plan is being a cosmetologist.  Making people feel good about their selves is a good feeling to have.  I like being around & meeting new people. I would consider working in a big city because of all the people.

            Buying hair products, curling irons, straightener combs, and a lot more actually takes a lot of my money, but I love it so I buy them anyway.  If it were impossible for me to do my hair, it would have a big effect on me.  I also change the color of my hair, mostly darker.  I may change it because of the seasons like fall, spring, winter, and summer.  Being able to dye and cut my own hair actually makes me feel good because then I know I can make it as a job in the future.  Knowing that my parents like my idea of my plans for my job, makes me feel confident about my plans. Almost everyday I do my niece’s hair.  I help my mom and sister, too.  Having them trust me to dye or cut their hair makes me excited to do other people’s hair, too.

Clothes

MaryAnn Jamieson

10/13/11                                              

          My favorite thing to do is going shopping.  I spend so much money on clothes and accessories.  I have to buy a lot of cute clothes.  It makes me think I look better with cute clothes and accessories. My favorite store is either Hollister or Buckle.  Buckle is probably one of the most expensive stores, but their jeans are very cute so I have to have them.  When people complement me on my clothes it make me feel good. Having cute clothes make me feel happy and my parents buy them for me.  I really don’t know what I would do if my clothes weren’t what I wanted. Shoes are another one of my favorite things to buy, too.  I have so many shoes I barely wear some of them, but knowing I have a lot makes me think I don’t need so many.

I go shopping about once or twice a month if not more, but I shop online a lot, too.  My favorite thing to buy is either jeans or dresses. I like having bright colored clothing or flowered print.  You could probably say I’m really loud and outgoing, so bright colors would match me well.  I love wearing necklaces and earrings, and the big and noticeable ones are my favorite.  I like to stand out with my clothes. Skinny jeans are one of the main things I buy for jeans unless I see other cute ones I want.  Winter is probably my favorite time to buy clothes.  I love wearing the cute brink winter coats with my hats, gloves, and my uggs.

Gymnastics

MaryAnn Inthisan

13 October 2011

Gymnastics is one of the many great aspects of my life. I enjoy doing, watching, and just simply learning gymnastics. I love the intense thrills you get while flipping through the air, once, twice, and then the great satisfaction you get when you land your trick, solid as a rock.  I love the nervousness that lingers in your stomach before every event, the chalk prints of your hands and feet, and the night right before a match when you try your hardest to get rest but just can’t seem to sleep.  Those are things I love about gymnastics.

In gymnastics, you have teammates, the ones you practice with, the ones who push you to your greatest limits.  They are family.  You have to look out for each other, on and off the mat. If one of you falls, then all of you fall. If you win, then all of you win. Gymnastics is one of the many ways I choose to express my emotions, and it’s also how I vent. Running towards a stationary object, spinning and flying on the uneven bars, keeping balance on the beam, and flipping through the air on floor are great ways to exert anger and stress.

Besides all of those things, the one thing that I absolutely love about gymnastics is the support you get when something doesn’t go your way. People are always there when I fall. People are always there to give me constructive criticism. People are always there to cheer me on. People are always there to congratulate me when I boss my landings. People. I love the people. I love gymnastics.

Swimming

Nathan Selby

10/13/11

            I believe that swimming is one of the best sports to do in the summer, because it keeps you in the water and it gives you plenty of exercise. Some of my friends do swim team, which is something that I want to pursue.  Swimming also gives you the chance just like any other sport to meet new people and go to new places.

            I have joined this group on Facebook called swim- trekking that lets you go all over the world and swim in different oceans.  But, sadly, I do not have the time or money to do it, but it is still nice to hear about others’ experiences.  To be honest I love swimming and anything else to do with the water such as boating and tubing.

            Just this last summer, I took a kayaking class, where we went to Benny Davis’s lake.  We kayaked all the way across the lake if we wanted to.  My family and I also go tubing just about every summer at Benny’s lake just for the fun of it.  Last year, my sister and I rode jet skis for the first time, and it was so fun.  I really want to do it again.  I love to be in the water and will do anything in the summer for a chance to swim and hang out with my friends at the pool.

            The pool is my life during the summer and I plan to work there this summer.  I can’t wait, because I am so excited.

Music

Nathan Selby

10/13/11

       Music, to some, is a way to relax or let off some of their anger toward life or people.  Others use it as a way to let people know how they are feeling or to let something be known.  In essence, music is feeling personified.  Without music of any kind, the world would be a horrible place.  There would be no birds singing, no crickets chirping, or anything.

        Music is necessary in everyday life, because it keeps people entertained and happy when they are sad or depressed.  It can allow people to see that there are others out there just like them, and that they aren’t alone.  I use music as a form of expression and I like listening to it.  Music is one of the main reasons I am in band, because it makes me happy to hear the music that God created and gave to others to spread across the world.

       To me, music is a huge part of the life.  Whether we are young or old, it helps describe us, and it says a lot about who we are.  Music is used everywhere, not just in churches, but in schools, movies, video games...etc, etc.  When people are using music, they are using one of the most powerful, influential tools in the entire world.  It can help influence the choices that young people use, such as the words they use and how they treat people with different skin color or ethnicity.  My belief is that music can never be destroyed or taken away from us.

                                        

                                     

Where Has All The Good Music Gone?

Tonia Medina

10/13/11

We all love music and the pleasure it brings to us. But most of the music these days has curse words in it or has no meaning at all. Some of the big music stars of today are Eminem, Rhianna, Miley Cyrus, Pink, and so on. There are a lot of different styles of music, such as rap, hip hop, country, and rock, but they should all come back to one point. Music is an absolute joy to listen to, or at least I think it should be. Some of the music stars of “yesterday” are John Denver, Alabama, and a lot of others. When I say those names people look at me like “who is that?”.  I truly do believe that we have lost the sense of what good music is. I like music and the sense that you can do anything in a song. I admit I listen to some bad songs that have no worth to me, but I like the so-called “old stuff”.  Country is a popular genre of music. Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are two really famous stars. When I listen to one of their songs I feel the musicality in it. But when I listen to Eminem or Drake I don’t feel anything. I just hear what they’re saying.  Musicality is a wonder to me. I love to listen to a song and feel it in me more than I like to listen to a song and not even hear it. To end this, I think that we need to reconnect with music and really just listen.

Volleyball

Logan Davis

10/13/11                             

       Volleyball is a fun sport, and it is exciting to play.  There are many rules in volleyball, such as servers must be behind the restraining line, each team rotates  when they get the serve,  and each side is limited  to three hits.  These are the basic rules.  You play with six people on the court, three up to the net and three in the back row.  There are different positions you can play.  You can be an all-around player as in you play net and back, or your job is to be setter or libero.  As setter, you only play front row.  You get second hit and you set it up so a hitter can spike or down ball it.  As libero, you have a different color jersey and you only play back row.  You switch in for two people and serve for one of them.  You play almost the whole game. There are a lot of strategies in volleyball.  You have to get your timing down to spike it, and when you are bumping you want to be able to control it to wherever you want it to go.  When setting, you have to hit it with the tips of your fingers and not your palm.

                My favorite thing we do for practice would have to be when we practice down balling it and spiking, because it really helps you on getting where you need to be and if you are doing your  approach right.  During a game I like to really focus on the ball, which messes me up a lot, but if you shake it off you will do great. Most people enjoy volleyball.  It is an awesome sport, and I love it.

Bennett Springs

Sarah Kelly

10-17-11

I love Bennett springs. It is a place for me to relax and enjoy my church family. I also love to fish down in Bennett springs, because it’s my favorite fishing spot.  I love it because it’s a great family-bonding trip.

          What I do down there is swim in the Nigura River.  We fish and hunt for ancient treasures.  Lorena, the wonderful woman she is, goes with us.  She is like our guide through the spring. She is a great joy to have on our trip every year.

If you want a great family adventure, go to Bennett springs.  You will feel refreshed and relaxed.  You will bring home a lot of laughs and memories.

The first thing my church does when we go down there is set up camp.  Then we get the veggies and food prepared for supper. While the adults make the food, the kids usually go swimming in the river.  The current is very strong and wavy. The water is cold but I get used to it really quick.

Then we eat supper. We have these things called fire packets. Then for dessert we have fire roasted apple crisp. It’s so delicious!  Then after supper we play hide and go seek in the dark. It’s fun but you better run fast because they will get you.

Overall, it’s a fun time and I can’t wait until next year to do it again.

Shooting guns

Ridge Downard

10/17/11

Shooting guns is really fun because of the power of them and trying to hit the targets. Some guns have more power than others because they have more grain in the bullets. Shooting a gun and hitting a target from two hundred yards away is a really good feeling. I have shot a duck that was in the water from three hundred yards with a twenty-two.  It gave me joy to do that.  When I shot my twenty-two at the duck, I had to aim three feet above it and it took a second or two for the bullet to hit it.  That was the farthest shot I have ever taken. The second farthest shot was when I shot a rabbit with a twenty-two from a hundred yards away. The closest shot was with a shotgun.  I shot a squirrel with my twenty-gauge slug.  I have also shot a turkey with my twenty-gauge from thirty yards away; it was the first turkey that I have ever shot.  My first turkey was a jake, and it had a four and a half inch beard.

What I like the most about guns is to have something very powerful in your hands that you can control.  When I shoot a gun at an animal in the quiet timber, it makes me jump.  After that first shot everything goes very quiet. I like having a shooting contest with friends and family because I win most of the time.

Hunting

Ridge Downard

10/17/11

            My favorite part about hunting is when you have a nice buck walk in and you are just waiting and watching that buck get closer and closer.  Then you raise your gun to shoot and you breathe easily to make a good shot.  But sometimes you miss and you are just so disappointed.

            Shooting a rifle during bow season in the rut is a very big disadvantage to the deer because the deer are very dumb.  You would be able to shoot them from a couple hundred yards.  One thing you have to look out for is does sniffing you out.  Things to help prevent them from smelling you are to have a higher tree stand and a scent cover.  If a doe smells you it will warn the others by snorting, and then all the deer that hear that snort will run away and hide.  Most deer run into draws and lay down.  When they do that, there is no finding them because they are very hard to see because they blend in.  

            Most of the things I see when I go hunting are coons and a bunch of squirrels.  The other day when I was hunting, I had a squirrel come five feet away, I shot him with my twenty-gauge slug right in the side, and it blew it up.  I shot my first deer from fifteen yards away with my shot gun. The second deer I shot was from twenty yards away with a 30-30.

Vampires

Kaylee Henry

10/13/11

                                                                                                                                                                                           I think vampires are cool. They are scary but awesome at the same time. Although they are not real I have heard about them. Vampires don’t like garlic.  Vampires are creatures of the night that are feared by many people for the acts of violence that they commit, such as ripping their victims’ hearts out.  They suck their victim’s blood out and then stay in the dark. They have sharp teeth to drink your blood. They can kill you and possibly turn you into one of their kind.

They are hard to kill, but you can to stab them in the heart or cut their head off or even burn them with fire.  However, it is a difficult task to succeed because they are much stronger and faster than any human is.  In books or movies, they always kill the vampire, but it’s still difficult.  The movies about how they kill vampires are very interesting. 

There are many myths, stories, and other things about vampires. There are even movies and stories. There are some people out there that do believe in vampires. I am one that doesn’t believe in vampires.  There is no such thing.  I believe that when a person dies, they are dead.  They can’t come alive wanting to be a creature of the night or wanting to eat people.  I think that they are interesting creatures, and I think that it is cool that there are movies and stuff out there.  I definitely like the movies, myths, and stories about them.

Fishing

Sam Phillips

10\17/11

          The best fishing is going salmon fishing in Michigan.  I go every year on my family’s boat.  You get up at five in the morning so you can fish at first light.  Salmon bite at first light and last light.  They like water temperatures at 55 and 60 degrees.  The reason why you don’t catch salmon most of the time in the afternoon is that the water temps rise and the salmon move to colder waters.  Many times, in the summer, the salmon will be in about 150 feet of water.  When the sun comes out, the water temperatures rise, driving the fish out into waters 300 feet deep, which is about eight miles off land.  It takes a while to get out in that depth of water.  The best salmon I ever caught was 17pounds.  It took me 30min to reel him in because of its strength.  After you get into the docks you have to clean your catch and from my 17 pound salmon we got about 8 pounds of meat.

          You take it home and smoke it on the grill with some lemon and spices wrapped in tinfoil and let it slowly cook until it is done.  When it is done cooking, it is so tender it just falls apart when you try to eat it.  Eating the salmon is the final prize of your catch.

Hunting

Sam Phillips

10\17/11

          The best thing about hunting, in my opinion, is going out, sitting, and waiting for your prey of choice to walk out.  I like the little sounds you hear when you are sitting in your deer stand, like birds chirping.  I think the best time to hunt for a monster buck is during the rut. That is the deer mating time of the year, and I think that’s when your biggest bucks are taken because they only have does on their mind, so they are less fearful of hunters.  You can only use a bow during this season.  Surrounding states allow rifles during the rut, so that takes all the big bucks quickly.  That’s why Iowa has great big bucks, because we can only use bows during the rut.

          A good range for a bow is 30 to 45 yards.  With rifles, you can shoot hundreds of yards, which gives the hunter an advantage and the deer a disadvantage.

          Iowa is nicknamed the golden triangle because we have the best hunting in most of the United States and because of the methods we use to shoot our deer.  Deer hunting is a worldwide sport and all big game hunters that hunt white tail deer know Iowa is probably the best place to come shoot a trophy white tail.  Southern Iowa holds some of the world records for trophy white tail taken. One of the monsters taken is named the Albia buck; a teenage boy shot him.

Performance

MaryAnn Inthisan

13 October 2011

Playing the guitar is one of my ultimate passions. Music is a way I can freely express my emotions.  Playing the guitar is also a way to escape the horrible realms of boredom.

I started experimenting with the guitar when I was just a little thing and barely out of the pull-ups.  I lost interest though, being a toddler with a short attention span.  I re-sought how to learn the guitar and started teaching myself. I found it excruciatingly difficult and I quickly lost my temper during my self-taught lessons.  I was determined to learn though. So I practiced every day and every night before I went to bed. Eventually, I got talented enough to perform a song. The song was, “Island in the Sun” by Weezer. (The easiest song besides Smoke on the Water to play on the guitar.)

The more I practiced playing my guitar, the more I could do. Soon enough I could play multiple songs and even sing to a couple of them. To me, this was a miracle. I stayed up late playing and singing, disturbing the peace. I love the sound of the guitar, my guitar.  I love the way the sound carries through the air, lingering around the room.

I will never stop playing the guitar and that I have promised myself.  I’ll teach my children how to play and sing, and they will teach their children, and so on and so forth.  Guitar is one of the many ways to carry your emotions through onto others. It’s my way.

Horses

Shania Austin

10/13/11

            When I ride my horse all my troubles go away. It’s also a stress reliever for me and other people.  I usually ride my horses on Sundays from 2 to 4. We call it horse practice. We learn how to rope, separate cattle, and basic stuff that every horse rider should know.

            When we started learning how to rope, we started with the basics.  First we started swinging ropes off our horses. Then we started tracking (or following the cattle) with the horses.  Finally, we got to the point where we could swing, track, and rope the cattle.  We just gradually started getting faster and faster.

            Our parents had taught us how to separate cattle by showing us once then they let us go ahead and try to separate them by ourselves.  When we were having trouble, they told us what to do.  We finally got better. Now we could go into a lot of cattle and separate cattle by ourselves.

            The people that come to horse practice first started out with the basics. The basics are what every horse rider should learn. You start out with going forward. Then stopping and backing the horse up. You want to be in control the whole time you are riding a horse. It helps to be in control.

            It can be fun riding a horse, if you know how to ride and control the horse you are riding.  If you don’t have control then it can be very dangerous, so just relax, and have fun and everything will be just fine!

What it’s like to be the only girl in my town

Tonia Medina

10/13/11

            Well, as some people know, I live out in the middle of nowhere.  That’s not the bad part. I guess it’s not completely the middle of nowhere, but it’s close enough.  It’s a small town called Confidence, Iowa.  It has a population of about 15. But wouldn’t you know, I’m the only girl.  I mean there are women that live there, but come on I need some girls to hang with.  I keep telling my dad that I’m going to build a great big cabin right in the middle of our yard and move all of my friends out there so I have some people (my age) to hang out with. There is a park right across the street from me with a sandbox, slides, monkey bars, basketball court, volleyball net, a rope ladder, and there’s even a really big lot for playing soccer or kickball.

            I like living out here because it’s quiet and not that much traffic goes through.  I’m friends with everyone, but I seriously need some girls!!  I used to like it when I first moved out here, but then I got older and grew out of my “tomboy style” and more into my girly style.  It sounds somewhat weird, but I never used to care what I looked like.  I didn’t care what my hair looked like, and I didn’t know anything about make-up.  I definitely didn’t wear that attractive of clothes.  Now that I’m older, it’s not really that fun only seeing my friends at school.  But you’re probably getting tired of reading this so I’m going to end it since I really don’t have much more to say.

The Grotto of Redemption

Sarah Kelly

10-17-11

There once was a man named Father Duberstein.  God sent down a message to him to build a grotto, which told the story Christ.  This man spent all his time working on the grotto. He started it in the year, 1912.  There were rocks and shells and geodes sent from all over the world to build this grotto.

Father Duberstein spent days and months building these rose pedals made from all kinds of rocks. There were kids in the catholic school who would help him load and haul these rocks for him.  He had also put petrified wood in some parts of the grotto.

The grotto is actually made out of nine grottos put together. The first grotto I saw was when Jesus was first born.  It was so pretty and nerve-racking.  As we went through the grotto, it told us the stories of Christ.  It was very interesting.  My favorite part was when they showed us steps of rock that looked like a bed of roses. But, a giant rock stopped the stairway from going any farther.  Father Duberstein did that on purpose.  It meant you can’t make your way to heaven on a bed of roses.

The Father had help from a man named Father Grieving.  Both priests worked on this for 80 years until it was done.  If you ever go to the grotto be sure you pay close attention to all the grottos. This is a spectacular sight and you don’t want to miss it.

Volley ball

Kaylee Henry

10/13/11

     Volley ball is an amazing sport. It is my favorite sport. Although I didn’t play it, I still love it.  I am a big fan of volleyball.  I am not the best at it, but it’s still fun.  I like serving the ball over the net, but the best part about it is volleying it over the net. Then you go after it and it's fun seeing who gets the point.

       When I played volleyball, I would get nervous.  I would be afraid that I was going to mess up and hit the ball out.  Then I thought that I wasn’t going to hit it right and make all the other team players mad. I ended up doing ok and hitting the ball, and I did make a few points.  I have learned not to be afraid of the ball. I used to be afraid of it, but now I am all for it!

Horse Slaughter Plants

Shania Austin

10/13/11

                The reason the United States doesn’t have horse slaughter plants anymore is that people say that slaughtering horses is cruel.  How can people slaughter pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, and other livestock, but we can’t slaughter horses?  We could slaughter horses for food; they are no different than any other animal.

                People don’t usually think of eating horse meat because most people are so attached to their horses. Horse meat is probably not the best meat in the world because horses eat grass mainly. The meat would be rough and dry because they eat a lot of grass, but it is still food.

                The main reason we need horse slaughter plants is because there are so many horses in the United States right now that the horse market is going down and the actual “Show Horses” that are supposed to be worth a bunch aren’t worth much now.  I’m not just saying that because I’m a horse owner. I’m saying that because I care about horses.

                There are millions of wild horses in the world that are getting starved. The reason so many horses are being starved is that there are so many in the world and people can’t take care of them.  There isn’t enough food for all the horses in the world.

                People are also shooting them so they don’t have to take care of their horses anymore.  They are getting dumped in other people’s pastures with other horses. Some people even take them to sales, and if they don’t sell them, the owners will put them in random trailers to get rid of them.  Those are some of the reasons that we need horse slaughter plants.

Golf

Jeffrey Middlebrook

10/12/11

I started golfing 3 years ago. One of my friends had started golfing before I did and he got me into it. He had to teach me what to do and I took a few lessons in Centerville to help me on my swing. I started using an old set of clubs that my grandma and grandpa had.  They weren’t the greatest but I had just started and didn’t need anything fancy. We went golfing every day.  One summer my parents decided we needed to get a golf cart because I was just riding on my friend’s cart. It just so happened that my uncle had one so we got it and he gave me a newer set of clubs. We’ve been golfing every day we get the chance in the summer. I can now hit the ball pretty far instead of just a few yards. We go out in the summer and will try to get two other kids to come and will have a best ball tournament or sometimes we will just get together and play a round for fun. My friend and I both plan to join the golf team this year. Golf is played by people of all ages. Many people play it because they think it’s relaxing but it’s not always. It is really aggravating when you have a bad hit. It does no good to get mad though, because you have to stay calm.  The madder you get the worse you play.

Bowling

Jeffrey Middlebrook

10/12/11

I’ve been bowling since I was really little. My parents used to bowl on leagues and I would bowl over on a lane by myself at the end of the alley. When I first started I was horrible, and I couldn’t throw the ball very hard.  I had to have the gutters in because I couldn’t keep the ball on the lane. I started out using a little 6 to 8 pound ball. My score was always low because I had no experience and didn’t know what I was doing.  Over the years I gradually got better and my grandma and grandpa would always help make sure I was doing it right. I have always thrown a straight ball until last year. I got a new ball with finger tips and started learning how to throw the hook ball. It is a different style, but once you get used to it, it is more accurate and you have more pin action. My grandpa throws a hook ball too, so he helped me out.  It was like learning how to bowl all over again, but I finally figured it out. I joined a junior-adult league when I was little and now I bowl on a league every Monday night with a few other kids my age. I now usually bowl in the high 100’s and an occasional 200. Bowling is a sport for all ages and is fun, but it takes practice to get better.

The Wheat Harvest

Hillary Hamilton

Oct.13, 2011

In the summer my family, my uncle, and about three others go on the wheat harvest. We usually go about a week after school is over. Before we leave we have to clean and pack our trailer. That takes me about three days just to pack my stuff. The day we leave we always have to get up very early. Then we leave. It is usually about an hour or so before we eat supper when we arrive. Haley and I would then walk our dog while the men hook up our trailers. Then Haley and I would put our stuff away. We usually do this pretty fast. There are three trailers. We stay in one, the help and Dallas stay in one, and my uncle stays in one. Then we either all go out to eat, or mom will take Haley and I to eat if the men go to the field to unload the equipment.

  The next day we would go to the store with mom. Then we go home and mom cooks supper. I usually read, finish a chore, or play on my computer while mom cooks supper. Then all three of us load the car with the food. We drive to the field and eat; I usually sit in the pickup bed where we put all of the food. Usually everyone else sits around the pickup staying out of the wind. After everyone has eaten we go back home and start on the dishes.

   The guys wake up around six or seven in the morning. They usually have to get fuel and run errands. My dad also goes to the grocery store to get their lunch, snacks, and drinks. Then they grab breakfast from a quick store and go to the field. Harvesting wheat is a lot like harvesting corn. At least it looks that way to me. When the combines are full, the auger cart comes to get the grain. Then when the auger cart is full it dumps the grain into the semi. When the semi can’t hold any more grain the driver rolls the cover over it and goes to the elevator. We go home about a week before school starts. The people who can, stay until the wheat is cut. We cut wheat in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

A New Family Member

Hillary Hamilton

Oct.13, 2011

It started as a vacation to Colorado in the summer. My family and I went to Colorado Springs. We did many things on our vacation. We saw the Garden of the Gods, we toured a cave, went to the cliff dwellings, white water rafting, we went up a mountain, and asked our parents for a dog many times. At first they said we didn’t need one. Finally, they said sometime maybe we could get one. This was our last day on our trip, and we were going to leave that afternoon. Right before we checked out of our motel Haley looked up a local animal shelter. They had pictures of all the dogs. When we saw a picture of a Pomeranian mix we instantly fell in love. We were going up Pikes Peak anyway that day so first we took a small trip to the same shelter from the phone book. The sign on the door said they were going to be closed for a few more hours. So we went on our way to the mountain. Haley and I looked at more dogs and found some we liked, but there was always a reason we could not get one. When we came back from the mountain we drove to the shelter again. We looked and heard about the dog from the internet. They basically said he wouldn’t be a very good dog to have. But that very same day we walked out with our dog. He had been there the longest and we only had to pay $100 for him. We named him Teddy. Since then we have learned he is very smart, loves to do tricks, he likes wearing clothes, and hates to be moved from the couch. He has recently had his third birthday and will hopefully have many more.

Wheat Harvest since 1971

Haley Hamilton
October 13, 2011

My grandparents started custom cutting when my mom was 8, and she has been going ever since. When my parents got married and decided to do wheat harvest, my dad became a partner in the business called Reno and Hamilton Harvesting. It is now run by Rick Reno (my uncle), Jeff (my dad), and Dallas Hamilton (my older brother). Hillary and I have been going since we were one. We start in Alva, Oklahoma and travel north when the wheat ripens. We go to the same farmers year after year.  The reason that they hire crews to cut wheat for them is they don’t own combines because they like to get the wheat out quick.  If you do it yourself it takes a long time and would be expensive to own enough combines. We take 3 combines with 40 foot headers; you can cut a lot more wheat with them.  We also take a tractor, auger cart, and four semis. An entire wheat crop can be completely wiped out by a hailstorm, so that is why they like to get it out so fast.

This is where we go: Alva, Oklahoma, Ellsworth, Kansas, Colby, Kansas, Big Springs, Nebraska, Chadron, Nebraska, and Mott North, Dakota. A lot of people around southern Iowa have never heard of custom cutters, but when you get in the wheat states it is very common.  We all stay in trailer parks.  At one park we stay at there are about 15 harvest crews. Where my parents grew up in Missouri there were seven crews in that town that would go on wheat harvest. Some of them still do. We can cut about 3,000 acres a week when there is good weather and all the combines are running. I used to always look forward to summer and still do so I could go to the field with my dad and brothers.

Colorado Springs

Haley Hamilton

October 13, 2011

My family went to Colorado Springs for a few days for something to do while the wheat was still too green to cut. The first thing we did was go to Garden of the Gods. It was really pretty. There were people there climbing mountains and just touring or walking their dogs. The next day, Saturday, we went white water rafting. Since the rivers were so high that year some of the rapids were class 5, which is pretty high for someone that has never done it before. It was one of the best things we did on that trip and was a good experience though I probably wouldn’t do it again. We also went to the Cliff Dwellings, which is where the Anasazi used to live.  Their houses were literally carved in the side of a mountain. It has been well kept for all those years. Pikes Peak was a tall mountain but also really cold once you got up there, so we didn’t stay for very long. On Sunday the wheat was getting ready to cut so we finished our weekend by going to the pound in Colorado Springs. We adopted a dog named Teddy. He is a Pomeranian, and he had been there for a month.  That is a long time for that pound. They usually sell about 65 animals a day there. He was afraid of all the loud noises at the pound and was very happy to go home with us.