Wait! Stop!

You aren't reading from the top ARE YOU??? You know with blogs that they start at the end and go backwards, right?  Confused yet?  When people write a blog, the newest posts are at the top, which means they go backwards!

So to read my story as it happened, start by going to the right hand side of this blog and finding the area called "BLOG ARCHIVE".  Next, click "2016"--this makes the entire blog fit on just two pages, which is easier to navigate.  Scroll to the very bottom of this page--click "Older Posts", this will take you to the beginning of my blog.  You will want to scroll down to the very bottom of that page--when you reach the blog titled "Finally Here!", you have reached the beginning and this is where you will want to start reading.

After you finish reading the first page, and you have reached the top of that page (the final blog post on that page will be "The Glass Plant")--all you need to do is click the back button and it will bring you back to this page where you will again want to start at the bottom (which will be the post called "The Shire") and again read backwards to the top.  Or you may scroll back down to the bottom of the page and click either "Home" or "Newer Posts"--underneath the "Finally Here!" post.  Any of these three options will return you to the next page of my adventures.  Otherwise, you will be even more confused than this post has become.  It may help you to look at the dates of the posts and look at a calendar at the same time--this sometimes helps me to keep the story straight and in the right order.

Another tip, if you aren't familiar with blogs, if you want to look at a picture closer, you can click on it.  Your teacher or parent can help you, if you are having trouble.  Some of the blog posts have additional information in them called "links" that can help you learn more about certain parts of the blog's story.

Oh, and if you stumbled across this blog by accident, you are probably really confused! My name is Flat Stanley and this is my journal about my trip to Pennsylvania--not to be confused with Transylvania, although Pennsylvania is pretty awesome, too!  By the time you read this, I will probably either be packed in a box traveling through the postal system the 2,250 miles back to Elk Grove, CA (it's cheaper than flying) or maybe I am already back at Markofer Elementary School.  I sure hope so--it is hard to breathe in this envelope... 

Either way, this is just a short story about one of my recent adventures and a few of the friends that I made along the way.  Hope you enjoy it!

Your friend, 

*Flat Stanley*

SNOW! And Deer!

Dear Flat Stanley,

You will never believe it! I know you just left yesterday and there wasn't much snow while you were here, but yesterday, I woke up and the ground was covered! It snowed just in time for my younger cousin Hector's visit (that's him in the picture with me).  There wasn't a lot of snow, compared to what we normally get in PA, but any snow is better than no snow!

And I finally caught a picture of deer stealing birdseed from the bird feeder! Some people say that the Pennsylvanian state bird shouldn't be the Ruffed Grouse, but should be the White-Tailed Deer instead, since there are so many of them. They must think they are the state bird, too! At least it wasn't a Black Bear at the feeder, that has happened, too! The bears usually rip the feeder down when they visit, though.

Hope you make it back to Elk Grove soon! I know how much you missed Austin and Mrs. Tozi while you were here.  I am sure they will be glad to see you, too.

I miss you already!
Come visit again soon!

Your Friend,
Octavia

Where in the World is Austin's Flat Stanley?

By now you should have received the post cards that I sent. I hope that you enjoyed them! You should have received two postcards to start--one of the Clarion River in autumn that shows what the leaves look like as they change in the fall and one of the school downtown.  

I also mailed out a postcard the shows the glass plant--this one I mailed out on the same day and at the same time as the package that I will be coming home in.  You will have to let me know which made it to California first, the package or the postcard!

You can see where I stopped along the way and follow my path home by using this USPS tracking number: 9534613912866099041323.  It says that I should be home in Elk Grove by April 15th.  Was it right?  

See you soon!

Your Friend, 

*Flat Stanley*

FERRETS!!!

The house that I stayed at has nine ferrets living there! The owner of the house rescues ferrets. They get to live with her forever after they come to her house. You may not know what a ferret is, since they are illegal in CA; but they are in the same animal family as skunks, otters, wolverines, badgers, minks, and weasels.  They are smelly like skunks and poop a lot!

Many people buy ferrets because they are cute, but don't realize how much work ferrets actually are, so they get rid of them.  Ferrets also need a lot of veterinarian care which makes them very expensive pets.  They may bite if not trained right, and they can make your whole house smell if their cages aren't cleaned often enough.

Are you asking the same question I asked? Why would anybody want ferrets if they are expensive and hard to take care of?  She said that her ferrets are like her kids and she loves them even when then do bad things and when they get into things that they aren't suppose to. She said that they are very smart and do silly things that make her laugh. They made me laugh, too!

Male ferrets are called "hobs".  The ones that live here are named Roo, Little Bear, Shelley (his full name is Sheldon), Severus, Elliot, Chunk, and Sumo. She has two female ferrets (called "sprites"--because they are spayed so that they cannot have babies), named Luna and Munchie.

She said that many of her ferrets came here when they got old and their other owners didn't play with them anymore.  One of her ferrets, Chunk, is blind and had bad things happen to him at his other homes, so he has a hard time being like the other ferrets and needs extra care.  

One of the other ferrets, Munchie, doesn't know that she is a ferret and has to be kept by herself. She came to live here when she was almost seven years old and was raised in a house without other ferrets--she had a dog and cat to play with there.  She thinks that she is a dog and actually barked when she first saw the other ferrets!  She is very afraid of the other ferrets and tries to hurt them because she is scared, so she gets her own special play times, all by herself. She likes to pretend that she is a dragon and acts very fierce!

The ferrets wanted to help me get packed for my trip back home.  I think they made more of a mess than anything!

What do you think?

Do you think the ferrets are cute or scary?

If ferrets were legal in California, would you want to have a pet ferret? Why or why not?

"Worry Bubbles"

Octavia decided to help me get my beads packaged and ready to give to everyone.  She has been so helpful and such a good friend my entire visit.  She even made sure that each bag had the same number of beads, that each bag included one wooden bead, several glow-in-the-dark beads, and she even included an extra surprise for you!  Octavia wanted each of you to have your own special "worry bubble."  She calls them that because she thinks that they look like frozen bubbles and you can use your worry bubble when you feel nervous or are having a hard time with something.

You can use your worry bubble several different ways.  You can hold it or play with it when you feel stressed out and nervous.  Or you can picture the things that bother you going into the bubble and getting trapped, so that they don't bother you anymore.  Octavia has one because she said that sometimes she thinks too much and worries about what others think of her--so she holds her worry bubble and it helps her take her mind off of those things.  

She noticed when I got here that I was pretty homesick and was nervous about meeting everyone, so she let me borrow a worry bubble while I was here.  I was surprised by how much it helped me relax! 

Octavia hopes that you enjoy your worry bubble and find it helpful.  She also wanted me to tell you that if you have little brothers and sisters or pets that you need to keep the beads and worry bubbles where they cannot reach them.  She also mentioned that if you do not like all of the beads that came in your pouch, you can trade them with your friends.  She doesn't mind!  

Pennsic

 

Pennsic is a very special two-week gathering for those in the SCA.  Many people plan their entire vacations around Pennsic and prepare for it all year long.  Many people sew and make their own outfits (called "garb") and many even make their own armor.  

Even though people camp for the two weeks at Pennsic, they try to make their tents, vardos, and campsites look as much like a medieval home, as possible.  They usually camp with their shires and everyone pitches in to help cook, clean, and tend the fire while there.

There are all types of classes offered while at Pennsic that teach you how people lived during the middle ages.  Classes at Pennsic University are typically free and can involve anything from learning how to dance, to how to keep and raise your own honey bees.  

There are many other fun things to see and do while at Pennsic.  Unfortunately, I was not in Pennsylvania during Pennsic.  Pennsic begins the last week of July and lasts through the second week of August.  I really hope that someday I get a chance to go to Pennsic!

Saving the Day

 

 

This may have been my scariest adventure in Pennsylvania, yet! I helped a wasp get back outside without getting stung! This wasp was in the house for a week while I was there, but he didn't bother anyone or anything, so they just let him do his wasp things and left him alone, too.  

Finally, today, he was by the door to go outside, so we decided to help him get back outside without hurting him.  We did that by me going over to the wasp and allowing him to climb onto me and then we took him outside and placed him where he would be able to safely climb back off of me.  He actually told me thank you for helping him get back outside and to fresh air.  Overall, it was pretty awesome and I got over another fear that I had!

I learned that wasps usually aren't that grouchy and that if you do not swat at them or agitate them, they aren't likely to sting you.  I also learned that wasps, like bees, pollinate plants and flowers as they feed on nectar. If we were to kill all wasps it would actually cause more problems than it would solve.  I learned that wasps do serve a purpose and despite being a problem at certain times of the year, they are a beneficial insect.  I am glad that I met this one, he was really nice!

The Shire

My new friends belong to the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) which is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our “Known World” consists of 20 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which feature tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, various classes and workshops, and more.

Because my new friends live in western Pennsylvania, they are part of the Kingdom of Æthelmearc, which you can learn more about here.  This Kingdom covers these regions in the U.S.: West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and western New York.  Their local group is called a shire. They belong to The Shire of Hornwood which covers Clarion, DuBois, Punxsutawney, PA and the surrounding areas.  They spend most of their time with their shire, which is like a special family that you spend time doing fun things with.  

Entire families join the SCA and men, women, and children all get to participate in the activities.  Some of the activities that the Shire of Hornwood enjoys include archery, atlatl throwing, jousting, armor making, jewelry making, sewing, cooking, throwing axes, armored combat, fencing, and just spending time together playing games and singing. Each year, they spend two weeks at a very special event called Pennsic.  Pennsic is held at Cooper's Lake in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. 

Pennsic is the single largest annual SCA event, with more than 10,000 people attending each year, from as far as Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, and Australia. Pennsic is held in late summer and lasts for 17 days. Pennsic focuses on pre-17th century history and culture with all campers dressing in medieval clothing.  This year will be the 45th Pennsic.