Battleship HSS NC

The next place of interest that we went is to the Battleship NC in Wilmington, NC.

This ship remains floating in a harbor there. We watched a short film about the life of the ship and then we got to tour it. One impressive fact about the battleship NC is that it was in almost all of the pivotal water battles during World War II yet only lost 10 men in fighting. During one battle it had a 30 foot whole blasted in its side yet it never left formation and continued on with the plan.Some of the crew on this tour. Here the boys are inside of a giant anti aircraft device. I was above a gyroscope to see them. There are a lot of gyroscopes on a ship of this sort. The quantity of kitchens in this place was amazing until you thought about feeding 2000 men three times a day. Then it seemed reasonable. There was a bread kitchen and several other specific types. This one had quite a number of huge pots like the one Heidi is in. I guess it was the soup kitchen. In one there was two machines for peeling potatoes. The guys sometimes got carried away with the fun of running it and the potatoes came out pretty miniature, I guess. We went up and down, and around and around this place until we had seen just about every part of it and we were plum tuckered out. This is where the captain worked. It had a gyroscope here too. And a steering wheel, and lots of windows. The captain had a bedroom near here in the event the seas were stormy or there were other navigational dilemas and then he also had a space below deck when the seas were calm. There was a laundry, a P.O., store, soda fountain, movies were played at times in one of the cafeterias but Harrison thought the guns were the coolest part.

~Anna

Huntington Beach State Park AND Atalaya

This was probably my favorite of the tours we took. It really was a neat place with a neat story. We also had a very enthused tour guide at Atalaya to tell the story of its inhabitants.

As we came into the state park we crossed a salt marsh area and both times we crossed it we got to see an alligator or two moseying around. We started with a picnic in a very mosquito infested area. Other than the bugs in the shade it was very nice. Then we took a walk out into the marsh on a board walk to see if we could see some wild life. We saw quite a few birds but no alligators. When we got done with our walk we hurried over for the 2pm tour of Atalaya. While we waited for the tour guide to arrive we read about the people whose home we were about to tour. Archer and Anna Huntington. They were both artist. His was words and hers were sculptures. Archer was the son of Collis Huntington a very ambitious man. Collis started his financial rise by getting tools and the things men would need into California for the gold rush days, then he got into railroads, then coal mining and shipyards. Always quite successful. Archer's mom, Arabella, was quite a creative lady and didn't trust him to anyone else to raise so she home schooled him. They did a lot of traveling to learn about what they were studying. Archer learned quite a few languages this way and this is what influenced the style of this home. They used Atalaya as a get away and a retreat for Anna's somewhat fragile health. It was very much in the middle of nowhere with a view of the ocean. To get there from their home in Connecticut they would use a modified camper to sleep in along the way and haul their menagerie of animal companions. A family of monkeys, always quite number of dogs, a horse and sometimes a bear and a few birds. Anna was really into a certain breed of dogs she introduced to the U.S. from England, they are a huge rangy type that I can't think of the name right now. They had a 100 or so at their home in the north. Some of the animals happened to be with them because they were models for Anna's sculptures.

When they started work on this place Archer wanted it to look like some of the Moorish homes he saw when he was growing up. He didn't use an architect to design this place instead he tried to tell some of the local workers he had hired what he wanted. Then he left them for the winter to go run the shipyard. When he returned he didn't like the way it was looking so he had them tear it down and they started again, one of the main things they were doing wrong was cleaning the joints between the bricks. He wanted a straight but sloppy look. This was during the depression, they didn't have any work so they stuck at it and tried again. Archer and Anna were the biggest employers in this part of SC during the depression. This is the Atalaya, the watchtower. It is in the center of a large courtyard with a hallway running most of the way through it. On three sides of the courtyard are the family rooms and the servants rooms. At the end you are looking are the stables, garage and other service buildings. One of them being a building just for the shelling and cleaning of seafood. They really enjoyed that and had someone hired just to keep them stocked with seafood. All around the courtyard while Anna was there she kept large pots with flowers growing in them, between each of the palm trees.

This small room was at the very end of the house facing the ocean. When they were there you could see the ocean but it has grown up with a lot of trees and brush blocking that view now.

Here is something I had never learned about before. During world war II the homes and businesses along this coast and the Gulf of Mexico had to black out their windows for their safety. There were many German U-boats patrolling these waters and blowing many ships out of them. So many interesting things were mentioned on this tour. I have now just read a book talking about this more in detail, very interesting. Looking out from the lookout above the family room towards the sea. I love brick work in homes, and although this place was certainly in a bit of disrepair you could still envision a lovely place to live here. And now it is time to leave Huntington Beach State Park, someday I would enjoy getting to browse around here again.

~Anna

Airborne and Special Operations

Here in NC right next to Fort Bragg we went to the Museum of Airborne and Special Operations. Without these brave guys we wouldn't have made it through many of the wars we were involved in. This place had a ton of things to look at. We could have learned so much if we had had more time and patience. I only read a smattering of the info boards there was so much detail. The displays were very well designed and fun to see. Did you know the army used these gliders to deliver men and jeeps and whatever other supplies they needed. They dragged them behind a big airplane and then let them quietly float on in to where the supplies were needed. Later when the opportunity arose they gathered them back up by dropping a line down as they slowly flew by and pulled them up into the sky and returned them to the ship. There were helicopters, an airplane and Parachuters overhead as we walked through the years of war scenes. Did you know that some of the hardest obstacles they didn't expect were the hedgerows? They were growing there for hundreds of years of sturdy bushes that didn't want to be crushed by tanks and provided the opposing forces with great protection at all of the corners. Did you know in Vietnam they wore this type of sole so the natives thought they were natives? I am so thankful for people who are willing to give their time and lives to protecting me and my freedoms. Oh, the many blessings I have been given, just by being born here and now!

~Anna

Touring a Hog Farm

Well, we went to visit Grammy and Grampy and while we were sitting around talking about all the neighbors and what had been going on in the area since we were last back to visit. Grammy mentioned a descendant of the people who had originally lived on this farm, in the old farm house, had called and wanted to come out to see what was still here. Turns out, all of the house is left, they just built hog barns around it. The house has been used as storage. It was like a bee in Margaret's bonnet, she really wanted to see this old house. So when it was about time for us to leave, Grampy took us up there in his truck and we had a tour. It has been the home of raccoons it looked like for sometime. After we felt our way around in there for awhile. We checked out the rest of the place. We saw the farrowing house and how it worked. We saw where the piglets grew into pigs, where they got their first shots and surgeries. Here, Grampy is standing on the pit where everything in the yard drained or was scraped and then when it was full they transferred its contents into the honey wagon and hauled it over the fields. Liquid gold. Or something like that.

We hadn't intended on taking this tour, but it sure was fun spending the time with Travis and Grampy in a place that held a lot of memories for them.

Airplane rides

Today Margaret got to realize a dream of hers. She has long wanted to fly and today she did. She was so excited!

This is a homemade airplane that you can buy a kit and make. It is considered a two passenger. I think it would be very crowded! It is cute though. While the kids waited for their turn to fly they flew Styrofoam gliders. Beatrice's is just behind Gregory's shoulder in the air. The boy in red, his airplane, is above his head.

More waiters.

Before getting into the plane the pilot gave them a little walk around of how an airplane works. Here they are learning about how the aileron works, what it does.

Harrison was allowed to be the co-pilot and Margaret and DJ sat in the backseat. They all wore headsets. When they got out of the plane after their twenty minute ride Margaret was jumping all around so excited about it her experience. This is a Piper Archer. They received certificates of flight.It was a really neat experience.

It is hosted by EAA an airplane flying enthusiast club and their cooperation with Young Eagles which is a club that encourages young people to get excited about flying and dreaming big.

So any of you can come visit us on the third Saturday and we will take you to watch and ride airplanes!

Touring

This past Friday we

went on a field trip

with our home school group

that got a little long

But still we had fun. Learning about the United States Post Office.

~Anna

Our Day, It was a good one

Our Family was hit by an awful stomach flu bug for about seven days this past week. It wasn't fun. But I am really enjoying having everyone healthy yesterday and today! We were finally productive people again. It felt good to get our schoolwork finished in one day and sleep all night long. Since it felt so good to get going I thought I would share it with you all.

This morning we,

put together puzzles,

did all of our lessons in the assignment book,

everyone took a turn practicing math skills on the computer,

We got our instruments practiced, and

We made a batch of pizza pockets. We baked one half and froze the other half for another day.

This afternoon, we went to the Como Zoo to look at our relatives. No actually we don't know anyone there. We went to check out the African livestock since we just finished studying that continent. I also always want to check out the sunken garden and see what is on display for the season. It was amaryllises and Asiatic lilies, plus lots of other fillers. The perfume was incredible from all of them. Very pleasant, not at all offensive like some flowers can be.

On the way home I swung by Rainbow to get the good deals for the week in groceries. I like to go on Wednesday because they double up to 5 coupons on that day. Well somehow I hit the jackpot and it doubled 8 of my coupons! Bringing my savings to 51% rather than whatever it would have been. I guess that paid for my buying each person an ice cream treat that was in the discount cooler for on the way home.

This evening I then taught 18 first through sixth graders a class reviewing Gideon. That may have been a few to many for that class. I am glad I will just be doing 1-2 the rest of the quarter.

African Music and the way things are around here

There was a fog watch for around here last night and when we woke up this morning it was still rather foggy. When the fog left it was a white world from all that moisture in the air. The trees as we were driving were really beautiful! We are studying Africa for a few weeks in our schoolwork, the kids and I. So I was excited to find out that the Rice St. Library was hosting a guy from Ghana who was a master drummer. He teaches African music at Macalaster College, I guess. Three of his past students were there to help him out with the music. It is neat music, but a little is all I need. The beat is hard on my sensitive head. I liked it when he sang. The songs he sang too were more mellow than sometimes when I hear this type of music. When the guys joined him they had a very nice harmony. The kids were asked to come up to do a game. It seemed like it was basically the song Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. That is the action that they did with some words that we repeated over and over, quicker and quicker. It is hard to say what we were saying as I am not in tune with any of the 50 languages they speak in Ghana. Well one of them I am which is English but that isn't what he used for this game. Something I found interesting is they purposely make the xylophones have a buzzy sound by drilling holes in the gourds that hang under each wooden slat of the xylophone. After they drill the hole they put spider sac material over the hole to seal it. They are really pretty instruments, the drums to. Henry got shorn today. His hair was past due for a trim, and getting very matted around where his collar belongs. Travis and he are getting better and better at the job, don't you think?

To go along with the study of Africa we are trying to eat the proper ethnic foods. Today for supper we had Kuku. A delicious tangy chicken stew from Kenya (that is what is says in the cookbook).

Blessings to YOU,

~Anna

The Museum of Russian Art

On Monday we were able to visit the Museum of Russian Art

It is in a quaint old building originally used for a church building and built to look like the Alamo. They do not allow photographs taken inside so you don't get to see their beautiful pictures. In the basement they had a temporary exhibit of pictures taken along the Silk Road. Another room was full of shelves of Matryoshka dolls. Amazing variety in all the different sets. Matryoshka dolls have only been around since about the 1890's. They were designed as a way to keep the distinct Russian art styles alive.

Here they allowed the kids to play with a few different sets of nesting dolls.

They also had scavenger hunt sheets to encourage the kids to actually look at the pictures.

One of my very favorite authors had several kids books in the gift shop. It was really hard to pass all of them by. Especially since several aren't available in our library. Her name is Patricia Polacco and she is a master story teller in my opinion!

Blessings,

~Anna

P.S. isn't it funny how all of this last paragraph is underlined and refuses to not be underlined?