Lewis and Clark

Lewis and Clark were sent to find the Northwest Passage (a river system going from the east coast to the west coast). At the time the expedition was considered a failure because there is no northwest passage. Later though, their discoveries and maps would make the wagon trails possible.

Map

Thomas Jefferson had thought about sending an expedition before then, but there was a good chance everyone on it would die. There had been other plans for expeditions (2 successful); Lewis and Clark were not the first to cross the continent. There was king Louis the 16 (of France) who sent a “scientific” mission that was destroyed by bad weather after it left Botany Bay in 1788. In 1786 John Ledyard told President Jefferson he was going to walk across Siberia, Hop on a fur trader boat, go across the Bering Sea, then he was going to walk to Washington Dc. He got as far as Russia, and then he got himself deported to Poland.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out with their men and a huge shaggy Newfoundland named Seaman on May 14, 1804. They had spent the last few months making arrangements for their trip. Captain Clark had done most of the packing, but Captain Lewis had bought Seaman for $20!

That was a lot of money back then.

Lewis had declared that the mouth of the Dubois River was the official starting point of the expedition. After they left explored ground, they soon had found out that the U.S.A. was wider than Mexico. They hired Cheribonno and Sacagawea. Until they hit the Rockies they were rowing upstream. Then they had to cross the Rockies. Then there was a lot of rain. So they stayed three months in Astoria. They did not like Astoria (rain rain rain [fleas fleas fleas]). As soon as the weather cleared up they left (but during the storm a whale beached. So they had a good look at a 105-foot long skeleton (and traded for blubber). Then they headed though the land of the kleptomaniac Chinook (who stole Seaman [who they got back in one piece without having to trade for]).

It took them 2 years to get there; three months to get back. They were welcomed as Heros. The nation had feared that they had died (only 1 guy died though [sergeant Charles Floyd, Who most likely died of a ruptured appendix]).

Resources

I. The Expedition of the Corps of Discovery: An Overview of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
 by Al Bredenberg

http://www.edgate.com/lewisandclark/expedition.html

II. Wikipedia: Lewis and Clark

III. Seaman by Gail Langer Karwoski

Artemis Fowl Birthday Party Plans

I am having an Artemis Fowl birthday party. The plans we found on the internet were bad. Here are my plans.

Invitations:

I made them look like little copies of the Booke of the People. I wrote their names in Gnommish and in English on their envelopes.

Food:

Caviar, Earl Grey tea, oysters, fresh fruit and vegies, cupcakes with people's names written in Gnommish. Artemis liked Earl Grey tea and caviar. Some of the fairy people were vegetarian. I love oysters. Cupcakes because it's a party, and Gnommish because that's what the fairy people spoke.

Games:

1. Scavenger hunt with the clues written in Gnommish. Each clue guides you to the next clue. At the end of the hunt there is the pinata. We made a book to help translate Gnommish to English, like the Booke of the People.

2. Troll wars. Have the dads dress up as Trolls (green cloth pinned at the neck as cloaks.) Kids have flashlights and it is played in the dark. When a Troll is hit by a flashlight, the Troll automatically is out for a minute. If the kid gets gotten by a Troll, the kid is out for a minute. You just have to be against the wall when you are out so that you don't trip anyone.

3. Squirt gun fight at the swimming pool. Invite everyone to join! This is the B'wa Kell goblin vrs LEP wars.

Costumes:

I'm going to be Holly Short. I am wearing a long sleeve leotard with tights, all black. We made name tags and acorn insignia, and we got some squirt guns and belts.

Craft:

1. Make wings.

Activity:

1. Plant acorns in the forest.

2. Go to the local rope swing (or playground) and try out wings.

Jack and Farty

There was a dwarf tunneling along under Newport, right below where Jack was walking. Along they went until, KA-BOOM!!!!! Dwarf gas has to 'go' somewhere. That somewhere is down. Or up if the butt is pointed up. Well, in any case, it went up. Right where Jack was standing.

Jack was indeed blasted into the next decade. Jack got a very cool T.V. and took a time machine back to his time, only to appear right above Farty the Dwarf and get blasted again.