"So long as there are men there will be wars," said  Albert Einstein. The never ending war that I am referring to is the drama that seemed to never end at teen ranch. From the first morning, starting out with a briefing of the camp rules and safety discussion followed by lunch, the hike, skating and dinner, the experience was going good. I wish I could say the same for horse back riding.

This year was my first time being in control of a horse, at least I thought I had control of Jenny. You can try and make her turn out she just goes straight. Eventually, she smartened up and listened, but until she did, I had to duck and cover. Other than getting a large scratch on my ear, nobody was hurt. 

Then there was the hike. The hill was steep and covered with apples. If you were to step on the apples, you would slide backwards. When the group was heading back down the hill, I purposely slid on a pile of apples to get to the bottom faster.   

Most of us thought skating was the best part of the trip. Some of us fell more than other and some people were just average. The group enjoyed participating in a fun game of hockey, most of us for the first time.

If you were to take out the drama, Teen Ranch would be the perfect experience. Some people were missing friends and family from home which added to the drama. I found that a lot of people spend time talking about other people and that caused issues when it wasn't necessary. Drama was created when we all should have been focussing on having fun. 

Overall, Teen Ranch was a pretty good experience. The food was good, the cabin was clean, and the staff was friendly. I think it was nice of the principals and the teachers to take time out of their schedules to make this trip happen.

- Clinton

Halloween poem

Every year, I fall off my bed.
It's a short fall, yet it hurts my head.

The reason I fall? I was scared.
Right before that, I had a nightmare.

Guys with swords! My dog can fly?!
Now, in my bed, I no longer lie.

Stuff like this could only mean
that soon it will be Halloween.

My Worst Halloween

 My worst halloween was four years ago. I wore a costume to school that was very hot and made me sick to my stomach. My mom had to pick me up from school after I threw up. We had plans to spend halloween in buffalo with my cousins, so we drove down to the states and that was when things got really bad. I got sick several times on the trip down and felt so weak that I could not even go trick or treating. That's certainly one halloween I will never forget.


The Nest

In the story The Nest, Jimmy asks his mother if he could go on a hike with his friends. His mother refused to let him go. Even though Jimmy asked multiple times, his mother's answer was set in stone. Ignoring what his mother said, Jimmy went on the hike anyways. I can relate to Jimmy in his situation because sometimes I ask my mom if I can go on the Wii and she says no. I keep asking and asking, and then when she isn't paying attention I sneak onto the Wii. When my mom calls for me and asks what I am doing, I tell her I am playing Wii.  Sometimes I use the excuse that I was helping my little sister Sydney with a game so I don't get into trouble.

Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853. Van Gogh was a talented artist, post impressionist, and an overall great person. His talents were recognized earliest by his loving brother Theo. Van Gogh struggled through life, cutting off part of his ear and eventually shooting himself which led to his death on July 27, 1890. One of Van Gogh's famous painting was starry night. It is sad that Van Gogh was more famous after his death. What a shame that he never got to know how talented people felt he really was.


- Clinton