Friends and Memories

Some of my favorite (and least favorite) memories are of my friends during Middle School. Some of them happened during the summer, but others happened at school. The first one I will talk about is something that happened to me in sixth grade. In sixth grade, a had a friend named Brooke Eyester. I remember the way that she would laugh, always in the middle of saying something serious, but with sincerity. That year, I went over to her house for a sleepover on her birthday. Her birthday is December 5, and mine is December 4. I had a lot of fun that night. IN seventh grade, one of my greatest friends was Clarissa Filetti. Even though she didn't really get along well with a lot of people, we got along great. She and I really thought a lot alike. When she said that she was moving to Minnesota, I was really sad, but it was not until the summer when we really got to know each other. We went to Schlitterbahn together for a whole day before she left. I really miss her. This year, I have really gotten to be good friends with Holly. We have spent a lot of time together and I know her really well. I think she is going to leave next year though. I think it is a coincidence that my best friends all throughout Middle School have left after one year. I hope you have enjoyed my memories.

LILLY

Forest Life

I am here today to tell my audience all about a new phenomenon. And that phenomenon is... FOREST LIFE! I am so happy to begin by telling you what I know about my favorite forest. There are several different types of forests all over the world. One of my favorite forests is in the Urals of Russia. The Urals are a huge mountain chain that span all the way through western Russia, from the northernmost point, to the southernmost point. The Southern Urals are well-populated, visited by tourists, and fairly high. The Middle Urals have the lowest elevations, so most trains and roads pass through this area. The Northern Urals are higher, have fewer people, and have fewer passes. The Polar Urals are the highest and tend to be slightly more easterly than their fellow mountains. There are almost no people here, and those that do live there live in seclusion. The forests I will be talking about tend to be in the Northern Urals, and they are called the Virgin Komi forests.

The Virgin Komi forests are located in the northern Komi Republic of Russia. The Komi forests belong to the taiga region of the Ural mountains. Diverse flora and fauna can be seen in these forests and they are some of the most interesting animals in the world. Unfortunately, many of these species are endangered or threatened. The arctic fox, the Ural mink, the Ural elk,Siberian weasel, and the Russian otter are some of them. Roe deer, badgers, and polecats thrive in the Southern Urals, and other birds such as the nightingale and the oriole. The rivers of the Northern Urals are full of fish like the nelma, common salmon, grayling, and sea trout. Animal life is less abundant in the regions toward the south, because of dense population and the overhunting/overfishing of the late seventeenth century, which was responsible for the decline in animal population. Another forest in the Northern Urals is the Lunsky Grove forest. It is the northernmost forest extension in the world. Ary-Mas is the name of another forest in Russia, located along the Taymyr Peninsula. The name Ary-Mas means forest island. This forest is isolated on an island in the middle of a river that is frozen solid for nine months of the year. The vegetation period (the time when the temperature is warm enough for plants to grow) is approximately 100 days. Because it is so far north, and separated from the nearest forest by a stretch of tundra 200 miles wide, the trees that grow there, called Dahurian Larch, are 5-7 feet tall. There are about 20 mammal species, 90 bird species, and 306 species of plants fouind in the Ary-Mas forest.

The Ary-Mas, Lunsky Grove, and Ural forests are all located in the Northern Ural mountains of Russia. They all contain very unique species of plants and animals that can only survive in their harsh climates. I enjoy learning about these forests because I love enjoying the natural beauty that has been preserved through these forests. They are some of the last landscapes on earth that still remain untouched by human civilization.

LILLY

All About Me

My name is Charlotte. I am fourteen years old. I was born and raised in New Braunfels, Texas. I enjoy living in Texas because it is hot in the summer and I live less than five minutes away from America's #1 Waterpark, Schlitterbahn! I love to go to Schlitterbahn in the summer with my friends and family. I am the oldest of four children, two sisters and one brother. Isabella is twelve and likes soccer. I love soccer too, but I have an ear problem so I can't play my favorite sport. Katherine is ten, and she loves gymnastics and the color pink. Gregory is seven, and he loves Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Gregory is a favorite among all of my friends, and pretty much everyone he meets. One of my favorite hobbies is writing. I like writing everything from short stories to poems to essays for school. I am currently writing a novel, and I will try to post a chapter or two on this blog. About my family's origins, my mother was born in Canada, and my dad was born in Texas. I have a dual-citizenship right now, and when I am eighteen I get to choose between Canada and the United States. I go to Canada every summer to visit my grandparents in Ottawa, Ontario. So far, my perception of the Canadian government and way of life is inclining my opinion of the northern lands far above that of the "melting pot" of the United States. Thanks for blogging!
LILLY