Mush! On March 3, at 9:30 am, sixty-eight mushers (dog sled drivers) and more than a thousand dogs began the 1149 mile Alaskan Iditarod dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome. In addition to the hundreds of volunteers and fans …[Continue]
The Presidency
On January 20, 2001, George W. Bush will be sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States. When I stopped to think about it, it seemed pretty amazing that only forty-two men have filled the office before him. …[Continue]
Electoral College
The United States Electoral College, although not often in the limelight, certainly has had its share of headlines during this post-election season. Now the country is abuzz with talk about the entire system. What exactly is the Electoral College? Why …[Continue]
Rainforests
Rainforests are defined and created by rainfall: more than eighty inches per year. Tropical rainforests are located near the equator, a majority of them in Latin America. Temperate rainforests are found in coastal areas, such as the 1,200 miles of …[Continue]
Australia
Australia, host of the upcoming summer Olympic games, is the only country that is both an island and a continent. It ranks as the sixth largest country (covering nearly three million square miles) and the smallest continent. I’ve never been …[Continue]
Glaciers
A glacier is a large flowing ice mass. Some glaciers move at a snail’s pace, just a few inches a day, while others advance more than a hundred feet a day. Glaciers are formed as large amounts of snow accumulate …[Continue]
The Vietnam War
Beginning in 1957 and ending in 1975, the Vietnam War was America’s longest war and her first military failure on foreign soil. Even twenty-five years later, the Vietnam War era is a difficult and complicated subject, both emotionally and historically. …[Continue]
Caves and Caverns
We just returned from a family vacation that included a walking tour through the California Caverns in Mountain Ranch. For the rest of the week we pondered the question “What is the difference between a cave and a cavern?” As …[Continue]
A Helping Hand
Margaret Mead once said “Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Citizens, by the way, come in all ages and there are many ways that …[Continue]
World Population
We entered the twentieth century with a population of less than two billion people and now, as we stand at the century’s exit, world population is just over six billion. Six billion. It’s hard to grasp what that means. I …[Continue]
