Three miles through the thick brush of Slana Alaska, my ski group comes to the largest hill on a six-mile ski course. The first to go down falls at the end, where the big hill merges into a small one. Now my turn comes. A thousand thoughts are rushing through my mind, including the preposterous ones like I’m going to die, I’ll break a bone, and ideas of that sort. After about 30 seconds of my teacher repeating that I can come down I forget the speculations I was making. I stab my hot pink ski poles into the sticky snow and propel myself forward down the hill. I struggle to get up the smaller hill and end up falling. Not able to get back up, I start to crawl like an animal and finally get back to my feet. Once everyone made it down we continued along the trail.
    The ski course continued to wind through the dense woods and everyone grew weary. We all just wanted to be back to Slana School, the place where we’d been staying. Some of the students didn’t have warm enough clothing to defend themselves against the vicious wind Mother Nature cast upon us. Almost everyone was fed up with skiing.
    While trudging through the winding trail my ski fell off and I had to stop to fix it. By doing so I lagged behind the fast group and became a part of the slower group. Since I was faster than them I went ahead trying to catch up to the fast group. I was a long ways ahead of them and found myself scared that I may have taken the wrong trail for two reasons: one I couldn’t hear anyone at all and two, the trail wasn’t packed down much. The feeling of being lost is  pretty terrible. However, that feeling vanished once I caught up to my classmates.
    After about an hour and a half later we were back to the trail head and off to the school to rest. Though our group of skiers suffered through great pain, most of us ended up having a wonderful skiing experience that we’ll remember the rest of our lives.

    I’ve always thought how cool it would be to be able to take pictures and videos the way your eye sees. Well, now there is a possibility that a new tool will make this possible. Google has come up with a camera that does just that; the Google Glass.
    The Google Glass isn’t just a pair of ordinary glasses that come in many different colors such blue, red, white, and grey. On the inside of the lenses a screen shows displays information. Like the iPhone you can ask the Glass to take pictures, videos, and perform messaging.
    In 2014 Google hopes to come out with this new technology that I’m sure will get this fast-paced society buzzing. This isn’t exactly good due to a few conflicts that have risen from it.
    First of all, every user of the Google Glass will, most likely, have their privacy invaded. Having the camera taking a picture every five seconds makes you wonder; where do all of the pictures and videos go? Well, they are streamed to Google administrators who will then publish them on the web for every eye with access to the internet to view. Although there is a way to set a privacy button so that Google can’t take your photos, the Glass comes preprogrammed to send all its data to Google. You ask why this is such a big issue? It is because though other people may not have their privacy button on. Unwanted videos and pictures of you may end up on the internet, causing more problems.
    The glass comes with a miniature digital screen that can display pictures, and other information for the wearer to see. That is also a problem. If you’re in conversation with someone, how could you tell if they are listening to you or not? You can’t. The person you are conversing with could be looking at pictures, reading a book or even be texting while you’re talking. All they would have to do to convince you that they’re listening is nod, or just give a simple answer. Though it’s a disadvantage, it can also be a benefit. For instance, maybe you’re at a historical monument and it lacks information. If you take a picture or search it, you could learn more about it online. Also, before you eat somewhere, you could search for restaurant reviews.
    Besides these drawbacks, I think that the Google Glass is an ingenious idea. The company should fix its problems so it will be fit for purchase. In my opinion, the human race is ready for this futuristic invention.

    Imagine being bitten by mosquitoes 132 times and having no ointment to relieve the itching. Well, I guess that’s just something you have to live with in a rural place such as Kenny Lake, Alaska. I was ten miles back on a trail; I had crossed threw bogs, and made my way up a mountain and down to the other side. Finally it was time to rest. Once I sat down I had noticed little red dots across my arm. At first I just thought, oh it’s probably just a rash. I’ll be fine. Little did I know that they were mosquito bites and just an hour later I would begin itching them. That night my sister counted my mosquito bites and found I had over a hundred.
    There are many benefits to make up for the disadvantages of living in a rural community. There is a sense of liberty, one that a city person isn’t able to feel. You have the freedom to build whatever you want; you don’t need to get a special permit. Also it’s very tranquil; rather than the buzzing of traffic, you get to hear the sounds of nature, the wind blowing through the trees or the gentle sound of a nearby creek.
    Another advantage of living in the bush is that you’re on nature’s doorstep, but that can also be a disadvantage. It’s a good thing because it isn’t every day that you get to watch a black bear roam around your yard, or have a great horned owl camp outside your window. The list of benefits could go on, but I’d like to keep this blog short and simple.
    Now time to state the drawbacks of living in a rural area. A huge problem is living far away from large grocery stores and other shops. Since we don’t live near any, we have to stock up when we are in town, which is spendy. But they last awhile. Dentist and doctor appointments mean a lengthy trip into town as well. Staying overnight is required on some of these excursions which can really be expensive, not to mention the high cost of gas to get to town.

Sometimes I have trouble filling my free time because I run out of activities to do. There are just not a lot of activities to do here unless you enjoy being outdoors all the time, winter or summer, rain or shine. Having no movie theatres, bowling alleys, or malls to hang out at, really makes for a difficult social life.

                Kenny Lake is truly a stunning place. Sure there are many disadvantages to living in such a rural community, but there is also an endless list of advantages.

    Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”
     A few days ago I was reading an article my teacher, Mr.Voley, gave to me from The Washington Post. It was about the man who committed the heinous crimes in Newtown, Connecticut. It has provoked me into thinking about the negative ways technology has affected us: mentally and physically. Adam Lanza, the shooter in the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, found community among gamers. He avoided interactions with people as much as he possibly could, spending most of his time in his room playing violent video games. Instead of socially interacting with humans, he did so with virtual ones on a screen. “It was an illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship,” one lady told Michael Rosenwald of The Washington Post. This is a clear example of how technology can hurt you mentally.
    A couple of weeks ago I was watching Savannah Gutherie’s Dateline story about being too digitally attached to your electronics. She gave evidence by challenging four Californian college girls to go without all of their electronics for two weeks. One of the ladies believed that after eight hours of living without her Smartphone, she was experiencing anxiety, headaches, the feeling that she was possibly about to puke, and even having withdrawals. I believe, some of the quotes from them, show just how much people are mentally attached to their technology like, “No phone, no life,” and “I feel like I abandoned my phone.” They even said not being online is like having a digital death.

                A few of the ladies didn’t know what to do without tweeting, texting, hash tagging, and all the other social networking they’re a part of. They improvised and bought magazines on the latest celebrity drama. While driving somewhere they had to use the old school way of finding their destination: a map. They weren’t able to decipher it so they had to stop and ask a person where to go. Not being able to text and drive, like one of them usually does, caused one lady to scrawl out her to-do list on a notebook.

                An additional comment one of the women made was she believes some things you just can’t say to another in person. It makes it easier to communicate sometimes if you just text them. People should feel like they are able to say anything aloud to each other.

                Technology also has benefits. For example: it makes financing more manageable. You can now swipe and pay for items with your credit card using a machine that you can hook to your phone. Another perk about it is it makes communications easier. Also, it can help make learning simpler like the computer program, Rosetta Stone does.

                In some ways I believe technology is destroying human behavior, but in others it’s giving the human race advantages. People shouldn’t depend on technology, and if you do, maybe you should consider going on a digital diet. Technology makes social interaction harder, takes face-to-face socializing away, and you may become socially detached. One advantage is it makes life easier, but then again it can also make life harder. I think if we keep progressing the way we are with technology, we will start to depend on it for everything.

    I started the day off thinking it would just be another regular day. Little did I know it would end up being pretty unusual.
    First of all I went to Anchorage with my friend, Liz. Second, we went to the mall which I rarely do. Then we decided to go watch the Kenny Lake volleyball team play for third place at the state championships.
     After that one of Liz’s mom’s friends asked if we would like to go to an Aces game because they had three extra tickets. It would be my very first game. We then went to our hotel to drop a few things off and call a cab since the weather conditions were terrible, and if we tried driving there we would get stuck in the snow. We called literally every cab company, but either received no answer at all or were told to hold. The game was going to start in 10 minutes and we were still stuck at our hotel. Since we were out of options, Liz’s mom then called her friend to tell him that we couldn’t make it. A few minutes later, he called back saying he found us a ride. Ecstatically, Liz and I pranced down the hall immediately transformed out of our distraught mood.
    Entering the arena was kind of overwhelming. Liz and I were alone trying to find our seats, but couldn’t find them. So then we went to find her mom who then led us to them. Just as we were sitting down, the game began; we got there just in the nick of time. 
    In the first period the Alaska Aces scored four and the Idaho Grizzlies three. I didn’t know that you were supposed to stand up and scream when they scored so I was the only one sitting down. Mozzonlini scored three times in the first period. Because of that they took a small break and let the crowd throw their hats on the ice to celebrate. After the period was over, they had a 10- minute break. Liz and I used this break to go purchase a soda from the vending machine. Apparently so did everyone else because a flood of people pushed us past it. When we finally got there I was having a fight with the vending machine which would not take my five dollar bill. The line was building up behind me and I could tell people were getting annoyed. Then one of my friends pointed out you have to put the money in heads up. I then quickly shoved it in and grabbed my soda and started back for our seats. I was just about to run into someone when Liz told me to watch out. The lady beside Liz thought she was talking to her and snottily said, “You watch out.” I guess that lady got up on the wrong side of the bed. When we got back to our seats, we cracked up laughing about the little incident.
    Second period was by far the best. There were multiple fights and one pretty big one where all the players were going at it. I believe they were all staged. By the end of the period, Aces led five to three. In the break a polar bear mascot came out onto the ice and started shooting t-shirts into the crowd. The group of people I was with attracted the attention of the bear and one t-shirt shot at us.
    The last period was great. One of the grizzlies received a 10-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, leaving only four of their players on the ice. The Aces came close to scoring several times during the time Idaho had a penalty and in the last 20 seconds they scored, finishing off the game eight to four.
    Since there were eight goals made and 40 shots, The Outback Steakhouse decided to give everyone, 18 and older, a free steak and fortune cookie. It was kind of a rip off because there were so many kids at the game. On the way out of the arena, the guy that was giving people fortune cookies let Liz and I take one. I happened to grab a package with two inside, I guess that made me extra lucky.
    I had an amazing, unusual day of shopping, watching volleyball, and attending a hockey game. I wish that every trip to Anchorage was as enjoyable as that one.

    Do you believe the myth that cats can land on all fours? I didn’t know the truth about this until I was told a story. My grandpa passed it on to my mom, who then told my sister and me.
     Over 50 years ago a four-year-old boy, my Great Uncle Ron, went missing. This had my Great Grandma Etta worried sick. She searched everywhere for her little Ron, but was unsuccessful in finding him. Tired of looking, she asked her older son, my grandpa, to look for Ron. The family farm was pretty big, 80 acres, so it was a lot of space for a little kid to wander off and get lost. After awhile, he still couldn’t seem to find the audacious little boy.
    Later that day, she spotted my great uncle climbing to the top of the silo with the family cat in his arms. Right away she asked my grandpa to bring him down. There wasn’t enough room for my grandpa to climb up to get him so he had to talk Ron down. He asked him, “What are you doing up there?” Ron replied, “I want to see if the barn cat can land on his feet like they say cats can.” Moments later, Ron threw the cat off, the cat meowing in great horror. Grandpa watched aghast as it somersaulted through the air. To his dismay, the cat did land on all fours. It wasn’t hurt, but was never seen again.
    After the cat ran off, my grandpa convinced Ron to climb down from the silo. My great grandma was relieved that Ron was safe and unharmed. After everybody calmed down, they had a good laugh about the day’s events.
    So now you know that cats can land on all fours, but I wonder what would happen if you tied a piece of toast to the back of a cat…since toast lands butter side down.

    Have you ever heard of the term Black Friday, referring to the busiest shopping day of the whole year? I’d be surprised if you haven’t. Well, my family and I participated in our first ever Black Friday, and it was a nightmare.
    Our first stop was Sears. About two hours earlier when we passed the store, there were only five or so cars parked outside, but when we came back later the parking lot was full. There weren’t any parking spaces open, which forced us to parallel park in the grass. It was even worse inside the store though. People roamed about everywhere grabbing tons of objects, most of which were probably for Christmas presents. The checkout lines were outrageous. We stood in line for at least an hour, but I think it was worth the wait because we received some pretty amazing deals.
    Target was even worse so we didn’t even attempt going in there. The few minutes we spent at the store were entertaining. We got to watch a truck and car race each other for a parking space. The truck prevailed. 
    The next morning, the actual Black Friday, we woke at six and started shopping by seven. Every place we went to was pretty chaotic, but not as bad as it was the night before. After awhile, I could tell my family was ready to stop shopping, and escape the stampedes of people that kept rushing into every store we came to.
    It’s easy to say I don’t think I will be going Black Friday shopping again, though there were some incredible deals so maybe I will.

    I went to bed excited for the next day’s events. My sister was going to be competing in the state cross country race, in which she would later place tenth.
    When I woke up the next morning, I looked out the window and saw a blanket of snow covering everything. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. There was a quote I heard: “Snow is like an annoying cousin, you are excited for the first five minutes then you want them to leave.” I felt the same way when I opened the curtains to a parking lot full of snow. For a brief moment I was excited until I realized that winter was going to begin soon, and fall would end.
     Later, when I went outside, I realized how unprepared I was. The only coat I had with me was a sweatshirt, and my only shoes were sneakers. My irritation of being cold vanished when an impromptu snowball fight began with my friend Liz. Even when we arrived at the races the athletes didn’t seem bothered by the wet conditions. As the snow melted, the race course turned into a muddy mess causing some of the runners to slip and fall. As I watched them, I started to think of the upcoming activities that winter would bring: a few hours of snow machining followed by a movie while drinking hot chocolate. I also began anticipating skating parties and late night hockey games. I can’t wait for winter to start, but I know once it does I’ll want it to stop.                 

    Hi I’m Amanda Wygant and I live on a farm in Kenny Lake, Alaska. My family’s farm consists of two horses, a dog, and 11 chickens. We also have four pet fish and at least 15 snails. I am currently in eighth grade and starting my ninth year at Kenny Lake School. I’m so excited to be in Mr. Voley’s Writers’ Workshop Class, and I am hoping that my writing skills will grow.
    Here are some of my interests and hobbies so that you can get to know me a little bit better. My whole life I’ve loved animals. They are so cute and every single one has his/her own personality. For many of you who know me, one of my favorites is chickens.
    Some activities I love are hiking, snow machining, four wheeling, photography, swimming, and biking. Even if it is minus 20 degrees below Fahrenheit I am still up for a little snow machining as long as we have hot chocolate to drink after. Almost every day last summer I went swimming, either in Willow creek or Pippin Lake. It’s hard to believe, but I never got a leech on me from swimming. I have always loved taking photos. I started when I was little. I used to steal my mom’s camera and take photos of random things.
    I also enjoy traveling to new places. Even before I get there I am jittery and can’t sit in my seat. But who isn’t? It is sometimes your first time traveling to that place, and for others one of many, but you still get that feeling. Last year my family took a trip to Arizona. One of the places we stopped was the Grand Canyon and it was gorgeous. The geographical part of it is just plain amazing. I love how the rock is shaded going from a rusty red to tan and then a deep brown, and how it repeats itself over and over till it reaches the river or hits the ground. If you just stand out on one of the cliffs and look off into the distance it goes on forever, making it feel like the whole world is right in front of you. It gets you thinking, like how long it took the river to carve such a beautiful place. Or it causes the occasional butterflies to sprout in your stomach when you stare over the edge hoping that you won’t fall. In the future I would love to go back there along with many of the other places we visited. Another goal I have is to travel to different countries and experience other cultures. Since I am interested in photography maybe that is something I could do in the future to see the world.
    I hope this year you find my stories intriguing and entertaining. I am looking forward to writing on many different subjects.