A Day at Fort Ross

This picture was drawn by Colleen

Dear Diary,

Today was some day at Fort Ross. There was more to being a cook than I thought. First we had to get our supplies from the supply shed. We got a few pots and pans along with a broom. At the time it was sprinkling but we had to get a fire going I had to put in dry wood and pine needles. The rain finally lifted and Chris (a friend) lit the needles with a match. I tended the fire for a bit and than went inside to chop lettuce. When the lettuce was all chopped, I did the thing I probably liked least, churning the butter. I took a bowl of whipped cream and had to take a stick with an "X" at the end so I could turn it left, right, and up to make whipped cream into butter. I only lasted five minutes until someone else had to take over. I tell you, it is a messy job! I had no idea that my favorite part would come tomorrow, cracking eggs. I felt good, but I wish I was outside more.

The nightwatch that night was spectacular! As we walked around the fort that night miraculous blue bolts of lighing and thunder struck the skies. It was easy to see the lightning because it was dark out. Finally we sat by the fire while an amazingly clear sky hung over our heads. We sat and told jokes but out of all the jokes I heard I thought this one was the funniest: Once Tom, Mike, and Harry were walking when they saw a haunted house. Tom went in and saw a dollar bill on the table. As he was sticking out his hand to grab the bill a voice said "I'm the son of Lable Mable. That dollar bill belongs on the table." Tom ran out screaming. Then Mike went in, again he saw the bill. As he was about to grab it a voice boomed out "I'm the son of Lable Mable. That dollar bill belongs on the table." Mike ran out screaming just like Tom. Finally, Harry went in and he saw the dollar bill. As he was about to grab it the same voice said, "I'm the son of Lable Mable. That dollar bill belongs on the table." Harry replied, "I'm the son of Rocket Socket, and that dollar bill belongs in my pocket."

It started to rain so we went inside. Inside, we got hot cocoa and Russian Tea Cakes. We all played charades and towards the end of our shift I played dominoes. I felt calm and relaxed.

Day 2

Dear Diary:

This morning was compact. First all of us went to the beach. Tan sand, slimy seaweed, and a creek wound to the end of the beach. After that, I washed the dishes. There was a blue pan all covered in soot so it looked pure black. Washing the dishes in hot water is a lot of work. The last part of the trip was the trading post. I bought an umbrella, a fan, a candle, a backscratcher, a basket, and a leather pouch. This trip was an adventure.

What I Will Remember

Fort Ross had many great events and memories to remember. But everyone thinks that different events are better than others. The three things that I will remember for a long time are seeing the lightning, tending the fire, and tasting the chicken.

While we were taking the silent walk, a flash of blue lightning struck the sky. It showed up really well since it was dark out. Then it struck again. Oh, I can not describe the beauty of such a strike. Lightning is uncommon but when it strikes, it's worth seeing. The lightning lit up the night sky like a huge lantern. I have to say I was shocked but was still excited.

Tending the fire is a difficult thing to do. I started out by putting logs and pine needles in the fire pit, and then Chris lit it with a match. I had to gather logs and sticks so I could feed the fire. Also, I had to carry wet wood over so I could put it by the fire to dry. Here are some tips. Start the fire with dry wood. After the fire is blazing, add wet wood; it burns slowly. If the fire stops and coals are glowing, blow on the coals. When doing that, stand back because sparks will fly out. If you put in acorns or pine cones, they will pop and spark. Tiny parts of the fire will fly out, only the size of the tip of a pin. Don't worry, it dies out in seconds. Tending the fire is a cool job.

YUM! Chicken! Good old chicken. Out of all the food that was served, chicken was the one I liked best. I even had two legs. Unfortunately, we had to work to get it. I had to eat my first course of borscht, then my second. The chicken was in the second course. That chicken tasted great after a day full of hard work.

You can also check out my friends experience Mark's Experience, Keith's Eperience, and Michael's Experience.