Flat Stanley's Travels

How to Read Flat Stanley's Adventures

2005-04-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

So, you happened upon my website. Well, before you continue to read any of the diary entries below, what you need to know is that my diary is backwards. It is like reading a book at the end first.

If you want to read about my adventures in the sequence they happened, I *highly* recommend reading from the bottom up. If you look at the Archives in the lower left column of this website, you will see the date ranges. Start with the first day I arrived, which is Friday, 3.18.2005. Click on the link to the range of 3/13/2005-3/19/2005 and scroll to the bottom. Then start reading from the bottom (first diary entry) up! Or, you can click this link and it will take you to that first week.

Please feel free to comment at the end of each diary entry. You can do that by clicking on the word 'comments' below each entry. A new window will appear. Go down and find 'Post a comment' again at the end of the thread post. Click on one more time. A box will appear on the right of the screen to type in your comment. Then, choose your identity or log in for a new one. You can even post as 'Anonymous'. It is fun. Give it a try.

Try clicking on the photos as you read about my adventures. Some of them will link to other sites. Some of them will enlarge giving you a better view of the picture. Especially the ones that I am in. :)

Thank you for reading about my adventures in Tucson, Arizona.

Sincerely,

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley Goes Home to Ohio

2005-04-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the end of my Tucson adventure. Tomorrow I will be going home via postal mail. I was supposed to go home last week, but my host forgot to mail me on time.

I am really looking forward to going home. I enjoyed my stay in Tucson and learning about the culture here, but I really miss Ana. It is time to say Adios! to the Sonoran desert and Hola! to my Ohio family.

I am bringing home some things from my travels to give to Ana. I hope she enjoys reading about my adventures in Tucson. Maybe she will mail me to another state in a few months so I can have adventures all around the country!

Tonight as I say my 'goodbyes' to Rocky, we sit and watch the full moon while the clouds drift by. It was an incredible adventure!

Sunny Sunday. Day 17

2005-04-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

Daylight savings begins today, but not in Tucson! Tucson does not observe it, therefore, Tucsonans do not change their clock settings during the year. Sometimes they are on Pacific time like California, other times they are on Mountain time. I haven't been anywhere before where they did not change their clocks twice a year!

Tomorrow is my last day here. I am getting kind of tired, so it will be nice to go home to my own bed.

I saw something on the news tonight that was very interesting. It was called 'Icebreak on the Santa Cruz' contest. Huh? Do they get ice here, I asked?

Cheryl started laughing. She told me it is the first day of the year that the temperature reaches 100 degrees. The station, KVOA, has a contest that you can enter to predict when it will be. She said it is almost always in the month of May, and that in the past few years it has been in the early to mid part of May around noon.

They used to give out trips to Alaska but this year they are giving out a KIA car. I couldn't enter it because I am not old enough. Oh, well. I did get to drive Cheryl's car!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, My! Day 16

2005-04-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Reid Park Zoo is this really neat zoo in the middle of Tucson with a pond with ducks in the park area. There are all kinds of animals there, including lions, tigers, and bears. You can see all the lovely and exotic birds.

They let you go on photo safaris while you learn about all the animals.

They even have a special place on their website just for kids.I think the most unique animal is the Southern White Rhinoceros.

They also let you adopt animals. Here are some of the choices:

Kookaburra
Mandrill Baboon
Aldabra Tortoise
Grevy's Zebra
Oriental Small-Clawed Otter
Chilean Flamingo

Lion-Tailed Macaque
South American Caiman
Llama
White-Handed Gibbon
Reticulated Giraffe
Giant Anteater

I like this zoo very much!

Who's an April Fool? Day 15

2005-04-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

We were going to think of some fun April Fool's jokes to play today, but somehow as the day progressed we got too caught up in doing other things.

I decided instead, I would show you another picture of our lovable fool, Rocky:

It's too bad he is such a temperamental brat who likes to ruin all Cheryl's stuff, because he sure is cute and she sure does like him otherwise.

Click on his picture to see him enlarged. Then if you get a little magnifying glass, click again and you can really get a big picture of him.

What a Buck Buys: Day 14

2005-03-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

Today I got to go on an adventure in shopping. It is called 'Dollaring'.

Everything is $.99 at Cheryl's favorite pastime. 'Dollaring' is going to a variety of stores around Tucson where everything in the store is one dollar or less. The challenge is to get nice and useful things, and not just junk. I was amazed at how many 'dollar' stores there are in Tucson. There are likely at least 100. Tucson has big malls, but almost every block is also a strip mall.

Tucson is also very spread out. The people who live up in the mountains get to have a great view of the entire city and stars. Closer to town it is more congested.

Cheryl lives inside the city limits, but on the edge enough to have nice views.

Dollaring is an adventure because you end up traveling quite a distance to get to all the stores. I couldn't figure out what I wanted so I bought some powder to absorb Rocky's urine that he seems to want to share with everyone...everywhere. :)

This is the store closest to us that has some good stuff to get. Cheryl let me ride in the cart and the staff liked me so much, they wanted to offer me a job!

Biosphere: An Experiment in Ecosystems...Day 13

2005-03-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Today I learned about a place called 'Biosphere' just north of where I was staying. Here is some information we found on the web which will tell you all about it:

"Built in the late 1980s with $150 million in funding from Texas oil magnate Edward Bass, Biosphere 2 was designed as an airtight replica of Earth's environment (Biosphere 1). This 7,200,000-cubic-foot sealed glass and space-frame structure contains 5 biomes, including a 900,000-gallon ocean, a rain forest, a desert, agricultural areas and a human habitat.

Some of the early designers and managers were interested in space travel and the possibility of colonizing the Moon or Mars. By building Biosphere 2 and sealing people inside, they hoped to learn what problems would arise from living in a closed system. So it was that in 1991, a colony of 8 people set about to live inside Biosphere 2 for two years.

The people who were selected to be Biospherians and live inside Biosphere 2 during the two closure periods with humans came from 7 different countries. All spent several years in training to become more proficient in their own fields as well as gaining expertise in the skills of the others.

The first crew of Biospherians (4 women and 4 men) entered Biosphere 2 on September 26, 1991. The crew members remained inside for two years despite various problems, including limited agricultural productivity, and emerged on September 26, 1993. After a 6-month transition period, a second crew of 7 biospherians (5 men and 2 women) entered Biosphere 2. Unfortunately, after a number of physical and social problems developed, the project soon suffered scientific disdain and public ridicule before these experiments were suspended in 1994. Since then, there have been no resident crews living inside Biosphere 2, and no future human habitation is planned..."

Click here for more info.

'Til Tuesday: Day 12

2005-03-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today we did lots of cooking different types of food. It was fun to mix salsa and spices with chicken.

During the early evening, we watched the sunset. It was so bright orange and beautiful. This is from the living room balcony:

Can you see me? You might have to click to see an enlarged image.

Mondays, Mondays. Just another day...11.

2005-03-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up to a beautiful sunrise. I didn't think the sunrises could be as gorgeous as the sunsets, but they were. I helped Cheryl work today. We worked on some websites and articles, and I got to read and respond to email.

Tucson has a really cool museum of live animals. It is called the Desert Museum. Animals get to live in their natural habitats. Here is a picture of a mountain Lion and a lady taking his picture:

They also have a gem and mineral museum:

This cavern is really neat. Look at these formations coming down from the ceiling. Do you know what they are called?

They have a kids section too. If you check this site, you can read more fun facts.

Origins of Easter: Day 10

2005-03-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Christian holiday of Easter, we found this interesting article on:

Origins of Easter
Brief history of the spring holiday
by David Johnson

Christians celebrate Easter to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some trappings of modern Easter celebrations, however, pre-date Christianity and have ancient pagan roots.

Ancient Fertility Goddess

Easter takes its name from Ishtar, the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess of love and fertility. The Phoenicians knew her as Astarte, sister and consort of Baal, a God worshipped in much of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Some of the ancient Hebrews also worshipped Baal.

Astarte spread through Europe, becoming Ostara, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, fertility, and the rising sun. The Old English word for Easter, "Eastre" refers to Ostara.

Around the second century A.D., Christian missionaries seeking to convert the tribes of northern Europe realized that the time of the crucifixion of Jesus roughly coincided with the Teutonic springtime celebrations, which emphasized the triumph of life over death. Christian Easter gradually absorbed the traditional symbols.

Eggs and Rabbits Have Long Legacies

The egg and the rabbit, two of Easter's most common symbols, also have ancient associations with spring.

Eggs symbolize birth and fertility in many cultures. Ancient Egyptians and the Persians colored eggs to give as gifts during their spring festival.

The legends of ancient Egypt connect the hare, which comes out at night to feed, with the moon. Rabbits have remained fertility symbols in other, later cultures.

According to Anglo-Saxon myth Ostara, wanting to delight some children one day, turned her pet bird into a rabbit. The rabbit proceeded to lay brightly colored eggs, which Ostara gave to the children.

Easter Egg Hunts

In ancient Europe, eggs of different colors were taken from the nests of various birds and used to make talismans. The eggs were often ritually eaten. The search through the woods for eggs gradually evolved into the Easter egg hunt, while painted eggs eventually replaced wild birds' eggs. Easter baskets were probably originally intended to resemble birds' nests.

Forbidden Eggs

In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Therefore they were a prized Easter gift for children and servants.

Eggs were painted bright colors to resemble the sun and springtime. Often, the colors and patterns had romantic symbolism, and lovers exchanged eggs as they send Valentine's Day cards today.

Different Traditions

Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and in Greece, painted eggs bright red to resemble the blood of Christ. Hollow eggs (created by piercing the shell with a needle and blowing out the contents) were decorated with pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other religious figures in Armenia.

Germans gave green eggs as gifts on Holy Thursday. They also hung hollow eggs on trees. Austrians placed tiny plants around the egg and then boiled them. When the plants were removed, white patterns were created.

Artistic Creations

The most elaborate Easter egg traditions appear to have emerged in Eastern Europe. In Poland and Ukraine, eggs were often painted silver and gold. Pysanky (to design or write) eggs were created by carefully applying wax in patterns to an egg. The egg was then dyed, wax would be reapplied in spots to preserve that color, and the egg was boiled again in other shades. The result was a multi-color stripped or patterned egg.

Cards and Chocolate

Easter cards arrived in Victorian England, when a stationer added a greeting to a drawing of a rabbit. The cards proved popular.

The Germans probably began making chocolate bunnies and eggs. Immigrants took the custom to Pennsylvania. As Easter celebrations became more common after the Civil War, the custom of chocolate eggs took hold.

Easter Parades

After their baptisms, early Christians wore white robes all through Easter week to indicate their new lives. Those had already been baptized wore new clothes instead to symbolize their sharing a new life with Christ.

In Medieval Europe, churchgoers would take a walk after Easter Mass, led by a crucifix of the Easter candle. Today these walks endure as Easter Parades. People show off their spring finery, including lovely bonnets decorated for spring."

We are going to spend our Easter relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day. We might even take a trip to LaSalsa for some veggie tacos!

Saturday Somethings: Day 9

2005-03-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

Rocky was at it again today. There was a really nice dove that came to visit and was eating some food off Cheryl's balcony. Suddenly she looks up as she heard a scuffle and saw bird feathers flying all over. The bird got away (thank goodness) but Cheryl was mad at Rocky. She told him he has plenty of food and can play with the birds but not hurt them. Rocky went and scoured the balcony, eating the birds feathers wherever they landed. Did you know that cats like feathers? I didn't. This cat sure loves them.

Cheryl locked him out for a good part of the day. He was mad and stood by the glass pane looking in; whining to be invited inside. We ignored him. Then he tried to get cute and rolled around the balcony to gain our empathy.

He was so cute we had to let him in.

Later in the day we needed to do some shopping. We had discount coupons for the local Albertson's so we handed them out to customers. Some were surprised, some very grateful, others were sort of rude. Hmm. Why would you be rude about getting a free $5.00 savings? We weren't sure.

It was an uneventful day but very beautiful out. The days were in the 70s, and at night the stars are bright and the full moon welcoming against the glorious royal blue sky.

We tried to take pictures, but you can only see the moon and some clouds...not all the blue and contrast like in real life.

Not-so-Good Friday, Day 8

2005-03-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Today Cheryl was in a bad mood because of the neighbors having the car alarm on for 24 hours and she didn't get any sleep. So, instead of getting work done and then doing fun stuff, she had to work all day.

I took some more pictures of the sunsets and mountains.

I want to get up and also see the nice sunrises.

I had fun with Rocky too. I gave him some organic catnip on a plate. He was so funny. After eating some, he breathed in more and starting doing kitty sneezes in a really cute way. Then, he started to roll around in the catnip and then lick himself wherever the catnip ended up. It was funny to try to see him get it off his cheek. He is a really silly cat with unique personality.

White Dove of the Desert: Day 7

2005-03-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Mission San Xavier del Bac

This is a beautiful Mission in the Southwestern part of Tucson. Inside the church it is quite small, but extremely beautiful. They have been working several years of restoration to get off all the wax and soot from candles burning that had affected the statues and paintings.

Cheryl started to film inside and the priest had to tell the folks not to do it during mass. She was pretty embarrassed. So, we don't have any film to share but there are photos on the website.

This mission is both beautiful inside and outside.

Here is a little history:
"From the earliest times, the Tohono O'odham settlement in which the Mission is located was called Bac, "place where the water appears," because the Santa Cruz River, which ran underground for some distance, reappears on the surface nearby.

The celebrated Jesuit missionary and explorer, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, first visited Bac in 1692. Eight years later in 1700, Father Kino laid the foundations of the first church, some two miles north of the present site of the Mission. He named it San Xavier in honor of his chosen patron, St. Francis Xavier, the illustrious Jesuit "Apostle of the Indies."

In 1768, Fray Francisco Hermengildo Garces, a man of outstanding personality and prodigious accomplishments among all missionaries in Arizona, established his headquarters at San Xavier. From here this Franciscan Friar set forth on his many missionary explorations.

The present church was built from 1783 - 1797 by the Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz. Little is know about the actual labor of the construction of the church, who was the architect, who were the artisans, but many believe it was the Tohono O'odham who fulfilled these roles. Why the one tower was never completed is still a mystery, but hopefully one day this question will be answered.

San Xavier Mission is acclaimed by many to be the finest example of mission architecture in the United States. It is a graceful blend of Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architecture, yet the blending is so complete it is hard to tell where one type begins and another ends."

To read more, visit their website click. There is also information here.

Day 6: Rocky does a bad thing

2005-03-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today we spent half the day cleaning up after Rocky. He was having a terrible temper tantrum and got very anxious and whiny. He was talking and complaining very loudly. We tried petting him, feeding him and talking to him but nothing worked. Finally, he went out and peed on Cheryl's balcony. The odor was horrible. She was not happy. It was very hard to clean up because of the porous floor. Most already soaked in. So, after many hours, the smell is still there. We have to try hosing it down again tomorrow.

Cheryl got very mad and told the neighbor he needs to change Rocky's litter box regularly; that was why Rocky was acting that way.

So, I didn't get to do much or see much because of that cat. I am not sure we will be friends anymore. Take a look at his guilty face by clicking here.

Computer Hacker: Day 5

2005-03-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today we didn't get to go anywhere because someone hacked Cheryl's website and computer. So, I spent the day helping her document and recover her files.

Then, I went to the swimming pool. I was going to dive in, but remembered that it might damage my sensitive skin.

So, instead I lounged on the chairs surrounding the pool and listened to the birds sing. There sure are a lot of birds that visit here this time of year. I saw finches, doves, crows, and a really noisy raven.

Then, I played tennis on the tennis court with some kids who were out having fun. I got a good workout. I hadn't played tennis before so they taught me what to do. They even created a special racquet for me to use.

A Taste of Mexico and Movies too! Day 4

2005-03-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Later in the afternoon we went to the famous. I really enjoyed the great food; especially the salsa. The staff was kind enough to pose with me in photos. The first photo is Abel holding me:

Here I am eating my veggie tacos:

We went to New Life Heath Center and I got my picture taken with the clerk, Lynn:

Then off to two movies. First, I got my picture taken with the ticket booth operator.

Then, I got my photo taken with the two ticket takers inside:

Finally, inside the movie, I took a picture of Nicolas Cage in

National Treasure and Cheryl took a picture of me in the seat watching.

After, we watched A Very Long Engagement.

It was a fun-filled day!

Day 3: Sunday's Adventures

2005-03-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a relaxing day. I read the Sunday paper and checked out the news stories around Tucson. Rocky came over and was in and out all day. He was rolling around in some catnip acting kind of crazy. I was laughing really hard. He was a little afraid of me at first. Then he came up and decided he liked me. We played for quite awhile. He was rolling around on the floor, grasping me with his legs and paws. He was very gentle. Nonetheless, my host was worried he would damage my clothes so she scooped me up and sat me on her chair. She made sure to take a picture of us first.

The most exciting part of my day was when Cheryl let me drive. My legs were not long enough to reach the pedals, so she let me sit on her lap and gently guided the steering wheel. However, I was the one who was really controlling the wheel.

See below:

I got my picture taken with my host:

Then read some magazines and watched tv before going to bed.

The Mysterious Aluminum Face: Day 2

2005-03-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

I awoke very excited today. All night long I had dreams of Southwestern foods I was going to be exposed to today. I was up early, but my hostess didn't get up until past 7:30 a.m. She apologized when she got up, and stated she was not feeling very well. We wouldn't be going to all the fun food festivals after all. Bummer. She really felt badly for being such a 'terrible host'. She promised before I left Tucson, that she would take me to her all time favorite restaurant. It is this inexpensive, authentic Mexican restaurant where you can eat all the salsa you want, and all the staff speaks Spanish as their first language (or at least is very fluent). Cheryl said she eats there several times a week because the people are so nice and the food so good. She had just eaten there last night before she picked me up.

Most of the day Cheryl was working on building websites again. I was pretty bored with it, even though she did show me some cool things she created. She doesn't really know what she is doing so she gets very excited if something actually works.

I spent most of the afternoon outside on her balcony. She lives on the third floor in a large complex and has great views on 3 sides. I got to see the neighbor's cat who comes over and chases the birds off the balcony that Cheryl keeps trying to feed. The cat's name is Rocky, but Cheryl said he is more like 'wimpy'. He constantly talks very loudly to her while she is trying to work. She seems to really like kids and animals, so I was happy about that.

Cheryl decided to join me in the late afternoon. We played out on the balcony after a nice rain. Then, she had me sit on some rocks while she took these pictures of me.

You can see the mountain range behind me and lots of palm and pine trees. These mountains are called the Catalinas.

She also has a view of the Rincon mountains to the east. She told me the only reason she lives in this place is because the views are so beautiful with the palm trees, pines, mountains and green grass. Plus there is plenty of nature like wild birds who visit. I was surprised how most of Tucson is rocks, sand, dirt and cacti. My host is from the Midwest, so she said she really missed all the green but likes the mild winters here.

We had fun taking pictures. Cheryl then had an idea. She decided she would build a web page, called a weblog (or BLOG for short) in honor of my visit. She said she would post a daily diary of my adventures that I dictated to her, and would also post some pictures. That way my family back in Ohio could have a permanent record of my travels. I was very excited by this.

She decided to use a service she already uses, called blogger.com. However, when she tried to register 'flatstanley.blogspot.com', someone else already used it. So, instead, we decided to use this one!.

We were both curious who had the other site, so we clicked here. I didn't know there was another Flat Stanley out there also going on adventures. What's more, he is from my home state! He lives in Cincinnati and we read about his first days adventures. Cheryl said she would have liked his hostess because they write the same way and have similar humor.

Now to the really good stuff. Cheryl made me some of her organic chicken. She cooked it in foil. When it was ready to take out of the oven, boy did we get a big surprise. There was a mysterious face staring back at us! Cheryl asked me to grab her camera and take this picture.

If you click on the face, you can see it enlarged. We then loaded the photo into the computer and decided to dissect it. I found three more things that Cheryl couldn't: a nostril, eyelashes, and a neck. Can you see them? Click on this photo for others.

Cheryl thinks the Aluminum Face looks like Japanese Anime.
What do you think? .

We thought of a fun project. Click on the first face and print out. Then, take tracing paper and draw the face with all the features (eyes, nose, mouth, chin, teeth, etc.) Then, take a flesh colored crayon or colored pencil, like peach, and color in the face. Add color to the eyes, lips, etc. Don't forget to add hair. See if you can make the face look like the Anime above. Good luck!

I arrived on a good Friday. Day 1, 3.18.05

2005-03-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

I arrived (unannounced) in the mailbox on Friday, March 18 of my hostess, Cheryl. She lives in Tucson, Arizona. All I know about Tucson is there are cowboys, desert, and it gets very, very hot in the summertime. I am glad I arrived in Spring. Cheryl was ecstatic to see me as she had been anticipating my arrival for a couple of weeks. The drive from the post office to her home was uneventful, because she negated to take me out of my envelope. I was beginning to think I was with a really scary person. When she finally got me home and took me out of my carrier, a wide grin crept over her face. She commented on how cute I was, and what a wonderful outfit I was wearing. I felt relieved that she was genuinely pleased to meet me.

I didn't arrive until late evening, and Cheryl was busy working on her computer. I just sort of took a look around her place while she worked on websites. I was shocked at how messy her place was; boxes stacked in every room, no furniture in her living and dining room, all her cupboards but one in the kitchen were empty. I had heard stories about people like this, so I started to get scared again. Upon noticing my apprehension, she started to laugh. Cheryl explained that she had been packed for a few months already, anticipating a move. However, the move got delayed so she is living out of boxes, literally, until the final move plans are cemented.

She explained that she was pretty tired and that we will do some fun things tomorrow. I was a little embarrassed because she caught me reading her information on the computer while she stepped out of the room. I apologized but she said it was 'okay' and I could read anything I was capable of. Cheryl stated that tomorrow, she was planning on going to a couple of health fares with lots of good free food given away.

As I anticipate all the good eats I will get tomorrow I lay me down to sleep.

Flat Stanley adventures

2005-03-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Stanley. I am flat because a bulletin board fell on me while I was sleeping one night. I came to realize, being flat can be a lot of fun, because I can do things that horizontally challenged people cannot. I have traveled all the way from Columbus, Ohio. I go to Indianola Elementary School, and am in the 3^rd grade.

Site Graphics and Photos

2005-03-01T15:27:00.003-07:00

All: