Camp Sesquipdalian

Ivy

Hello Friends!  You will never guess what we have been doing this week.  Sesquipedalian Summer Camp!  We had so much fun going to the mountains and Dixie National Forest by Tropic, Utah.  It was the most amazing place and well, of course, we had an adventure!



When we arrived at our headquarters, Grumpy Sam was setting up camp.  He says he likes to go camping so he can remember how much he hates it!

!@#$%^&*()(*&^%$#@!

Obviously this was going to take a while, so we decided to do some sight seeing.  We hiked over to Bryce Canyon's Sunset Point.  The view was breathtaking!

Sunset Point at Bryce Canyon in Utah

By the time we got back, camp was all set up so we moved into our new living quarters.

Someone was watching us.

Sesquipadalians!  In the forest!

Soon the puppies happily ran off to explore. They found a hole!

"Woof!  Woof!" barked Bach (which means in dog language "A hole!")

"Yip! Yip! Yip!" yapped Tremelo, shaking (which means "Let's dig!")

We rushed over to see what Bach and Tremelo had cornered.

"Look, Lissie, it's a hole!  Do you think there is something in there?"
"Of course there is, Ivy!  Be careful" Lissie screamed. "I saw something move in there!"

We were gathered around the hole and poked sticks in it.

"Ouch! Ouch! Watch what you're doing!" cried an indignant little voice.
"Whaa?" cried Ivy
"Poking sticks in people's homes is very rude!  You ought to be ashamed!"
Bea, surprised, looked at Ivy.  Rose said, "Just a minute, girls.  Let me check this out."

Rose peered down the dark hole.  Two little black eyes stared up at her.

"Oh!  It's a tiny little animal and he is shaking all over." said Rose, wonderingly.

After a moment....

A tiny little furry head nervously poked his head out and looked around.  The girls dropped their sticks in surprise.  The dogs carefully backed away to where they would be safe.
"Hello?" said a tiny voice, looking around.
"Oh my goodness!" said Ivy.  "It's a hedgehog!"
"My name is Mr. Winkle.  Tiggy Winkle,"
"Glad to meet you Mr. Tiggy Winkle.  My name is Ivy.  These are my friends Bea and Rose, and the puppies are Tremelo and PDQ Bach."

Mr. Tiggy Winkle looked up at everybody.  He smiled.

"Glad to meet you!" said Mr. Tiggy Winkle.

We took  Mr. Tiggy Winkle with us back to camp to meet the rest of the girls.

Mr. Tiggy Winkle tells the girls of his many adventures living in the Dixie National Forest.  And they liked the little hedgehog so much, they invited him to come stay with them.

So Mr. Tiggy Winkle came home with us and we soon became the best of friends!

"Oh, Mr. Tiggy Winkle, I wish everything were as soft and cuddly as you!"

*****

I hope you have enjoyed your summer so far.  Can you play Chopsticks on the piano?

Come back to piano lessons and play chop sticks and you can earn a hedgehog puzzle eraser.

Remember to have fun with your music.  

A Crabby Adventure

Miss Karen

Hello Friends!  I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation.  I am excited to tell you about a new student we have at our Paws On Keys Boarding School!  She is a wonderful musician and... she brought a pet....








    Lula, Rose, Ivy, Lissie and I were busy getting everything ready for the new girl.  The mini-dolls were in the music room playing with the puppies....

The mini's have fun riding gentle, patient PDQ Bach.

When all of a sudden....

"What is it??" Caroline shrieked.
Josie shrieks, "Yi, yi, yi!!  Crabzilla!"
"Quick, girls, up on the sofa!" yelled Ruthie.
"HELP, HELP!" screams Ivy.
"Hurry, Ivy!" Isabell cried,  "Grab my hand and I'll pull you up!

We ran to the mini's rescue, but had a little trouble ourselves.  We didn't know what it was!  It kept snapping at our toes!

"It's a giant red spider! It has eight legs and those awful pincers!" cried Rose.
"Watch out, Bach!" Ivy screamed, "It's going to get your nose!"
 "Woof! Woof! Woof!  (which means "I am brave and I will fight you to the death!")
Lissie says, "I don't think it is a spider..."
"It's a crab!" cried Karen, "And, brave PDQ Bach is saving us!"
Tremelo shakes all over, "YIP! YIP! YIP!" (which means "Yi, Yi, Yi! I am scared to death!")

Meanwhile, our new girl came into the parlor.... 

"Well, I am here!  Where is everybody? And what is all that noise?  HALLOOO..."

I heard someone in the parlor and went running downstairs....

"Hello, you must be the new girl!", Karen said breathlessly and smiled.  "Welcome to Paws On Keys.  My name is Karen.  Please excuse us as we are having a crises at the moment!"
"Um...no problem...my name is Bea Crabb," said the new girl.
"Oh!" exclaimed Karen, "What a coincidence!"
"Uh... coincidence?" said Bea, confused, "and what is all that screaming?"
Karen laughed, "There's a crab loose upstairs and your name is Crabb!"
"Oh! You must have found Crabby!  I wondered where he went." laughed Bea.
"Come on," said Karen, "Let's go rescue the girls!"

I grabbed Bea's hand and we ran upstairs.

"Oh, my little pet! Crabby, my liebchen, I have found you!" cooed Bea. "Did those puppies scare you?  It's all right now, Mama has you back."
"Pet?" questioned Rose. "You mean...?"
Lissie looked dazed.  "Liebchen?... Mama?"
"It is going to live with us?" asks Ivy, astonished.
"Aw, I think he's kind of cute!" said Karen.

"I am so glad you have come to be at our school, Bea," says Karen, giving her a hug.  "I hope you will be very happy."
"I think I am going to love it here!" whispers Bea, hugging Karen back, "and Crabby, too."

But the dogs, on the other hand....

"Yip! Yip!" squeaks Tremelo, shaking.

"Woof!" barks PDQ Bach, sniffing.

Snap! Snap! Crabby clicks his claws!

* * * * *

Happy Birthday Wishes
to
James!
We hope you like our story!

Lots of Dolls for Me!

Great dolls have little dolls upon the rack beside 'em

And little dolls have lesser dolls, and so ad infinitum.

And the great dolls themselves, have greater dolls to dress 'em, 

While these again have greater still--and grammas too, God bless 'em.

--Samuel Bush (adapted from There Ain't No Bugs Me by Augustus De Morgan)

Happy Birthday, Vivian!