August 18, 2000

Today Gus went to a photo shoot with the editorial staff of Creating Keepsakes. Gus got a little hot under all the bright lights but he still had fun!

Lisa Bearnson
Deanna Lambson
Stacy Julian
Catherine Scott
Tracy White
Kristy Banks
Jana Lillie
Kim McCrary
Becky Higgins
Creating Keepsakes Editorial Staff

August 25, 2000

Gus spent the entire day in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with Lisa Bearnson. He learned all about the Amish people and their culture. He rode on one of the children's scooters and also go to ride in a real Amish buggy. Gus loved getting to know these very plain, simple, yet happy people.

Lisa Bearnson

September 4, 2000

Gus spent Labor Day with the Bearnson family touring the Creating Keepsakes magazine facility. Lisa showed him all the different aspects to creating and publishing a magazine. Gus especially loved the scrapbook room. He wanted to take all the scissors, paper, stickers, and templates back to Macon with him!

Steve Bearnson
Lisa Bearnson
Kade, Collin, Brecken

September 25, 2000

Gus and Becky Higgins went to the desert in Arizona so he could see what cactus and desert vegetation is like. He almost pricked himself because he got "too" interested in a cactus...but I didn't let him get hurt

October 16, 2000

Today was the first day of Gus' visit with Texas First Lady Laura Bush. He went to a rally in Little Rock, Arkansas where there were about 3,000 people and lots of balloons and confetti. Then, after a bumpy plane ride to St. Louis, he attended an event where there were over 400 Law Enforcement officers. He felt very safe. And then, off to bed!

October 17, 2000

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE DAY... most of the day was spent resting and preparing for the debate between Governor Bush and Vice President Al Gore. Gus went to the debate site with Kim and spent most of the time in the Rapid Response room where the Governor's staff was very busy! They monitored the debate to make sure that Mr. Gore did not make any misstatements. If he did, the staff would quickly create a fact sheet pointing out the error then distribute these fact sheets to the hundreds of reporters who were covering the debate. Gus took great care to stay in a corner! There were people, computers, and televisions everywhere! Gus wore an orange "W 2000" ball cap- that means he was a very special guest!

October 18, 2000

Gus had a great day today! He went on a bus tour of lower-central Michigan with four very important ladies...Texas First Lady Laura Bush, Former First Lady Barbara Bush, Michigan First Lady Michelle Engler and Mrs.Lynne Cheney (her husband is the Vice-Presidential Candidate). We went to four different cities - 2 events were rallies, one event was at a Children's Museum and one event was a walking tour through little shops in downtown Brighton. In one of the shops, Gus was so excited to see some of his bear cousins! They were all lined up on shelves - waiting for someone to buy them! Gus considers himself very lucky that he was the chosen one to go on this wonderful adventure! Back on the bus...onto a plane to Philadelphia. Gus is very tired!

October 19, 2000

Gus went to a couple of events in the Philadelphia area today. He enjoyed seeing the beautiful orange and yellow leaves on the trees. Fall is here! The last event was a rally. There were fireworks at the end which kind of scared Gus, but Kim held him close to make him feel better. Next we flew to New York City where Gus sat with Mrs. Bush while she watched Governor Bush tape a segment for the David Letterman Show. Gus didn't get to meet Mr. Letterman because we got stuck in traffic. New York City has a lot of cars and people! Gus fell asleep early. He has been so busy!

October 23, 2000

Boy, what a day! Gus and Mrs. Bush got on a plane to go to Madison, Wisconsin but the plane had cabin pressure problems, so they had to make an emergency landing in Tulsa. Gus felt a little light-headed, but once he got his feet on the ground, he was fine! We had to stay at the Tulsa Airport until another plane came to pick us up. I think Gus was a little homesick, so we sang "Georgia On My Mind." Mrs. Bush thought he might like "Yellow Rose of Texas" also...and he did! He felt much better! We got to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in time to attend a rally with Governor Bush. More balloons and more loud music. Mrs. Bush gave a great speech about how important education is to the success of all children.

October 24, 2000

Gus and Mrs. Bush traveled through Florida today on a very large bus! Also aboard were Governor Bush (Texas), Governor Bush (Florida), and Senator John McCain. It's very humid in Florida! Gus had a bad hair day! The Governor spoke to two very large crowds about how important it is to take care of the elderly population. They sometimes need help with medical expenses and the government can do that if it has the right leadership. The Governor has great plans to help our oldest generation if he gets elected. We spent the night in Sanford, Florida.

October 25, 2000

We woke up and realized that we were only a few miles from Disney World! Kim and Gus were tempted to sneak off and play, but they stayed on track and kept working! After the rally in Sanford, Mrs. Bush had to go back to Austin unexpectedly. She wasn't ill or anything, just a minor occurrence at home she needed to take care of. So Gus, Kim, Mrs. Bush and the Secret Service agents flew back to Texas. Gus got to rest up through the weekend.

October 30, 2000

Mrs. Bush left Gus at the Bush-Cheney campaign headquarters so he could see what goes on there. Kim gave him the grand tour! In the Policy division, Gus met the staffers who help the Governor research and develop important issues such as social security, health care and education. They are very smart people! The Political staff analyzes how the Governor is doing around the country and determines where he needs to go to get the most votes. For instance, the Governor will probably earn the most votes in Texas by a large margin so he doesn't spend much time here campaigning. He needs to go to such places as Florida and Michigan where the race is very close. He has to go ask people to vote for him!! The Advance department plans the events and gathers the crowds. Some of the events have as many as 10,000 people attend...most have between 2 and 3 thousand. The Press Office deals with the media. This is very important because the Governor cannot personally meet all voters...he relies on the media to get his message to the people. Most people learn about the candidates by reading the newspapers or watching television. The Treasury Division watches over the money that was raised by the Finance Department. Lots of money was given to the campaign by people who want to see him win the election. Lots of money is spent by the campaign to advertise on TV. In California, it costs $1,500,000 to buy 3 minutes of TV ad time! That blew Gus away! Gus also visited the Scheduling, Administration and Legal departments. There are about 200 campaign staffers and Gus met almost all of them! His favorite part of the tour was the broadcast center where some of the senior press staffers actually are broadcast (using a satellite) to CNN or MSNBC. He also enjoyed sitting in the "War Room." There are 16 televisions in that room and 5 computers. All are used to collect information on Governor Bush--either by TV or internet. People work there 24 hours a day!

Thanks for letting Gus spend some time with us!

The First Lady's Staff
Nancy Pilon
Claire Pritchett
Emily Gray
Sarah Moss
Kim Black

November 7, 2000 Election Day!

Gus spent the whole day in Austin helping the Governor's staff make arrangements for VICTORY parties! In the evening, he went to the hotel suite to watch the election returns with the Bush family. He loved being in the middle of the action. As the evening dragged on, Gus noticed that all of the grown ups were looking nervous and scurrying around. The news said that Florida had been awarded to Vice President Gore. Oh no! Gus got really nervous because he knew that Florida was beary important. Gov. Bush (Florida) told Gov. Bush (Texas) that he thought that report was a mistake. About an hour later, the news guys said that Florida was actually won by Governor Bush. Gus was HAPPY! At 1:30 in the morning (the latest that Gus had ever stayed up) the Vice President called Governor Bush and congratulated him on winning the election. Everybody was jumping around and very happy! Gus went to bed very tired but very happy that he had helped his friend win the election!

November 8, 2000

Oh no! When Gus woke up, Kim told him that there was even more commotion after he went to bed! The Florida election was very close and the Vice President decided not to concede (or congratulate the winner publicly). She told Gus that when an election is this close, the state automatically puts the votes back through the counting machines just to make sure. All 67 counties must do it.

Later that afternoon, Gus learned that some voters thought that their ballot was confusing to them and they think they might have voted for the wrong person.They were asking for another chance to cast their ballots. Gus was really confused. He did not think you could get a "do over" in an election. Gus was nervous the rest of the day.

November 9, 2000

Now Oregon and New Mexico decided to recount their votes. Gus knew that even if Gov. Bush won those states, it would not bring him to the magic 270 votes needed to win. It was about florida (its 25 electoral votes would give him 271!). Gus also learned that after the machines recounted Florida's ballots, Gov. Bush's lead narrowed from 1,784 to only 225! That was still leading!
Gus turned on the news and saw a lot of people demonstrating in Florida. They were mad about the election. People were saying it was unfair. the punch card tpe ballots were being questioned. He learned that somtimes a little piece of paper still hangs on after the card was punched. That little piece of paper is called a "chad." Gus knows a couple of kids named Chad, but never heard of a little piece of paper before now. Eight lawsuits were filed today challenging the election results. This looks like trouble.

November 16, 2000

The Florida Supreme Court (the highest authority in Florida) ruled that hand-counts could continue. More law suits, more arguing.

November 17, 2000

Over- seas ballots have come in and have increased Gov. Bushs lead to 930 votes. Gus is happy! A lot of ballots from soldiers were thrown out because of technicalities. Gus did not think that was fair. He was sad.
More law suits
More arguing
More protesting
Gus' stomach hurts.

November 23, 2000

Thanksgiving Day.
Gus is thankful that of all the bears in the world, HE was the one who got to go on this excellent adventure. He could not believe that some people in Florida had to count votes instead of feasting on turkey and cranberry sauce.

November 26, 2000

Today the election was certified. Gov. Bush defeated VP Gore by 537 votes. Gov. Bush made a great acceptance speech. VP Gore gave a speech in which he vowed to keep fighting. When WILL this end? Gus is losing fur over this!

November 29, 2000

Judge N. Sanders Sauls ordered that all the ballots from Florida be brought to Tallahassee. A Ryder truck was followed all the way up the interstate by media vans and choppers. Gus thought that was so funny. He also thought it was funny that the truck was auctioned off on Ebay. Everything is a celebrity!
More court cases,
More questions,
More arguments,
More lawyers,
More protesters,
More Judges,
More counting---
Gus is glued to the news networks. Gov. Bush dropped by Gus office and rubbed on him for good luck.

December 6, 2000

Gus learned that a new lawsuit was filed in Seminole County Florida. This guy said that there was some tampering with absentee ballot applications. Gus is wondering when this will end.

December 8, 2000

Just when we thought this was OVER, the Florida Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, gave the Gore camp one last hope. They ordered the recounting of 45,000 undervotes. Those are the ballots which do not show a clear choice for President. People are supposed to look ballots with dents, dimples, pimples and marks, and determine who the voter wanted to vote for. What a mess!

Judges in Leon, Martin, and Seminole Counties threw out those law suits.

December 9-10, 2000

The United States Supreme Court stopped the Florida recounts. The Florida Legislature is getting worried that this thing might not ever get settled. If Florida fails to submit their electors on time, the Legislature will step in and send some electors.

December 12, 2000

What a long day! Gus chewed on his paws all day. Then at 9:52 p.m. the US Supreme Court ruled that hand recounts were unconstitutional. Hopefully this thing will be over soon!

December 13, 2000

At 9:00 p.m., VP Gore conceded and congratulated Governor Bush for winning the election. He gave a very nice speech. Gov. Bush finally made a victory speech! Gus was happy, Happy, HAPPY!!! This has been a long, drawn out battle, but we all survived. People are saying that this was an unprecedented election. That means there has never been an election quite like this in history. There have been close elections, but never has one had a month-long legal battle following. Also, it is rare when one candidate wins the popular vote and another candidate wins the electoral vote. That makes it extra hard to lose. Gus is happy that his pal, President -Elect Bush, won the election. Whew, Gus needs a vacation!

November 20-24, 2000

Gus has returned to the United States safe and sound. Customs and disembarkation can be a bit hairy but we got off the ship with no problems.We had a great time. We had a long trip. Almost 1000 statute miles and quite a bit of nautical miles which will be in the scrapbook. Gus will
need your help to convert them to statute miles. He has all the information on knots, yards, feet and miles for the math. He was just so busy he didn't have the time to do any math. He was very popular.

EVERYONE wanted to meet him and find out where he had traveled. They were especially interested in all the people he had met. One person suggested having an auction at the end of the school year for someone to adopt him.
He will be quite a popular guy when all this is over.

We had a bit of confusion on the boat. The captain of the M.S. Sensation had requested a photo shoot with Gus but there was some breakdown in communication and the Captain missed seeing Gus by just minutes. He was up on deck with some of his new friends. He has a bit of a tan. We made sure he always had his sunscreen on before going out for fun.

The highlight of Gus' travels was the Mayan Ruins and the Carribean Sea. He loved sightseeing. Saturday before he left on his cruise he went to the Offshore Motorboat Racing in St. Petersburg, Fl. Tuesday he shopped in Grand Cayman and on Wednesday he toured the Mayan Ruins of Tulum and
Cozumel, Mexico. The weather was a bit rainy but he managed not to get seasick on the one hour tender. He did get a bit wet although he was protected as much as possible under my poncho. Friday he toured New Orleans and the Mississippi River.

His favorite part of the trip was probably the animals that the cabin steward made for him each night with the towels and bath cloths. The night time mint was his favorite food although he did enjoy the dining room dinners each night where he got to taste a world of different dishes. His
favorite soup of the week was hot pumpkin.

The trip back to Macon yesterday was long and slow!. The traffic was bumper to bumper and going only about 25 miles per hour. Gus sat patiently in his seat with his seat belt on the whole way. He is indeed a well behaved bear and has expanded his worldly travels by many miles this last week. He can tell many stories! He has some GREAT pictures which will be scrapped up as soon as possible.

Stacey Bennett- traveling companion

Gus visited the Sumter, S.C. Family YMCA to meet and watch a basketball game with Clarke Bynum. Clarke recalled with Gus his recent trip to Africa on a mission trip. While on board an airplane with 400 people, Clarke was able to help save the plane when it looked certain to crash. Clarke gave credit to Gof for giving him the strength and courage to enter the cockpit. Also, there were many family members and friends that had been praying for Clarke and his journey. May God change the lives of all those involved in this mission and bless Gus in all his travels.

1-18-01

Gus is sitting here with me-- telling me all about his trip from Austin to Washington, D.C. He was one of the few who got to ride with President elect and Mrs. Bush on their farewell tour of Texas. I had told Gus (and all his friends) that he was going to ride on Air Force One. He was very disappointed to find out that President Clinton was using it--so they had to use another Air Force plane. However--gus said this plane was super nice--sounds like he got over his disappointment pretty quickly!Also on board were Spot, Barney, and India Bush--all of the President's pets. Gus said he spent some time chatting with them. They were really excited about moving to the White House.

Saturday, 1-20-01 Inauguration Day

Swearing-In Ceremony: Gus and I watched it on TV because the weather was so yucky outside. And I think we had a better view anyhow. It was very touching and the country finally has a new president.

Parade: Since there were so many protesters, President Bush couldn't walk the parade route as he intended. It just wasn't safe. So he rode in teh car, but we couldn't see him. It was disappointing, but we understand that security is very important. The rest of the parade was great...lots of good bands and floats. After the parade, we walked to the White House. The staff there was in the process of moving the Clintons out and the Bushes in. Between the time that Bush was sworn in and the end of the parade, the staff had moved the Clintons' furniture out, the Bushes' furniture in, totally restocked the pantry with all of the new President's favorite foods--(peanut butter, jelly, Diet Coke and bottled water), changed all the linens. changed out the china and much more. They were very busy.

Gus took a little nap in the President's bed, then changed into his tux...very handsome! he was quite a hit with Barbara and Jenna Bush, the President's twin daughters! I I couldn't get a picture, though, they are very camera shy!

Gus left with his date, Sarah, and started the rounds. They went to 8 balls between 8:00 and midnight! His feet were really hurting after all that dancing. Actually, Gus took his cue from the President--just a couple of minutes at each ball was plenty. I think I can honestly say that this was a very exciting day for Gus--and the country.

2-9-01

I am now safely in Weybridge, England, about half an hour outside of London. I am having a great time. I loved flying on the airplane...but it was a long flight! Seven hours from Atlanta! Emily slept most of the way but I watched the movies. Today I am going to Windsor Castle with another bear who is visiting Emily. His name is Rumpose and he has been to japan, Italy and Australia. We stayed up all night swapping travel stories! Today was the first sunny day since we got here. It really rains a lot in England! England is five hours ahead of Georgia so when it is 8 a.m. in Georgia, it is 1 p.m. in England. How confusing is that? I helped Emily's mom unpack all of the things they bought in the U.S. (lots of books--Emily loves to read, Cheerios and oat squares- they are not available in England.)

The money here looks very strange. Instead of different presidents, all of the co8ins have the same picture of this one lady. She is Queen Elizabeth. The dollars are called pounds and teh coins are called pence. It takes $1.50 in American money to equal one pound! I have to do some serious math every time I want to buy something. Here is another strange thing about England. Everyone drives on the wrong side of the road! I was a bit nervous at first, but I adjusted quickly. Still, it is wierd to see Emily's mom (and the steering wheel) on the right side of the car.

I am enjoying my trip so far. Emily called her grandparents and they said it was 70 degrees in Macon. London is as far north as Canada so you can imagine what the weather is like here. Good thing I have a "fur coat".

2-11-01

I have had a very busy and exciting weekend. On Friday, I toured Windsor Castle with my beary good friend, Rumpole. Windsor Castle was built by William the Conqueror after his victory in 1066. Yeesh--that's almost a thousand years! That castle is HUGE--the largest castle with people still living in it. My favorite part was Queen Mary's dollhouse. Some of the furniture was made to scale by the makers of the full size furniture. The wine bottles even contain genuine vintage wine. The scale is 1:8. That means everything is 1/8 the actual size. It's a very big doll house. After the castle, I went to Windsor Park. I even saw the Queen Mum in the park! She was in her car. She had 2 dogs on her lap. We didn't have time to get out our camera so you will just have to take my word for it.

Yesterday, Emily, Rumpole and I went to London to see "Cats". The theatres here are much smaller than in the US. That makes them cozy but, much harder to get tickets. I love dancing and singing. I especially loved when the actors walked in the audience. Well, Rumpole returns to Bristol today. I am sad to see him go.

2-13-01

Boy did I have a fabulous day! First we took the train from Emily's house to Waterloo Station in central London. We walked across Waterloo Bridge, and went to Westminster (the government buildings). I had to ask directions from 2 bobbies (that's British for policemen). Then we went to number 10 Downing Street. That's where the Prime Minister lives. He is sort of like our president. Then we saw the horse guards parading. Now that was beautiful!

After lunch, we got on the tube (the underground railway) anbd went to St. Paul's a huge church. We walked up 530 steps to the dome. My tongue was hanging out! The long climb was worth it. Boy, what a view! Then we went to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. I had my picture taken with two Beefeaters. They are the Queen's/ King's personal guards. In olden times, they were required to taste the King's meat to make sure it wasn't poisoned! The Tower is where lots of poeple have been beheaded, including several of King Henry VIII's wives. Speaking of King Henry VIII,--here is how you can remember what happended to his six wives, in order- divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Here are his wives: Cahterine of Aragon, Anne Boelyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. He loved Jane Seymour best because she gave him a male heir. We didnn't go into the dungeon--(too morbid for us). The crown jewels are indescribable.The coronation crown contains more than 2,700 diamonds, 300 pearls and a ruby the size of a hen's egg! There are also scepters, orbs, tiaras, necklaces, earrings, rings, every sparkly thing you can imagine!

Just so you will know, everyone I met thought I was very polite and wanted to know my name. They could tell that I was special; definitely not your average bear. I will be home soon and I am bringing some of my leftover spending money so you guys can help me with some of this tricky math--Bear hugs, --GUS

3-7-01 to 3-9-01

The kids in my class took me on their field trip to the zoo to spend the night. I had never slept inside the zoo before so that was way cool! When we first got there, ZooAtlanta was closed so we had the whole zoo to ourselves. There were three zookeepers there to meet us and gosh, did they know a lot about all of the animals. First, we went on a flashlight hike through the zoo, doing down all these paths that said "authorized personnel only" (we were authorized!) We noticed that many of the animals were behaving differently during the night that we usually see during the day. The cats were playful and the primates were sleepy. The lemurs are noisy all of the time. When we went into the reptile house, it was totally dark! We had these special flashlights with red bulbs which we could shine into the glass cases without disturbing the reptiles! They were much more active than we normally see in the daytime.

Next we went into the zoo kitchen. It was cleaner than a hospital kitchen! We could not touch anything because humans (and bears, they say) are very germy. They did not want to give any germs to the animals. The people who prepare the food even wear gowns and masks. They weigh and measure every leaf and banana that goes to the animals. There was this big freezer that was full of "micecicles"--frozen mice and chickens and rabbits etc. There was also a room where they were raising mice that will one day become micecicles. I saw some feline food which looked like hamburger meat but which is really ground up horses. They use every part except the hoof, intestines and brains to make feline diet. Farassi eats 8 pounds a day every day except Saturday and then he gets a bone to keep his jaws and teeth sharp. Because the lions don't have to fight for their dinner, they usually live longer in a zoo than in the wild. The kitchen also had a big room full of stuff like Cheerios, peanut butter, mustard, baby formula and Juicy Juice. Most of that is treats for the animals. Orangutans like mustard--go figure. The zookeepers put the medicine inside the treats so they will take their medicine. The baby tiger drinks the Similac.

After hanging around in the zoo kitchen, we got to pet a few of the residents. We touched a rabbit, a chinchilla, a python and a gopher tortoise. That snake looked at me funny. He must have thought I was something to eat because I was the only furry thing in the room. After all that, we rolled our our sleeping bags and went to sleep. The next morning, we ate a gorilla breakfast (cereal, bananas, bagels and milk) and Mrs. Gowan gave every kid a disposable camera and a photo safari to go by. There were 20 categories like animal over 6 feet tall, animal over 500 pounds, animal with spots, scales, thick fur....and we had to photograph an animal to fit every category. It looked easy but turned out to be hard. After the zoo we will have to make a photo journal of our trip including photos and facts about each animal.

Early in the morning, we were still the only people in the zoo so we headed off for the really popular exhibits first. The pandas are new and we went there in time to see them eat their bamboo breakfast. The zoo paid $10 million for 10 years, then they will have to be returned to China. ZooAtlanta is also famous for its primate collection so we spent a lot of time watching the gorillas. I was surprised to learn that when a gorilla has a baby, she does not let the zookeepers (or other gorillas, even the daddy) get anywhere near her baby. She carries her baby everywhere and holds him constantly.

The neatest thing about my trip was getting to go to the nursery where the baby tiger was kept in quarantine. NOBODY else go to go back there. She was still too young to go out on display. I sat right outside her playpen and she licked me on the back of the head! That tongue felt like 1,000 tiny needles. Then she tried to take her big claws and pull me inside her playpen! OOOUCH!! She was only the size of a house cat but yeesh, was she strong. The zookeeper said she was just being playful but she was too rough for me. I got out of there before she pulled all my stuffing out!

I have to say that this is the coolest sleepover I ever attended!

3-21-01

Today was very exciting for me. I toured a huge GM automotive operations plant. The GM Powertrain Romulus Engine Plant is in Romulus, Michigan. Its 1.5 million square feet in size and over 2,500 people work there. Five thousand engines are made there every day!

The plant is awesome! There are assembly lines, machining lines, robots, computers, trucks, hi-los and lots of friendly people. It was very clean and everyone kept reminding me about safety. We had to be real careful when walking through the plant. I am glad I got to spend the day at such a nice place, but the days are very long they never close! I sure learned a lot at the Romulus Engine Plant!


4-1-01

I am now visiting in Roxana, Delaware. Since I was in Michigan, it was a long drive to get here--Over 675 miles! On Sunday, I visited a fish farm. I did not even know fish grew on a farm! They showed me tanks where fish grow for sale to restaurants. They grow tilapia. The tank I fished in had over 1,000 fish and I did not even catch one!

Next, I visited the chickens! I am staying on a farm in Roxana, Delaware. I am only 9 miles from the Atlantic Ocean! I saw the nests where the chickens lay eggs. Then I went across the road to the 816 chicken houses. These big, long houses have thousands of chickens in each one!

4-3-01

Today, I visited Indian River School District. The children were really nice to me, and they wanted to know all about where I have traveled. Everyone wants their picture with me. Maybe someday I will be a celebrity.

Today, I learned that Delaware was the very first state. They joined the United States a very long time ago. These kids are a lot like the kids back in my class in Georgia. They love me and they love to learn new things. I cant wait to get home and teach them some of the things I learned here.

4-11-01

Today, I went to work at a stamping and scrapbook store in Franklin, Michigan. It was so much fun, especially since I have my own scrapbook. I met a lot of people and since they knew all about scrapping, they were excited to look through my scrapbook. I help with scanning and cutting and answering the phone. We got the new CK Vacation Memories idea book in today. I was excited to see some of the places I have been in that book. I also found stamps of some of my beary best friends.

4-14-01

Today, I went to a very special school. It was the Leader Dog for the Blind School. I have never seen such smart and well behaved dogs! They are such a help to their sightless masters. There are some videos there that tell all about how they can train a dog to be the eyes for his master.

8-17-01

Gus arrived in Lorain, Ohio this afternoon. He was glad to get out of his suitcase. It was a little stuffy in there. Gus arrived to the home of Lisa Pride's parents. Lisa is the wife of Major League baseball player, Curtis Pride. Gus is going to be driving with Lisa to Canada to see Curtis Pride play baseball. Gus is excited. He has never been to a professional baseball game, and he has never met a real live baseball player. Gus loves baseball. He usually roots for the Atlanta Braves (since he lives in Georgia), but he is going to cheer for Curtis Pride's team, the Montreal Expos from now on! Curtis played for the Atlanta Braves in 1998 so Gus says Curtis is cool even if he isnt a Brave anymore.

Gus was excited to meet Lisa, her mom and dad. They wanted Gus to see some sights so Lisa and her mom took Gus to the beach. Gus was surprised that Ohio has a beach! When he saw Lakeview Beach in Lorain, Ohio and Lake Erie, he thought he was in Florida at the ocean. Lisa explained to Gus that Lake Erie is a Great Lake. There are 5 Great Lakes in the mid-west. Lisa taught Gus a trick to remembering the names of the Great Lakes. The first letter in the name of each lake spells H. O. M. E. S. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. Now Gus will never forget the names of the Great Lakes.

Lake Erie looks like an ocean because you can not see to the other side. The other side of Lake Erie from Ohio is Canada. That is where Lisa and Gus are going. They will have to drive around the lake to get to Canada.

Gus played at the beach with Lisa and her mom. They fed the seagulls. Lisa showed Gus the Lorain Lighthouse. Gus had a fun time. Tonight, Gus helped Lisa pack because they are leaving for Canada tomorrow. Gus is excited about that trip!

8-18-01

Leaving the USA

Gus is tired from his day of traveling, but he is excited to be in Canada. This morning, Gus helped Lisa pack the car for their day of driving from Lorain, Ohio to Ottawa, Ontario-Canada. Gus sat in the front seat next to Lisa so he could see everywhere that they were going. Lisa and Curtis Prides dog, Thunder, and cat, ESPN, sat in the back seat, and they slept almost the entire trip. We traveled on Rt. 90 East through Cleveland, Ohio, then Pennsylvania then to New York. We went through Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse. Gus was in 8 different states today! In Syracuse, we went north on highway 81 until we reached Ontario, Canada. When we were traveling form the USA to Canada, we went over two big bridges that connect the two countries. The bridges were very narrow and very high! It was scary. The area was called 1,000 Islands because there are thousands of small islands on the St. Lawrence River. We watched the sunset over Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

Once we reached Canada, we had to stop at Customs. This is where a Customs official asks for identification of who we are, why we are visiting, how long we are staying where we are going, and what we are bringing with us. Luckily for us, Lisa had her passport and Visa ready. He passport has a photo of her and proves that she is a USA citizen. Her Visa is a piece of paper that makes her a temporary citizen of Canada. She has a Visa (not the credit card) because her husband, Curtis, works in Canada as a baseball player. The Customs official checked out Gus passport too. She was happy that Gus was coming to her country to learn about Canada. She even took a photo with Gus.

Once we were through Customs, we were in Ontario and on our way to Ottawa. While we were driving, Gus insisted that we listen to Curtis baseball game on the radio. We heard when Curtis got a hit! Gus was jumping up and down, cheering for Curtis. Finally, we arrived in Ottawa. Gus calculated our mileage and time. He figured that we had traveled 555 miles in 9 hours. That was a long day!

When we got into Ottawa, Gus insisted that we go straight to the ballpark to pick up Curtis. The game was over, so Curtis was ready for us to pick him up and take him to the hotel. Curtis was excited to meet Gus. We were all so tired. We went to the hotel and immediately fell asleep.

8-19-01

Even though Gus was tired last night, he woke up early this morning. He was excited because he was going to the ballpark to watch Curtis Pride play ball. Curtis is playing for the Montreal Expos Triple A team, the Ottawa Lynx, because he is rehabbing from an injured wrist. Rehab is short for rehabilitation. It is when a baseball player works out slowly after and injury in order to start playing again. When Curtis was hurt in July, he couldnt play for a whole month, so he has to be careful. He started off his rehab by just playing catch each day. Then he was allowed to swing a bat and hit a ball. Now he is well enough to play in a game, so he is playing in the Minor Leagues. When he does well in the Minor Leagues, (Ottawa) he will play in the Major Leagues (Montreal). Curtis told Gus about his injury and how it happened. Curtis was batting against the New York Yankees. Curtis swung at the ball, but the ball hit his wrist. Curtis was in a lot of pain!! He couldnt even bat anymore. Gus cringed when he heard Curtis tell the story.Ouch! Curtis told Gus that he had a big bruise. When the doctor took X-rays of Curstis wrist and arm, the doctor saw fractures (breaks) in the bones. Curtis is lucky he is playing again this season. Gus is happy Curtis is playing too!

Curtis left early for the ballpark. Curtis goes to the ballpark four or five hours before the game because he has to change into his uniform, work out, take batting practice, practice in the outfield, and eatall before the game! Gus went to the game with Lisa and Thunder, the Prides dog. Thunder was allowed to go to the game because it was Dog Day at the ballpark. The dogs had to sit in a special section in the stands. There was a lot of barking cheers when the Lynx scored a run and growls boos when the other team scored. Gus couldnt believe all the dogs that were at the game. Luckily, Gus is friends with Thunder so he was protected from all the puppies.

Gus sat with Lisa and Thunder during the game. Gus cheered loudly for Curtis and his Ottawa Lynx team. It rained during the game, but Lisa kept Gus dry with her raincoat. It was hard to take a lot of photos since it rained.

The Lynx (which is a cat) played the Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons are the Triple A team (Minor League) for the Cleveland Indians. Both teams are in the International League. Triple A is the highest Minor League Level. The next level above that is the Major Leagues.

Gus was excited to watch Curtis Pride play today. He was impressed by Curtis great job in left field. Curtis didnt get any hits today, though he hit the ball hard! After the game, Gus wish came true. Curtis invited Gus to come on the field and sit in the dugout with him! Gus made sure Lisa took pictures. Gus really likes Curtis. Even though Curtis cant hear, Curtis can easily communicate with Gus and others. Curtis explained to Gus that he wears a hearing aid to make sounds louder to help him hear. Without his hearing aid, Curtis is almost 100% deaf! Curtis also watches people talk and he reads their lips. Curtis does not sign or use sign language. He has been deaf since he was born. Gus was really impressed by all of this. He couldnt believe that a person could be deaf and play baseball, especially in the Major Leagues! Curtis explained to Gus that when he plays the outfield, he calls loudly for the ball when he is going to catch it, then his teammates let him catch the ball. No one tells Curtis not to catch the ball because Curtis can not hear them, so Curtis must make sure that he can and will catch the ball. Curtis works extra hard on the field, and he focuses and concentrates on the game since he can not hear. Gus thinks Curtis is a real hero. Curtis thinks Gus is a hero, too. Curtis thinks Gus is special because he travels all around the world and then goes home to share his adventures with his REACH friends.

8-20-01

Today Gus helped Lisa and Curtis pack the car once again. It was time to drive to Montreal! Lisa was going to be working for a TV statio in Canada for the Expos vs. San Francisco Giants games this weekand Gus was going to help Lisa interview the baseball players! Gus couldnt believe that he was going to be a real TV sports reporter! Curtis stayed on Ottawa to continue playing with the Ottawa Lynx. Gus and Lisa hoped Curtis would be with the Expos soon in Montreal. Gus wanted to see Curtis play in Montreal!

IT took Bus and Lisa 2 hours to drive from Ottawa to Montreal. Ottawa is the capital of Canada and it is in the province of Ontario. Montreal is in the province of Quebec. The biggest difference between the two provinces is the language. Most people in Ottawa speak English and French. English is more common in Ottawa. Most street signs in Ottawa are in Engilsh while Montreal street signs are in French.. In Montreal, everyone speaks French. Most people know English too, but some people know only French. Montreal feels like another country because of the different language. Gus was a little nervous because he doesnt know French. Lisa told him not to worry. She does not know French either. Theyll figure it out together. The people of Montreal are very nice. Lisa assured Gus that someone will speak English and help them out if they need it. Gus decided this would be a good time to learn a few French words.

Also, in Canada, everything is measured by the Metric System. There are no miles or pounds or ounces or feet. There are meters and grams and more. For examplewhen we were driving to Montreal, the speed limit sins read 100 k/ph that means 100 kilometers per hour. In the USA, that would equal approximately 60 miles per hour. Gus and Lisa are tired from their trip. Beary Sweet Dreams!

8-21-01

Gus woke up today to a loud knock at the door. Gus woke up Lisa and Thunder started barking. Who could it be? wondered Lisa and Gus. Thunder knew, though, as his tail began to wag. Then Lisa knew, too. It was Lisas husband, Curtis Pride. Curtis was in Montreal to play for the Expos again! Curtis was healthy, and his hurt wrist and arm were all better. Curtis explained to Gus that the Expos called him late last night to tell them they wanted him back in Montreal and ready to play in the game tonight! Gus was so excited that he would get to see Curtis play baseball in Montreal now, too! Curtis left for the baseball game early. Lisa and Gus went to the game around 3:30 p.m. Gus was excited to go to his first baseball game in Montreal. On top of that, he was going to get to help Lisa with her TV sports reports plus Lisa and Curtis were going to introduce him to a few members of the media plus baseball players.

Gus and Lisa rode on the Metro to the ballpark. The Metro is the subway train in Montreal. The train is underground. It goes all over the city of Montreal and costs $2 to ride anywhere, one way. Gus liked riding the Metro. He met a lot of people, and it was like being on a ride at an amusement park.

Gus had a fun time at the game tonight. He met all kinds of peopleTV people, radio people, reporters, cameramen, and more. He watched both the Expos and the Giants take batting practice on the field. He couldnt believe how big the players are and how hard they hit the ball. Gus mostly just watched Lisa and Curtis do their jobs. It was a big day for both of them. It was Curtis first game with the Expos since July and it was the first time Lisa was working for The Score in Canada. Gus helped Lisa interview the Giants players in the clubhouse after the game. Baseball is the only sport in which the locker rooms are called clubhouses. The players that Gus and Lisa interviewed were Russ Ortiz, Pedro Feliz and manager Dusty Baker. The Giants won the game 10-2.

Curtis played and Gus cheered loudly for Curtis. He played centerfield and went 0 for 2 with one walk. Gus was proud of Curtis. Gus dreamt of playing in the Big Leagues just like his pal Curtis.

8-22-01

Another day at the ballpark for Gus! Today, Gus decided he would stop being shy and meet a couple of the players that the kids in his class told him to look for (especially Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants!) Gus hung out with Lisa on the field before the game. He watched batting practice, and he watched the players practice ground balls in the infield and fly balls in the outfield. Gus wished he could play but he needed lots more practice to play with those guys. Gus followed Lisa to the Giants clubhouse. Gus made up his mind that he was going to meet Barry Bonds. Barry is going to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame someday. He has hit a lot of homeruns and has stolen many, many bases. He is 8th on the homerun list with 548 homeruns in his career. He has hit 54 homeruns this season and people think he might break Mark McGwires 1998 homerun record of 70. Barry does not like to talk about homeruns and records, he just wants his team to win. Barry Bonds would not talk to any reporters in Montreal for two days so Gus was not sure that Lisa could get him to talk to them. Gus saw him and he went right up and introduced himself and Lisa! Barry was very friendly to Gus. Some people dont think Barry is friendly but Gus sure did. He told Barry all about his friends and the stuff they do in REACH. He told him a lot about his trips and he showed Barry his scrapbook. Barry couldnt believe that Gus had met the president! Barry asked if he could have his picture made with Gus. Gus almost fainted! Wow! Barry squeezed him kind of hard and they both put on a beary big smile. All of the other reporters were jealous that Gus got an exclusive interview. Gus immediately graduated from being a cub reporter to an ace reporter!

Gus also Giants first baseman Andres Galarraga. The two hit it off right away because Andres used to play for the Atlanta Braves. Andres autographed Gus journal. Gus was very thankful. Gus stayed in the Press Box with Lisa Pride during the game. Gus met even more media people, some speaking French, others speaking English. In Montreal, there are French TV and radio stations and newspapers and there are English ones too! After the game, Gus went into the Giants clubhouse again to help Lisa with her post game interviews. The Expos won the game tonight 7-1. Gus was so happy. He saw Vladimir Guerrero get 3 hits and 2 stolen bases. Curtis did not get to play tonight. Gus fell asleep as soon as we got home tonight.

8-23-01

The game tonight was one of the most exciting games that Gus has ever experienced. The Expos were winning the game until Andres Galarraga tied up the score with his second homer of the night. Then, in the ninth inning, Barry Bonds pinch hitand he hit a game winning home run! It was Bonds 55th homerun of the season. The crowd and Gus went crazy and cheered loudly. Gus friend Barry is now only 16 homeruns from beating Mark McGwires homerun record. Gus wished the Expos won, but the game was spectacular. After the game, Gus and Lisa went into the Giants clubhouse once again to interview Barry Bonds and Andres Galarraga about their homeruns. Both players were very happy. Gus felt lucky to be a part of that whole experience. Gus, Lisa and Curtis rode home on the Metro. All the way home they talked about the game. They all fell asleep as soon as they got home.

8-24-01

The Cincinnati Reds were in town tonight and Gus we excited to meet another team and more baseball players. Gus hung out with Curtis on the field today during batting practice. Curtis taught Gus how to hit, field, and steal a base. Gus even tried sliding into third base on his own! Curtis introduced Gus to some of his teammates. Gus met infielder Ryan Minor who played Catch with Gus. He met fellow Georgian Micahel Barrett, the catcher. Michael is from Atlanta. Gus and Michael talked about Georgia and they sang Georgia on My Mind together. Curtis and Vladimir Guerrero hung out with Gus. Curtis and Vlady are Gus favorite Expos. Gus helped Andrew, the Expos batboy put the Expos equipment in the dugout, including Vladys bat and helmet.

One of Gus favorite things of the night was sitting in the dugout just like a big leaguer. Every big league dugout is full of sunflower seeds and bazooka bubble gum. The guys told Gus to eat and chew all he wanted. Curtis had to go into the clubhouse for a team meeting so he stayed behind with Lisa so he could watch the Reds take batting practice. Gus really wanted to see the Reds two most famous players, Sean Casey (first baseman) and Ken Griffey Jr (outfielder). They both were truly happy to meet Gus. Sean even wanted to sign Guss journal.

During the game, Gus sat with Lisa in the family section of the stands. Lisa taught Gus how to keep score and even gave Gus his own scorecard. Keeping score is kind of tricky. He saved it to show to his REACH friends. He learned some French baseball words from the scorecard. Gus got to meet Youppi, the Expos mascot. Youppi took a picture with Gus and autographed his scorecard. Youppi is French for Yippee! Curtis played in the game tonight and Gus cheered hard. It must have worked because the Expos won!

8-25-01

Finally, Lisa and Gus have some time for sightseeing in Montreal. Curtis has a game again tonightso only Lisa and Gus have time to our Montreal. First, Gus BEGS Lisa to take the film for developing so he can see his photos with all of his new friends. He cant wait to tell his REACH friends about this. After dropping off the film, Lisa and Gus take the Metro to Old Montreal. This is the oldest section of the city of Montreal. It is a very beautiful area on the St. Laurent River. Many of the buildings are historical and famous. Gus was impressed with the beautiful Notre-Dame church. It is the oldest and biggest church Gus has ever seen. Next, Gus and Lisa tour the Magicians Garden a wonderful flower exhibit in Old Port Montreal on the river. It is gardens of plants and flowers.---all planted in the shapes of turtles, snakes, dragons, butterflies and more. Gus cant believe that the sculptures are all plants and flowers! His favorite was the tugboat floating in the water.

Something awful happens to Gus when they walk out of the Gardens.Gus lost his Expos cap! Gus was very, very sad, so Lisa bought Gus an ice cream to cheer him up. After Gus ate his ice cream, the two searched for the cap again. Luckily, one of the Gardens workers found the cap and gave it back. Gus was very grateful. He took a photo of this nice worker.

Gus and Lisa continued to walk around Old Montreal. They shopped and visited the old buildings. There were many people in the streetsrollerblading, riding bikes, scooters and even taking carriage rides. Gus was tired and so was Lisa so they headed home. They listened to the game on the radio. The Expos lost 4-2.

8-26-01

Gus cant believe he is going to be leaving for Georgia tomorrow. He is excited because he wants to tell all of his friends about his Major League adventure but he surely will miss Lisa and Curtis and Thunder and ESPN. Gus went to his last game in Montreal today. It was Dog Day at the game. Just like in Ottawa. There were dogs everywhere! Gus mentioned to his Expos friends that they really should have bear day at the ballpark.

Curtis Pride played today and Gus was cheering for him again. Curtis played really well.and Gus cheered for him again. Gus learned a lot about baseball from Curtis. Gus can not believe how hard it is to hit a 90 mph. fast ball. That seems too fast to Gus. The Expos lost again, but Gus didnt care. He was just happy to be at the game. After the game, the Prides asked Gus what he would like for his going away dinner. Gus said Pizza! so the Prides had a pizza party for Gus.

Gus helped Lisa pack all his toys, clothes, photos and scrapbook momentoes. Gus will travel with Curtis tomorrow on the team plane. The team travels on a charter plane which means it is only for the players and coaches. Gus will be the only bear on board. Gus will have his own seat on the plane but when they get to the hotel in Atlanta, he will stay in the room with Curtis, since they are such good pals. The Expos are playing in Atlanta on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He will stay with Curtis until come of his REACH friends come to the Braves stadium to pick him up. He cant wait to show his baseball photos to his REACH friends. They arent going to believe all the people he has met and the places hes been. Gus knows he is one beary lucky bear!