Gus' Scrapbook

The Excellent Adventures of Gus Thebear

Come go with me as I travel around,
Through the United States, and maybe your town,
By mountains and rivers, and canyons and seas,
Learning about all the neat things I see.
For the whole week, I will be your guest,
You'll find my manners to be the beary best!
Help me to catch my flight home, please,
The kids back home are depending on me.

This is my home, Sonny Carter Elementary School. It is named to honor an astronaut from our town, Macon, Georgia.

This is Mrs. Kilcrease, our Assistant Principal and Mrs. Yarbrough, our principal, and me, GUS!

Our classroom in not in the school building. Some school districts call them portable classrooms, but in Georgia, we just call them what they are....trailers! We have a water garden and porch swing outside our classroom.

These guys are some of my friends in my class who will learn neat things from all of the traveling I do this school year.

This bathtub is the best reading spot in our classroom. I like for kids to read to me in the tub.

This is our dirt collection. We have dirt from all of the states except Maine and New Hampshire. Either somebody in our class visited each state or friends and relatives sent it to us. It is a pretty neat collection.

Gus is such a SURVIVOR fan. He was so excited to meet Paschal English from Survivor: Marquesas. He went to visit Paschal in his hometown of Thomaston, Ga. Paschal let him go to court and learn all about lawyers and judges and stuff. Then, when it came time to go to New York for the final episode of Survivor, Gus went along. He was so excited to meet Kathy, John, Neleh, Gabe and the Ultimate Survivor, Vecepia Towery. He stayed in the Plaza which is a very fancy hotel. Gus said that was the best hotel he had ever stayed in. He rode in a limo and he got to meet lots of stars including Rosie ODonnell and Donald Trump. He went on a tour of New York and signed his name on the memorial at Ground Zero. Gus was so glad to meet all the Survivors and will be ready to go play the game if Mark Burnett calls.

Jimmy, Gabe's luxury item, and Gus became fast friends. They sat down together to decide what they wanted to do while in New York City. Gus wanted to ride a subway and go to the Memorial at Ground Zero. He also wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty. What a trip!

Paschal got home from New York just in time to bring Gus home on the last day of school. All 900 kids and a lot of other grown- ups crowded into the lunchroom to hear him tell about Gus excellent adventure in the Big Apple. First, we told him that we had purple rock issues. We all thought it was not fair that he would have to draw a rock when he did not even have one vote! Paschal said, that was the perfect way to go! He said that everybody has a purple rock day! He thought it was very neat that he was the only person in the history of the game who NEVER had one single vote. Still, we were disappointed that his purple rock day cost him a million dollars. The principal told him that after today, our school was splitting and half of the students and teachers would be going to a new school in the fall. Everybody was nervous about it. Pappy told the students and teachers that this was their purple rock; their challenge. He told everyone not to be sad and to get over it; this was nothing but a purple rock. At the end of the presentation, all the students received yellow rocks to take with them to symbolize that they will be SURVIVORS of this big change.

Gus arrives at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey on September 14, 2001. He stops for the camera with his hospital gown on at the entrance sign to commemorate his visit. Everything is SO BIG here--even the plants just tower above Gus. What a beautiful place even though it is a hospital! On his way through the hospital, Gus encounters a palm tree and just has to smile for the camera so everyone will know just how big everything is here. In his travels through the hospital, Gus comes across a Harley Davidson that is being auctioned to raise money for the Children's Hospital. Gus just has to stop and experience the ride. After a stressful day of touring the sites and sounds of the hospital, Gus decides to relax in the Beyond Day Spa for families of patients.

Gus wanted to visit his frined, Mallory Moss, who had been in the hospital since August 9, 2001. Mallory has been a very sick little girl since the end of July. She has intractable epilepsy. Epilepsy is a condition that some people with seizures have. It means that a person has repeated seizures. A seizure is like a short circuit in the brain. Gus has known Mallory for a long time and kenw that Mallory was very sick and that no matter what medications Mallory took for her seizures, they would not go away.So when Gus learned that Mallory was going into the hospital to make her seizures go away, he just had to visit her to cheer her up. Gus traveled on an airplane with Mallory's Aunt Michelle and John Gowan to Hackensack, New Jersey.

Mallory's parents, Camille and Jeff Moss picked Gus up at the airport in Newark, New Jersey. on September14--just three days after the bombing of the World Trade Center Towers. Gus could still see the smoke when he arrived. The hospital where Mallory was having her surgery was just across teh Hudson River from Manhattan--a little too close for comfort. Everyone was beary glad to meet Gus and welcomed him with open arms (hugs included). He was so popular among the nurses, doctors and staff, they made him his own hospital gown and scrub suit so he could go anywhere he wanted in the hospital. He was treated like royalty. Wehn Gus finally got to see Mallory, she was very sleepy after her surgery, so being the understanding bear that he is, Gus put on his pajamas and climbed right into bed with Mallory.

What an adventure for Gus. He was able to stay with Mallory most of the time. He got to see places that most people don't even know exist in a hospital--like special entrances to the Operating and Recovery Rooms. Gus also got to meet some beary important people in the hospital too! But, his favorite part of the whole trip was spending time with Mallory and her parents and meeting some really great kids who are sick too. Gus hopes all his new friends will feel better soon.

Gus met Dr. Boscamp, Vice President of Pediatrics, pediatric nurses (who were beary pretty!), and Danny and Liz from social services. He got to ride in a wagon to the operating room. Gus was so nervous after Mallory's surgery that he chewed on his paws. He went to the salon in the hospital for a "teddy-cure".

Gus had the wonderful opportunity to meet many children while he was at the hospital. Not only did he experience great joy from the children, but he was also a great joy and comfort TO the children and their parents. Gus received many kisses, hugs and was even examined by a future physician. What a great time he had!

Gus could not believe he was in Lorain, Ohio. It looked more like Florida with this beautiful beach, a lighthouse and seagulls! Lisa told him that the Great lakes are so big that it almost looks like an ocean because you can't see to the other side. This lake is so big that on the other side is Canada! Lisa Pride and gus have plans to drive around that lake and go to Canada to watch her husband, Curtis Pride, play baseball for the Expos!

Gus could not believe how close the seagulls got to him. They thought he had food. Gus enjoyed visiting Lakeview Beach, in Lorain, Ohio.

Gus traveled to Canada with Lisa Pride. When crossing the border from the United States to Canada, they had to stop at this big toll booth. It was a place called CUSTOMS. There Lisa had to show the Customs official her Visa (a visitor's pass to a certain country). The official asked Gus why he was coming to Canada, when he was leaving, what he was bringing with him and LOTS of other questions. When they told the official that they were coming to watch Curtis Pride play baseball, she told them to have a great time!

As soon as they entered Canada, Gus noticed that most of the streets had funny looking words on them. He could not read them! Lisa explained that in Canada, some people speak French, some people speak English and some people speak both languages! so, most of thesigns are written in both languages! Gus decided he would learn a few French words and phrases to teach the kids in his class.

Olympic Stadium- This is where the Expos play baseball. The stadium has a roof so all of the games are played indoors.

Gus and Lisa visited the Magician's Gardens in Old Montreal. Gus had never seen such beautiful things made out of flowers and shrubs.

This guy is Gus' favorite Major League player! Curtis Pride is an outfileder for the Montreal Expos. He has also played for the Atlanta Braves. Gus was amazed that Curtis is deaf and can still be a baseball star. Curtis explained that he had been deaf since birth. Curtis told Gus that when he is in the outfield, he has to yell really loud that he can and will catch the ball. Since he can not hear his teammates, they have to stand back and let him catch it. Curtis was injured in a game in July and had to go through rehab for his wrist. Before he could go back and play with the Expos, he played with the Ottawa Lynx, a Triple A team. While on his major league adventure, Curtis introduced Gus to a lot of his friends on the other teams. He also let Gus sit in the dugout with him and chew bubble gum and eat sunflower seeds. After the game, he taught Gus how to still third base.

It is really hard to get to talk with Barry Bonds. All the reporters wanted to chat with him but he usually does not feel like talking to them. Gus introduced himself and spent a long time telling Barry all about his travels and his REACH friends. Barry could not believe that Gus had met the president! Gus told Barry that he and W. were great friends, so Barry asked to have his picture made with Gus. Barry told Gus some secrets to hitting the ball into the stands! Gus is hoping that his new friend Barry Bonds will break Mark McGwire's season homerun record this season. Barry told Gus that he does not care about records, he just wants his team to win. Gus thought that was very cool.

Curtis Pride and Vladimir Guerrero--

Both of these guys are Expos outfielders. Vlady signed an autograph for Gus. He was very thankful. Vlady is the best player on the Expos. He gave Gus a few tips on running and jumping to catch the ball.

Michael Barrett

Gus met Expos catcher Michael Barrett. Michael lives in Georgia too! While talking with Michael about signaling the pitcher, Gus became homesick, so Michael sang "Georgia on My Mind" to him. Gus felt much better.

Ken Griffey, Jr.

Gus met Cincinnati Reds star outfielder, Ken Griffey, Jr. Gus got some hitting tips from Junior who hit the ball really hard during batting practice. Gus thought it was cool that Ken wore his hat backward.

Andres Galarraga

Gus met Andres Galarraga, first baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Gus really liked Andres, whose nickname is "Big Cat". Since Andres used to play for the Atlanta Braves, they talked a lot about Georgia.

Sean Casey

Gus met Sean Casey, Cincinnati Reds first baseman. He was very nice to Gus. Sean is called "the major" by his teammates becasue he is so nice and friendly to everyone. Sean gave Gus some fielding tips.

Gus visited a fish farm in Delaware. He did not even know that fish grew on a farm! This farm raised talapia to sell to restaurants. He fished in a tank where there were over a thousand fish and did not catch a single one.

This farm also had eight hundred chicken houses with thousands of chicken in each one!

Gus took a walk on the boardwalk of Bethany Beach Delaware. He swam in the Atlantic Ocean. He also visited a school in Delaware and met lots of nice kids. He told them all about the kids in his class back home in Macon, GA.

Gus visited the GM powertrain plant in Romulus, Michigan. Everyone he met was so nice to him. He learned a lot about motors and got to ride in a brand new truck. Everyone he met there was very interested in safety. Gus had to be beary careful while he was in that engine plant.

Gus enjoyed visiting the school that trains leader dogs for the blind. It takes months of training before a dog can lead a blind person. People come from all over the world to get their leader dogs. Gus thought the people and dogs were very friendly.

Gus spent the day working at a scrapbook store in Franklin, Michigan called See Spot Run. He loved the people he met there. He showed his scrapbook to everyone who came in to buy scrapbook supplies. He was especially glad to meet Pam Talluto, who is a scrapbook Hall of Famer.

Gus traveled to Bosnia with National Guard soldier, Lt. Mike Lipper. He was on a peace keeping mission. The US soldiers are trying to stop the fighting between the Muslims and the Serbs so that a generation of children will know how to live in peace. Gus did not like the machine guns but he LOVED the soldiers.

Gus got to ride in a lot of Humvees. It is a heavily armored vehicle that is the military's primary transportation.Gus thought the guns were scary but he felt safe with his friends around.

Gus' first patrol....He took a helicopter ride to the top of Elevation 1326 to check out a radio transmission point.

March 7-8, 2001

The class took Gus to spend the night in ZooAtlanta. We participated in the Nightcrawlers program and learned an awful lot about the animals in the zoo. Everyone brought their sleeping bags, journal and pencil for the best sleepover ever.

Giant Pandas are extremely endangered. There are less than 1,000 giant pandas in the wild and approximately 120 in captivity. These pandas, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, are on loan to ZooAtlanta from the Chinese government. The zoo had to pay $10 million for 10 years, then they will be returned to China. Zookeepers are hoping that when the giant pandas are old enough, they will mate and have a baby giant panda.

It has been debated for years whether or not the panda belongs to the bear family or the raccoon family. The much smaller red panda closely resembles the raccoon while DNA analysis shows that the giant pandas have more in common with bears.

These guys eat bamboo, which is grown all around the zoo. The male panda pretends he wants to play, then takes the bamboo from the female. She just lets him get away with that! The giant pandas are the most popular exhibit at the zoo because they are so rare.

There was a baby Sumatran tiger born in ZooAtlanta 100 days before our trip. She was still in quarantine. The nursery keeper allowed Gus to go back to the play area where the baby was kept while the mom tiger was out in the display area. Gus loved seeing the baby tiger up that close. In fact, the baby tiger licked Gus on the back of the head. She also tried to use her claws to bring Gus right inside the fence with her. OOOOUCH! The tiger cub was so playful, but Gus did not want to play. He was there to learn about endangered animals, deadly reptiles, primates, and see the great new panda exhibit.

Gus learned that the giraffe is the world's tallest animal, towering up to 18 feet above the grasslands. They have the same number of vertebrates in their neck as most mammals (seven) but they are greatly elongated. Gus was also surprised to learn that each giraffe's coat is as unique as a fingerprint. Giraffes rarely lay down. They sleep and give birth standing up.

Gus goes to London

Emily C., of Weybridge, England, came to visit her grandmother in Macon and invited Gus to go home with her. Gus did not need much coaxing before he had his bags packed and ready to board the plane with her. It was a long flight! Seven hours from Atlanta. Emily slept most of the way but Gus was to excited to sleep. When he arrived in London, he asked what time it was. When Emily told him, he was confused. Then she explained to Gus that they had crossed several time zones. Macon is five hours behind London so when it is 2:00 p.m. in London, it is 9:00 a.m. in Macon! How confusing is that?

This is the house in the English countryside where Emily lives. She was such a great hostess! Gus enjoyed riding around town in her bicycle basket.

Gus got to ride on a double decker bus. He and Emily sat on the top level, front row. He had a great viewpoint from there. They visited 10 Downing Street. That is the home of the PRime Minnister. It is kind of like our White House. You cna't go past this gate unless you live in his neighborhood. That big Ferris Wheel is the Millennium Wheel. It was built near a lot of the tourist attractions. It takes 30 minutes to go all the way around.

London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the mother city of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is the seat of the world's oldest parliamentary governments, but it still maintains a lot of the pomp and ceremony of a medieval kingdom. It is an industrial city, an international center of finance and a huge port. Greater London is one of the world's largest metropolitan areas.

London owes its rise to its location on the Thames (pronounced TIMS) River. This is Gus and Emily overlooking the Thames River. Although it is only 210 miles long, it is England's chief waterway.

Emily and Gus took the tube (London's underground train or subway) to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is a huge church in London. It was built in the shape of a cross, with a big dome at the top. Emily and Gus climbed 530 steps to the top of the dome. Wow, what a view! The church also has a whispering gallery. Because of the way it was constructed, a friend can hear your whispered message on the other side of the gallery! Emily and Gus had great fun in the whispering gallery. Although it is a major tourist attraction, it is still a current place of worship.

4 page fold out- Gus gets the Royal Treatment

Emily took Gus to visit the Tower of London. That ancient fortress is England's most famous historic monument. It used to be a prison, but now it is a museum. It contains old arms, armor, and instruments of torture. It is surrounded by a moat. There is a tower inside that houses the crown jewels! The Imperial Crown made for Queen Victoria's coronation contains more than 2,700 diamonds, 300 pearls, and the Blank Prince's ruby which is almost as large as a hen's egg! It also contains all of the jewels worn on special occasions by Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family.

The Yeoman warders who guard the Tower and its collection of jewels are called beefeaters. They are the Queen's personal guards. They are called beefeaters because they were once required to taste the King's meat to make sure it wasn't poisoned. The beefeaters and their families live in the Tower and at night, they close the moat before going to bed.

These guys guard the Tower. Mostly they are for ceremonial purposes. Gus loved watching all of the horses trot by carrying the guards. Emily took Gus to see the Tower Bridge which crosses the Thames River. It is one of London's most beautiful tourist attractions.

Gus' New Vocabulary

Gus heard a lot of unusual new word and phrases while he was in London. Here are some of them.

Tea isnt a drink like coffee, it is the evening meal, like dinner or supper.
Babies don't wear diapers, they wear nappies, and a pacifier is called a "dummy". Mum (mommy) would take him to the park in a pushcart or pram, not a stroller.
A couch or sofa is called a lounge.
A grocery cart or buggy is called a trolley.
Cookies are called biscuits.
You don't call someone on the telephone, you ring them.
A flashlight is called a torch.
Gasoline is called petrol.
If you get a cut on the playground, you would cover it with a plaster, not a Band-Aid.
If you told someone that you liked their pants, they would be embarrassed. Pants are underwear and the outer garment is called trousers.
You swim in a bathing costume.

More Math

Gus' spending money did not look anything like US currency. The coins feature Queen Elizabeth's image instead of Presidents. The coins are called pence and the dollars are called pounds! There are 100 pence in one pound. One pound is equal to about $1.50.

All of the stamps feature Queen Elizabeth too. There are 3 five pound stamps, 1 one pound stamp,and 2 sixty five pence stamps. Help Gus figure out the value of the stamps it took to send him home.

17 pounds 30 pence. It actually cost $25.95 to mail Gus home.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arriving at a Knighting Ceremony. She became Queen because her father was King George and she had no brothers. Her husband is Prince Philip. He is known as the Duke of Edinburgh. Since she is the one with the Royal bloodline, her husband can not be King. Right now, there is no king. Queen Elizabeth has a son, Charles, who will be King when she dies and his son, William will be King when Charles dies. Queen Elizabeth was coronated on June 6, 1953 when she was only 24 years old.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

This is Her Majesty Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. SHe is 100 years old. She is mother to Queen Elizabeth. Her husband, was Queen Elizabeth's father, King George. If a king gets married, his wife becomes Queen, but if a Queen gets married, her husband can only be a Prince. King George's brother, Edward, was King for a while, but he wanted to marry an American woman, Anne Wallace Simpson, who had been married and divorced. That was not allowed in the royal family, so he had to abdicate (or give up) the throne in order to marry the woman he loved. At that time, his brother, Queen Elizabeth's father, became King.

January 20, 2001

Gus LOVES a parade! Afer the swearing in ceremony, he watched the Inaugural Parade. He had a very good seat. President Bush wanted to walk the parade route but since there were so many protesters, he had to ride in a car. Gus did not even get to see him, but he understands how important safety is to the President. There were great bands and floats in the parade. The weather was really cold and rainy! Gus got so cold that his fur was not enough to keep him warm so he and Kim headed for the White House where there was plenty of heat.

Not many people, and even fewer bears get to go inside the private residence of the White House. This is the actual living quarters of the First Family. Gus was very tired on Inauguration Day and needed a nap before going to the ball. He was going to hibernate in the Lincoln Bedroom but decided that the President's bed was comfy enough for his afternoon nap.

Just before leaving for the ball, President Bush wanted to have his picture taken with the best dressed bear in Washington, D.C. Gus was happy to oblige.

George W. Bush, President of the United States

President Bush is the 43rd President of the United States. Before becoming President, he was Governor of Texas. His father was the 41st President. The only other father and son to become President was John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Before becoming Governor of Texas, President Bush was successful in the oil business. He also was part owner of the Texas Rangers, a baseball team.

Laura Welch Bush

Mrs. Bush is First Lady of the United States. She has been an elementary school teacher and a librarian. She loves children and education and promotes literacy, telling everyone how important it is that children learn to read at an early age. She married George W. Bush in 1977 and they have twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara who are 18 years old and in college now.

Richard Bruce Cheney, Vice President of the United States

The Vice President is the second highest elected official. He is in charge of Congress. Vice President Cheney has a long history of public service, serving three different Presidents (Nixon, Ford,and Bush) as an elected official before becoming Vice President. He was born in Nebraska and grew up in Wyoming. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in 1991 for his leadership in the Gulf War.

Lynne V. Cheney

Mrs. Cheney is the wife of the Vice President. She has a distinguished record of public service, mostly in support of educational excellence. She is a publichsed author and has also been a newspaper columnist, magazine editor and television commentator. With her husband, he co-wrote Kings of the Hill, a history of the House of Representatives. She and her husband have two grown daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and three granddaughters.

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 God 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.

These are newspaper articles which tell about the heroic actions of Clarke Bynum, who saved a British Airways jetliner carrying 400 passengers and crew.

December 17, 2000

Gus needed a vacation so Ginny Garrison invited him along on a Disney Cruise! He really enjoyed searching the ship for Disney characters! He also enjoyed seeing the shows and eating in the restaurants on board. He also saw the Emperor's New Groove before it came out in theatres. He toured the islands of Freeport, Bahamas, and Nassau, Bahamas. He did not get to go to Castaway Island because the wind was so strong the boat could not dock. He still had a great time.

Gus set sail on Sunday, November 19, 2000, from Tampa, Florida. Most of the traveling time to Tampa was done on Friday, so we had all day on Saturday to tour Tampa and St. Petersburg.We watched the National Outboard Motor Racing from the St. Petersburg Pier. We sailed on Carnival's Sensation, which was designed by Joseph Farcus. The name of the country underneath the ship's name is the country of registration.Due to high taxation in the United States, most ships are registered in foreign countries. Sensation is registered in Nassau, Bahamas.

Gus did not have much time to do his math on board the ship so he brought home all of the information about nautical miles, statute miles, and knots for the kids to help him figure out how far he had traveled.

What began as a rainy day turned out to be pretty. We started an hour and a half bus ride from Playa de Carmen to Tulum. Diego Campos was a great tour guide. We toured Tulum which is on the shoreline of the Carribean Sea. It was so pretty. How wonderful to build something so important that it stands for centuries. Mayan Ruins, Tulum.

Tulum was one of the last cities to be built and inhabited by the Mayans. The city thrived mainly from the 15th to the 16th century. It was originally called Zama which means "Dawn" and is related to its location, which lies on the extreme eastern side of the Yucatan Penensula, directly facing the sunrise. It is a walled city, reflecting the turbulent political situation of the time. The enourmous wall, which defends its three landward sides, has only five small and narrow entrances. There are more than fifty buildings within the wall, most of which were temples dedicated to religious ceremonies, while others served as living quarters for the lords and priests. They were all constructed following a pattern: the major buildings lie in the center and from there, two roads branch out heading north and south, along which most of the platforms are aligned. On top of these were wood houses with thatched roofs, which have not withstood the effects of time. Commoners did not live within Tulum itself, but rather in the surrounding countryside. The only times they entered the city was to assist at religious ceremonies or attend matters with the lords who held a government office. Tulum was a richly decorated city in whichh all the temples were painted. Some of them boasted murals not only on the inside but on the outside as well. The facades were adorned with sculptures and stucco reliefs. This site was abandoned 450 years ago.

In our classroom, we are WAY into the Presidential Election. We wanted GUS to get into the action by going to visit Mrs. Gov. Bush. When we got the call, everybody just screamed and screamed! We made a hat and button for GUS to wear. GUS will get to see some cool places and get to meet some very important people.

November 1, 2000

Dear Mrs. Gowan and Friends of Gus,

Thank you for allowing Gustoff to spend some time with me. First, let me assure you that he was no trouble at all. He was respectful, he listened carefully, he didn't interrupt and he followed the rules. He also seemed to enjoy himself.

During Gus' travels with me, we stopped in twelve cities in eight states. He attended some very exciting campaign rallies, viisted with school children and went to a presidential debate. He was introducted to some special people including Governor Bush, Former First Lady Barbara Bush, and Lynne Cheney. Gus was especially impressed with the Secret Service agents--he felt very safe with them around.

I hope Gus had a good time traveling with our campaign. His adventures should teach you a lot about the election process. Thank you for letting Gus visit! I will miss his company!

Sincerely,
Larua Bush

Gus spent some time sitting on a press platform at an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Gus in the Rapid Response room at the Presidential Debate.Gus attended a Presidential Debate in St. Louis, MO on October 17, 2000. He listened very closely as the candidates answered question after question. About 37.7 million people watched the debate on television......that's a lot of people.

The Governor and Mrs. Bush traveled on this plane during the Presidential campaign. Also on board are ten or twleve staff members and almost 100 members of the press. During a flight, the Governor and Mrs. Bush usually read through speeches, write notes and talk to their staffs. A lot of work can be done in a two hour flight!

Gus was impressed with the Secret Service agents...and they were impressed with him! They even let him wear an earpiece, their special pin (gold/sqare) and of course, their signature sunglasses.

Many well known people campaign on behalf of the Governor...his mother, Barbara Bush, is one of the many. Other "surrogates" include General Colin Powell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elizabeth Dole, Georgia Senator Paul Coverdell, and Georgia Representative Mac Collins...and many more.

While working on the Bush campaign, Gus spent a lot of time at the campaign headquarters at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. He met a couple of other bears who were also campaigning for his pal, Goerge W. In his free time, Gus enjoyed playing in the residence of the Governor's Mansion. Can you find him hiding on the porch, eating in the State Dining room and sniffing out a snack in the kitchen?

Election Night November 7, 2000

After campaigning all day, Gus spent election night in the hotel suite watching the election returns with the Bush family and friends. He had a VIP pass and Secret Service Clearance. It was a close race and everyone kept their fingers crossed. Finally, at 2:00 in the morning, the networks announced that Governor Bush had WON! Everyone was so excited! About an hour later, all of the grown-ups in the room started looking very worried. The TV reporters said that there had been a big mistake. Something about Florida...........

This is a picture of George W. Bush when he was a child. Governor Bush autographed this page for us!

Fun Facts:
The average high temperature is 105 degrees!
AZ is one of the best places in the US for star gazing.
AZ is known as the "Grand Canyon State".
Statehood date: February 14, 1912.
The state bird is the cacuts wren.
Flagstaff, AZ actually gets more snow than Utah sometimes.
Most of AZ is part of the Sonora Desert

Gus traveled all the way to Peoria, AZ and stayed with Becky Higgins. He got to see the REAL, live desert cactus and sagebrush...and even attended the Mesa Scrapbook Convention with the Creating Keepsakes gang. He went to Becky's classes, the crop (party) and dinner with his new CK friends.

September 2000.

Amish families travel in buggies and the children get around on scooters. It's against their religion to get their pictures taken (unless a photographer sneaks a shot like on the postcard above).

The Amish are a group of people who mainly live in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. They have rejected modern conveniences (like electricity and cars) and prefer a plain and simple life. Their huge farms are a source of pride for the men. They mostly wear black and do all their laundry by hand.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, August 25, 2000

REACH students show the campaign signs they made to support Al Gore for President.

Guess how many photos are taken everyday in America? 50 million!! It's no wonder that scrapbooking is the fastest growing hobby in the USA. On August 18, 2000, Gus visited the founder (Lisa Bearnson) and editorial staff of Creating Keepsakes-- a magazine dedicated to scrapbooking. He also enjoyed hanging out with Lisa's kids and learning how to publish a magazine. The Creating Keepsakes main office is in Orem, Utah and is surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains.