Here I am voting on November 2, 2004! How patriotic!

 

Here I am learning wheat weaving at the Renaissance Festival.

 

Here I am visiting the Capitol Building in Santa Fe. I am so proud!

 

Here I am learning the names of the planets in our Solar System. My favorite is Earth!

 

Here I am hunting for pinon nuts in Santa Fe. Mmm... I love the smell of pine, but it makes me homesick!

 

I'm getting ready to climb this pinon tree in New Mexico. It sure is tall!

 

Here I am at MacArthur Elementary School in Las Cruces, NM. MacArthur is a very good school because the students there are very smart and they love their school. I am learning a lot about many things.

 

Here I am with one of the students. She is writing all about me! She invited me to art class with her. She showed me how she drew fruit in art class and then painted it. She is a good artist and she writes and speaks in Spanish! I am going to learn Spanish, too. 'Oso' means bear in Spanish.

 

Here I am with my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Mitchell in the After School Program. I am reading a poem.

 

Mrs. Enriquez, the librarian at MacArthur invited me to read to students during Children's Book Week. I am sitting with my new friend cow. Have you read 'Click, Clack, Moo???? Cow and I LOVE to read!

 

Here I am with Joshua. Mrs. Alba's students and I learned about Native Americans. We made symbolic headdresses and decorated blankets. The students brain stormed all about Native Americans, bears and my travels and gave me a Native American Name. I am called "Brave Little Strong Bear". They gave me that name because they think I am brave and strong because I travel all alone and meet new people wherever I go. I like my new name.

 

Here I am in Mr. Stuart's office. He is the principal of MacArthur Elementary. I really enjoy being here. Thank you, MacArthur students, for inviting me to share your learning!

 

Here I am with my heroes of the Las Cruces Fire Department, Lt. John Guerin, D/O Juan Arellano, F.F. James Von Schriltz and another Las Crucen, Peter Benziger. Did you know that Smokey Bear came from New Mexico? I have collected some wonderful souvenirs from Smokey's Firefighter friends. We were celebrating my last night in Las Cruces at El Sombrero Restaurant. Yum! Mexican food can get pretty hot, but I LOVE chile. Did you know that Southern New Mexico has the BEST chile in the world?! This weekend the International Mariachi Festival was celebrated. Las Cruces has many beautiful cultural celebrations. How do you like my Mariachi sombrero?

 

I am so sad...Today my friends at MacArthur gave me a going away picnic. They invited some of my bear friends. We had blueberry juice and honey grahams. They even played the 'Teddy Bear's Picnic' song for me! I had a wonderful time with my bear friends Flyer, Fischer, Hugs, Zia and Cookie.

 

Mr. Flores, our school custodian offers good advice: "Forest, stay in school."

 

Today I went down to the Rio Grande to say "Adios" to Las Cruces and New Mexico. Can you see the Organ Mountains and the beautiful blue sky in the distance? It is truly the "Land of Enchantment".

 

Yea! I visited the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe. Georgia O'Keefe is a very famous artist. Perhaps you have seen some of her paintings. She created some beautiful flowers. She lived in New Mexico.

 

I felt very welcome in Las Cruces! I hope I get to visit here again someday.