My Beaches Maven

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, December 26, 2004

The “Indian Ocean earthquake” of 2004 and the subsequent tsunami caused immense damage and loss of life around the Indian Ocean. The earthquake occurred on the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The western end of the island of Sumatra was hardest hit, but was not the only place to suffer damage and loss of life.

1. No other natural disaster has killed as many people as the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of Dec. 2004.a) True, e) False.

2. The earthquake occurred on a divergent tectonic plate margin.a) True, e) False.

3. All earthquakes on the ocean bottom cause tsunamis. a) True, e) False.

4. Tsunamis differ from ordinary sea waves in that they a) Move at much greater speed, b) Affect the entire water column, c) Can run up long distances on a beach, d) a, b, and c, e) a and c.

5. A tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean like that in the Pacific Ocean could have saved many lives. a) True, e) False.

1 f
2 f
3 f
4 e (but depending on definition, could be d)
5 t

this is in the wild west a long time ago and is made up.

Annie Lockern

I was named after Annie Oakley.
I am fourteen, the oldest of three.
Sarah is ten while Silvia is twelve.
I actually know how to shoot a gun.
I can write and read.

“Oh what else is there? I’ll save it for tomorrow” that’s what I said after the horses started whinnying. My horse was white and quite young but old enough for me to ride. I found her at an Indian camp her mother had died and they were going to get rid of her, so I offered to raise her. They laughed at first but I was determined to have her as my own. Dad was trading some beaver skins so I didn’t get any help to convince them. Then I told them that I have raised a horse before, even though I was lying. In all honestly I was surprised they bought it. They agreed to let me have the horse and I named her Misty. We were luckier than many travelers because we gathered up some horses that had escaped from a battle that was close to where we were camping for the night. We caught eight horses in all; I was able to rope two of them.
The next morning Sarah and Silvia went out to play down by the beach since we had arrived at the ocean after our trip along the Oregon Trail. And of course, as always, Sarah and Silvia came running back because they saw something and were scared. But what they found puzzled us all. Normally it’s just something not to worry about like a harmless snake but this time it was a skull that looked quite feline and had teeth like the tusks on a walrus. We decided to keep it, so we wrapped it leather and put it in the cupboard. We had a wonderful catch that included crab and fish that I don’t know the name of, so I started carving a horse out of driftwood. Then I saw some otters and started feeding them clams; I had made some new friends that day. As I was feeding them from the canoe they suddenly scattered, I saw a fin rise from the ocean and I grabbed an otter that had remained unaware of the danger. I stood up in the canoe, gun in hand and fired three shots. Then I clambered around trying to find more, good thing too, as I searched the creature banged against the side of the boat. The adorable little otter scrambled into my leather bag of clams that was attached to the canoe. My horse, knowing I was in trouble, started neighing and bucking trying to break free of the rope that bound her to the wagon. My hand closed in on the container of bullets as the canoe righted itself. I scrambled to load it as my family came into view. I then stood up again and fired four shots before I was sure it was dead. Its lifeless body floated to the surface, dad came to drag it ashore. I paddled ashore and otter in hand I watched as mom drilled and threaded a tooth as dad looked at me with a sense of pride. Because of my accomplishment I got the eyeball, the little otter swam around in a hole we dug and lined with the creatures skin. The creature had hundreds of teeth that we could trade.
After dinner I carved a “tank” that could hold water since the otter refused to leave me. I gathered clams and caught fish. Thankfully the otter didn’t mind freshwater (later confirmed as a freshwater otter, there was a river nearby). I named her Lucky; she was perfectly comfortable in the wagon. I sometimes showed her to the Indian tribes we met and told them what happened; they were impressed. Since she was young she eventually outgrew her tank and I had to carve a new one, but that was okay with me. We traveled the West; we little group of friends and family, me, Mom, Dad, Silvia, Sarah, Lucky, and Misty. I considered Lucky and Misty more than human, humans tend to destroy cultures and heritage, animals are filled with love and kindness, they would never do that, they are our friends.
it is a short story

I feel like I’m being told the story, rather than shown it.

"Opposite thinking" could save your life. When the tsunami struck the Indian Ocean in 2004, people walked out to the beach to watch the water being sucked away. they appeared to be in no danger since the water was receding. Most of those onlookers died as a huge wave returned, moments later, at 500 miles per hour. So if you are standing on the beach and the water disappears, think opposite and run! There are other instances of doing the apparently "opposite" thing to save you life. Can you think of them?

When driving and starting to slide, you should steer in the direction of the slide, contrary to instinct.