Example of Smiley-Face Tricks

1. Mrs. Singer's Favorite Place

2. You know that moment when you’ve just woken up, and you don’t know what day it is or where you are? Well, when I wake up and sit up in bed and see the lake outside my window, I know I’m in Snugboro, and I know it will be a wonderful day.

3. The first thing I do each morning is see what animals are outside. Some mornings I see the great blue heron as he walks along the shore looking for fish. He always amazes me with his odd backward bending knees. The heron is shy, however, and he flies away if I come near.

4. It is now autumn, and the leaves know their lives are near an end. The green has drained away, and with the last of their power they blaze in glorious colors of red, orange, and gold. Craving our attention one last time, they scream out, “LOOK AT ME!”, before they lose their lives to the cold winds that wait.

5. Winter winds blow away many of the mountain’s residents. A certain silence descends, creating star-filled nights of isolation. It feels as if we are all alone on the mountain until we hear the haunting hoot of the owl, or the piercing cry of the vixen. Locked away beneath a crystal mantle of ice is the lake and all the life within it. Winter rests quietly on the mountain, meanwhile, nature and I patiently await the renewal of life that comes with the warming springtime sun.

6. Finally, spring has arrived. After weeks of trying, the lake has succeeded in shrugging off the ice that held it prisoner. Signs of new life are everywhere, the trees are dressed in their new apparel of juicy green leaves, the frogs are peeping, the robins are building their nests, and now it’s time to dive into all the joys of spring.

7. Summer comes back, but it doesn’t come alone. It brings people, hummingbirds, and butterflies back to the mountain. There are so many wonderful memories waiting to be made. Swimming, fishing, kayaking in the lake, hiking around the mountain, and sharing all this with my family and friends, yes, this is my favorite place!