JitterbugGeorge'sWikiPage

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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Pam's Ponderings =

1. Introduction
Hey! I'm Pam George, 4th grade teacher at [|Gray Elementary]. I love my 4th graders and the wonderful teachers I work with! Gray Gators rock!

2. Favorite Things -- Upcoming Vacation!!!
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//For those who don't believe the lights are car headlights, ignited gas, or the luminescent fur of jackrabbits (typical "scientific" explanations), there are several folktales surrounding the lights. An Apache legend contends that the lights are the spirit of one of their chiefs, or stars falling from the sky. Another story involves the phantoms of a family who got lost in the Texas wildnerness. Even the specters of Pancho Villa and Adolph Hitler have been blamed for the lights.// http://www.ghosts.org/ghostlights/marfa.html //Na tive Americans inhabited the area for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans. The Spanish, through their system of missions and presidios, imprinted their customs on the region only to be replaced by the nation of Mexico. The westward  expansion of the United States brought yet another unique culture to the Big Bend. The exhibit Big Bend Legacy greets visitors as they enter the Museum of the Big Bend. Legacy introduces visitors to the distinctive natural history, human history and confluence of cultures in the Big Bend region. //http://www.sulross.edu/museum/exhibits.html //The Davis Mountains, the most extensive mountain range in Texas, were formed by volcanic activity during the Tertiary geologic period, which began around 65 million years ago. These mountains were named after Jefferson Davis, U.S. Secretary of War and later President of the Confederacy, who ordered the construction of the Fort Davis army post. Most Indian bands passed through the Davis Mountains, although the Mescalero Apaches made seasonal camps. As west Texas settlements increased, raiding in Mexico and along the San Antonio-El Paso Trail became a way of life for Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanches. Few Americans had seen the Davis Mountains prior to 1846. After the war with Mexico, a wave of gold seekers, settlers, and traders came through the area and needed the protection of a military post - Fort Davis. Fort Davis was active from 1854 until 1891, except for certain periods during the Civil War. In 1961, the historic fort ruins were declared a National Historic Site, and a vast restoration/preservation program was initiated by the National Park Service. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/davis_mountains/ // //Enjoy a tour of the constellations and view the moon, planets, stars, galaxies, and other objects through large telescopes at our [|Visitors Center Public Observatory]. // http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors/programs/index.html#starpartypass //As a bonus, in the summer, it's often cooler in the Davis Mountains than anywhere else in Texas. We have four seasons (milder than the rest of Texas), seasons almost devoid of severe weather of any kind. It’s not likely you’ll see us on the Weather Channel. During times when the rest of Texas is broiling, flooding or experiencing other natural weather phenomena, this little town and the surrounding countryside are cool, dry and peaceful. Like Santa Fe and Colorado Springs, we're on the Front Range of the Rockies. //http://www.fortdavis.com/areainfo.html
 * [|Marfa Lights]
 * [|Sul Ross State University's Museum of Big Bend]
 * [|Davis Mountains]
 * [|McDonald Observatory]
 * [|Fort Davis]

3. Burning Question

 * What //really// causes the Marfa lights?**

[|Jitterbug George's Blog]
[|McDonald Observatory.doc] -- this is a link to the stuff we'll get to do there!

5. Image
[|Indian Lodge Clip]