For those who have never seen this Old West Wednesday post from 2012.
Andi's story:
Somebody asked me if--living in California and all--I've ever experienced an earthquake. Let's think about that a minute. California. Earthquake. Hmmmm . . . That would be a "yes," I have. *scary*
Earthquakes are not just a "new California" happening. Check out this link and scroll down to see a
list of the history of earthquakes in California. Either they didn't keep very good track back in the 1800s or . . . the number of earthquakes in the state are going up, up, up in modern times. Not a cheery thought.
I have to confess that I don't like earthquakes at all. I felt a few little shakes last year. The chandelier swayed, the dishes rattled, and I dived under the table quick as a jackrabbit! Chad laughed his head off. He said that wasn't anything. Before that, the year I turned ten, I was staying with Aunt Rebecca in San Francisco (because of a scarlet fever epidemic in the valley) and I experienced a "little" earthquake. Not much too them, but they sure do rattle your nerves! So I felt I was getting pretty experienced with earthquakes.
I thought the earthquake in San Francisco when I was staying with Aunt Rebecca was my first earthquake. But of course Chad was quick to point out that it was definitely NOT my first earthquake. It was back in 1872, March 26, to be exact, just before I turned four. (reader alert: REAL EVENT)
The center of that real-life earthquake was up in Lone Pine. You can read about it here:
Lone Pine Earthquake. It was a little town about 80 miles east of our ranch, up in the Sierras. The whole town was flattened and people were killed. And everybody in California felt that thing--so Chad says. Except me. Well, maybe I felt it and then forgot about it.
The trembling woke everybody up. Melinda says the whole bed was rattling and jumping around. She even said it rolled like a ship at sea. I shiver just thinking about it, and I'm glad I can't remember. That little earthquake when I was up in a tree was bad enough! Everything on our shelves--books, toys, games--crashed to the floor, so Melinda says.
She grabbed my hand and hauled me--screaming--to Mother and Father. Father caught me up and hugged me tight, then we all got out of there. I guess Father thought it was safer to be outside in the wide, open yard, where nothing could fall on us. The stairs were swaying and the hanging chandelier fell, just missing Mitch and breaking all over the floor.
By the time we got outside, the shaking had stopped. But my crying didn't. I wouldn't let Father put me down the rest of the night. And a good thing too! Because something called "aftershocks" kept happening. It was cold outside, but we all huddled together until the worst of it was over. Then Father sent Justin inside to fetch some blankets.
 |
| Mother and Father went up to see the damage. |
For the next few weeks, everybody on the ranch spent the days cleaning up the mess. Our house had a lot of damage. It was stucco (adobe), and those kind of buildings fare worse than buildings like the barn, which are made of wood. Wooden buildings just "go with the flow" in an earthquake.
Note: Andi experienced yet another quake. In 1906, when she was 38, she was visiting San Francisco, and what do you know? She was caught right in the middle of one of the worse earthquakes in California history. A contest winner wrote a winning story about that event! Here is the real scoop:
SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE
Extra note: But I'm not making this next part up. Mrs. M has experienced her own share of earthquakes in Washington state. She was in the fourth grade when a big earthquake just before school. The floor rolled and the hanging lamp swayed! Her most recent earthquake was in 2000, around lunchtime. The chandelier swayed back and forth, and she went outside with her children to see what it looked like. The cars bounced in the driveway and the telephone poles swayed back and forth. It was creepy. And just last year, she was awakened one morning to a small earthquake, which rumbled the cabin where she lives.
This is a Sunday morning update, which includes a peek at the new cover! A couple of fans have asked about Ms. Ferrell's newest Horses and Friends book.
She
glanced at Jared, who sat under the wagon box, out of the rain. He shivered and
whimpered. His hazel eyes showed his fear. 
Andi
opened one eye and peeked at the small clock on the nightstand. She'd been asleep for
less than an hour! She opened both eyes but could not pull herself out of bed. She
knew the instant she rose her stomach would protest. And up would come the rest
of her long-ago breakfast.
No.
Rain continued to pelt the rooftop. Andi pressed her nose to the bedroom
window. She could not see past the drops plastered to the glass pane. “Rain,
rain, go away,” she chanted. “Come again another day.” Or not at all,
she added silently.
Andi drew back the lace
curtain and peered out the front window. She could barely see through the gray
haze. She could scarcely hear herself think. The rain rattled against the
rooftop and the porch roof like a drummer gone mad. 
This one was created by Sadie S. and Lilly W. Thanks, ladies!
Congratulations, Joy B.! You are the random drawing winner of those who only missed one question. Yes, friends. For the very first time, NO ONE got 100%. Five out of a good number of entries only missed one. You know who you are after you read the correct answers below. And, lest you think it was just one question all five applicants for the random drawing missed (and I would have figured I worded something wrong), they missed various answers, and not all the same one. :-)
Freddy was known
to torment new students, especially little girls. Kate, with her eyes downcast
and her fingers nervously twirling the two white hair ribbons on her braids, marked
her as a perfect target for Freddy.
