The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal related cruelties. It works on issues involving pets, wildlife, farm animals, horses and other equines, and animals used in research, testing and education. As of 2001, the group’s major campaigns targeted factory farming, animal blood sports, the fur trade, puppy mills, and wildlife abuse.

I’ve always thought it would be fun to have a hot cocoa stand, and this fall I was finally able to run one down at my neighborhood park! It was really fun setting everything up. I got to meet new people, make hot chocolate with different toppings, and serve homemade apple pie.

My trip to Australia was very fun! On my trip we visited the Sydney Opera House, went to the zoo, went on a cruise and so much more!

Believe it or not, this trip was made possible through Girl Scout Cookies! I sold over 5,000 boxes, which earned me a trip with our Council! This next cookie season, we could earn a trip to Japan!

A new educational movie just came out! It is called “Good Night Oppy.” I had the privilege to watch this movie before it came out on Nov. 4 in theaters and Amazon Prime! “Good Night Oppy” is one of the most exciting educational films I have ever seen. The documentary does a great job of explaining and showing the process of building, launching, and controlling the rovers, as well as showing us the whole journey of Oppy.

Did you know that the USDA Forest Service has been supplying the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree since 1970? The tree for this year was selected from North Carolina’s Pishga National Forest.

The biologist who examined the tree named it Ruby. Ruby has red bark, which helps the leaves stand out. Before being placed on the Capitol’s lawn, Ruby Red had to pass a series of tests.