Tree beards

Hi kids!

We sailed past lots of golf courses and stuff today and out into the
swamps again. We are seeing a lot of stuff we rarely or never see up
north.

Like the moss in the trees. The trees in this picture are all covered
with moss. It hangs down and blows around and makes the trees look
like they have long beards. That's funny!

Up in the top of one of the trees is a huge bird's nest. It was made
ny an osprey. This is a big muscular bird like an eagle that sits up
in the trees, looks for fish in the water then dives down to get them.
They don't just delicately pick the fish out of the water like the
eagle. They do a face plant right into the water with a big splash
then come up with the fish in their talons crying,'Cree! Cree!' big
show offs, those ospreys.

We are also seeing lots and lots of pelicans. They are really funny
looking and really clumsy. They have big heads with big long beaks.
Under their beaks there is a pouch. To fish they fly along a few feet
above the water, then, when they see a fish, they dive in with their
mouth open and try to get the fish in the pouch. It makes a huge
splash. And they never land in the water any other way. They just
crash land face first then flip themselves over. It's really funny to
see.

Angel Jen is writing her journal in the picture. She writes down the
things we see, the places we go and how much fun it is to be on a boat
with me. Then she sends it to her mother so her mother will know, too.

Just think. You could learn to write and someday take a trip to see
pelicans and write a letter about it, too. If you learn to write, that
is. So pay attention to your teacher and if you play your cards right
she might teach you how to do it.