Day 66 - North Carolina

Day 66

December 16

Siler City, North Carolina

Dear Miss Smith,

         It has been a thrilling day for me and I must tell you all about it. I am enjoying a very quiet and relaxed night here in my lovely room at Celebrity Dairy Inn. My room, which I shall tell you about soon, is located on the second floor, while Katelyn & Kristina enjoy rooms on the third floor. Dogs are not allowed in the Inn here and so we have left Timber and Penelope to enjoy the entire RV tonight. I have no doubt that Timber will be sleeping on my bed and will most likely encourage Penelope to share it with him since I am sure I forgot to shut the bedroom door before we left. I’m half inclined to get up and tramp all the way out to the RV just to make sure that door is shut properly. But I’m only half inclined and think perhaps I won’t since it is a cold night and I am writing this letter from my warm bed.

         But I must tell you about our day.

         Leaving Roanoke, we drove for a while listening to 89.7 FM on the radio. Since we were going to be in the area, I decided that our trip to North Carolina just wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the radio station you listen to all day long. I was wondering, do you have the radio on when you go to bed? I never thought to ask until now. I wasn’t sure what to expect having never been in a radio station before, but those at WCPE The Classical Station were very warm and welcoming.

         Did you know that their tower is more than 1200 feet tall? We could see it for miles and knew where we were heading even before we arrived. Fancy being able to broadcast the marvelous music of the classical composers all around the world. I’m sure Benjamin Franklin would have been pleased, as would Samuel F. B. Morse, Alexander Graham Bell and the rest of those inventors.

         Tara Lynn was so very sweet when we came in and took us on a tour of the station and introduced us to many people who, up to now, have just been names on the radio. Dan McHugh was working that morning and he was kind enough to let me do one of the announcements and send my greetings to you. I do hope you were listening during that time as it’s too late to go back and do it again. You said Dan sounded “cute” on the radio, well he was even better looking in person, but my dear Miss Smith, he was entirely too young for you.

         As much as I enjoyed the tour of the station and getting to be on the air, my most thrilling moment of the morning was when David Ballantyne walked in! As you know, David was born and raised in London, England and his accent is the real thing, not one of those fake accents you hear people try and pass off nowadays. I was wearing my favorite hat and he told me it was the most extraordinarily charming hat he had seen since he was last in London. Imagine my supreme delight at those words.

         Our travels continued after finding a quaint little restaurant in Wake Forest where we ate lunch, followed by a walk around the town with the dogs. I wished it were dark and we could see all the Moravian stars lit up which are hanging in every doorway and window. It must be a lovely sight.

"Aunt Agnes"

         Oh, Miss Smith, guess what I discovered in a quaint little antique shop window. A hat just like my great, great, great, great Aunt Agnes had! I simply couldn’t resist stepping inside the shop and having a better look at it while Katelyn and Kristina held on to the dogs outside. The shop was run by an old man, and he was so kind as to take the hat out of the window so I might examine it more closely. Miss Smith, it was just like Aunt Agnes’s hat. I’ve always admired the picture of my aunt, and how often I have wished for a hat just like hers, since hers became lost in the intervening generations between her and myself, though I never could hope to look as lovely as she did.  I was torn between buying the hat and leaving it there, for I didn’t have a hat box it would fit in. (All those feathers must have some protection or it would be ruined in a week.) I mentioned that I was traveling through the area in my RV and didn’t have a way to keep it safe when I wasn’t wearing it. The man stared at me for a moment and then said, “You’d wear that thing?”

         “Oh, yes!” I replied, turning it around in my hand. “It is just like one my great, great, great, or how ever many greats it was, aunt had.”

         “Ma’am,” he replied, “if you buy that hat and will allow my granddaughter to come take a picture of you wearing it, I’ll throw in a hat box that just fits that hat, for free.”

         How could I refuse such an offer after that? In a few moments the hat was mine. A minute more and the man’s granddaughter (she works for the local paper) came and took a dozen pictures of me with my newest hat, asked many questions, and even interviewed Katelyn and Kristina. It was quite thrilling, I assure you, and my only regret was that we were not going to be around long enough to see the photo and interview in print. I did leave your name and address with the kind man, as well as the price of a paper and postage, and requested that he mail you a copy of the paper. I’m calling this hat “Aunt Agnes.”

         But our travels for the day were not over and we soon set off for the Celebrity Dairy. It is a small family farm, but the Inn is a lovely building. Actually it is two buildings— a modern Greek Revival farmhouse and an 1800 log cabin joined by a two-story atrium. The log cabin was the original settler’s cabin. There are wide porches skirting the farmhouse, and the 250-year-old oak trees are stately and grand even in the winter. I can just imagine what it must be like in the summer when everything is green.

         The dairy is known for its award winning goat cheese and is, as you may have assumed, a goat farm. Their herd is of Alpine and Saanen goats and their cheese is quite delightful. I am glad we chose to visit the Dairy for they do not ship their cheese because it would suffer in the mail.

         When we arrived, we were welcomed and greeted by our hosts Fleming and Brit, along with one of the goats, Kathryn, who is getting along in years but still seems interested in visitors.

         After getting a tour of The Inn and settling into our rooms, we were shown the barn where the goats reside. Kristina and Katelyn would have offered to help milk had there been a chance since they have goats at home, but there were no goats to milk as we came at an off time.

         Supper was delightful and then we retired to our rooms for the evening.

"Katherine's Room"

         Kristina’s room is called “Katherine’s Room” and has light pink walls. Being on the top floor causes the roof to slope down. She has a lovely window seat where one can relax and enjoy the view of the small south meadow.

Bernard's Room"

        Across the hallway from the “Katherine” is  “Bernard's Room” where Katelyn is sleeping. Her walls are also light pink but the bed frame is dark wood and there is no window seat; however, the sheer curtains on the windows were tied back so the north meadow could be seen. Both the upper rooms are quite cozy, and I’m sure the girls will sleep fine.

"Lynan's Room"

         My room is dubbed the “Lynan’s Room” and has blue walls and a quilt with a background of blue. The bed is just lovely, quite unique with its tall pencil posts of a light wood color. The upper parts of the walls, just below the ceiling, appear papered in lace which adds a charm to the room which I can’t describe. When it was light, I could look from my window and see the front meadow and watch the sun setting.

         Now, Miss Smith, as I am quite tired and we will have a busy day before us, I think I will turn out my light and get some sleep. I’m looking forward to our breakfast here on the farm.

Pleasant dreams,

~Priscilla

Day 64 - North Carolina

Day 64

Dec. 14

Outer Banks, North Carolina

Dear Miss Smith,

            On December 14 I woke up with a feeling of great excitement and anticipation. Today would be the first day of our week in North Carolina. I jumped out of bed to go see if my sister Kristina was awake. I found her up and petting the dogs, Timber and Penelope, while she was talking with Priscilla about the exciting week that lay ahead for the three of us.

            We started our travels on the first day of our trip in North Carolina by taking the dogs out for a walk. They seemed to know that they were not coming with us to Shackleford Banks Island, and were trying to make the most of their morning walk. We were not taking them with us because we didn't want them scaring the wild horses, and I don't think they would be allowed on the island anyway.

            Then we went back to the RV for a delicious breakfast. We fed the dogs too. I wonder if they have been to more states than I have? I'll have to ask Priscilla later. After breakfast we took a ferry to Shackleford Banks Island to see the wild horses.

            We arrived after traveling three miles on the water. Then we started on our walk to see the horses. On the ferry ride we were told that these horses are actually called bankers ponies and that they are descendants of Spanish horses that had survived shipwrecks around that area. We asked one of the men on the ferry how long the horses have been on the island, and he said, “As long as anybody can remember.” You might be wondering how they found out that the horses are of Spanish descent if they have been there as long as anybody can remember. We found out later that they had done some genetic testing to discover the horses’ origin.

            We didn't have to walk far to see some horses. They were wading in a pond known as the Mullet Pond, which is one of their favorite places on the island. I should mention that it was a warm day for December. We kept a safe distance away from the horses as we had been told to, but we were still close enough to be able to see what they were doing, and to enjoy watching them. After we had watched them play in the pond for a little while, then we decided to continue our walk.

  

Our favorite horses

          Next we headed to Bottle Run Point on the inland side of Shackleford Banks Island. This was not difficult because we were near there already. We walked up the coast a ways and then arrived at Bottle Run Point. The island is 9 miles long and not very wide. Most of the island is beaches and grassland, but there is a small forest near the Mullet Pond. There is also some fresh water on the island for the horses to drink. My favorite horse was a palomino colored stallion with a flaxen mane and tail. Priscilla's favorite horse was a dark bay mare that was standing right next to it. Kristina's favorite horse was also the flaxen maned stallion.

Getting a drink

            The view from the point was beautiful. From there we could see Harkers Island in the distance. Harkers Island is halfway between Shackleford Banks Island and the mainland. After we had been enjoying the view for a little while, we saw a horse just a short distance further up the coast. It was a bay mare digging a hole in the sand. As we watched, we saw it put its muzzle in the hole. After staying like that for a little while, it lifted its head and walked away. We were wondering what this was all about; so after the horse walked away, we went over to check it out. We looked in the hole and saw some water in the bottom of it, and came to the conclusion that the horse must have been taking a drink. We found out later that the horses do this when they are thirsty and not near any fresh water on the island.

            By now we were starting to get hungry, so we decided to start heading back. We would have to take the ferry back to Beaufort, because the only way to get to and from the island is by boat. When we arrived back at the RV we decided to take the dogs for a quick walk before lunch. We had not eaten lunch on the island because any food you want has to be brought with you to the island; and when you leave you have to take your trash with you. We had a quick lunch and started driving to Cedar Island. Our plan was to drive across Cedar Island and when we arrived at the port on the other end, to take a ferry to Ocracoke Island.

            While we were on our way to Cedar Island I decided to try to teach Penelope (the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) a trick. It wasn't long before I ran out of treats, so I asked Priscilla if we had any more. She said there was some more in the cupboard above the stove. I opened the cupboard; but I never got around to getting the treats, for all of a sudden three hats fell in my face. Priscilla, who was driving at the time, glanced in my direction, and then quickly turned her head back to look at the road. I think she was trying not to laugh. However, my doggy treat adventure did not end there. No sooner did the hats fall on the floor, than the dogs grabbed two of them and ran in different directions. Kristina jumped up to help retrieve the hats before they were ruined. I know Priscilla would have helped too but since she was driving she had to keep her eyes on the road. I know that this was difficult. I decided to chase Timber; the dog that was going into the bedroom; and finally retrieved the hat, but not before I had chased Timber around the bed a few times. Kristina was able to save the other two hats and thankfully they didn't have any tooth marks in them. After that, Kristina put Penelope on her lap; and I put the hats back in the cupboard. It was then that I decided I didn't need the treats anymore.

            As we were driving over the bridge that connected Cedar Island to the mainland, we looked out the windows at the amazing view. After we had been driving across Cedar Island for a while, I decided to take a short nap.

            When we arrived at the docks we began to wonder if we were going to have trouble trying to get them to take the RV across on the ferry, so we looked for the largest one and went to try to have the passage arranged. We finally managed to get someone to ferry the RV across to Ocracoke Island. When they loaded the RV onto the ferry, I thought I saw the ferry sink a few inches. It must be all those hats in there. The ferry ride was very enjoyable, and after two and a half hours we arrived at Ocracoke Island.

           First we went to see the lighthouse. The Ocracoke lighthouse is 65 ft. tall and white. The whitewash recipe that they used to make the lighthouse white, calls for blending lime, salt, Spanish whiting, rice, glue, and boiling water, and to apply the mixture while it is still hot. We were told that this lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in the United States that is still in use; and that you can see its beam of light 14 miles out to sea. After this we went to look at the keepers quarters. It was a two-story white house not far from the lighthouse. We found out that the second-story was added to the house later so that an additional keeper and his family could live there, because the duties at the lighthouse had increased. The Coast-Guard operates it now so no keepers live there anymore. We also learned that the keepers and their families went fishing, hunted water-fowl, raised livestock and planted gardens in their spare time. And that the lighthouse service sent a traveling library every six months to light-stations along the coast.

Sunny Green

           After this we went to see the other historic spots in the town and went in and out of a few gift shops looking at their hats. That's when Priscilla bought her hat for North Carolina. It was a straw hat with a green ribbons and sunflowers on it. I'm not sure why they were trying to sell this during the winter, but she did get it for a great price. After Priscilla bought the hat, we got into the RV and drove up the outer banks of North Carolina to visit Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

  

Only there wasn't any snow when we were there.

         After we got there, we went to see the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. It was tall with black and white stripes spiraling upward, and we learned that it is the tallest lighthouse in North America, with 269 steps! This makes the stairs at home seem like nothing. During the summer months they have special night climbing tours weekly, and they also have a full moon climbing tour every month during the summer. Can you imagine climbing a lighthouse at night?

After that we walked along the beach for a little while enjoying the view. We didn't go swimming because it was too cold. Then we went to visit the Cape Hatteras visitors center. While we were there, we found out that it used to be the lighthouse keepers duplex. I thought this was very interesting.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

            After that we drove to Bodie Island Lighthouse. It was 156 feet tall, with black and white stripes. We were told that its first keeper was paid $400 a year! No wonder he's not there anymore. We were also told that it is actually the third Bodie Island Lighthouse. The first one started leaning because of bad construction plans and had to be abandoned. The second lighthouse was destroyed in 1861 by Confederate troops because they didn't want the Union troops using it. The first two Bodie lighthouses were actually on Pea Island.

            After this we were all getting very hungry, so we went to eat at a restaurant. The food was excellent. While we were there the waitress told us something about the Ocracoke Lighthouse that we had not heard earlier that day. She said that, unlike most lighthouses, the Ocracoke Lighthouse actually signals safety. We asked her how the mariners out at sea could tell the difference between a lighthouse signaling safety and one signaling danger. She said that each Lighthouse has a different paint pattern and light sequence so that mariners can tell it apart from other lighthouses even at night.

            After this we went back to the RV to sleep. It was then that I asked Priscilla how many States the dogs have been too. It turns out that I have actually been to more States than they have. I wonder how long that will last? We were ready for bed soon after we arrived back at the RV. After the lights were turned off I noticed something out the window. It was the beam of light from the lighthouse. I’m so glad all three of the lighthouses we visited are still running. And so ends the first day of our trip in North Carolina.

From,

Katelyn

Day 50 - Georgia

Day 50

November 30

Darien, Georgia

Dear Miss Smith,
  There’s a lot of stuff we did today. First we went to Okefenokee Swamp Park. We went on their train tour.

 The train was called the Lady Suwannee. We saw many animals. We saw a white tail deer,

an otter,

and a water moccasin. Amy didn’t like the snake.

Then we saw some alligators. Christian saw them first. We were almost done when we heard Pricilla scream. We looked to see what it was. It was a black bear.

We all laughed. Once we were done, we went to the shop. Priscilla wanted to look at the hats!!!! But there weren’t any hats.

     Once we got out in the RV she put on her hiking hat. Then we went to the Okefenokee trail. After that we went to an RV park really close to Fort King George historical park site.

     Well, Christian is reading. Amy is putting mouse traps out. Priscilla is writing her journal.

Love,

Levi

Day 47 - Florida

Day 47

November 27

Miami, FL

Dear Miss Smith,
            Today we had the fun of our lives! First after we left the Everglades we went to the Miami Sea Aquarium.
            We all wanted to do the Sea Trek Reef Encounter. We were told we were not to wear jewelry if we were going to be going to participate in going into the water. I almost felt disappointment when they asked for glasses, I mean, who would want to miss out on all the fun and only get to see a blurry vision of every thing you wished to have seen. But then they told me I could have my glasses but every one wearing sunglasses were required to not wear them.

Another group in the water.

            All four of us gasped when we saw the helmets we were to use: They looked like an old-fashioned helmet they wear when they go into the ‘deep’, they were white, and suctioned to your shoulders, hooked to a blue hose, and looked like you had a alien antennae on the top of you head.  They had us wear diving suits.
            When we were ready, all of us tourists slid into the water where thousands of fish and rays, quietly and peacefully swam.

            The water was actually very pleasant to swim in. We all gasped as we slid farther into the cool water.  Other people were on the other side of a glass window, looking in on us. I started when a turtle of large size swam right up to where every one else was gathered.

            Amy, Priscilla, Grace and I enjoyed it all, the rays coming up real close and seem to look at you strangely then wander off, the fishes would just look then dart away with their mouths would open with supposed, huffing and puffing.

            After 20 minutes underwater we all had to climb out.

           We went over to a show where a Killer Whale and streaked white dolphins playing together and performing. The Killer Whales name was Lolita she was pretty magnificent. She and her trainer ‘walked’ on water, the dolphins did their own thing too.

We clapped at the end of the performance; delighted at the wonderful and amazing tricks they continued to do till they disappeared into their own little pool away from the people. Also we were given shirts from a friendly tourist who accidentally bought the wrong sizes for his four children. When he noticed that we were about the right size for the T-Shirts he asked us if we wanted them.

            We had lunch at one of the cafeteria’s restaurants, and then walked over to all sorts of different exhibits. We saw sharks and clownfish,

dolphins playing in the water, nosing the glass and ‘talking,' went to the Shark Channel and stared at the shark’s cold blue eyes,

saw manatees lazily float above the water, and visited Discovery Bay. Who knew there were such pretty and exotic things living in the water? God knew of course.

             We were going to spend sometime at Salty’s Pirate Grounds, where you could cool off but we didn’t have the time so we just went to the gift shop.

Priscilla bought a beautiful seaside hat, with a blue flower and blue ribbon. I bought a tote bag with red, white and blue pansy design. Grace got a sea star tan, purse with ‘Cs’ all around it, well they looked like Cs.  We even saw a lovely pen stand in the shape of a heart. I got it for my Mom; she would love it for her next anniversary.  I also bought a postcard to send to my family.

            We had a wonderful time at the Miami Sea Aquarium; I hope I get to see it again someday.

Till next time,

Mikayla

Day 46 - Florida

Day 46

Nov. 26

Everglades National Park, FL

My Dear Miss Smith,
    Oh, what a lovely day this has been. Last night after the girls had gone to bed, Amy and I took the dogs for an evening stroll along the beach. The sun had set and the evening breeze was pleasant. We discussed our day and talked about the coming one. We were both wishing we could have spent more time with the dolphins since we were staying at the only hotel in the continental United States that has real live dolphins, so we began to scheme and plan.
    This morning, as we all sat at an early breakfast, I told the girls that instead of leaving right away for the Everglades, we were going to go spend another hour or so with the dolphins. Grace gave a cry of delight for she loved her time with them. Then Amy informed Mikayla that she would either have to remain on the dry dock herself or join the rest of us in the water. Amy had kindly remained on the dock yesterday with Mikayla since Mikayla didn’t want to go in the water. Mikayla was rather hesitant, but with the combined urging of Grace and myself and Amy’s continued refusal to stay out of the water, she at last gave in and agreed to join us.
    When I first heard we would be in the water yesterday, I assumed we would have to be swimming, but there was an underwater platform for us to stand on.

    Miss Smith, Grace said she told you about our time with the dolphins yesterday, but I doubt if she could share the thrill of holding on to a dolphin’s dorsal fin and being pulled through the water at a rapid pace, the water being cut around you and leaving a trail of waves behind; the fun of splashing and being splashed by a dolphin, the delight of directing a dolphin choir and listening to their wonderful sounds, the wonder of watching the dolphins follow your commands to fetch rings, leap, dive or dance on their tails, the charm of their kisses, or the humor of their laughter. All this and so much more. I begin to realize the impossibilities of conveying what it was really like.

    I know you will think me perfectly hopeless, Miss Smith, but I wore my “ladies top hat” to visit the dolphins this morning.

Ladies Top Hat

I did have one on yesterday, but left it with Amy and Mikayla. This morning, however, there was no one to leave it with so I wore it in the water. At one point my hat blew off my head, for I was in such a hurry this morning that I neglected to use a hat pin. But as I was saying, it blew off and went sailing across the water. I wondered how I could get it back and gestured to it and gave the sign to fetch to the dolphin I was playing with, and would you believe it, Miss Smith? He fetched me my hat! Oh the praise I lavished on him. I fear it made the others rather jealous for they came over too as though to see what the fuss was about and he must have told them, for he talked and laughed at me. The other girls laughed with him and even the real trainer who was with us laughed. I was half afraid Amy would take my hat and toss it back into the water for another dolphin to fetch it, she seemed to enjoy it so much.

The "Real" Trainer

    Later Amy said, “‘Cilla, if you are going to wear hats, you really must make sure they are secure before we venture out for our adventures or you will lose them one by one. If you wish, I can save you the trouble of slowly losing them and just pack them all up and mail them at once to Miss Smith.”
    I assured her I would be more careful, and when we reached the Everglades I made sure “Madaline” was securely on my head. But I am getting ahead of the day.

    It was hard to part with those darling dolphins. Oh those dear dolphins! I know I will always remember my time with them and I have certainly added that hotel to the visit again section of my notebook. And I’m sure it won’t surprise you, Miss Smith, that the addition to my “50-State” hat for Florida is a dolphin.

    At last we tore ourselves away and headed up here to the Everglades.
    It was rather overcast, but not enough to make us think rain. At first we thought we’d go walking on the trails and take the dogs along with us, but since no dogs are allowed on the trails, as it could prove hazardous to their health and to ours, we opted to go on a ranger guided canoe trip. ( Note from Miss Smith: Make sure your sound is on before clicking this link.)

    I didn’t realize until we got here that December though April are the dry season here and with it being so late in November, the wet season has practically ended. We were delighted to discover that since December hadn’t yet arrived, the crowds of the Everglades were only beginning. Thus it was that we had a total of eight people on our tour, making it a pleasant four-canoe trip.
    Our guide was a young man who enjoys his work and who answered questions quite knowledgeably. First he gave us instructions about our canoes. Since Grace and Mikayla had never canoed before, he assigned Mikayla to his canoe and Grace to another older man who had been canoeing for years. Amy and I were assigned to the same canoe for which I was thankful. Amy knows how to paddle a canoe. The next time you see Amy’s brothers, please give them my hearty thanks for teaching Amy to handle a canoe!
    Our guide, Josh, told us that the first rule was to remain seated at all times. For some reason, he said, there are people who, when they see the large American Crocodile (I had thought there were only alligators around here, but Josh told us there are both.) they want to stand up to get a good picture of him and then their canoe drifts closer and closer and what if they were to tip? It made me shudder to think of it. There was no danger of us standing up!

Alligator

    The whole experience was delightful. We saw alligators and yes, Miss Smith, we did see the large crocodile. And goodness, was he large! Believe me, we kept our distance.

Great Egret

We also saw a large variety of birds.

Brown Pelican

Madaline

Since it was the beginning of the dry season, there were thankfully very few insects to bother us. And my hat remained on my head the entire time.

    I neglected to mention that when we arrived, we were told that the vultures in the area liked to attack anything rubber and had been known to destroy windshields and tires, so before we left for our tour we had to take out a tarp and cover the front of the RV. I was much relieved to find everything undisturbed upon our return.
    We were able to take the dogs out right around our RV before supper, which we ate indoors. The clouds had dispersed and the moon was coming out when Amy had a brilliant suggestion.
    “Why don’t we get a blanket or two and climb out onto the top of the RV and lie up there and look at the stars?”
    I was charmed with the idea, so, gathering up a few blankets, the four of us did just that. Oh, Miss Smith, the sky was so beautiful, the stars so bright with no city lights to dim their brilliance, and we could see stars, planets and constellations which, in the city, remain invisible. We remained up there for over an hour just relaxing and talking now and then before everyone was yawning and we came inside.
    The others have gone to bed, and since I can scarcely keep my eyes open and my handwriting is becoming nearly illegible, I will close.

Sweet dreams,

~Priscilla

Day 25 - Louisiana

Day 25

Nov. 7

New Orleans, LA

Oh Miss Smith!

Today has been such a delight! We went to the Insta-Gator in Covington, Louisiana and got to play with and hold baby alligators. Now, Miss Smith, please don’t shake your head and call me hopeless. When I was in Egypt I got to see crocodiles in the Nile, but I never was as close to them as I was to these American cousins of theirs. I don’t know, are they cousins to each other? I should have asked. You have wondered what the difference between the two and, though there are many, one main one is that crocodiles have very bad teeth which go in every directions. Some are seriously in need of major dental work and long time braces.

Upon arriving, we decided to look through the gift shop quickly and then head on to the real fun. Our tour was quite fascinating as well as intriguing. We got to see the plane and boat used to locate alligator nests. I can’t even imagine trying to steal eggs from an alligator’s nest! Did you know, Miss Smith, that the warmth of a nest decides the sex of the babies? They are either all boys or all girls.

Also on the tour we got to walk across secure walkways above the water where alligators from one foot to four feet live. The water was very clear. They had to reassure Grace and Mikayla that the walkways were safe and that they would not end up in the water with the gators before they would walk on them. Our guide, however, jumped into the water and caught an alligator! After he was out of the water with the gator, he looked about at those of us in the tour group, and he called me to come help him tape the gator’s mouth shut! Oh, Miss Smith! I was thrilled to my very finger tips. The gator didn’t like it though and spanked me with his tail.

Isn't he cute?

Our next stop was the best part of the day. At least it was in my humble estimation. They have a large, not too deep pool where they place the baby alligators to be played with. Have no fear, Miss Smith, they do tape the babies’ mouths shut. They do not want any missing fingers. We got to pet and play with them and hold them. They are very strong for their size and it takes some doing to hold them for long. I was the first one to do so, but Amy wasn’t far behind. It took Grace a little while to gather up enough courage to actually join us while Mikayla stood back and laughed at us. She does like to laugh when she is nervous. After much coaxing she finally came over, put her hand in the water and touched one of the alligators. However, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get her to pick one up, so I decided to take matters into my own hands so to speak, or out of them, I should say. Turning to Mikayla, I handed her the one I was holding, telling her that I had to fix my hat. It was quite true for my green hat was slipping and I had no wish for it to end up floating with baby alligators. Those little things are surprisingly strong, as I mentioned, and that one must not have liked Mikayla as well as she liked me for with only two twists she was back in the water. I really believe Mikayla was relieved. But, she can now go home and announce that she held a baby alligator.

Something we learned during our stay was that alligators sometimes don’t eat for six months! And they don’t move when they are full of a meal. Now that would be the best time I would think to rob a nest. But how would you know when the mama was full? Tis a puzzle for other brains besides mine.

We visited the gift shop before we left, and yes, Grace bought another purse. This one was made of alligator leather. I wonder how many purses she will end up with before we are back home, since she is going to six other states with us.

It was late afternoon before we left Covington to continue on our way. Speaking of Covington, I believe Bekah has some friends with the last name of Covington. I wonder, was the city named after some ancestor of theirs? We didn’t see much of it as we headed down to New Orleans.

You want to drive over this?

Do you recall, Miss Smith, when we discussed bridges? Well, you will be interested to know that we were privileged to travel across the world’s longest bridge. We had to cross Lake Pontchartrain in order to reach the zoo, aquarium and insectarium we will visit tomorrow. I drove since I didn’t trust Amy quite enough for crossing the 23.83 miles of bridge. There were many exclamations after we had paid our toll and were actually on the bridge itself. But, it wasn’t long before a dead silence filled the RV. At last Mikayla spoke in a quiet voice.

“What would happen if the bridge broke?”

Grace gave a gasp and Amy hastened to say, “It won’t.”

Since I didn’t want any panic stricken girls causing tension while I drove, I quickly had Amy put on a CD with songs from Broadway musicals. That distracted them enough to take their mind off the thought of danger.

At last we reached the end of the bridge and there was a collective sigh of relief. Now we are parked near our morning destination for the night. The three girls, having first taken the dogs for a long walk, are preparing supper. There seems to be less confusion in the kitchenette (that is what Amy calls it) than when Joseph and Levi were helping.

I wish, Miss Smith, that I could have taken a baby alligator home, but there were several reasons why I couldn’t.

1- We have no place to keep him here in the RV.

  2- Amy would have had a fit had I tried to find a place for one. She probably would have gone right home and left me to continue alone.

3- The dogs would have kept up such an incessant barking I’m quite sure that we never would have been able to sleep.

4- Baby alligators don’t mail very well or I might have tried to send one to you through the post office. I don’t believe the U. S. Postal service would have taken kindly to that package.

5- There was absolutely no way Mikayla or Grace would take one back on the plane with them even if security would let them.

And 6- Alligators can grow up to four feet in a year and would soon outgrow our bathtubs. (Can you imagine having a child grow that much in a year? Think of all the clothes you would have to buy!)

Therefore, I have left all the baby alligators behind. Perhaps we can see some more in Florida or Georgia.

Penelope or “Nellie” as Amy has taken to calling her, is curled up on my lap dozing, but I smell something good cooking; therefore, I will end this and prepare to enjoy the meal.

Much love,

~ Priscilla