Setting Off - Maryland

Dear Ducky (and Charles Boo, too!),

It was wonderful to see you so much before Adventure Katie and I left Seattle. We enjoyed playing in the yard and I was so glad to see that Charles Boo is learning to ride his bike. It is strange to think that we will not see each other until it is winter and Christmas time.

We have quite the adventure planned.

Adventure Katie tells me that we are visiting the East Coast of the United States before heading on to Iceland and other countries. Seattle is in Washington, which is a state in the country of the United States of America. This is where you live. Seattle and Washington are on the west side of the county called United States. Yesterday, when we flew in the plane, we crossed the whole country and landed on the other side, in the east. Because the country called United States touches two oceans, it has two coasts. Do you remember playing in the sand with Charles Boo? The coast is a beach, and a beach is when the ocean touches that land and creates sand. Katie has told me that not all beaches have sand, but all coasts have oceans.

Now, we are in a town called Westminster in Maryland in the country called the United States on the other coast, the East coast. This was all very confusing for me, so Adventure Katie showed me a map and it made a little more sense.

We are still in the country of the United States, but it is so different in Maryland than in Washington. First, there are no mountains and the trees are much shorter. Do you remember watching the tall trees sway in the wind and the rain? The trees here are not so tall, and there is not wind or rain. Instead, the trees are very wide and green and they give lots of shade from the sun. Second, it is bright from the sun, and very, very hot. Sometimes, it is so hot that I just can't get comfortable at night. When this happens, Adventure Katie gives me some ice to eat before bed and it helps. Third, we are surrounded by farms growing corn and all the buildings are made out of a red something called brick. Your house is made out of wood, but here, they are made out of stone bricks.

We are visiting the Professor and making lots of friends here. There are two dogs named Wes and Rupert, and a couple of birds like us! One of them likes to sit on Adventure Katie's head, but when I try to say hello, he moves to the different shoulder. I think he is shy and gets embarrassed when I try to quack at him.

I am excited to go to the place called Iceland after this stop in Maryland. I wonder if it is made out of ice, and if so, what type of people, birds and animals can live on ice? Do plants grow there, right on the ice? Where do their roots go, if so? I would like to see all these things and can not wait to tell you about all of them.

Stay one cool Ducky (and Charles Boo, too!),
Marvin the Mallard