- Date: March 24, 1987
- Location: Cairns, Australia
- Subject: New Books, Cone Shell, Trading Supplies
Dear Water fairy:
The other night, we all went over to Onaway. to visit Melinda and her parents. There were a few other grown-ups from other boats there as well, so I guess it was a party. Melinda and I were the only kids there, which is fine by us. We got to leave the cockpit, where the grown-ups were hanging out and the mozzies were hanging out, and went below deck to watch a movie. Melinda has a VCR player and a library of movies. We watch “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown,” which we have seen a bunch of times, but still love! So cute. We were also coloring using Melinda’s huge artist kit. We did not get home until after midnight, so I was a little tired yesterday. It worked out OK because it rained most of the day and I lounged in bed reading. Melinda gave me her copy of “From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler”. It is always good to get a new book, and I think I will like this book.
Today, Mom said when we were traveling, I could trade and collect as many shells as I want while on our sailing trip, but I have to do some science with them! So I will look through the shell book and pick some shells I want to collect, and read about them and draw them. I am NOT allowed to collect the shells myself, if they are still alive, but if I find an empty shell on the beach, I can take it. I think it is really terrible to take a beautiful shell that has an animal living in it, and KILL the animal just ‘cuz it’s shell is beautiful. It’s like skinning Kitty because her fur is soft, and making a hat out of it. OH gross.
First of all, I DID NOT KNOW that there are animals in the shell, like snails, slugs and stuff, until Mom told me. And some of the animals are poisonous. That means if they sting you, you could DIE. Like this guy, the Cone Snail and its shell.
| The Cone Shell Size:2 to 6 inches FUN FACTS: 1. Animal in the Cone shell is a sea snail. 2. They are POISONOUS! And could kill you! Do not touch if the snail is in the shell. 3. They hunt their prey, and poison it with their harpoons, so the prey can’t move. 4. They eat ocean worms, small fish, and other things. 5. They eat at night. 6. There are many different types of Cone Shell snails, over 500. 7. They hid under broken coral, sand and weeds. |
Mom said we will be doing a lot of trading during our trip, with the locals for things we will need. What we will need is fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, shells, jewelry, carvings and other things from the local villages. And in turn we will trade some things that the villagers will not be able to easily get. Fish hooks, thread and needles, pencils and paper, rubber bands, women’s magazines, picture books and of course, clothes.
This afternoon, Mom and I went to town and do some errands, and went shopping at Coles to get some of the items we will use for trading. It was fun to get a bunch of stuff, and I got to pick it most of it out. On our way back to the dinghy, we stopped at the used bookstore, so we could start collecting books. Mom says second to water and food, books are like gold on boats. Once everyone has read a book, we can trade the book with other yachties for a new read. Being a kid, it is harder to find kid books, so Mom said I can extra stock up while we are in a place the has books my speed. Good for me, I love to read. I found 3 books for my “library.” Judy’s Journey, by Lois Lenski; Romona the Pest and Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary. Mom read all of those books when she was a kid, and said I would love them. They might be a little too young for me, but easy to read. We also got the small book, Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway. Mom thought that might be a good book to read out loud, maybe during a happy hour.
While Mom and I were in town, Capt worked on the little Yanmar motor, which is the generator that keeps our batteries charged so we have electricity on the boat. When we got back on board with all our bundles, Mom asked Capt, “How colorful was the language while we were gone?” That is her way of asking Capt if working on the motor was difficult and frustrating, because when Capt gets frustrated he tends to let a few bad words fly. That is what Mom calls “colorful language”. Capt answered, “Colorful as a brilliant rainbow on a leprechaun’s 21st birthday!” Oh BOY, maybe that is why we went to town, so we didn’t have to hear the “colorful language.”
I made the happy hour plate tonight, sliced dill pickles, cheddar cheese chunks, spicy Italian sausage and round crackers. I also started to read my book, “Crazy Mixed up Files……” Mom was reading her favorite cookbook and Capt was reading “The Ship Killer”, for about the 100th time.
