- Date: 3/31/1987
- Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
- Subject: Mangroves
Dear Water Fairy:
Today’s weather was a bit warm and humid, but Mom says that the weather will start to get a bit cooler and dryer in the next few weeks. I will be looking forward to that change.
I think I mentioned, we are living on the pile moorings, across the river/harbor from downtown Cairns. If I look out to the port side of the boat, all I can see are mangrove swamps. Mangrove swamps are bushes that can grow in salt water and are found all along rivers in the tropics. They are very common. I never really thought much about them, but Mom thought it would be a good thing for me to research and write about. So I spent some time at the Cairns library this morning and this is what I found out.
Here goes. As I said, the bushes grow along the sea edges near freshwater rivers. Where the fresh water meets the sea is called an estuary. The mangroves have dark green leaves, that are oval and are kind of waxy and thick. Sometimes there can be a tiny whitish flower with 4 petals, at the tip of the branch. After the flower blooms, a small fruit starts to grow. Out of the end of the fruit grows a long pod. It looks like a long bean, but it is really a mangrove bush ready to grow. The long pod drops from the bush and into the sea water and will float around on its side. Eventually the pod will get waterlogged and start to float vertically-up and down, bobbing in the water like a cork. The bottom part of the seed pod, which is in the sea water, starts grows roots and the top part, which is out of the water, grows leaves. The seed will wash up on shore somewhere, during low tide and stick its root into the mud or gravel. Then it start to grow into its own mangrove bush. Whenever I am riding around in the dinghy, I like to look for the mangrove pods bobbing around in the harbor. Sometimes, if we are not in a hurry, Capt will let me collect the pods and look at them. Of course, I have to throw them back into the water when I am done examining them.
The really cool part of the mangrove bush is the root system. The roots are woody and barky and not buried in the ground like most plants, but covered by the sea at high tide and uncovered when the tide is low. When the tide is low, the roots look like a jumbled mess of a thousand branches. It looks very creepy to me, I think a witch would be very happy to live in a mangrove swamp. The other cool thing about a mangrove bush is the roots don’t grow down from the plant like most normal plants, but they grow up from the muck and mud, through the water and then make more of the plant.
The tangled mess of the mangrove roots is a great place for lots of little fish and other sea animals to use as shelter and hide from the big fish trying to eat them. It is also the favorite living place for mud crabs, oysters, fiddler crabs, mudskippers, sea snakes, and estuary crocodiles. There are also thousands of insects hanging out at the mangrove. Two of the worst insects from the mangrove swamp are: mosquitoes and midges. If we could live in a place that did not have these bugs, I would be happy. Mom says these bugs are important for all the other animals that live in the swamp. If those insects suddenly went away, then most of all the other animals would probably go away as well, or die because they would not have anything to eat.
On the way home from town, Mom let me drive the dinghy again. It was easy because it was not windy, or choppy or busy in the harbor. When I was doing my library work, Mom was doing shopping. It seems like all we do these days is shop for the trip. Mom says if we do a little at a time, with the plan, we will not forget anything. We don’t want to run out of stuff on our trip. Mom is good at this “controlled chaos” She has a notebook with lists, lists and lists. Today’s subject was spices and condiments like bouillon, chili peppers, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, dried soup packet, mustard, mayonnaise, dried garlic and onions, and peanut butter.
This afternoon, Brian from Sunshine and Whiskey, brought us over a bunch of skipjack tuna, that he caught on his way back from Fitzroy Island. It was already cleaned and cut and ready to cook. Capt was so happy! Tonight he cooked dinner and served up his famous Fish-n-chips. We have a very special pot used just to deep fry fish. It is medium size but has deep sides. We also have a special jug of frying oil that we use about 5 times before we throw it out. Before we sat down for our happy hour, I cut up the potatoes into chips sizes and left them on the counter to dry out. Moisture is the enemy of a good fried potato. Then I made a plate of crackers with sliced cheddar cheese and a sliver of dill pickle and a tad bit of mustard our hors d’oeuvre .
Fish-n-chip dinner was very good. It is about the only thing Capt will happily cook, other than Sunday breakfast. Mom was happy to have a night off from the galley, though we both had to do the clean up. Dessert was custard and maple syrup sauce.
Off to bed to read my book! I like the book, “From the Crazy Mixed up Files…….” which I think is exciting and funny. Mom told me that the museum in the book is a real place and it really has the bed the kids sleep in. That would be cool to visit that place someday. It is warm, muggy and still tonight and I can hear the Mozzies buzzing around the boat. I am glad I have the mozzie screen in place so those buggars do not attack me.
