Hello First Graders,
This is the first trip that I have taken to another part of our own country, instead of a foreign land. Because I am still in the United States, many things are the same as they are back home in Rock Hill. Same president. Same money. Same language. Same clothes. Same holidays. There are not as many new things to get used to as there have been on my other trips.
Everyone here is putting up Christmas trees just like we do at home. One of the good parts about being little and flat is that I get to go where other kids can't. I climbed to the top of a Christmas tree to take the place of the angel!
But some things are different too. One thing is the weather. Xaria and James had questions about the weather. Because Washington is so far north, it is colder here. There is more snow. It is also much rainier. This is a picture of the highest mountain in the state. It is called Mount Rainier.
I thought that was funny. It looks like the word rainier (RAY-nee-er) like the weather, but it is pronounced differently (rain-YEAR).
Mia asked about the plants in Washington. All of the cold and rain here makes this a perfect place for evergreen trees to grow. I have seen lots of them. They are everywhere. In fact there are so many that Washington's nickname is the Evergreen State.
You know that evergreen trees are those that have needles instead of leaves, and they don't turn colors and fall off in the autumn. Some evergreen trees do grow in SC. Did you get a loblolly pine tree on Arbor Day? That is an evergreen tree too, but one that can live in a warmer place.
I hope that you plant your tree and take good care of it. Trees are a valuable and important part of our environment.
Another plant that I have seen here is holly. Do you know a Christmas song that goes, "Deck the halls with boughs of holly." ? This is a picture of a holly bush. Holly grows wild here in the woods. Some people plant it in their yards too, because the leaves are so shiny and the berries are so pretty.
Watch out for those leaves, though! They have hard, sharp points that hurt if you touch them.
Jaylen asked about animals that live here. Two wild animals that are both in SC and Washington are deer and coyotes. In Washington there are many more of them, and they are not really afraid of people, so you can often see them.
This deer was just wandering around the neighborhood! At home in Rock Hill the deer are much more shy, and hide from us.
Coyotes live in the woods, but they come into town. At night we hear them howling. That is a scary sound! It makes me glad that I am indoors. People have to keep their little pets inside, because coyotes are hunters, and will kill cats and small dogs if they can. I have heard them, but I haven't seen one, so I have no picture.
Have you ever gone fishing? What kind of fish did you catch?
One animal that lives here but not in South Carolina, is the salmon. It is a fish that loves cold water. They live out in the salty ocean water for part of their life, and then swim up into the rivers to lay eggs and have babies. I haven't seen any, but I did see this painted salmon design on a house in town.
The folks in Washington love their wildlife.
Even though it is winter, I did go to the beach. We took a walk, but we were bundled up in coats and hats. The sky was grey, and it was windy and cold. The water you see is the Pacific Ocean. Do you know what ocean you visit when you go to the beach?
The waves are much bigger here, and there are huge boulders out in the water. The beach is made out of stones and pebbles, not soft sand. No one can swim here, even in the summer. It is too dangerous. People go to swimming pools to swim and dive.
I'm having fun, but I want to come home in time for Christmas. Have fun on your Winter Break. I will see you in your classroom next year.
Your Friend,
Flat Stanley
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