Game Cancelled :(

Hi everyone. As you probably already know by now, the World Series game was cancelled tonight because of rain. :(

I am SO sad and so is Kristin. But, Kristin says her ticket is still good for a game on Friday night (unless it rains). She was worried it might rain before we left Iowa so she was able to find a hotel room for us tomorrow (Thursday) night about 40 minutes from St. Louis. We will stay there tomorrow night and come back to St. Louis for the game on Friday.

Kristin says it is supposed to rain for the next two days so she is still worried we might miss Friday night's game. And Kristin says we have to be back in Muscatine on Saturday.

Although it was very wet, Kristin and I did get to spend a few hours walking around the baseball park. The Cardinals play in Busch Stadium. It is very nice and MUCH larger than Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Kristin says Busch Stadium is a brand new park that opened at the start of this baseball season. I had no idea!

Here are some of the photos from my visit to the stadium tonight. I am very tired and Kristin is VERY wet (Kristin kept me in a very dry and warm spot in her backpack so my new uniform is dry!). So I will just show you the pictures so Kristin can get to bed. I don't want her to get sick from being outside in the cold and rainy weather!

Here I am in sitting in Kristin's seat (in my warm and dry spot). Our seat is in a section called "Terrace Reserved." Kristin says that is a fancy name for the seats at the VERY TOP of the ballpark. Our seat is on the first base side.


Here I am with Kristin on the lowest level of the ballpark. It is hard to see me but Kristin is holding me. Can you see the Gateway Arch behind us?


This is the big sign in Center Field. I think it is very cool.


Here's the view of the field from Kristin's seat. Kristin says the silver thing covering part of the field is called a "tarp." Who knew? The tarp helps keep the "infield" part of the field dry. This is important because the bases are located in the "infield."

I am sad that I didn't get to see the game but it was really cool to be at the World Series. I didn't see any other flat people at the park so I know that my visit was VERY special. Thanks Kristin and Eugene! Tonight was one of the best nights of my life (even if it did rain).

That's all for now. Hopefully I will still get to see a game this week!

Play Ball!! (Weather Pending!)

Hi everyone! I AM SO EXCITED THAT I CAN'T TYPE FAST ENOUGH.

Kristin has just told me why we are in St. Louis. She's taking me to the World Series!!! Can you believe it?!

I knew Kristin was a big St. Louis Cardinals fan and I knew they were playing the Detroit Tigers in the World Series but I had NO idea that Kristin was coming here just to watch the game.

Kristin has her Cardinals sweatshirt on and she even made me a Cardinals uniform that I can wear to the game. Pretty neat!


I asked Kristin how she got a ticket to the World Series. She says her husband Eugene bought it for her. THANKS EUGENE! Here I am with Kristin's ticket.

Kristin says the ticket was VERY expensive so she didn't buy an extra one for me. But she made sure to leave a special spot for me in her backpack so I can watch the game with her.

It is wet and cold here and Kristin says more rain is heading our way. I am glad she made me a new outfit and told me to bring along a warm coat! Kristin thinks that the game will still happen tonight. I hope she is right. I would be really sad if I couldn't go to the game now that we are in St. Louis.

I can't say I've ever really been a big fan of the Cardinals...but I am now!

GO CARDS!

Greetings from St. Louis, Missouri

Hi everyone. I have just arrived with Kristin in St. Louis, Missouri. See if you can find it on the map.

While we were driving here from Muscatine, I learned that "Gateway to the West" is a nickname for St. Louis. I had no idea!

Kristin says the name comes from the Gateway Arch, a HUGE arch-shaped structure in downtown St. Louis. I got to see the Gateway Arch from the car. It is silver and kind of looks like half of the top of a McDonald's sign. I can also see it from Kristin's hotel room.

Kristin says people can buy tickets and ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. I asked Kristin if we could go to the top of Gateway Arch but she told me we might not have enough time. She says we have a VERY special place that we have to be soon and she told me I need to make sure to bring my coat.

Hmmm...I wonder where we are going? Kristin told me to be patient. She is getting ready and she promises to tell me soon. I hope she hurries! It is hard to be patient.

Bye for now....

My Next Adventure: The Gateway To The West

Hi everyone!

I am SO excited. My friend Kristin from the Stanley Foundation is getting ready for another trip and she has invited me to come along with her! Kristin says we will leave next Wednesday for a place known as "The Gateway To The West."

Have you heard of this place called "The Gateway To The West?" I haven't. I guess Kristin wants to surprise me again. It is going to be very hard to wait FIVE days to find out where my next adventure will be. But Kristin promises me it will be very, very cool. She was really happy when she told me about the trip so I know it will be great.

Check back next week to find out where I am. Bye for now...

Back Home in Iowa

Hi everyone. Kristin and I arrived back in Iowa yesterday afternoon.

I want to thank Kristin for taking me with her. I had a really great time with Kristin in Texas. I met so many nice people and saw many new things including cotton fields. I hope I can visit Texas again someday. But right now I think I had better get back to my school work!

Until my next adventure.....bye.

Happy in Texas

Hi everyone. I am having another great adventure with my friend Kristin.

Kristin told me on Sunday that I would see lots of airports and rental cars on this trip. Man, she wasn't kidding! Yesterday morning (Monday) I was in Amarillo. Last night I was in Lubbock And today I am writing to you from El Paso! See if you can find if you can find Lubbock and El Paso on the map.

I've visited these towns (and more) because Kristin is talking about the radio program. I asked Kristin to type up the list of the places she's speaking to on this trip.

Monday Afternoon - West Texas A&M University in Canyon
Monday Night - Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
Tuesday Morning - Coronado High School in Lubbock
Tuesday Afternoon - El Paso Community College in El Paso

Whew! That is a VERY busy schedule.

After we left Canyon yesterday, Kristin drove us to Lubbock. It took about 90 minutes to get there by car. Along the way Kristin said we had to make a special stop. I asked her where we were going and she said, "Happy." I thought she was just trying to surprise me again but it turns out there is actually a town named Happy, Texas. Kristin says there is even a movie called "Happy, Texas." Who knew?

Since we were on a very tight schedule, we didn't stop for very long but Kristin did take a picture of me near the town's road sign.

Kristin was worried I might be bored on the long car ride to Lubbock but I actually enjoyed seeing West Texas (even if it was just from the car). I noticed a number of things during our car trip. First, this part of Texas has lots of cattle and horse farms. This part of Texas is also FLAT just like me! I could see farm fields for miles and miles from the car window. Many of the fields were full of small green bushes that had what looked like white puffy flowers. I've never seen anything like it so I asked Kristin about the plants. She told me the bushes were cotton bushes and that the white puffy flowers are actually little puffs of cotton. I had no idea!

I also learned that this part of Texas is also called the "panhandle." Doesn't that sound funny? Kristin says Northwest Texas is known as the panhandle because of the way it looks on the map. If you look at the entire state of Texas on the map, the part of the state where Amarillo and Lubbock are located looks like the handle of a pan that my mom would use on her stove. I looked at the map for a long time and I'm not sure Texas looks like a pan but I wasn't going to argue with Kristin.

As soon as we arrived in Lubbock, Kristin drove to Texas Tech University so she could give her presentation. After a late dinner, we finally were able to check into our hotel room.

The next morning, Kristin woke me up very early so we could get to her next presentation at Coronado High School in Lubbock. As soon as her presentation there was over, Kristin drove us to the airport. I was really surprised. I thought we were staying in Texas for another day. Kristin just smiled and told me that we had to fly to El Paso so she could make her final presentation. WOW! I think Kristin was worried that I was going to be bored with another plane ride so she bought me a bear with a Lubbock, Texas t-shirt so I would have some company on the plane ride. Here I am with my new bear and Kristin's plane ticket to El Paso.

Once we arrived in El Paso, Kristin got a rental car and drove us to El Paso Community College. Kristin told me to pay special attention to the left-hand side of the road as she was driving to the West side of El Paso. She told me if I looked closely, I would be able to see Mexico. Can you believe it?! I could see the city of Juarez, Mexico from the car. I was really hoping that Kristin would take me to Mexico but she said we didn't have time. I told her that was OK because I could at least tell my friends that I saw Mexico.

Kristin's presentation was at the Jenna Welch and Laura Bush Community Library. It is a very cool library. It even has a children's section for kids like me. I got to read while Kristin gave her speech. Kristin must have told the librarian about me because after her speech, Kristin introduced me to the librarian. Her name is Anna. She is very nice. She was very interested in me and my travels. I gave her the address of this blog and I think she is going to tell others about me. Isn't that cool? Here I am with Kristin and my new friend Anna.

After Kristin was finished at the library, we went to dinner with Daniela and Gaby. They helped organize the meeting Kristin spoke at. Daniela and Gaby are very nice. They took us to a great Mexican restaurant and then took us on a tour of El Paso's scenic drive. The scenic drive has little parks where people can walk and see across the border. It was really cool especially since we went after dark. Here I am with my new friends Daniela and Gaby.

Do you see the lights behind Daniela and Gaby? That's Mexico!

It was WAY past my bedtime when Kristin drove us to the hotel we were staying at in El Paso. I must have been really tired because I fell asleep in the car.

Until next time....

Greetings from Amarillo, Texas!

Hi everyone.

I am writing to you from Amarillo. I found out when we landed here that "The Lone Star State" is a nick-name for Texas. I had no idea?

I am SO excited. I have never been to Texas before. It is a BIG state. See if you can find Amarillo on the map. Kristin is in Texas to talk to college and high school students about our trip to Dubai and Doha last December.

It wasn't easy to get to Amarillo. When we left Kristin's house early this morning, she told me we were going to fly on THREE different planes today to get to our destination. Kristin also warned me that I would be seeing the inside of lots of airports, rental cars and hotels on this trip. She hasn't told me the entire schedule for this trip. I guess she wants to surprise me!

Our first flight of the day was from Moline to Chicago. It was delayed over an hour. Kristin really has bad luck with flights in Moline, doesn't she? Here I am keeping watch over our plane tickets at the Moline airport.


Kristin told me when we checked in that we didn't have a seat on our next flight. I was worried we wouldn't get a seat on the next plane but Kristin told me not to worry. As soon as we arrived in Chicago, Kristin was able to get a seat. And right before we got on the plane, the woman at the gate called Kristin to the desk and gave her a new ticket. Guess what? Kristin's new seat was in first class! Kristin says she got "upgraded" because she flies so much. I am SO glad!

Here I am sitting in Kristin's first class seat before takeoff.


I've only been in first class one other time with Kristin and it was really nice. We got a small bowl of warm nuts and a chicken sandwich for lunch. They even baked warm chocolate chip cookies for us! How cool is that?

Oh, did I tell you where the plane was taking us? Denver, Colorado. See if you can find Denver on the map. Kristin said we had to fly to Denver to catch our final plane ride to Amarillo. I've never been to Colorado before. And even though I only visited the airport, I can now officially cross another state off of my list of places I have visited in the United States.

Here I am reading the Denver Post in the business lounge of the Denver airport. OK...I wasn't really reading the newspaper but it does prove I was in Denver.


Kristin told me that Denver is known as the "Mile High" city. Boy, it sure seems like every place I go has a nick-name, doesn't it? Anyway, do you know why Denver is called the "Mile High" city? Kristin told me its because the city is located in the Rocky Mountains and is more than one mile above the sea limit. I'm not exactly sure if I understand but I think that means the mountain Denver is located on is really, really tall!

Kristin kindly bought me a stuffed bear so I could remember my trip to Colorado. She also bought me an old fashioned toy sheriff's badge. It even has my name on it. How awesome is that? Thanks Kristin!

We waited about an hour in the business lounge before walking to our next gate to catch our final flight. That's when Kristin told me we were headed for Texas. I was really happy about going to Texas but Kristin didn't look very happy when we got to our gate. That's because she found out we had to fly a really, really small plane to Amarillo. Each wing of the plane had large propellers (they look like a large ceiling fan attached to the side of the wing). I remember I flew on a plane that looked like this one when I flew from Detroit to Moline earlier this year. I think these planes are really cool. But I remember from my Detroit trip that Kristin doesn't like these small planes.

I was really surprised when we got on the plane. It was even smaller than the one I was on before! It only had one seat on either side of the aisle. The plane is SO small that one of the two pilots is also serves as the flight attendant (and he had to jump into his seat from the aisle!). And guess what? There wasn't even a door on the cockpit. Can you believe that? I got to watch the pilots fly the plane! There are LOTS of controls for the plane. I don't know how the pilots can remember how to work all of the buttons and switches on the dash board of the plane. There are SO many buttons and switches! Pilots must be really smart. I had so much fun watching the pilots push buttons and flip switches that I forgot to ask Kristin to take my photo!

Kristin carried all of her luggage for this trip with her (I guess that means this is a short trip!) so we walked past baggage claim and Kristin got the keys to the rental car that was waiting for us. We had a surprise when we got to the rental car in the parking lot. When Kristin pushed the button for the trunk, a bunny rabbit jumped out from underneath the car! The brown rabbit didn't seem to mind that we were standing right by it. Kristin was able to take a picture of it before it hopped away.

We are staying at the Homewood Suites in Amarillo tonight. Kristin's room is very nice. It even has a small kitchen. We missed the Green Bay Packers game today. Kristin told me they lost. :( Tonight we are watching the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Kristin is a BIG Cardinals fan. If the Cardinals win tonight they get to the next round of the baseball playoffs. I hope they win!

That's all for now. Until next time....

My Next Adventure: The Lone Star State?

Hi everyone. I just received some exciting news.

My friend Kristin from the Stanley Foundation is leaving on Sunday for another trip and she has invited me to come with her.

Kristin says we are going to a place known as "The Lone Star State." Hmmm....Kristin is definitely trying to surprise me this time like she did when she told me about my trips to "The Big Apple" and "The Motor City" earlier this year. I've never heard of "The Lone Star State" so I guess I will have to wait until Sunday to find out.

Kristin tells me we will be gone for four days and we will be VERY busy. I'll keep you posted.

Bye for now...

Home Again!

Hi everyone. I wanted to send you a quick note that I am home again.

Our trip from Philadelphia back to Moline was uneventful and close to being on time. But, Keith and Kristin's luggage wasn't on the plane when we landed in Moline. It is a good thing that I ride along in Kristin's purse or I might have been lost for awhile!

I was really worried because my new friend Eagle and all of the other items Kristin picked up for me in Philadelphia were in her bag. Thankfully, her suitcase arrived at her house yesterday.
I was too tired to unpack yesterday so I don't have a photo to share with you.

I want to thank my friends Keith and Kristin for taking me to Philadelphia.

Until my next adventure....

PRPD Fun

Hi everyone! I have been SO busy learning about radio and Philadelphia that I haven't had time to write until now.

I think I told you that Keith and Kristin are here attending a conference. The conference is called "PRPD" or the Public Radio Program Directors conference. Kristin says it is held every year in a different city. Kristin also told me it was a very important event. That's because many of the people who come to the conference decide whether or not to air Keith and Kristin's radio programs.

I decided that I wanted to learn more about the conference and why it was so important. So Kristin let me have a sneak peak from her purse. But, I had to promise to be on my best behavior!

Keith and Kristin had reserved a spot at the conference before we got to Philadelphia. And on the first full day of the event, they were given a name tag and a big black bag FULL of stuff! Kristin says the bag is called a tote stuffer and all of the items inside promote radio programs, radio producers, radio stations, and products that radio stations use. Kristin showed me all of the items in her bag.

One of the items in the bag is a black notebook with the Stanley Foundation's name on it. I was really surprised when I saw it. I asked Kristin if she knew the notebook had the Stanley Foundation's name on it. She smiled and said yes. Guess what? It was Keith and Kristin's job to make sure the notebook was printed and placed in the bag. Here you can see me with the notebook (which included a cool postcard thanking all of the radio stations that played Keith and Kristin's radio program that I helped with).

Kristin says she might let me keep the bag and some of the cool stuff in it but only if I am on my best behavior. I promise to be REALLY good!

There are LOTS of people at the conference. Their friends Simon (from Washington) and Ken (from Minneapolis) are here. I don't know anyone else here but everyone has been very nice.

This afternoon, Keith and Kristin had some free time in their schedule so they took me to see some very important places here in Philadelphia. Did you know that Philadelphia was America's capital city from 1790 to 1800? I had no idea! Do you know the name of America's capital city now? Hint....I have been to our capital city with Keith and Kristin.

Kristin told me that many important things in America's history are located in Philadelphia. One item is something called "The Liberty Bell." Kristin says it is a symbol of America's freedom. She also says the bell was used to call people to city meetings or to warn residents if something bad had happened. I think this must be like the siren I hear when bad weather is happening outside.

The Liberty Bell used to hang on top of a building called "Independence Hall" but now it is in a special building designed to keep it safe. I think this is a good idea because the bell has a HUGE crack in it. Kristin says no one really knows when the bell broke but it was LONG before I was born. Here I am with Kristin standing near the Liberty Bell. Look closely and you will see the big crack in the bell.

The building behind us is called "Independence Hall." Kristin says the Declaration of Independence was written in that building in 1776. Kristin says the Declaration of Independence is a very important document in American history. I had no idea! I think I am going to have to pay more attention in my history class from now on.

The United States Constitution is another important document that was first written in Philadelphia. Do you know what the Constitution is? See if you can look it up. There is a museum in Philadelphia called the National Constitution Center. It has one of the original copies of the Constitution. Here I am outside of the museum. Kristin tells me the words on the wall are the start of the Constitution.


Right across the street from the National Constitution Center is a building called the "United States Mint." That's where they print money! How cool is that?

I wanted to see the inside of the building but we didn't have time for a tour. I was able to put my face on a brand new $10.00 bill in the National Constitutional Center.

Can you see me? Here's a closer look.

Isn't that cool? I think I look good! Do you know who is normally pictured on the $10.00 bill? It's Alexander Hamilton. I want to have my face on money. 

Before we left to head back to the hotel, Kristin kindly bought me a book on the Liberty Bell and a stuffed eagle to add to my collection of things from my many trips.

Last night, Keith and Kristin went to a special taping of a new public radio program called "Sound Opinions." I didn't really understand most of the show but Kristin told me it is a show where the two hosts talk about music. They also had a special guest, musician Moby. I've never heard of him but Kristin tells me he is very famous. I am going to have to trust her on that!

I was too shy to have my picture taken during the performance but it was interesting to "watch" a radio program.

Whew....I must have been very tired from my busy day because I fell asleep as soon as the radio program was over. Kristin kindly tucked me into bed with my new eagle.

Tomorrow, we head back to Iowa. Until next time....

Greetings from Philadelphia!

Hi everyone. I am now in Philadelphia with my friends Keith and Kristin.

It wasn't an easy trip. Our flight from Moline to Chicago was more than 2 hours late. This caused Keith and Kristin to miss their flight to Philadelphia. It is a good thing that Keith and Kristin travel so much. Kristin was able to book us on a new flight right away. But we had to wait almost 3 hours in the business lounge at O'Hare airport before we could get on the plane to Philadelphia. Sometimes I wonder if King Tut placed a curse on Kristin because her flights always seem to be late!

We got here after dark so I didn't see much of the city on our cab ride from the airport to the hotel. I did see lots of interesting towers with cool lights near the airport. Kristin told me the towers were part of an oil refinery. I learned that oil is turned into gasoline for cars and other products like engine oil at an oil refinery. I had no idea!

We also passed by the stadium where the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team plays. I was hoping we would get to see a baseball game tonight but Kristin says the Phillies are playing in Atlanta. :(
We are staying at the Sheraton in downtown Philadelphia. Kristin says she and Keith will be busy most of the day tomorrow at their radio conference. So she kindly got me a map of the city so I can learn more about Philadelphia while she is busy with the conference.

That's all for now. Until next time....

On the Road Again!

Hi everyone!

I am SO excited. My friends Keith and Kristin from the Stanley Foundation are going to a radio conference today and they are taking me with them! We are headed to a place called Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. See if you can find it on the map.

We are at the Moline airport right now. We had to get here even earlier than usual because Kristin said it might take longer to get through security. She was right. Kristin had to go to a special place and hold her hands up in the air. Then a security person checked all of Kristin's jewelry. While Kristin was being checked, I got to go through the x-ray machine! I love the x-ray machine.

I asked Keith why Kristin had to go through extra security. Keith says there are new rules about flying. The rules are supposed to help keep bad people from doing bad things. I guess this makes sense and it only took us a few minutes longer to get through the line.

Our flight to Chicago is on time so I think we are going to get breakfast before we leave.

Until next time....

Play Ball!

Hi everyone! I have just returned from my latest adventure!

This weekend my friend Kristin and her husband, Eugene, asked me if I wanted to go to Chicago with them. I wasn't so sure I needed to visit Chicago. If you read my blog, you know that I have already visited Chicago. But Kristin promised me that she would take me to a new place in Chicago.

Guess what? She did! Kristin and Eugene took me to see a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field! Can you believe it? I LOVE baseball. I watch it on TV but I have never been to a major league game before.

I was surprised that Kristin wanted to see a Chicago Cubs game. Kristin is a BIG St. Louis Cardinals fan. So I asked Kristin why she wanted to see the Cubs. Kristin says she loves Wrigley Field. She also told me that she roots for the Cubs when they are not playing the Cardinals. Who knew?

Here you can see me and the famous Wrigley Field sign. Did you know that Wrigley Field's address is 1060 West Addison? I had no idea!

The Cubs played the San Francisco Giants this weekend. See if you can find San Francisco on the map. Kristin says the Giants are a very good baseball team.

We arrived at the ballpark early so I could watch the workers get the field ready. Here you can see me with Kristin above the Cubs dugout. If you look carefully, you will see the ground crew working.

Kristin and Eugene had really good seats. We were at the very top of the "upper deck" between third base and the left field foul pole. It was really nice because we were able to sit in the shade the entire time.

It was really windy throughout the game. I am glad Kristin told me to bring a sweatshirt because I would have been really cold without one.

The game was really exciting! There were FOUR homeruns. One was hit by Barry Bonds. He is a famous baseball player. Kristin says Bonds holds the record for the number of homeruns hit in a single season. So I thought it was cool to see Barry Bonds hit a homerun. Kristin didn't seem to be as excited about Barry Bonds' homerun. I think it is because Kristin is a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

In the end the Cubs lost the game 4-2. I'm sorry I didn't get to see the Cubs win. But I am SO glad I got to see the game. Thanks Kristin and Eugene for taking me to Chicago!

Until my next adventure.....

Surprise Weekend in Minnesota

Hi everyone!

I wanted to write to tell you that I have added another state to the list of places I have visited in the past year.

Last week my friend Kristin asked me if I wanted to spend the weekend in Minnesota at her sister's house. Of course I said yes!

Kristin's sister's name is Sarah. She is very nice. Sarah lives in Rogers, Minnesota. See if you can find it on the map (hint it is near Minneapolis). Here I am with Sarah.

Kristin was visiting Sarah to celebrate Sarah's birthday. Happy Birthday Sarah!

Kristin drove to Sarah's house. It is a LONG trip (six hours by car!). So, I had lots of time to view my surroundings. I noticed that Kristin didn't pack a big birthday gift. It turns out that Kristin's gift for Sarah was a ticket to a Dixie Chicks concert.

The concert was on Friday night and Kristin asked me if I wanted to go. I've heard of the Dixie Chicks. I know it is a girl band and I wasn't so sure I wanted to spend an entire night listening to girls sing! So, I stayed at Sarah's house with Sarah's husband. His name is Joel. He is really COOL (and nice too!).

Guess what? Joel has an air hockey game in his basement! Can you believe that? Here I am playing air hockey with Joel.

Joel also has a HUGE TV and lots of video games. Here we are playing video tennis.


On Saturday, Joel had a birthday party for Sarah. Lots of people came and there was TONS of food to eat. It was really fun. I got to play more video games and watch baseball, football, and NASCAR on TV. I also got to play a game called "bocce ball." It is kind of like bowling on grass without the bowling pins. I didn't really understand the rules but it sure was fun!


Did I mention that it takes SIX hours to get to Sarah's house? So Kristin kindly bought me a stuffed toy to play with on the long drive home. Here I am with my new friend, Wolf.

Thanks Kristin for taking me on another great trip. And, thanks to Sarah and Joel for letting me play at their house all weekend.

Until my next adventure.....

Home from Miami!

Hi everyone. I just wanted to send a short note to let you know I arrived safely back in Iowa last night.

My trip home was uneventful. But, I did want to share two more photos with you from my visit in Miami.

I always look out the window when I wake up in the morning because I like the view from Kristin's room. This is what I saw yesterday when I woke up.

Can you see the rainbow? It was really COOL!

Just after I saw the rainbow, Kristin took me across the street to an outdoor mall. I didn't want to go shopping but Kristin told me we were going to see something interesting. I wasn't so sure I would see anything all that interesting at the mall. But Kristin was right again! The mall has several small ponds FULL of Koi. Koi are like super-size goldfish. Do you remember I saw Koi fish at the hotel in Dubai? Well the Koi at the mall in Miami were even BIGGER. Here I am near one of the Koi ponds.

I want to thank Kristin and her friend Sherif for taking me with them to Miami. I had a great time and I hope I get to visit Miami again some day.

Until my next adventure.....

Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean

Hi again.

I had another great day here in Miami thanks to Kristin and Sherif.

Earlier this week Kristin and Sherif took me to the beach behind the hotel so I could "get me feet wet" in the Atlantic Ocean. It was REALLY cool but I didn't get to actually swim in the ocean. I really wanted to swim in the ocean since I've never done that before.

I think Kristin knew I wanted to swim in the ocean so this afternoon after her class was over, she took me to the beach.


Can you see that the water was a green-blue color today? It didn't look like that yesterday. Kristin says sunlight can make the water look like a different color. I had no idea!

It was really HOT and sunny today. Kristin made me put on lots of suntan lotion so I wouldn't get sunburned. I don't like suntan lotion but I decided not to argue with Kristin since she took me to the beach. After what seemed like an hour of suntan lotion Kristin FINALLY took me out into the ocean.

How awesome is that picture?!!! (Big thanks to Sherif for taking my picture with Kristin). Kristin wasn't very far from the beach and the water suddenly got deep. Don't worry, Kristin made sure to hold onto me real tight.

It is SO FUN to swim in the ocean. The water was warm and the waves were crashing all around us.

Once I actually got a little bit of water in my mouth when a big wave crashed near us. Guess what? The water tasted like salt. I was surprised because the Mississippi River doesn't taste like salt. Kristin says that's because the Mississippi River is something called a "fresh water" river. She says the Atlantic Ocean is a "saltwater" ocean. Who knew?

And, it was much harder to swim in the ocean than I thought. That's because the water was moving so fast that we couldn't stay in the same spot. The water kept pushing us around.

After my big swim in the ocean, I played in the sand for awhile and even found a few sea shells before we went back inside the hotel (I think the hot sun made Kristin very tired). As we walked back to Kristin's room, we stopped at a little gift store and Kristin let me pick out a stuffed shark and a stuffed manatee. Do you know what a manatee is? See if you can look it up.

Kristin tells me we will be flying back to Iowa tomorrow (Monday). I hope I can go to the beach one more time before we leave.

The sun must have made me very tired too because I fell asleep before we got back to the room. Kristin kindly tucked me into bed with my new toys.

Bye for now....

My Visit to the Beach

Hi everyone! I have had another exciting day here in Miami.

During the day, Kristin and Sherif are busy with their computer class so I attend the Harbour kids club. I've been able to swim in the BIG swimming pool here at the hotel but until last night, I had not been swimming in the ocean.

So, Kristin and Sherif took me to the beach after they got back from class. I was SO excited when Kristin told me. The beach has LOTS of sand. I like walking in sand. It's squishy under my feet. Here you can see the beach near our hotel.

I was a little afraid to swim in the ocean because I thought the water was going to be very cold. But Kristin told me I would be surprised at how warm the water is. Guess what? She was right! The water is very warm. It's like the temperature of the water when I take a bath at home. Don't tell my mom...but I would like it MUCH better if I could take my bath in the ocean every night! Here you can see me getting my feet wet in the ocean!


I noticed when I was playing in the water that there was a lot of greenish-brown stuff in the water and on the beach. It looks like wet weeds. Kristin tells me it is actually called seaweed and she says it is very common to see seaweed on the beach. I had no idea!


After swimming for a bit, I decided to play in the sand and build a small castle. Here's my sand castle.


That's all for now. Until next time....

Greetings from Miami, Florida!

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a good summer.

This week, I am with my friend Kristin in Miami, Florida. See if you can find Miami on the map.

Kristin is here this week with her friend Sherif. Sherif works with Kristin. He is very nice.

Kristin and Sherif are here to go to school to learn all about one of the computers at the Stanley Foundation. The computer is called ProTools. Maybe you remember seeing me standing by it when I visited Kristin's office? It is the computer she uses to help make radio programs.

We arrived on Tuesday and we are staying at a hotel called the Sheraton-Bal Harbour. It is very nice! The Atlantic Ocean is right behind our hotel. Can you believe it?! And, you can see the Biscayne Bay from the other side of the hotel. Kristin says it is a very famous body of water here in Miami.

Here is the view from Kristin's hotel room. If you look carefully, you can see Biscayne Bay behind me.

Kristin tells me she is going to be at school ALL day. But, Kristin's hotel has a kids camp so instead of going to school all day (how boring!), I am going to be part of the hotel's "Harbour Kids Club." I am SO excited. But, I also know I will be so busy with the kids camp that I won't be able to update you every day.

Until next time......