Here’s a picture and an excerpt from a letter Lydia got in the mail the other day from my dad, who is up in Newfoundland (I’m putting it here with permission from all parties.) It makes me feel like they’re living in a Robert McCloskey book!

“Dear Lydia,

This picture that Nan took is of an iceberg that floated into the harbor of Dunfield, near our house here in Newfoundland. Icebergs are floating islands of ice that break off of glaciers up in the Arctic (where the North Pole is) and float down the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland until they either melt at sea or get stuck in some harbor, as this one did. Visitors come from all over to see icebergs like this one. Some people get into boats so they can get closer to the iceberg and maybe collect some of the ice to take home for souvenirs [and maybe get themselves abruptly killed –John]. Our friend Alma has given out many plastic bags to tourists so they can carry away their ice. Dunfield does not often get many visitors, so people like Alma, who is very kind anyway, do not mind helping out.

“On the day Nan took this picture there were whales feeding in the water around the iceberg. On other days we have seen otters, eagles, moose, caribou and loons. ALso kingfishers, seagulls and terns. I especially like the loons, which look like submarines with periscopes up, and the terns, which are very graceful flyers and can even hover in the air like a helicopter.”