Author Archives: Gullivers Mailbox

Mooooose!

One mouse, two mice; one moose, two ….moose! Neither mooses nor meese are correct; moose is a Native American word which has no plural.  Moose means “twig eater”, which describes what they eat – plants, leaves, pine cones, buds and bark from trees. They are big animals – 5 to 6 ½ feet from ground to shoulder, (not including head and antlers). Their antlers can grow up to 6 feet wide and weigh 50-60 pounds. Moose like the cold weather, and have wide hooves which act like snowshoes in the wintertime. Moose are strong swimmers and can swim up to 2 hours without a break, or 6 mph and as far as 12.4 miles. A moose’s front legs are longer than its back legs. This helps the moose more easily jump over things lying in its path.  Purrs, Gulliver

moose

Elk

How much do you weigh?  Male elk grow a new set of antlers every year, starting in the spring.  The antlers can grow up to 1 inch a day, and weigh 40 pounds before they fall off. I get a headache just thinking of all that weight on the head!   Most of us use our mouths to talk.  An elk will bark warnings and bugle, a cry which is loud and carries for miles. Yet when talking to friends close by, elk use their legs.  The bones in their ankles make popping noises so they know when another elk comes near. Elk represented strength, courage, and wisdom to Native Americans.

Purrs, Gulliver

elk

On the Enchanted Hill

There is an expression “a man’s home is his castle”. Here is one man’s “castle” not too far from where I live in Salinas.  Hearst’s Castle was designed and built by California’s first female architect, Julia Morgan.  Mr. Hearst named the estate “La Cuesta Encantada” (“The Enchanted Hill”), but usually called it “the ranch”.   Hearst Castle was never completed because Mr. Hearst kept changing the plans and adding rooms, but in 1947 it had 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and the world’s largest private zoo.  After Mr. Hearst died, the family donated the house to the State of California so many people could see the beautiful antiques and buildings.

Purrs, Gulliver

 

hearst-castle

Many Thanks

Dear, thoughtful, patient Inez (and Gulliver),

Thanks so much for the postcards for the kids! Everyone was so excited, reading theirs and everyone else’s, sharing the pictures, asking questions…it was a great morning. They were so excited they wanted to come to your house and visit, but I to;d them you were working and Gulliver was probably traveling.
  Thanks again and let’s stay in touch!
Judy and the Dragons

Gulliver’s Bingo

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For those of you who have a lot of postcards, here is a rainy day activity for classrooms or families.

Create a “bingo sheet” with 25 blank cells.  The center cell is free/purrs.

Have each player chose from the list below and enter 24 choices into the remaining cells. You can add to the choices if you can think of other subjects which match the postcards you have. The countries, states and cities are just a few of many that Gulliver has visited.

Where the choice is a color, it can be the predominate color or just visible in the postcard.  If a card is drawn that can meet two or more subjects (i.e. red, San Francisco and boat) only one subject can be marked out.

Put the cards in a box or bag and draw one at a time. The first student to make “bingo” wins. You can continue with the same bingo cards for second and third winners, or start over with new sheets.

  1. Color blue
  2. Color green
  3. Animal (land)
  4. Water (ocean, river or pond, waterfall)
  5. Building  (other than a house)
  6. Flower
  7. Person
  8. Iceland
  9. Hawaii
  10. Ship or boat
  11. Tree(s)
  12. Poem
  13. China
  14. Bird
  15. Flag
  16. Map
  17. Germany
  18. Color yellow
  19. Snow
  20. Food
  21. Color red
  22. San Francisco
  23. France
  24. Scotland
  25. Egypt
  26. Cambodia
  27. Bicycle
  28. Ukraine
  29. Castle
  30. Russia
  31. Sky
  32. Bridge
  33. Sea creature
  34. Lighthouse
  35. House

 

 

 

        
 

 

        
 

 

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Amelia, the sailing cat

Cat sails the world

I love hearing about other cats having adventures. Amelia is a rescue cat who lives with her owner on a sailboat, sailing along the coast of Mexico and Central America and clear over to the South Pacific!  With all the fish in the ocean, she probably doesn’t go hungry very often.  Can you imagine living on a boat year round? You can see pictures and read more by clicking on the link above.

 

Welcome back to school

Welcome back to a new school year! If we haven’t met before, I am Gulliver, an orange and white cat who loves to travel and learn about new people and places. My friend, Bubba likes schools so much he has been going to the high school across the street from his home in San Jose since 2009! Bubba is often the first one to school, waiting for staff and students to arrive. He strolls in and out of classrooms as much as he likes, has no plans to graduate and often watches the athletes on the sports fields. Did I mention he is also an orange and white cat?

Purrs, Gulliver

Digital image

Digital image