Everglades National Park is in the south of Florida near Miami. It is one of the biggest parks in the U.S. People visit the park to see alligators, manatees, and birds. I decided to stay in a tent near the water so that I could watch the birds in the morning. It wasn’t real camping. It was glamping, glamorous camping. I had a tent with a bed and chairs, and I could look outside and see the water. When it got light on Monday morning, hundreds of birds such as white egrets and blue herons flew to nearby trees. I watched as an osprey landed on the ground and picked up dry grass for its nest. It was a birdwatcher’s dream come true. (123 words)

Hello from the U.S.! I’m sorry, but I won’t have WiFi on November 18 and 19, so I cannot send out stories on these days. I will send out the next Jaremaga on November 20. Regards, Douglas Jarrell

My daughter lives on a farm, and her friend’s parents raise chickens. They have about 20 hens and several roosters now, and they are raising 15 more young chickens. They keep the chickens outside during the day, but the chickens go into a small wooden house called a chicken coop at night. If they stay outside, they can be killed by wild animals such as racoons and bears. The hens lay eggs every day, and the farmer puts out a sign in his driveway that says, “Fresh Eggs.” People come to the house and buy them, but the farmer doesn’t sell all of them. My daughter and her friend get some. My daughter says that they are the best eggs she has ever eaten. I agree. They are very good! (130 words)

I never imagined that my younger daughter would live in the countryside, but she does now. She lives in an old farmhouse that belongs to a friend. When she left Japan to go to high school, she was a real city girl. She didn’t like being outside in nature. Whenever she saw a fly or a bee, she got upset and started crying. She preferred to stay at home or go shopping. She has been living in the U.S. for 20 years now, and she has changed a lot. There are a lot of insects around her house, but they don’t bother her now. She likes living in the countryside, and she likes to go hiking and camping with her friends. (121 words)

In northeastern America and Canada, the native people started making a sweet syrup from trees a long time ago. It comes from a special maple tree, so it is called maple syrup. Vermont makes a lot of maple syrup, and my friend showed me some sugar maple trees. In the early spring, when it starts to get warm, the sap, the blood of the tree, goes up the tree. Farmers make a small hole in each tree, and the sap comes out. People used to put a bucket under each tree to catch the sap, but now farmers use hoses that go from one tree to another. The sap goes through the hose and into a large metal container. When they get a lot of sap, they boil it until it becomes thick and very sweet. It’s not easy to make maple syrup, so it is expensive, but it is really delicious! (152