"A Mouse in Potter's Marsh"
Adam Skelton
Rogers Park Elementary School PTA
Anchorage, AK
Read This Artist's Statement
A Mouse in Potter's Marsh
My name is Jim. I am a mouse Just a plain old field mouse. Nothing special about me exept where I live. I Live at Potter's Marsh Anchorage, Alaska. Potter's Marsh is 540 acres long. It is labeled as a bird sanctuary not a mouse sanctuary, but that dosen't bother me I have been here for four years. I hardly remember my family but that is O.K. because I live in the best place in the world. Every single season during the year at Potter's Marsh is special to me. I love each one.
SUMMER
Summer starts in June of every year I can tell it's Summer because when I peek out of my hole in the morning the first thing I see is sunlight. Summer is warm and bright. It is the main time of the year for me to collect my food and save it for winter. I will talk about winter a little later. I find food in lots of places I nibble on dead, rotting salmon and salmon eggs. I jump and dive many times a day into the water for salmon snacks. Humans don't see me me usually although I don't try to avoid them. Speaking of humans I also find food under the boardwalk where the humans stand, run, and walk to explore the marsh. Most humans who are on the boardwalk are tourists. Sometimes there are dogs on the boardwalk but I guess they are not humans. Tourists are eating constantly and that is why I like them. They drop a lot of my favorite foods through the slats of the boardwalk. I guess you could call the boardwalk a restaurant. I know what a restaurant is because I used to live in one. In the summer at the Boardwalk Restaurant. I dine on everything from apricot to zucchini. In the summer I like to play tag with the butterflies. Sometime they fall to the ground if I tag them too hard. I have no idea why they just don't tell me that they don't want to play anymore. The butterflies that fall on the boardwalk always end up in humans' pockets. I also play with the dragonflies. I never catch them in tag because they are too fast. They never find me in hide and seek me because I am an expert at hiding. Hiding also comes in handy in the summer because my enemies are out more in the summer. My enemies are foxes, eagles and magpies. If I hear a high pitched scream I know another mouse has been taken by an enemy. I quickly hide even though most enemies don't come back for another helping right away. Despite my enemies Summer is my favorite season because I get to talk with the ducks, moose, and flies and look at the flowers, grass, and mountains in the distance.
FALL
I know it's fall when there's a nice breeze that sways the half-dead grass. I don't collect food in the fall, instead I make my home warmer. I play with the dancing leaves that fall from the sky. My only enemies are brave eagles, foxes, and owls. fall is great for looking at sights and the earth around me. The least number of people visit Potters Marsh in the fall. There are a few last minute tourists taking last walks on the boardwalk before the snow falls and the water freezes.
WINTER
I know it's winter when frost covers the ground. It glistens and sparkles in the sun. Days are short and nights are long. The sun is low in the sky. In the winter it is a littler harder to find food so I eat stored food from the summer mostly. I also snack on bits of food that skiers and skaters drop. Sometimes I get to sip on unattended hot chocolate and cider. I play with chickadees, grosbeaks, finches, cardinals, baby moose, and rabbits. The birds Love to play tag, The rabbits are experts at leapfrog, and the moose like to have races. My winter enemies are foxes, snowballs, hockey sticks, and children. In the winter at Potters Marsh there are less cars on the highway but a Lot of skiers, skaters, and sledders enjoying the ice covered marsh. Iam okay in the winter because I usually find a lost mitten for my bed. My favorite activity is to stand on the see-through ice with dead grass poking out and look at the dancing northern lights.
SPRING
I know it's spring when the tempauture changes from cold to warm and there're are strong trees budding in the warm sun. I eat very well in the spring. I eat flower buds and decaying bits of animal that didn't survive the winter. I like to play with the birds and welcome them back after their long trip south. Foxes, eagles, and children are my enemies in spring. Spring has beautiful sunsets long days for playing, barely green marsh grass, and melting mushy snow.
Well that is the year in Potter's Marsh. Each season has it's very own characteristics that make it exciting to live at Potter's Marsh. Summer is my favorite, winter is the coldest, spring is the happiest with welcoming new and old friends, and fall is the most colorful. Potters Marsh is the best place in the world.
Adam Skelton
Rogers Park Elementary School PTA
Anchorage, AK
Read This Artist's Statement
My name is Jim. I am a mouse Just a plain old field mouse. Nothing special about me exept where I live. I Live at Potter's Marsh Anchorage, Alaska. Potter's Marsh is 540 acres long. It is labeled as a bird sanctuary not a mouse sanctuary, but that dosen't bother me I have been here for four years. I hardly remember my family but that is O.K. because I live in the best place in the world. Every single season during the year at Potter's Marsh is special to me. I love each one.
SUMMER
Summer starts in June of every year I can tell it's Summer because when I peek out of my hole in the morning the first thing I see is sunlight. Summer is warm and bright. It is the main time of the year for me to collect my food and save it for winter. I will talk about winter a little later. I find food in lots of places I nibble on dead, rotting salmon and salmon eggs. I jump and dive many times a day into the water for salmon snacks. Humans don't see me me usually although I don't try to avoid them. Speaking of humans I also find food under the boardwalk where the humans stand, run, and walk to explore the marsh. Most humans who are on the boardwalk are tourists. Sometimes there are dogs on the boardwalk but I guess they are not humans. Tourists are eating constantly and that is why I like them. They drop a lot of my favorite foods through the slats of the boardwalk. I guess you could call the boardwalk a restaurant. I know what a restaurant is because I used to live in one. In the summer at the Boardwalk Restaurant. I dine on everything from apricot to zucchini. In the summer I like to play tag with the butterflies. Sometime they fall to the ground if I tag them too hard. I have no idea why they just don't tell me that they don't want to play anymore. The butterflies that fall on the boardwalk always end up in humans' pockets. I also play with the dragonflies. I never catch them in tag because they are too fast. They never find me in hide and seek me because I am an expert at hiding. Hiding also comes in handy in the summer because my enemies are out more in the summer. My enemies are foxes, eagles and magpies. If I hear a high pitched scream I know another mouse has been taken by an enemy. I quickly hide even though most enemies don't come back for another helping right away. Despite my enemies Summer is my favorite season because I get to talk with the ducks, moose, and flies and look at the flowers, grass, and mountains in the distance.
FALL
I know it's fall when there's a nice breeze that sways the half-dead grass. I don't collect food in the fall, instead I make my home warmer. I play with the dancing leaves that fall from the sky. My only enemies are brave eagles, foxes, and owls. fall is great for looking at sights and the earth around me. The least number of people visit Potters Marsh in the fall. There are a few last minute tourists taking last walks on the boardwalk before the snow falls and the water freezes.
WINTER
I know it's winter when frost covers the ground. It glistens and sparkles in the sun. Days are short and nights are long. The sun is low in the sky. In the winter it is a littler harder to find food so I eat stored food from the summer mostly. I also snack on bits of food that skiers and skaters drop. Sometimes I get to sip on unattended hot chocolate and cider. I play with chickadees, grosbeaks, finches, cardinals, baby moose, and rabbits. The birds Love to play tag, The rabbits are experts at leapfrog, and the moose like to have races. My winter enemies are foxes, snowballs, hockey sticks, and children. In the winter at Potters Marsh there are less cars on the highway but a Lot of skiers, skaters, and sledders enjoying the ice covered marsh. Iam okay in the winter because I usually find a lost mitten for my bed. My favorite activity is to stand on the see-through ice with dead grass poking out and look at the dancing northern lights.
SPRING
I know it's spring when the tempauture changes from cold to warm and there're are strong trees budding in the warm sun. I eat very well in the spring. I eat flower buds and decaying bits of animal that didn't survive the winter. I like to play with the birds and welcome them back after their long trip south. Foxes, eagles, and children are my enemies in spring. Spring has beautiful sunsets long days for playing, barely green marsh grass, and melting mushy snow.
Well that is the year in Potter's Marsh. Each season has it's very own characteristics that make it exciting to live at Potter's Marsh. Summer is my favorite, winter is the coldest, spring is the happiest with welcoming new and old friends, and fall is the most colorful. Potters Marsh is the best place in the world.
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