ENROUTE TO PORTUGAL

As our ship moves toward Lisboa, Portugal, we are again rocking and rolling with the swells of the ocean.  It has been a relatively calm voyage, but I realize just how alive the ocean is from the winds and the currents. Moving around I'm constantly aware of the movement within our space. I'm re-grouping these couple of days; two of my classes will take their first quizzes tomorrow.  I know the students are nervous; I'm just hoping that preparation for the quiz helps to focus them and that some material is being "learned."  In the field of environmental and land use policy, one needs to know certain basics. Meanwhile, as a student in John Serio's short story class and Andrea Smith's Spanish instruction, I enjoy discussing literature and trying to speak and write in a language different from my own.  Andrea had us keep a journal of foods, experiences and current affairs in Spanish, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  However, I will not publish it here! I spied another bird hitchiking its way with us, but lacking field glasses, I couldn't see it well enough to try to do an identification.  One of my fellow travellers is an excellent photographer and he has gotten some pictures of birds.  His website is www.davidmathre.com