(GK: Garrison Keillor; SS: Sue Scott; TR: Tim Russell; FN: Fred Newman)
We are in Florida, on a fact-finding trip, inspecting the winter quarters of the Minnesota state bird, the loon, who winters along the Gulf coast of Florida. (LOON) That is a loon. An aquatic bird who flies down here in the fall and then molts, losing their primary and secondary wing feathers, which then grow back, sort of like someone driving to Florida and getting their transmission changed. While they grow back their feathers, the loons walk around and shop and go to restaurants for the Senor Special. Soon the loons will be airborne again so that they will be able to fly back when the lakes in northern Minnesota thaw, which they haven't yet. In fact, it's supposed to get down to -20 over the week-end. The loons are not all that graceful on the take-off, walking on water isn't easy even with webbed feet, and their landings look like crash landings, but they have that beautiful cry.
© Garrison Keillor 2003