I got my very first sunburn of the season yesterday. Mainly it was because I didn't realize we would be outside. It was supposed to rain at 2 pm, but instead it was gloriously sunny until it was nearly 6 pm and we were on our way home after a bit of shopping.
We had spent the day at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham with friends. It is a sort of cross between a museum and a zoo and an amusement park, as they have live bears and lemurs and other creatures of all descriptions, a train and a few other rather scientific "attractions". They also have lots and lots and lots of bugs and other marvelously creepy things, like brilliantly colored and highly toxic frogs.
My favorite part was probably our visit to the butterfly room (as you can tell from the photos). Dan also loved it because the plants in the room reminded him of the foliage he saw growing up in Guatemala. Other things reminded him of Guatemala, too... like the enormous live rhinoceros beetle in one of the terrariums and the enormous moth pinned primly in a glass case. "We used to see those on the walls of my school occasionally," he said with a mixture of nostalgia and indifference that I find a bit off-putting in the case of a moth the size of a mardi gras mask.
Since so much of what there was to see was outdoors, we did quite a bit of wandering. At one point, I even ran a little ways (kind of racing with a 12-year-old girl, which is folly at my age and shape), to catch up to the others. I don't run as a rule, and while I was winded when I stopped, I was also a bit exhilarated to find that I could still do it.
So, this evening when I had finished dinner and wanted to get out and enjoy the 70-something beautiful weather and waning sunlight, I invited Dan to walk with me. We started out at about 6:45 and got home again about 7:45. We got a little daring, though... we jogged uphill to the end of the street. That was maybe 1/10 of a mile, which is as far as I dare run right about now. We walked the nature trail near our house, then turned and walked back past our neighborhood to the grocery store, where we splurged on a cold drink before walking back home. When we got to our street, we jogged the last 1/10 of a mile again. Dan, former cross-country runner that he was, remembered what it used to feel like to run... and it didn't feel like that in his knees! I'm guessing we walked a couple of miles, all told.
It's fun to just get up and go, to explore bits of creation that are not everyday for us (at least not here and now), and to discover that while our joints are creaky and our hair is decidedly graying, we still have plenty of childish exuberance left.
I got my very first sunburn of the season yesterday. Mainly it was because I didn't realize we would be outside. It was supposed to rain at 2 pm, but instead it was gloriously sunny until it was nearly 6 pm and we were on our way home after a bit of shopping.
We had spent the day at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham with friends. It is a sort of cross between a museum and a zoo and an amusement park, as they have live bears and lemurs and other creatures of all descriptions, a train and a few other rather scientific "attractions". They also have lots and lots and lots of bugs and other marvelously creepy things, like brilliantly colored and highly toxic frogs.
My favorite part was probably our visit to the butterfly room (as you can tell from the photos). Dan also loved it because the plants in the room reminded him of the foliage he saw growing up in Guatemala. Other things reminded him of Guatemala, too... like the enormous live rhinoceros beetle in one of the terrariums and the enormous moth pinned primly in a glass case. "We used to see those on the walls of my school occasionally," he said with a mixture of nostalgia and indifference that I find a bit off-putting in the case of a moth the size of a mardi gras mask.
Since so much of what there was to see was outdoors, we did quite a bit of wandering. At one point, I even ran a little ways (kind of racing with a 12-year-old girl, which is folly at my age and shape), to catch up to the others. I don't run as a rule, and while I was winded when I stopped, I was also a bit exhilarated to find that I could still do it.
So, this evening when I had finished dinner and wanted to get out and enjoy the 70-something beautiful weather and waning sunlight, I invited Dan to walk with me. We started out at about 6:45 and got home again about 7:45. We got a little daring, though... we jogged uphill to the end of the street. That was maybe 1/10 of a mile, which is as far as I dare run right about now. We walked the nature trail near our house, then turned and walked back past our neighborhood to the grocery store, where we splurged on a cold drink before walking back home. When we got to our street, we jogged the last 1/10 of a mile again. Dan, former cross-country runner that he was, remembered what it used to feel like to run... and it didn't feel like that in his knees! I'm guessing we walked a couple of miles, all told.
It's fun to just get up and go, to explore bits of creation that are not everyday for us (at least not here and now), and to discover that while our joints are creaky and our hair is decidedly graying, we still have plenty of childish exuberance left.
7 comments:
I saw the bear and I thought, how did she... then I realized. Enclosed space.
Love the butterflies. And somehow the thought of toxic frogs made me amused. (I do not claim to understand my sense of humor. :)
Nice pic of Dan w/the butterfly. If you like viewing wildlife, try www.snowmancam.com . This resort in Gaylord, MI keeps a webcam pointed out its back window. It started as an advisory to friends and customers to the snow depth. During the non-snow months, viewers can see birds, wild turkey, deer, raccoons, skunks, and..BEARS!
Re creaky knees: I just had 3 once- weekly injections of Orthovisc in the bum knee. Feeling "Huh?" is an improvement over the feeling of having a minion of Satan attempting to filet off the kneecap with a very sharp carving knife. :P
Nice pictures. I, too, would have liked the butterflies.
My wildlife experiences of late have been all small, white and furry or colorful, wet and scaly. :) It is fun to see animals of various kinds doing their thing!
I watch Snow White run. She has enough energy for the two of us.
Nice creatures!
Hmmm...running. I will do that for a few feet when I push Beau in his stroller - or more often up and down stairs. I think it is a cruel thing to do to a body on a hard surface.
Beautiful pictures. I am glad you are enjoying the amazing nature surrounding you. Jon, Talia, and I enjoy a walk nearly every day. Maybe we will have to come walk in your neck of the woods someday:).
The bear picture reminded me that our friend came back last night. The first couple bear visits were so amazing that we got up and pulled out the video camera. This time I was so tired when I heard him going through our trash that I turned over and went back to sleep. I never thought I could become desensitized to a bear's presence.
Your pictures are crazy beautiful!
Nice picture of Daniel with the butterfly. Sort of St. Francis-like.
Hope all goes well.
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