Gainesville: Sinkholes and Butterflies

The second day of our little road trip with Aunt Lisa took us to Gainesville.  A few months ago I saw pictures from a trip my friend took to Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park.  I never heard of such a place, so after a little exploring, I decided it was a place my kiddos would enjoy seeing.  We also decided to check out The Florida Museum of Natural History on campus of the University of Florida.

Devil's Millhopper is a giant sinkhole that formed a couple hundred years ago.  It has a unique environment due to the depth of the hole, the moisture within it, and the surrounding ecosystem.  Some plants are in this sink and no where else in Florida.  A few decades ago, it because a state park and stairs were installed to allow people the opportunity to go down into the sink without damaging it's unique features.

So, down, down, down we walked.  We could hear little water falls, and feel the humidity press upon our chests.

At the bottom, it reminded me of a bog.  There was an eeriness to the gray water and plant life.

I also couldn't help but think I could be swallowed alive at any moment.

We also took a little walk around their 1/2 mile loop where I confessed to Aunt Lisa that I actually hate to do thing like this.  However, my kids love it, so I do it for them.

A little while later, we pulled up to the Florida Museum of Natural History and were quickly lured in by the unique butterfly attracting plants that were for sale.

I bought this beautiful passion flower

And this one...I forget it's name already, but it attract swallowtails and has an interesting flower.

Hopefully they don't die right away.

The first thing we did after entering the museum was head to the Butterfly Rainforest. This is well worth the additional cost (the museum is free, traveling exhibits and the Butterfly Rainforest are a small fee).

The Butterfly Rainforest showcased butterflies from floor to ceiling with great interpretive signs to read as well.  

However, that was just the beginning.  Walking into the exhibit we were instantly greeted with a variety of exotic butterflies and beautiful flowers.

The kids went crazy!  They had little booklets with some of the butterflies so it was like a treasure hunt to them.

Nathan really enjoyed hunting for the butterflies and whatever fear was present at the beginning was quickly overcome by excitement.

This was certainly the highlight of our day.

We toured the rest of the museum, which was wonderful in some area, and completely predictable in others.
We enjoyed the caves and  river areas (where we were transformed into a tiny fish and saw creatures like crabs and barnacles from a small fish's perspective).  We learned a little more about the Calusa, Seminoles, and other native peoples.

Predictably, there was an entire room dedicated to evolution, which is heartbreaking to me.  I just don't understand how you can see the beautiful variety of butterflies, their mimicry, camouflage and design and believe it accidentally happened.  What are we teaching our children when we tell them they are really just animals that happened to appear out of sludge.  No wonder our society acts the way it does.  If we are all accidents, then where is the value of life?  Where is morality?  Why does it all matter?

With that aside though, it was another lovely day, with sore feet, hungry bellies, and sleepy heads.

A Journey into the past- Dade Battlefield

Our goal this summer is to learn some Florida History, both by book, and through experience.  A few weeks ago, we were reading about the Seminole wars, and discovered that the battle that began the second Seminole War took place just 40 minutes from us.  Of course, we had to visit.  So, after some planning, I put together a two day trip to visit the Dade Battlefield and then a few special places in Gainseville as well.  We invited Jeremy's Aunt Lisa to come along with us.  I know she enjoys spending time with the kids, and she enjoys going to and learning about new places.  So, we thought this would be a great trip to have her join.  I think we were right ;)

Aunt Lisa with the kids

She can't help herself :)

The first day was spent at the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park.  This was a beautiful little park in Bushnell, FL with towering oaks, a little history museum, and monuments to the fallen (as well as at least one snake- ahhhh!)

We started our morning by attending a pine needle basket class.  This was fascinating, difficult, and rewarding.  The girls enjoyed thinking about what it would be like to sit in a chickee and make a pine needle basket all day.  They certainly have a better understanding of the process and time involved.

These examples of pine needle baskets will sell for over $100....I understand now why.  They take a lot of time and skill!

Listening to instructions

Nate was trying to help

Isn't she a cutie?

Hannah's "Cheerio", which became the center of her basket.

After two and half hours, we were left with this...a quarter holder.  We do have ambition to finish our little basket throughout the summer.  That will be a rewarding feeling!

Such concentration

Little known fact: Pine needle basket making is easier when your tongue is sticking out.

Nicole's start to her basket.

This was mine and Hannah's.  It could hold a half dollar.

After a quick picnic lunch, we spent some time inside the museum.  Although the museum was small, it was filled with interesting facts and artifacts.

Really cute little display.  Can you see the soldier marching in the background?

A more close up version.  I loved this little display!

A musket used in the battle with the bullet and gun powder shells

Tradtiional Seminole clothing and crafts.

 We even got the attention of the park Rangers who, after a few questions, began to share more details about the battle, and even started pulling out guns for us to check out.  The kids thought of some great questions, and some...well...kid questions (like, "Um, Did the soldiers have band aids for when they got shot?")  I think he was intrigued, and the kids were fascinated.

This Park Ranger was showing us how the gun worked.  Lock, stock, and barrel, and something about fire too.  Can't remember that one.  

 The Seminoles defeated the small US troop for a few reasons:

#1.  The US Solders were not expecting to be attacked on this particular portion of the 100 miles road from Ft. Brooke ( present day Tampa) to Ft. King (present day Ocala), they thought that if there was going to be an attack, it would have already happened

 #2.  The Seminoles were hiding in the palmettos and ambushed the troops.

#3.  The Soldiers had on heavy winter coats that covered their ammo bag, and their weapons were not loaded.  They had a hard time preparing their weapons for the first wave of gunfire.

#4.  The Seminoles had better weapons that the US Troops. The US Troops were shooting muskets with a smooth barrel. This made the shot less accurate and the bullet could not go as far.  These guns were made for the line warfare you remember from the Revolutionary War.  The Seminoles had riffled  guns, with grooves in the barrel.  Those grooves made the bullet go faster, further, and with more accuracy.  So, the Seminoles could be just out of read of the US troops gun range, but still be able to accurately shoot the troops.

Hannah is trying to see the groves in this end piece to understand the rifling effect.

A musket ball

Nicole held this musket ball, and then got to hold a cannon ball in comparison.

He shared more of the story with us, which gave us a little extra excitement to go out and walk the road the troops were walking when they were ambushed by the Seminoles on this very spot.  Hannah and Nathan were the soldiers, Nicole and Aunt Lisa were the Indians (of course, I was the photographic record keeper).

The Seminoles (Aunt Lisa and Nicole), ambushing the US Troops (Nathan and Hannah)

Inside the breastwork that the troops built to  protect themselves from the gunfire of the Seminoles.  This is the exact location of the main portion of the battle.  The breast work is a replica

We started at the edge of the property and walked the road, reading the interpretive signs along the way.  We soon realized that there were 5 of us, but only 4 lived through the battle...of course, one would have to die.  Somehow, that was Aunt Lisa (because I was the driver, and the kids needed a ride).

Ft. Brooke to the south, Ft. King to the North

A Seminole Indian, hiding, waiting to Ambush his enemy

Soldier down!  Soldier Down!  (Aunt Lisa is a great sport!)

The three officers had large markers to remember their falling place.  About 7 weeks after the attack, a group of US Soldier came back and buried the fallen (it was a horrendous site!).  Several years later, the military took up a collection and raised enough money to dig up the graves, and transport the bones of the fallen soldier to a military graveyard in St. Augustine.  These markers were installed as a memorial.

This was a beautiful park and a educationally fun day.  We can't wait to go back for the re-enactment at the beginning of January.

I LOVE this kids!!!!

Another Year

Life keeps happening, days keep changing, weeks grow shorter, months zoom by, and all of a sudden, it is another year.  Somehow my sweet little first born is half way to her driver's license, and will soon be half way to graduation and college.

Yesterday we celebrated Nicole's 8th birthday.  It wasn't with all the pomp and circumstance she hoped for and planned for year (yes, the day after her birthday last year, she wrote up a list of who she wanted at her birthday party this year).  However, I think it was a sweet day for her nonetheless.

We started the day with our traditional bedroom decoration so when she woke up, she knew we were excited to celebrate with her.  We went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and came back home to wait for her friend Carly to arrive.

Carly has been a sweet friend to Nicole this year.  Their meeting was clearly ordained by God, which makes their little friendship special.  I met Carly's mom last July when I was going to buy two books from her.  We met in a parking lot, outside a local store.  I noticed that she was a homeschooling mama, so we struck up a conversation, which quickly turned to co-ops.  I was just trying to get our CC group together and handed her a bit of information.  A couple of weeks later, she joined our group and Carly and Nicole because instant friends.  Carly is almost 2 years older than Nicole, but neither seem to mind.  I love that my children get to interact with children who are not only the same age as they are, but also children who are older and younger as well.

Carly and the kids went swimming for a while, and truly enjoy their time together.

After Carly left, we laid on the couch and watched a movie.  I fell asleep because I'm completely exhausted from being on the run, but again...that's for a different post ;)

This was the only thing she asked for.  

After our movie, we started to make dinner for our sweet friends who are moving away next away.  Nicole chose to take them dinner on her birthday because she wanted to spend time with them...isn't that precious?
Pastor Andrew and Melinda made her little birthday dinner special by decorating their table with "Happy Birthday" signs and decor.

We enjoyed spending some time with our friends, and always have fun watching the children play together.  We will greatly miss our Pastor and his family.

Nicole even got to do something she's never done!  She got to stay and spend the night.  She has never spent the night at a friend's house.

All in all, I think Nicole had a nice little birthday.  I'm sure this ninth year will fly by just as quickly as last year did.  I am grateful for the honor of being her mother.