I [heart] Davids It helps me to say these things aloud, I think.

December 20, 2009

Virginia Aquarium, Again

Filed under: Animals,Travel,Vacation — admin @ 9:52 am

We hit the Virginia Aquarium again. We had planned to go to the Norfolk Zoo but it was 40 degrees and pouring down rain. Luckily, the major Restless Planet renovations at the aquarium have been completed so this visit we got to see some new animals like the Komodo dragon!

Cute freshwater turtle
Cute turtle

Contemplating the water
Watching the back bay

Kaleidoscope Hallway
kaleidoscope Hall

Sea Turtles
Turtle Tank

Watching Turtles and Fish

Visiting the Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragon

Neat feature
Up close and personal

Tropical Tunnel
Walk-through Tropical Aquarium

At the gift shop
Fistful of Sharks

Doing his best to avoid Santa
Avoiding Santy Claws

July 19, 2009

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

Filed under: Animals,Cleveland — JeniQ @ 8:19 pm

While in Cleveland last month, we visited the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. It’s a cute place, not very big, but free and fun for the kids!

Iguana!

(more…)

May 30, 2009

Virginia Aquarium

Filed under: Animals,Vacation — JeniQ @ 9:54 pm

A visit to the Virginia Aquarium.

Durham Life & Science Museum

Filed under: Animals — JeniQ @ 9:22 pm

A trip to the Life & Science Museum to find somewhere fun for Henry to play. Henry received several compliments on his Dharma jumpsuit.

tunneling

dry ice machine

Some Pig

Henry & Dave

Watching lemurs

Watching brown bears

Brown Bears

January 14, 2009

Christmas Eve at the Virginia Aquarium

Filed under: Animals,Travel — JeniQ @ 9:19 pm

On Christmas Eve we went to the Virginia Aquarium. When I was in college, it was called the Virginia Marine Science Museum and I worked there every summer as part of my Bonner Scholar work requirements.

I loved being there. I love the fishes and the wildlife. And I was nearly brought to tears in a fit of sentimentality when I saw Henry gazing with wonder into the tanks. I really hope to pass on my love of science and fishes to the little guy.

Here he is getting eaten by a shark. Doesn’t he look surprised?
Eaten by a shark

These egrets, along with a host of other interesting birds, were in the aviary.
Bird about to be...

...in flight!

At the Norfolk Canyon tank, taking in the sharks.
Watching sharks with Mommy

Watching the giant sea turtles with Daddy. I think we could have sat there all day.
Father and son watch the sea turtles

Walking to the South Building.
The boardwalk at the Virginia Aquarium

In the Marsh Pavilion we found this fun stuffed otter. The real ones were all asleep in a pile, so they weren’t that much fun to look at.
Should I otter touch that, Mommy?

After a hard day of sitting in his stroller and being carried, Henry needed a breather. The kids play area was perfect!
Playing in the kids area

Our best find of the day, however, was a stuffed “turkey buzzard,” which is what his Granma Jo calls him all the time. Must get photo!

November 27, 2008

Spiderbabies

Filed under: Animals,Babies — JeniQ @ 12:31 pm

While in Destin, we stumbled upon a spider. Not unusual, considering Amy was with us, but our encounter did have an interesting twist. This spider was huge, which is what caught our attention. Like, it seemed large enough that we were compelled to take photos of it.

Our interest caught the attention of the rednecks in the bar who wanted to squish it, so I attempted to escort the spider to safety by flicking it away. That’s when we discovered that it wasn’t a huge spider. It was a mother wolf spider and her hundred babies. OMG.

As a mother to another mother, I was so horrified when I realized that I had dislodged all the momma spider’s spider babies. I felt awful.

On the other hand, it was amazing to see this miracle of nature. Amy and Ali assured me that the babies were ready to be on their own and I wasn’t killing a hundred spider babies.

Glistening eyes of spider babies

Babies carried on the back

I have no pictures of the spiderbabies scattered around the sidewalk. We left after that, not sure what the rednecks would do and not wanting to stick around to find out. I’m sure momma spider gathered up her babies and went on her way, and the rednecks went back to karaoke in the bar.

January 18, 2008

12 oz. mouse

Filed under: Animals — JeniQ @ 11:00 am

A few days ago, Cayce started stalking the freezer. Very weird behavior but he’s a little weirdo so I was like, *shrug*, whatever dude. Then Billy started stalking the freezer, too. Then they alternated between stalking the freezer and the pantry. We’ve had our problems with mice in the garage, so it’s not too far fetched to think we might have a mouse in the house, especially with how cold it’s been recently.

On Wednesday when I left for work, Cayce was pawing at the pantry door so I thought I’d placate him and I left the pantry door open.

When Dave got home from work, he found some of the contents of the pantry shelves scattered about on the floor. After a bit of poking around (and having Cayce help) Dave found a mouse in the pantry!! He managed to trap him under a tupperware until I got home.

12 oz. mouse

We put him in the same bucket we’ve used before and he jumped right over the side and freed himself! We had to chase him around most of the first floor before recapturing him and getting him back in the bucket, more securely this time. His athleticism and determination is what earned him his 12 oz. mouse title.

This weekend, we’re tearing apart the pantry and see who else we can find in there. Cayce was pawing at the door again this morning. *Sigh*

October 31, 2007

Three Blind(?) Mice

Filed under: Animals — JeniQ @ 9:22 am

Three more overnight. Ally, I’ll have to not set the trap out again until this weekend or we might just get rid of them all before you get here! I can hope, anyway.

Three mice

I took them to the same place to release them.

Second release

October 30, 2007

Mice Update

Filed under: Animals — JeniQ @ 8:57 am

Two Mice 

It turns out, unless you release the mice quite far away from your domicile, they might find their way back! This according to my boss, who is wise in the way of such things. So I started marking the mice with paint to see if I was just re-catching the same mice. I have recaught one, which tells me that I’m not dropping them off quite far enough away from the house.

This morning there were two mice in the bucket, one which had a paint mark. See it on the bottom mouse? Mouse with Paint Marks

So I took them with me on the way to work. It was about a 12 mile drive, though probably half that as the crow flies. I released them into the woods. Run, little dudes, run!
Mouse being released

October 25, 2007

Caught You!

Filed under: Animals — JeniQ @ 10:08 pm

I used Will’s great idea for a humane mousetrap after finding a mouse in our garage recently. They love the bird seed so I put an inch of birdseed at the bottom of a straight-sided bucket and left it out for them, buffet style.

It worked!

Mousetrap

This little guy was quite active and very close to jumping over the sides, but couldn’t quite make it. I took the bucket up the street and let him go in a natural area away from the houses. I am so happy with this solution!

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