Museum Day

[htmb]

My granddaughters and I spent several hours at the local museums today. We started out in the butterfly enclosure at the University of Florida Museum of Natural History.

[htmb]

My older granddaughter was very interested in the butterflies and spent much of her time standing very still, hoping they'd land on her.



















The blue butterflies were my favorites. With their wings fully opened, they were bigger than my hand and they were everywhere.




With their wings closed they showed their perfect markings.

[htmb]

The six year old walked around like this most of the time.

I could not understand her problem. This is a child who would pick up any animal given the chance. There is a menagerie of small farm animals at her home and she's always carrying something in her arms. Since she catches bare lizards in her hands and thinks she would like a baby cheetah for a pet, I could not understand why she didn't want butterflies to land on her head. She wasn't upset, but kept insisting we leave the enclosure.

I later talked her into going back inside a second time with her sister's hoodie zipped all the way up for "protection." That seemed to do the trick.

Once we were back home I asked her again why she was concerned about the butterflies and she explained that they carry toxins. The bright colors on the butterfly wings warn off predators, letting them know they'll get sick or die if they dare take a bite. Knowing this, she theorized that butterflies could easily inject toxins into her body and they'd be sure to make her sick.

[htmb]

We were very surprised to find several tiny little birds were also kept in the enclosure.










Of course, the various tropical plants were interesting, too.







More of the blue butterflies.




You never know what might be scurrying around at your feet.

[mossie]

Some super butterfly shots. They will never stay still for me.

Silly story, about 40 years ago. I am still remembered in my sis in law American family for eating butterflies. While taking them round our garden I told them butterflies were good to eat. I had secretly picked a couple of nasturtium leaves and chewed them to cud and kept them in my mouth. Then caught abig cabbage white butterfly and pretended to chew it up. Then opened my mouth to show them the green mash, and swallowed it. "Gross"

[htmb]

That's totally disgusting, Mossie! I bet they really flipped out.

We continued to work our way through the gardens.













Ducking out for awhile, we stopped to look at butterflies in different stages of development.







Luna moths have always intrigued me.

[htmb]

The other exhibits in the museum are always good for teaching and entertaining.

[htmb]

Back inside the butterfly area, we lined up with the growing crowd to watch a release.






















I don't think I've ever seen a butterfly with these colors.




It certainly made one child very happy.

[bixaorellana]

This is such a visual treat, Htmb. Like Mossie, I'm grinding my teeth over the brilliant clarity of your butterfly captures.
(not grinding teeth over ersatz butterflies, though )

The girls must have been enthralled, even the little one, with her understandably erroneous but impressive logic on the dangers of butterflies. That butterfly area is a hugely impressive space in what looks to be an overall impressive and fun museum. What is that wonderful part with the big barnacles?

Also hugely, breathtakingly impressive are your photographs. Of course the butterflies are wonderful, as are the birds. The candid shots of people are delightful. I particularly like the one of the two girls kneeling on the wooden steps and the group shot of the people waiting for the release. And that first photo of the fan palm & the waterfall, just beautiful! Oh well, no point in naming my many favorites -- I'll just go back and enjoy all the pictures all over again.

[htmb]

Thank you, Bixa.

The area with the barnacles is a mock-up of an estuary, magnified 12 times in size. It gives visitors the view shared by underwater fish

[htmb]

We left the natural history museum and spent a little time outdoors before heading towards the adjacent art museum.



















The girls were given maps by the friendly and helpful staff, and I let them navigate their way about the museum. We missed several sections, but I was fairly impressed at the older ones ability to follow directions.



Luckily, no alarms were triggered either.

[htmb]

We walked by the Herzogs, which I always try to point out since the paintings are of our area of Florida. This one is of Paynes Prairie.










They liked going into the Japanese garden outside the museum's Asian wing.




The colorful African section was informative and entertaining, too.







We were in the museum just long enough to give the girls a good dose of art while also keeping them from becoming bored. No art pieces were destroyed, so I figured it was a successful hour.

Overall, visiting the museums was an enriching way to spend time together.

[Deleted]

Beautiful botanical and bug pictures.

Regarding children's phobias provoked by knowing too much/understanding too little, my brother had an extreme fear of his heart becoming unhooked in his chest and falling to the bottom of the organ zone.

[htmb]

A very logical thing for a bright child with limited knowledge to believe!

[Deleted]

Yes, I always made a point of not thinking about it much, because the more you think about it, the more logical it sounds.

[htmb]

Curious little minds need to be fed and nurtured through positive experiences. The other day the little one asked me if I was around during "cave man" days. Was I that old?

She's just trying to figure it all out, taking in chunks of knowledge and putting it together in her mind.

[Deleted]

Now that there are movies with completely real dinosaurs, obviously some of us must have been around to film them. Logical.

[mossie]

Looks like a wonderful place for the children, and to feed their imagination.

[tod2]

What a superb outing you have shown us htmb! Your butterfly photos are too wonderful and I want to know if any of those creatures were drugged, sprayed with a strong hairspray or other to get them to stay still enough to get such beautiful clear shots!!! Congratulations, you have done an excellent job.
The butterfly garden and the museum look wonderful and I'm sure in some months ahead you may make a second visit?
When your granddaughter explained her fear of being harmed by the butterfly wings....what did you say?

[htmb]

Thanks!!!

Tod, I explained to her that it was not possible unless she decided to eat the butterflies. She laughed and seemed to understand my basic explanation. I also reminded her she should have explained her thoughts to me earlier, but I'm not sure she was even aware of her reasons for being afraid until later.

This is the granddaughter who has severe food allergies. When she was born she appeared swollen all over and remained so until my daughter figured out the child was highly allergic to many food products. As my daughter began to change her own diet, my granddaughter gradually became healthier.

She's outgrown many of the food allergens but is still highly allergic to a few and wears a belt around her waist containing an epi pen and benedryl for emergencies. She's very aware that certain foods are highly toxic for her, so it would make sense that she'd have some concerns about butterflies.

[tod2]

Oh the poor little thing. What a horrible thing to endure - glad she is growing out of it.
Good ol' Benedryl. Haven't seen it here or heard of anyone taking it for many years.

[htmb]

Thanks, Tod. She's become much healthier, and life has become easier, now that she's outgrown the egg, tree nut, and peanut allergies, but is still severely allergic to dairy. Maybe one day.....

[lugg]

This is a real treat - stunning photos Htmb. It seems that you had a really joyous time with your grandchildren.

[mossie]

Good to hear that she is recovering from the allergies. Allergies seem to be a real factor in modern life, something that people dragged up in the good old days don't seem to get.

When I eventually received my useless pills from the hospital pharmacy the other day, I was asked the typical arse covering question, "Do you have any allergies?", to which my response was "only to hospitals". It did raise a small laugh from others enduring the glacial pace at which the place ran.

[Deleted]

I finally made it in here and enthralled.
I have a gazziillon questions and comments to make when my arm is better as tying too much causes it to ache.

I'll be back to be sure.

One thing I can say is you are a terrific and cool grandmother.