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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 5:50:43 GMT
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.
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 6:07:31 GMT
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 6:28:40 GMT
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.
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 6:48:32 GMT
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Post by mossie on Feb 21, 2016 8:18:11 GMT
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"
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 12:25:14 GMT
That's totally disgusting, Mossie! I bet they really flipped out.
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 12:46:57 GMT
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 13:01:19 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 21, 2016 13:44:58 GMT
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.
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 14:21:36 GMT
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
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 14:52:18 GMT
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 16:04:24 GMT
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.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2016 17:19:08 GMT
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.
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 17:23:24 GMT
A very logical thing for a bright child with limited knowledge to believe!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2016 17:27:12 GMT
Yes, I always made a point of not thinking about it much, because the more you think about it, the more logical it sounds.
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Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 17:32:16 GMT
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.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2016 17:34:20 GMT
Now that there are movies with completely real dinosaurs, obviously some of us must have been around to film them. Logical.
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Post by mossie on Feb 23, 2016 14:33:49 GMT
Looks like a wonderful place for the children, and to feed their imagination.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 23, 2016 14:46:53 GMT
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?
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Post by htmb on Feb 23, 2016 15:22:39 GMT
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.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 24, 2016 15:11:59 GMT
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.
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Post by htmb on Feb 24, 2016 15:15:41 GMT
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.....
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Post by lugg on Feb 27, 2016 18:14:48 GMT
This is a real treat - stunning photos Htmb. It seems that you had a really joyous time with your grandchildren.
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Post by mossie on Feb 28, 2016 8:30:23 GMT
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.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 7:36:35 GMT
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.
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