Pittsburgh Trip part 3: Children's Museum

Well that's a pretty entrance.

What?!?!

Oh my nerdness....

It's a Death Star made from an old Jeep Wagoneer.

There is a solar panel on the other side.

What for?

I don't know but it's a promising addition to this wonder sphere!

                                                                             

 Josh and Isabella working on their printmaking.

I believe the building the Children's Museum is in was the former Post Office.

It has a domed roof and they have these plastic streamers hanging.

Sort of odd but ends up being really beautiful when you look straight up.

Kora thought this was pretty neat.

Mr. Roger's Nighborhood section.

This ended up being Isabella's favorite spot even though she has only seen the show a handful of times.

 Look at all the puppets!!!

Yeah, I was a bit "star struck" if you will. 

Henrietta Pussycat!! Daniel Striped Tiger that lives in a timeless clock!!

 

It looks like Han Solo being frozen in carbonite.

This is under the staircase and sort of hidden.

Oh my goodness!!!

A flippin' Mystic from The Dark Crystal.

This elicits a response of either, "What's a Mystic?" or "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Holy Mackerel it's a Mystic from The Dark Crystal!!!!!!!!".

I'm clearly the latter. 

Artsy fartsy fun.

Pittsburgh Trip part 2: Bird-o-rama

I didn't know there were so many different kinds of penguin.

There were even more on the next wall.

Kookaburra, like in the song.

A cute unassuming bird that had chopped up dead mice in it's bowl.

I wasn't expecting that. 

The birds are just all around you. Flying over your head, walking along the path, roosting on the walkways. It's really neat.

She wanted to chase this guy so bad.

She did very well to keep her distance instead.

Pittsburgh trip part 1: Eagles

I highly advise taking the time to visit the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

Some of the birds are in closed quarters but there are even more in huge open habitats that you can walk around in and experience a living tropical forest with birds swooping around your head.

 This is a Sea Eagle from Estonia.

I believe many of the large birds of prey have been wounded which is why they are in captivity.

Later in the day I saw this guy/gal jump into a pool of water.

It was amazing to see such a large creature essentially frolic in the water.

It fluttered its wings and dunked its head.

Even when it jumped in it sort of bounded in almost like Tigger.

And here is a Bald Eagle.

Such a beautiful bird.

Kora likes her book.

Brunswick, GA

On the way back from their trip to Disney World, my parents stopped in Brunswick, GA to show Isabella the ocean.

Grandpa teaching her about the tide.

Swallow Falls State Park

It was much colder than we anticipated.

For such a bright, sunny day, we froze our behinds off.

Cold gives way for a lot of beauty though.

 Woodpeckers go to town on the dead trees.

It looks like they peck into infinity....

Owl pellets are a cool find too.

I really wanted to take it home to dissect it (and find tiny bones?) but I resisted the urge and stayed true to the park rules.

 WATER FALLS!!

Really strong, rushing, churning water.

It was really neat.

 See?

Kora thought so.

This was her first time seeing Muddy Creek Falls.

I think it was worth trudging out in the freezing cold (that makes your tiny baby nose bright pink).

Sweet Isabella is not fond of heights.

Not one bit.

But then, look how brave.

Hooray for icicles, rushing water, splashes and the rainbows they create, sunshine, hemlocks and all the unspoiled places in nature.