Museum of Science and Industry or MOSI

Last Friday, we took advantage of a family day at the museum. Our admission was inexpensive, which was great! ( We are finding all kinds of things for our family to do at discounted rates.) We knew Ethan would love going as he is all about science and figuring out how things work. The other two seemed to enjoy their time too.

The first station we decided to do was riding a bike suspended on a wire 3 stories up. The science behind the riding the bike was the center of gravity was below the wire, so you couldn't tip. We all gave it a try. Here, Brandon is riding the bike. It isn't the best picture, but hopefully it gives you an idea of how it was to ride the bike.

Keith is being silly, trying to tip the bike, but that would be impossible unless he weighed around 300lbs.!

We went to 'Disasterville'. This interactive station was set up to show the different natural disasters that can be encountered through out the US. I'm not sure we learned anything new, but it was interesting to try the different stations out. One station that we tried was the hurricane wind capsule. Amy, Brandon and Keith went inside. Once the door closes the wind whips up to hurricane strength which would be about 80 MPH. Since it is unlikely we'll ever experience a hurricane were we live it was fun for them to be inside the capsule. The pictures did not turn out :(. 

The people who respond after a disaster. 

Amy's favorite exhibit was one of the human body. It takes you on a tour from conception to death. It took a long time to go through this one. They had different video's to watch, many displays you could try, but unfortunately a lot weren't working. However, we all found something interesting to do at this station and we all learned something new on how the body works. 

MOSI holds a 5 story tall IMAX Dome. We had the opportunity to watch an IMAX presentation called 'Rescue'. This short movie looks at what it takes to respond to disasters in different parts of the world. There was footage of the rescuers going into Haiti right after the earthquake in 2010. They showed hundreds of people responding to the disaster, people being pulled from the rubble, kids getting medical attention and food being distributed by different nations. Amy found the movie fascinating. She wants to travel the world, as a Trauma ER Dr. responding to the most critical and most needy of people. This movie only added to her desire, seeing what the Dr.'s did and who they cared for. 

Finally, we watched a science demonstration of electricity and chemical reactions. Ethan was in his element for this, as he is presently into different chemical reactions, wanting to know if it is an alkaline or acid based. Surprisingly, he wasn't eager to volunteer for the demonstrations involving a Tesla coil! Brandon volunteered for those experiments. Ethan was a bit concerned he might be zapped with the volt of electricity from the Tesla Coil because you had to keep the rod pointed at the top and never below on the copper part of the coil. A Tesla Coil amplifies electricity and concentrates it to one spot. This particular Tesla Coil took 120 volts of electricity and revved it up to over 5000. (I don't understand all the in and outs of electricity, but it was a neat demonstration.)

We finished our time off in a Hurricane Tunnel. I'll leave you with a picture of Keith. We had fun in there and I'm not sure what the difference was between the capsule and this wind tunnel other than size. We all had to wear goggles and headphones to block the wind. It was pretty fierce in there, but it didn't last too long. 

All and all, we had a good time at the MOSI. We did learn a few things and the displays that were working were fun to use and learn from. Ethan had a great time. He didn't notice things not working, he was more focused on certain topics rather than the big picture of the museum. This was most definitely a Ethan day. 

A Dolphin's tail

One of the goals Keith and I had for the family while down here was to do a once a week adventure. This area has so much to offer and do. Mondays will more than likely be the day that we'll set aside to do these activities what ever it may be (not including our daily trips to the beach after the school day).

 This week we were trying to decide if we wanted to go to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. Looking at the price, trying to figure out from website if it was something we would enjoy. We decided when all was said and done to try the Clearwater Marine Aquarium instead. We didn't know much about the aquarium other than the fact that Winter the Dolphin lives there. Winter is the Dolphin who starred in the movie Dolphin Tale http://dolphintalemovie.warnerbros.com/index.html  This aquarium is dedicated to the rescue of marine life and rehabilitating them back to health and, if able, releasing them back into the wild. They partner with other organizations around Florida who work together in rescuing these animals. Winter, was incitially rescued by Sea World, than transported to CMA.  CMA is a non-profit organization that heavily depends on volunteers to run their facility. The place does need some work and I foresee that Winter's fame will bring in the much needed cash to run their facility and rescue more marine life. We learned so much about the marine life around this area.

One thing that we learned is that when you go the beaches in this area you see signs letting you know Sting Rays live near the shore and to shuffle into the water. When Sting Rays are surprised they will whip their tail up and their barbs will go into your leg. They aren't deadly, but they do hurt you and release a toxin into system. Diluted vinegar is recommended to ease the pain, but you need to go to the hospital for them to take the barb out. (We now will be carrying diluted vinegar.) My kids have seen Southern Sting Rays in the water while swimming. They say it is kind of freaky to see them. I would imagine that it would be freaky to see these creatures move in the sand! Shuffling your feet is the key to not being barbed by one! One of the exhibits was about sting rays. We were able to touch them as they swam by us in their tank. All of them were rescued for one reason or another. They feel slimy and velvety all at the same time. The Southern Sting Rays are different from the Cownose Sting Rays.

 The bottom one is a Southern Sting Ray. 

This is a cownose stingray.

The next few pictures are of Winter. Her story for those who are reading ,and don't know,  is quite remarkable and has been inspiring those who have either been born without a limb or lost a limb through accidents. Winter was rescued 6 years ago, on the east coast of Florida near New Smyrna Beach. She was tangled up in the rope & buoy for a crab trap and was in terrible shape by the time the rescue crew got to her. She was transported to CMA where the trainers, marine vets and volunteer staff stayed with her in a holding pool around the clock. They taught her to eat by a bottle, they taught that touch was okay, they taught her to swim and accept what was being done to her. They basically habituated her into accepting all they had for her in her recovery at CMA. She eventually lost her tail due to the damage incurred from being tangled so tightly for such a long time.. 

Here she is with her trainer

Her trainer is taking her prosthetic fin off

The tail is removed . Winter can only wear her tail so many hours a day.
She still goes for physiotherapy to keep her body strong, as she swims sideways instead of straight.

This is a smaller tail.
Winter has had 17 tails made for her and will continue to have them made until she is fully grown.

This sock is the key to keeping the tail on. The prosthetic tail uses it's own suction to keep the tail on. It is a strange feeling material. The sock is quite thick, almost like a neoprene, but I don't remember what it is called.

CMA's main star is Winter, however they have other stars, too. I'll leave you some picture of the others who are permanent residents. 

This is Nicolas showing off! He was orphaned and will always live at the CMA.

Hope you have enjoyed this blog! Tomorrow we are heading to the MOSI. It is the Museum of Science and Industry. http://www.mosi.org/  They are having a special $5 admission day...who can beat that?!?  It should be a great day together. Also on the agenda is the Florida Orchestra outdoor free Pops concert. Have a great weekend! 

Women of Faith Conference

     Last Thursday, I received a call from the office, where we are staying, letting me know a church in the area had tickets to a Women of Faith event starting on Friday in Tampa Bay. My initial response was not to take them up on their offer of free tickets. I didn't know anybody. I would be gone for a few days from the family. I didn't feel like extending myself...well you get the picture. Anyway, I decided to call the church and make the effort to go. I had no idea what a Women of Faith event was or even if it was something I would enjoy. I wasn't expecting much and I thought it was going to be a fluffy, entertaining-rather-than-challenging event.   I was so thankful I had taken this church up on their offer of a ticket, to take the chance to meet other women, to be at an event were God was so clearly honoured in all that was done. In the end I learned risk is worth it and you may never know what will happen when you decide to go out of your comfort zone! I met a women, who is a Florida native (quite rare). She and her husband own a boat and they want to take our family out on the Gulf sometime when the weather warms up.(We are in a cool snap for Florida). We decided to go to this church church on Sunday, and it looks like this will be a place where will belong for a few months;  place where the kids are involved in youth group and Awana; and a place to meet new people and make connections.

It is hard to pick one thing from the entire weekend, but I believe the singing was what I enjoyed the most.

Anyone who is interested to find out more about Women of Faith or when an event will be in their area can go their website. (www.womenoffaith.com)  It would be worth the investment of time and money. I promise  that you will walk away being refreshed and not disappointed. 

CN Tower Adventure

I need to start this post off , letting you all know Amy wasn't terrified of the height, she was a bit scared. Okay, now that is settled lets get to the day.

Getting our first look at the tower as we walk in Toronto

The day started with us taking the subway to Union Station. The subway in of itself is an experience. It can be a bit overwhelming for a first time rider figuring out how it works. The kids certainly had enough interesting people to see on the subway and walking to the tower. It was fun watching them process everything with out saying much, you could tell by the looks on their faces that they were taking in the sites, sounds and smells of downtown Toronto. 

Amy standing in front of the tower. 

Once we paid we had to pass through security before entering the tower. When you passed through these security stations they poofed you I'm sure, with some kind of chemical. They were checking for explosive material on your person.

Amy looking out the glass floor. You can see 1122 ft. or 342 m to the ground. 

I was lying down on the glass floor and yes, I was a bit freaked out!

Ethan and I up in the Sky Pod. We are now 1465 ft. or 447 m. in a glass enclosed area. You can see tons on a clear day. They say you can see Niagara Fall. I didn't see them, but I saw a lot of other things.  

Keith on the glass floor. 

Keith and I in the Sky Pod

We are looking down at this group of people. They are at the Look Out level walking around the OUTSIDE edge of tower. It costs a lot of money to get this rush and I think you have to be a bit crazy to try it!

Amy & Brandon 

The kids up in the air. 

One of the things we did at the tower was watch a 3D movie. The movie was a bust, but we sure had fun looking silly in these crazy glasses. 

Standing at the base of the tower and looking up you can't see the top of it.

We have arrived!!!

We left two weeks ago to the leaves changing, an overcast day, and cool tempertures. We arrived here on a hot day, about 30 celcius, bright blue sky, and relative humdity. We were told that it was 'cool'. We, didn't agree! We had been using our AC since earlier that morning even before we  reached Florida.

 Our travels were uneventful, which is what we wanted, boring could be used for how uneventful our time in the van was.  Going through the border at Detroit wasn't an issue for our family coming into the country for a few months. They didn't even check our stuff, just our ID's and asked Keith a few questions.

Our first stop in our travels was Southern Ontario to visit our long time friends for a week and to drop our Winnie off for the four months. While we were in Southern Ontario we had the opportunity to take the kids to the CN Tower in downtown Toronto. It was a fantastic day for the family. We drove to a mall, then had Brandon navigate our way to the tower by subway! He did great. A natural for figuring maps and how to use a different system for travel. All three loved going into TO for the day! Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do much else in TO other than the CN Tower, but the walk from Union station to the Tower was entertainment and excitment enough for our kids. Ethan was so happy to finally be going to the tower.  He has been asking  to go for years. He loved every minute of his day and took in everything in detail. We did the full experience tour of the tower. I must admit the skypod made me feel a bit woozie from the height. Amy, who is terrified of heights, did just fine.  She even walked on the glass floor and had her picture taken laying down on it. I don't have pictures because my camara battery was dead! I would have loved to capture the excitement on the kid's faces in experiencing something they had dreamed about for years. Keith did bring his camera, so there will be pictures in the future of our time at the tower.

After leaving our friends and Winnie we made our way to the South. We spent a night in Lexington, Kentucky. I love how friendly Southerners are.  They have a way of making you feel special and  important - even in a fast food place! The drive after Ohio was beautiful, the gentle rolling hills, covered in green grass, and big trees giving way to the Smokie Mountains of the Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. I would love to travel through those mountains some day exploring the country side. We finally arrived at my brothers home in Geogia. Again, Southern hospitality came out every place we went. We had a great visit with my brother and sister -in-law. We had the opportunity to go to their huge church and meet a lot of their friends. Keith and I really enjoyed their church. After church we were treated to real Southern BBQ! We went to Dreamland. It was a dream to eat that delicious BBQ. It wasn't anything fancy, but the food was so, so good. I had pulled pork, slaw and fries. Keith had the ribs. All I can say is my pulled pork doesn't even come close to how this BBQ pork is. Ethan went for a lesson on how the pork is made, how long it takes to cook, the type of wood they use, the temperture they use to cook it, the sauce, and how they keep it moist. We spent the rest of the day visiting. Finally, it was Monday morning, time to leave for our final destination. We'll be seeing my brother and SIL in just 6 weeks when they come for a visit to the coast, so saying good-bye wasn't too hard.

We are now here in sunny Florida and are starting to rest. We are adjusting to a different way of living. We are going to the beach for fun in the sun and sunsets. We have found cheap Tampa Bay Lightening Tickets. We have been collecting shells. We have been meeting people from all over.  We are thankful and blessed to have this time together. Thanks for visiting today!

I'll add some pictures with capitions. I hope to have another blog posted this weekend with Florida pictures.

Getting Ready to Pack our Things

We packed most our of stuff in these vacuume bags.

 It made Keith's job easier as he packed the van and car topper!

                                                             Saying good-bye to Tuxie

Finally time to leave. Three of us are quite happy to be going the other two aren't so happy.

We stopped at Old Woman Bay on Lake Superior. It is one of our favorite spots. I thought this white rock in the middle of dark rocks was interesting.

Once on our way, we had a happy teenager.

Saying good-bye to Winston for four months!

Visiting Brett and Morgan

Finally, we are in Florida.