The Lowry Park Zoo, Trip 3 – 2009

2009/2010 - Homeschool Field Trip #7
The Lowry Park Zoo - September 30, 2009

Yup, one more zoo trip. Lefty talked us into it, on the last day of September (the last day we could get in for free).  The weather was very pleasant and mild (a rarity for Florida at this time of year), so how could we resist?

It was a quick trip,  as it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment idea, allowing us only a couple of hours, but we managed to get photos of some animals that had evaded us before.

“Bumblebee!”
On the way to the zoo, we stopped by Target where Rey spied his
favorite Transformer, Bumblebee! – so we had to stop for a photo op

Bornean Orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus

Marabou Stork
Leptoptilos crumeniferus

Two Cute Girls!
“Cricket” (7) holding “DeeDee” (8 months)

Shoebill Stork
Balaeniceps rex

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana

Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus

Saddle-billed Stork
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Budgerigar
Melopsittacus undulatus

Florida Black Bear
Ursus americanus floridanus

All of the Florida natives were MUCH more alert during this visit, than on the previous
visits. This was due to a few days of unseasonably cooler temperatures and lower humidity.

North American River Otter
Lutra canadensis

West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manus

Southern Stingray
Dasyatis americana
&
Cownose Stingray
Rhinoptera bonasus

The children especially loved the “baby stingray”!

The Florida Aquarium – 2009

2009/2010
Homeschool Field Trip #6
The Florida Aquarium
September 25, 2009

In continuing with our celebration of “Swaptember“, on one hot September afternoon after co-op classes we headed down to Tampa’s Channelside District to visit the Florida Aquarium. Although we were members previously, it had been quite a while since our last visit.

Above: The Whole Group
Gator (14) holding DeeDee (8 months), Rey (4), Lefty (10), Ant (13),
Boo (8), Dinky Tumblina (11), Cricket (7), & Curly Top (6)

Loving the sharks and giant rays

Not a great shot of the sea turtle (dark room, water, a moving animal
– really pushing the limits of my digital point-and-shoot) –
but he was cool, so I had to include him anyway.

Above: One of Lefty’s favorite animals – the Jack *ss Penguin
Below: One of my personal favorites from the aquarium – the Sea Dragon

Above: A shot that turned out really strange. Can you tell exactly what this is a picture of?
(I mean besides just “alligators”)

The Lowry Park Zoo, Trip 2 – 2009

2009/2010
Homeschool Field Trip #5
The Lowry Park Zoo
September 8, 2009

We never managed to see everything on our first “Swaptember” trip to the zoo, so we visited again on the following week, starting where we had previously left off…at the entrance to the “Asian Gardens“.

Our first (and one of our favorite, because I LOVE big cats!) exhibits was that of the white tiger. While I know that it is ethically wrong for zoos to display the white tiger, Lowry Park Zoo claims to have rescued these tigers from certain death when another park shut down. Whether or not this is true, I don’t know [the Zoo, however, has bred the two adults, which is also wrong].

[Read here to see why the breeding of white tigers is WRONG!]

Regardless of the irresponsibility in the breeding and exhibition of these cats, the cats are worthy of mention…they are absolutely beautiful!

White Tiger
Panthera tigris

Greater Indian Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros unicornisa

Sri Lankan Sloth Bear
Melursus ursinus inornatus

Quite possibly the ugliest animal I have ever seen.

Bearded Pig
Sus barbatus

Reeve’s Muntjac
Muntiacus reevesi

Komodo Dragon
Varanus komodoensis

Lorikeet
Trichoglossus haematodus

After visiting Asia, we took a trip through the free flight aviary to look at the Birds.

While the zoo does have a pretty nice aviary, the signs aren’t that great — nor is their website — as far as bird identification is concerned. Most of the birds idenitfied on the signs were no where to be found; while birds like these were — with nothing to tell visitors what kind of birds they are.

I’m pretty sure that the first bird is a Masked Lapwing, the second is a Toco Toucan, and the third is some sort of Ibis. I have no idea what kind of birds are in the last two photos.

And off to the exhibit that really caused us to return to the zoo for a second visit — Primate World! What zoo visit is complete without checking out the primates?

Ever since my boys were little and Zooboomafu aired on PBS, these guys have been a favorite around our house.

(I love the zoom on my camera!)

Ring-Tailed Lemur
Lemur catta

These little squirrel monkeys moved so quickly, and were so active, I had a difficult time getting a picture!

Squirrel Monkey
Saimiri sciureus

Wolf’s Guenon
Cercopithecus wolfi

Mandrill
Papio sphinx

By far, the primates we had the most fun watching were the Colobus Monkeys!

Colobus
Colobus angolensis polycomos

This was because they had a baby — the CUTEST little white baby!

Above is a scene you might expect to see at my house –
everyone gathered around to see the new baby. “Ahhhhh…”

But what happened next was unexpected.
Another monkey swooped in and grabbed the baby!
Literally wrestling it away from the first monkey! –
grabbing the poor little thing upside down; tail and feet up in the air…

I’m not sure what’s going on in the photo above;
if they were sharing the baby, or bickering over her…

But by the time we left, the baby was content again and nursing.
Go ahead and say it…”Ahhhhh….”

And the rest of my photos are of my favorite “primates”, the ones I gave birth to.

Fun in the Fountains

The Log Ride

We splurged.
We allowed Lefty and Dinky Tumblina to ride the overpriced log ride.

When the ride was over Dinky said, “It wasn’t scary!”
But when I cropped down the photo that I took,
her face tells a different story.

The Lowry Park Zoo, Trip 1 – 2009

Since Lex Salisbury, tiger killer and despicable man, is no longer associated with the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa (as of December 2008), our boycott of the zoo has come to an end.

[Before you read on, please go read this heartfelt tribute to Herman and Enshalla]
St. Petersburg Times – October 1, 2006

Lefty, my animal and wildlife enthusiast, has been wanting to go to the zoo for ages, so for his birthday this year we bought him a membership to MOSI, for the primary intention of taking advantage of the “Swaptember” promotion.

And that, we have. We have actually taken two trips to the zoo this “Swaptember” month, in order to see everything.

2009/2010
Homeschool Field Trip #4
The Lowry Park Zoo
September 4, 2009

The children wasted no time. They were on a mission! — to see the zoo’s new Koala, Bundaleer — so upon arriving at the zoo they high-tailed it over to “Wallaroo Station“ (animals from the continent of Australia).

This is what they saw:

Queensland Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus

Yes, Bundaleer was sound asleep. Go figure. Koalas spend at least 19 hours a day sleeping, and the rest eating. Just like teenagers .

But there was more to see in Wallaroo Station!

Bennett’s Wallaby
Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus
[subspecies of Red-necked Wallaby]

Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Macropus giganteus

Emu
Dromaius novaehollandiae

New Guinea Singing Dog
Canis lupus halstromi

You may think we took way too many pictures of the fruit bats, but we found these guys to be absolutely fascinating, and a joy to watch. We probably stood at the bat exhibit for 20 minutes!

Flying Fox Bat
Pteropus vampyrus

Above: Look at this Mama with her baby!
We spotted two different babies in this exhibit.

And in this photo (above) she is nursing!
I feel a certain connection with her.

Notice the two fellows in the photo above.
The one on the left was trying desperately to rest,
while the one on the right kept creeping over to him
and poking him to wake him up! They must be brothers!

I wish I could sleep like that!

Just a goofy photo op.

Before leaving the “Wallaroo Station”/Australia exhibit area, the children just had to stop by the Petting Zoo. We used to have goats when we lived in Alabama. The children really miss them.

I didn’t get any photos of the children actually petting the goats because I was too busy chasing Rey, trying to prevent him from picking up those cool “pebbles” that the goats kept leaving behind!

African Pygmy Goat
Capra hircus

Off to Africa! After leaving the petting zoo, we headed to the Safari Africa and Ituri Forest exhibits.

On our way to Africa, it began to rain; a sudden steady downpour. That brief, refreshing shower lasted only about 10 minutes, during which time we ducked under a tunnel for cover. We emerged from the tunnel at the entrance to Africa and came upon the meerkat exhibit first.

But there were no meerkats! We watched for a few minutes, and were ready to walk away, when we saw a small brown head pop up. They aren’t stupid! They did the same thing we did when it rained — ran into their tunnels for cover. We dubbed that first little guy who popped up “The Weatherman”. The other meerkats must have elected him to be their weather watchman, because he crawled out first, and stood alone for a few minutes, glancing repeatedly at the sky. After he determined that rain was indeed “over with”, the remaining meerkats began emerging from the holes one by one.

Meerkat
Suricata suricatta

The majestic giraffe, my favorite animal in the whole world!

Reticulated Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata

And what could be cuter than a miniature deer?!
With a weight range of 9-13 lbs., this little guy is about the same size as my cat!

Blue Duiker
Cephalophus monticola

Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius

Baby’s First Trip to the Zoo!
(with big brother “Ant”)

Proof that God has a sense of humor:
Okapi
Okapia johnstoni

I’m pretty sure this was Lefty’s favorite exhibit. He really enjoyed watching (and photographing, and videotaping) the penguins.

African Penguin
Spheniscus demersus

Back to Florida. After we left the Africa area of the zoo, we headed to “Florida Boardwalk“, the Native Florida area.

There were several species of Florida wildlife that I didn’t bother to take photos of, because they literally live in my backyard (like the sandhill cranes), and because I have already posted photos of them…many times.

The gators are an exception to this. While they do live in my backyard, they continue to fascinate me, so I snapped a couple more shots.

Look at that camouflage in action!
There is a reason I refuse to swim in freshwater lakes and rivers in this state.

American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis

Ahhh, the life! The bear and the wolf know how to properly spend a hot Florida day….resting. I don’t blame them!

Florida Black Bear
Ursus americanus floridanus

Red Wolf
Odocoileus virginianus clavium

And this poor gal. I felt so bad for her. She was “in estrus” so was vocalizing while we were there. Doesn’t she look like she’s miserable?

Florida Panther
Felis concolor coryi

I have stated over and over again that one of my favorite things about living in Florida is the diverse, exotic bird life. We have some beautiful and very unique birds down here! But….even though Florida is known for its flamingos, I have yet to ever see one in the wild.

American Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber

We do, however see plenty of these guys:

American White Ibis
Eudocimus albus

Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus

Poor baby (shown with big brother “Gator”) was all tuckered out after a long, hot, busy day. She fell asleep right in her brother’s arms.

Amphibians

During our walk along the Florida Boardwalk, and just before leaving the zoo for the day, we stepped briefly into the “Discovery Center” where many different species of both native and foreign amphibians were on display. They were difficult to photograph, due to their glass enclosures, but the children insisted that I try to get a photograph of these Poison Dart Frogs.

Aren’t they amazing?! They don’t even look real; they look like they’re made of plastic.

A Busy 4th of July Weekend, Lefty’s Birthday, and a Trip to MOSI

The Independence Day weekend began on Friday evening, July 3rd, with a “luau” at our neighborhood clubhouse — a pool party with games, sand art, and a bounce house for the kids, lots of food, and a live band.

Food!

Below:  a. Rey, goofing off during dinner  –  b. Rey & Curly Top

Friends!

Above:  a. Dinky (right) and her friend M.  –  b. Boo, Rey, & some friends in the bounce house
Below: a. from left – D., (a neighbor), Gator, Ant, & Lefty
b. from left – M., (a neighbor), Lefty, Cricket, Curly Top, A., (a neighbor)

Sand Art!

Games!

Baby’s First Independence Day!

You can’t tell from the photo, but earlier in the day “DeeDee” had been very ill.
She woke up vomiting, and continued for several hours. By evening though,
praise the Lord, she was back to her old self — and enjoying the attention!

The Clubhouse at Sunset!

And Rey’s First Sparkler!

On July 4th we spent the day at the pool with a neighbor family, the Farmers, having a cookout, then spent the evening with the Dunhams, a family that I have “known” online for many years, and have finally had the pleasure of meeting in person! We had dessert, chatted, and watched the fireworks display that our across-the-street neighbors were putting on. Can you believe I failed to get a single photo of the day?! Ugh!

---

Above: “Lefty” with his birthday cake – July 7, 2009

Lefty, turned 10 last week, on July 7th, so we began celebrating over the weekend, on Sunday, July 5th.

I can’t believe that Lefty is already 10!  I know that I always heard that time flies by so much faster the older you get, but I never totally believed it – until I had kids! They are growing up sooo quickly — this one in particular. This is the child who was a newborn when I discovered the internet. I sat, in my early days of surfing the web, in a big leather computer chair while nursing a tiny blond baby and listening to Mozart. That baby is now a 10-year-old water-loving nature enthusiast who can most often be spotted in a stained striped shirt (stripes are his favorite) carrying around an Audubon guide and a pair of binoculars.

Lefty, being the animal lover that he is, always loves to go to the zoo, so we skipped the big party and decided we’d give him a zoo membership for his birthday. So I investigated, and realized that the membership to the Lowry Park Zoo (in comparison to similar local memberships) is, quite frankly, a RIP OFF!

In order to get a family membership to the zoo — “family” being defined as “two designated adults & up to four children ages 3-17″, we would have to pay $125, THEN pay an additional $25 per child, for a grand total of $250!  (I, by the way, find these types of definitions of “family” to be VERY discriminatory! A “family” should be defined as the parents/guardians and all children living in the household. Period.) This $250 would not include any of the rides, and the reciprocal zoo program stinks! Not only are there no free zoos in Florida, as part of the reciprocal program, but they wouldn’t admit all of us anyway! Here is the policy:

“Members are admitted according to the membership rules of the other zoo or aquarium, not those of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo (i.e. if their definition of a “family membership” limits the number of children to four, then that is the number allowed in on your card).

Reciprocal zoos that have free admission to the general public may offer free parking or other benefits, call them to confirm. Also, many of the listed facilities define a family as 2 Adults and 2 Children. Therefore, additional children may have to pay admission.

These facilities are only a reduced admission for reciprocal members. This is only a partial discount (approx. 50%), please call ahead for exact information.”

Um. No thanks!

So I looked into MOSI (The Museum of Science and Industry). MUCH better! They still have discriminatory membership policies, BUT at least their reciprocal program is better — and it includes a free trip to the zoo (anytime during the month of September)!

MOSI’s “family” membership WITH the additional IMAX membership, is regularly $150 for up to five people, and $20 for each additional person. But last weekend they had a sale. The museum + IMAX membership was on sale for $135 + $16 for each additional person (not including the baby, who is free), for a total of $231*. This includes all regular IMAX movies throughout the year, and free entrance to myriad other museums and aquariums, as well as ASTC membership. A much better deal! So, this was Lefty’s birthday present — a year of fun, beyond the zoo.

* The savings nearly began right away, without even visting a single other venue; as the regular price of just ONE trip to MOSI as a family, with ONE IMAX movie would cost a whopping $206.45.

2009/2010
Homeschool Field Trip #1
MOSI
July 5, 2009

A Visit to MOSI

One of our first stops at MOSI was “Disasterville”, where the children experienced several natural disaster simulators, including wildfire, tornado, and earthquake. And my personal favorite (to watch anyway)…the hurricane!

Above: Curly Top had a difficult time keeping her dress down in the hurricane simulator
Below: There’s a reason my children aren’t on the news!

Our children (and M, our honorary 11th child) as disaster workers

Next was the “The Amazing You” exhibit. I think the pictures speak for themselves…

Well…almost all of them speak for themselves. I do have one thing to say about that faux pregnancy suit that Rob is wearing. I think *every* man should be required to wear one during their wife’s pregnancies. Give ‘em a little taste.

Next we moved onto the “Kids In Charge” building where Lefty played the drums, and the boys took turns watching things happen…and un-happen…and happen again on the monitor. Pretty cool!

I don’t know what it is about play food. I really don’t. The kids just LOVE play food. When I mentioned going to MOSI, the girls asked, “Is that the place with all the food?”. Well, yes. There is a huge Publix grocery store area full of…what else? Play food! This is where the three little girls and Rey spent most of their time.

Gotta love the look on Boo’s face below when she tests out the bed of nails!

Winding Down…

Sometime around the beginning of our journey, back in Disasterville, our friend M lost her wallet, which contained money, gift cards, and an ipod. While I hung out with most of the children in the Kids in Charge area, Rob helped Dinky and M look for the missing wallet, to no avail. (It was found and returned to its rightful owner later in the week, minus the cash).

The last couple of photographs were taken as we were in the gift shop waiting for Dinky and M and preparing to leave. Baby Dee was sooo happy! I just love my baby girl!

Birthday Dinner

It is customary in our household for the birthday child to be treated to dinner at the restaurant of his or her choosing. Alone. With just the parents; no siblings. So, after returning home from MOSI, we headed out to Romano’s, Lefty’s choice, for a quiet meal of pasta, a birthday song sung in Italian, and a delicious complimentary chocolate cake!

Above: Lefty celebrating his 10th birthday at Romano’s Macaroni Grill

July 7, 2009 – Happy Birthday, Lefty

On Lefty’s actual birthday, Tuesday, we headed out to the mall for a free movie (one of three that we saw this week, due to the not-so-nice weather), Mr. Bean’s Holiday. Then we wandered around the mall for a while before treating the birthday boy to a kids’ meal at Taco Bell (everyone else ate from Taco Bell’s value menu).

And when Rob finally arrived home from work in the evening, it was present time and cake time!

Lefty after opening his gifts; one being a bottle of Mountain Dew.
(Having one’s own soft drink is a real treat around here!)
But WHO thought the highly caffeinated Mountain Dew was a good idea?

Strawberry Picking Time!

I love strawberry season!

In Florida, strawberry season runs from November to April, and just yesterday it dawned on me that it is already March, and we hadn’t been out strawberry-picking yet! So we loaded everyone (plus a neighbor friend) in the bus and headed back to our favorite picking spot, the same one I blogged about last year, Bane’s Hydroponic Farm (now also known as the Keiper Family Farm).

Unfortunately, the prices have doubled since last year (I would assume this is due to the hard freezes that hit the area this winter), but it was still worth every penny. There is NO comparison to the store-bought strawberries. These are sooo tasty — sweet; no “bite” as in the store-bought ones…and these are grown without pesticides.

Hillsborough River State Park

Last weekend we took an impromptu trip to a local state park for a picnic and nature hike. The weather was WAY too gorgeous to stay inside.

After a picnic lunch of tuna salad sandwiches and chips,
the children enjoyed playing on the playground

(from left:”Curly-Top”,”Lefty”, “Cricket”, a neighborhood friend, &”Dinky Tumblina”)

A turkey vulture sunning himself

And a whole treeful of his buddies

The Florida Landscape

A Very Pregnant Mama

And a Bunch of Cute Kids

Rey, along for the ride

In Back: Cricket (6), Dinky Tumblina (10), Ant (12), & Gator (13)
In Middle: Lefty (9)
In Front: Rey (3), Curly Top (5), Boo (7)

In Back: Gator & Ant
In Middle: Lefty, Boo, & Dinky Tumblina
In Front: Cricket, Rey, & Curly Top

Dinky Tumblina, a friend, & Ant

Gator (the other photographer), and Lefty

Dinky Tumblina, Cricket, Curly Top, & a friend

Cruisin’ – Part 3: Caribbean Sunset

Y’all no doubt know by now how much I love sunsets — and Sunday night’s Caribbean sunset was certainly no exception.

Cruisin’ – Part 2: Chillin’ Out & Cozumel

Chillin’ Out

There is a lot of “night life” to be had on a cruise…but that isn’t our lifestyle. We were there to relax – enjoying watching the waves, catching some sun, watching a show on a couple of evenings, and an in-room movie on the others.

One of the things that I found to be so fascinating was the COLOR of the water in the western Caribbean waters. WOW! As we dined on the deck, I was mesmerized by the shades of blues and teals. Tampa Bay water sure doesn’t look like this!

When sunbathing became too hot, the water slide was quite refreshing!

 

Cozumel and Mr. Sancho’s Beach

On Saturday morning we awoke to find we were docked in Cozumel — and it looked so lovely at sunrise!

I didn’t fully appreciate just how large the boat really was until we were standing right next to it.

Once in Cozumel, we had originally planned to go on a pre-planned (by Carnival) beach excursion, but a friend saved us a bundle by telling us about a private beach that she has frequently visited instead. The name – Mr. Sancho’s Beach. Cost – $15 for the taxi, plus the cost of lunch ($22).

Mr. Sancho’s was a very quaint, quiet beach. Beach chairs were provided for free use. There was a small pool, a few shops, and a wonderful restaurant (Rob ordered the coconut shrimp, of which he said had the most delicious dipping sauce he’d ever had — he said it tasted like a melted creamsicle. And I had the vegetarian nachos. The “Coca”, as they call Coke, was served in a can — no danger of Montezuma’s Revenge.)

The best part about the beach was again, that crystal clear ultra-blue water. Not like any water in these parts. You could see directly to the bottom — and there were beautiful yellow and black striped fish all around. (I wish now that we had chosen to go snorkeling).

But we had a great time just enjoying the sun and the sea breezes.

Do you like Rob’s choice of sunscreen? I had to chuckle when I uploaded this picture that he had obviously taken – complete with the feet. Yes, in order to protect his legs and feet from the sun, he covered his feet with sand, and his legs with one of his shirts. He was stylin’! (But it worked! His pale white skin never did get burned!)

Back in downtown Cozumel, we did a little shopping before re-boarding the ship. This is where Rob was viciously attacked by a shark.

Been Cruisin’

…which explains my blog neglect over the last couple of weeks. I was all-consumed with planning, shopping, list-making, and preparing everyone for the trip (a gift to me from my husband), packing, taking the dog to friends’…etc, etc.

But we did it! Our first ever vacation as a couple, without any children. A cruise from Tampa to Cozumel, Mexico.

 

* WARNING – PHOTO INTENSIVE *

 

After taking the children to our VERY gracious neighbor’s house on Thursday morning (gracious enough to babysit all eight of the younger children!), we headed down to the port in Tampa. We arrived and boarded around lunchtime, ate a quick lunch on deck, then unpacked, explored, took photos for the children, and called to check on the children umpteen times until the ship started taking off around 4pm.

 

 

Some Photos of the Ship and Surrounding Areas for the Children

(Dinky Tumblina asked us to take LOTS of photos)

Above: A photo of the Florida Aquarium from the ship

Several times we have been visiting the Florida Aquarium
when the children have become VERY intrigued about that
huge boat with the big red fin and the water slide on top.

Well, that’s the boat we were on — The Carnival Inspiration

We had known about the water slide…but a miniature golf course?!

The inside of the ship was pretty impressive too.

 

 

As the Ship was Departing Tampa

Tampa, and the Florida Aquarium

And a nasty storm brewing in the distance

As we were leaving Tampa, storms were surrounding us from all directions, preventing us from getting any good shots of us going under the Skyway Bridge.

Thankfully though, while the ship was enduring the worst of the storms, we were quietly enjoying our supper in the dining room.

 

 

 

And Speaking of Dining…

I believe if cruise ships were to have one theme, it would be “Overindulgence”.

People were over-indulging in alcohol and acting like total morons (made for some interesting people-watching), and SERIOUS gluttony. I am a firm believer in moderation. Just because it’s THERE doesn’t mean you must consume it! (But photographing it is another story! )

Check out the photos of Saturday’s Midnight Buffet!

Ice Sculptures:
Cruise Ship (above)
Dragon (below)

Above: Care to guess what the flower petals are made of?
(I cheated and asked)

Below: Every woman’s favorite – the grand chocolate buffet

 

To Be Continued…

Strawberry Heaven

It’s Strawberry-Picking Time!

Florida in the winter-time. The phrase probably conjures up images of white sandy beaches and magical escapes to Disney World…am I right? That’s what came to my mind until I actually moved here almost three years ago. Now the sub-tropical winters hold an entirely new delight for me – FRESH STRAWBERRIES!

Most famous in the strawberry industry is the delightful town of Plant City, Florida. Plant City, a small railroad town named after railroad builder Henry B. Plant, is deemed the “Strawberry Capitol of the World”, producing the majority of all the winter strawberries in the U.S. on its surrounding 7,000 acres of farmland. It has also been home to the world-famous Florida Strawberry Festival, taking place the first weekend in March, for more than 70 years.

But you need not travel to Plant City to find these juicy ripe red jewels to take home. U-Pick Strawberry Farms are located throughout central Florida, and roadside stands dot the roadways. We recently found a unique farm however, that I think is worthy of an “honorable mention”.

BANE’S FARM

Located off the beaten path near the small central Florida town of Dade City, sits Bane’s U-Pick Strawberry Farm.

What makes this farm unique among the other U-Pick Farms in the area? Several things.

• Hydroponics.
  Banes’ berries are grown hydroponically, in a “hydro-stacker”, without the use of pesticides or herbicides. With the use of the “stackers”, this farm is able to grow over 20,000 plants on just 2/3 of an acre of land. And another plus for Moms – no dirt! With this growing system, the children can pick berries without even getting their hands dirty!

• Family Friendly.
  We mentioned to the owner of the farm that we were homeschoolers, so this outing was sort of a “field trip” (aren’t all of our excursions?), and she was kind enough to take the time to show the children around, explaining how the growing system works, and answering all of their questions. This kind of courtesy; taking time for children, ranks any business as an A+ to me in customer service!

• Handicap Friendly.
  With no one in our immediate family requiring the use of a wheelchair, I often don’t think about the needs of the handicapped (it’s not that I’m insensitive to them; it just doesn’t cross my mind). So I was intrigued when, shortly after we arrived, a van of elderly folks pulled up, some of them in wheelchairs — and they were able to pick berries (something they would have had great difficulty with on a “typical” farm). You can see in the pictures how this type of growing system is conducive to wheelchairs, with wide aisles and smooth level ground. And not just for the wheelchair bound; it is perfect for those with back problems, knee problems, arthritis, etc., as there is no bending, squatting, or leaning required.

• Value.
  I have never met a locally grown fresh picked strawberry I didn’t like. And these were no exception. My 13 year old son proclaimed that they were the best strawberries he ever ate. I would have to agree. Ripe, sweet, juicy – not a hint of sour. Simply delicious. There is simply NO comparison to the store-bought berries. And at only $2 per pound? The value can’t be beat.

Hey, if the grin on little Rey’s face in the photo above doesn’t convince you that strawberry-picking is a fun (and delicious) activity for the whole family, then nothing will!

MORE ABOUT STRAWBERRY-PICKING, SELECTION, & STORAGE

• Season:The Florida strawberry growing season lasts from November/December to April/May. While most commercial farms do not open their fields to the general public until toward the end of the season, usually in March-April (depending on the weather), some small farms (such as Bane’s) are open for the entire growing season.
• Picking:
  • Look for bright, deep red, glossy berries with fresh green caps, leaves, and stems. They should also be dry.
  • Pick only the berries that are FULLY red
  • Stay away from berries that have turned dull and bluish.
  • Try to pick early in the morning or later in the day, or on cool cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
  • The small berries are often most flavorful.
• Storage & Preparation:
  • Sort & remove any bruised or damaged berries as soon as possible and use in sauces, purées or jams.
  • REFRIGERATE! Strawberries, will not ripen any further once they’re pulled from the vine. Nothing you can do at home will make a green berry ripen. Place the berries in cool, well ventilated containers in the refrigerator. The moisture content of fresh strawberries is high, so store uncovered or loosely covered.
  • Once the berry cap is pulled, it will deteriorate very quickly. Never wash or remove the strawberry cap until you’re ready to eat the berry. Then just wash the berries with a gentle spray of cool water and remove the caps after the berries have drained.
  • You can keep ripe strawberries in the refrigerator a day or two and still have pretty good berries, but the best thing to do is to eat strawberries the same day you buy them. Just as important: store the strawberries untouched.
  • Strawberries are excellent frozen! Perfect for smoothies! Again, you’re planning to freeze the berries, do not remove the caps. Just pop them into a plastic bag and put them into the freezer unwashed and uncapped. Rinse briefly and remove the caps only when you’re ready to serve.

HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES:

• Freezing Strawberries Without Sugar for Jam and Other Uses *
  Fill freezer containers with prepared sliced, or washed and dried berries to within 1/2″ (1 cm.) of top. Combine 4 cp. (1 L.) cold water with 1 tbsp. (15 mL.) of lemon or lime juice and pour over berries before freezing. Seal, Label and Date.
• Freezing in Sugar Syrup*
  Fill freezer containers with prepared berries to within 1/2″ (1 cm.) of top. Combine 4 cp. (1 L.) cold water with 4 cp. (1 L.) sugar; stir to dissolve. Pour over berries. Seal, Label and Date. Allow 1-1/2 cp. (125 mL.) prepared fruit and 1/3 to 1/2 cp. (75 to 125 mL.) syrup per 1 pint (500 mL.) container.
• Freezing in Dry Pack, Sweetened*
  Toss together 3/4 cp. (200 mL.) sugar with 4 cp. (1 L.) prepared berries; let stand until juice forms and sugar is almost dissolved. Pack in freezer containers leaving 1/2″ (1 cm.) head space. Seal, Label and Date.
• Individual Quick Freezing — Minimizing Berry “Mushiness”*
  For long term storage of individual berries individual quick freezing is recommended. This will minimize the “mushiness” associated with freezing the berries. Strawberries can be frozen and safely kept for up to 1 year. Place the berries on flat trays in a single layer, well spaced out, and put into the coldest part of the freezer (the colder the better). Choose firm, ripe berries; wash in ice water before hulling. Carefully drain well on several layers of paper towels first. When frozen, store in quarts (litres) or pints (500 mL.) containers or place in heavy freezer bags, tightly sealed. If freezer bags are used, try to suck out as much air as possible to minimize freezer burn. Seal, Label and Date. These berries can be used individually, if desired, for special desserts, on cereals or as ice cubes in fancy drinks.

STRAWBERRY FACTS – Did you know?

• Strawberries measurements:
  1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and weighs 1.25 lbs (or 600- 625 g).
  1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings.
• Packed full of nutrition, strawberries are a low fat, low calorie, low glycemic-index food, and are a great source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, potassium.
• Although dating back to Ancient Rome, first American species of strawberries was cultivated about 1835.
• How did it get it’s name? The berries seem to be strewn among the leaves of the plant. The plant first had the name strewberry, which later was changed to strawberry.
• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside:
  The strawberry plant has seeds on the outside skin rather than having an outer skin around the seed, as most berries do. They do not however, normally reproduce by seeds. When the fruit is developing, the plant sends out slender growths called runners. These look like strings. They grow on the ground and send out roots in the soil. The roots produce new plants which grow and bear fruit. Sometimes these plants are taken from the soil and replanted to start a new plantation of strawberry plants.
  
• The average strawberry has over 200 seeds.
  
• The strawberry, a member of the rose family, is not really berries or fruit in the “botanical” sense (i.e., the end result of a fertilized plant ovum).
  A strawberry is actually an “aggregate fruit” — the “real” fruit are the objects we think of as the “strawberry seed” — properly called “achenes” — which are fruits in the same way that a raw sunflower seed with it’s tough shell is a fruit. The “berry” is actually an “enlarged receptacle” and is not reproductive material. As a result, strawberries must be picked at full ripeness, as they cannot not ripen once picked.
  

* information from: Handling Tips From The NASGA Fresh Strawberries Booklet

A Trip to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary

I don’t wear the badge of illness well. I am the “go-getter” type of person. I have great difficulty just staying in bed and doing nothing. I can’t just sit idly as life passes me by; I need to be out there LIVING it. Perhaps my inability to sit still is a character flaw (at least that’s the message I received from years of Ritalin coupled with disdainful progress-report comments regarding my activity level from elementary school teachers). I tend, rather, to think that just as God created both the lowly bell pepper and the lively habanero, he also created some people with a little extra “kick”. I suppose I would be one of those.

By Saturday morning, although I still felt lousy, I simply could NOT face another day doing nothing. It would have driven me totally insane (not a long drive, mind you). So I began searching for something…anything to do, to get me out of this house (in an open air environment, so as to not infect anyone else). That’s when I discovered the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary (a rescue organization for primates, and various other unwanted former exotic pets) and “Otto’s birthday bash“.

Suncoast Primate Sanctuary

I had known that there was a wonderful bird sanctuary and a wild cat sanctuary in Tampa Bay, but I had never heard of the primate sanctuary. So we headed down for Otto’s birthday bash. (Otto is an ape who lived at the sanctuary until his death last year. You may remember him from the American Tourister luggage commercials. His story can be found here.)

The children had a blast! The sanctuary is a low-scale, non-profit operation, but the residents are quite the characters!

Take this little guy, for example. I believe his name was Bo.

Isn’t he a cutie? He loved showing off for us.

He’s a thumb-sucker, just like Cricket!

And he even smiled for the camera.

Otto’s birthday celebration included such festivities as a pleasant low-key Easter egg hunt, with such kid-pleasing prizes as stuffed animals…

…an egg relay…

And guest speaker Roark Ferguson from Reptile Safari.

What a nut! He was an excellent speaker and entertainer, but he kept kissing reptiles and tarantulas! It was freaking me out. Now, I am an animal lover, without a doubt — but I draw the line…somewhere WAY before THAT!

It was amusing when Mr. Ferguson asked for six young volunteers, and two of my daughters were chosen. They didn’t know what they were in for. Here is a photo of their faces when they realized.

“Boo” looks like she doesn’t know what to think of this experience.

Even little Rey decided to get a closer look at this amazing 150 lb. snake.

And not to be outdone by their sisters – the rest of my children asked to hold the albino beauty.

Everyone had such a good time at the sanctuary that as we were leaving “Lefty” asked, “How often do they do this?”
I said “Every year.” To which he replied, “Then can we come here again next year?”

The Beach

After leaving the primate sanctuary, we decided to head over to the beach, thinking the salt air would be good for my nagging sore throat, cough, and congestion.

We came completely unprepared, having brought neither swimsuits nor towels. The children wanted to get into the water anyway. I warned them that they would have a cold uncomfortable ride home if they did. Of course, having some of that same “spice” that makes up their mother, they listened as well as I did when my husband suggested that it would probably be best if I just stayed home and rested until I was completely well. Uh-huh.

So this was the scene:

Followed by this:

(And of course, hidden from view, behind the camera, their oh-so sympathetic mother saying, “See, I told you so.”)

Which is probably the exact same thing Rob is thinking of me in this very unflattering photo toward the end of the day, when I wanted nothing more than to crawl back into the bed that I had so eagerly abandoned that morning. (Do I look TERRIBLE or what? I look mean!)

No regrets though. All things considered, it was a great day.

Wildlife: In Our Backyard

I’ve posted before about nature trails and our excursions to various state parks and beaches to explore the wildlife, but, living in central Florida, you need not go far to experience wildlife up close and personal.

Remember this raccoon? She may have been our most unusual visitor to date, but she has PLENTY of mischievous cousins (let’s just say we have learned — the hard way — not to put trash out the night before pick-up). Actually, what prompted this post was spying some of those cousins last night. We put our dog Maisy in her kennel for the night and forgot to put her food bowl away. I was in my room when I heard a crunching sound (my sliding glass door was open). I peered out to see two big raccoons (one without a tail )and a possum all eating out of Maisy’s bowl together – no more than 12 feet away from my door. I tried to get a picture, but it was dark so this was the best I could do.

Who knew possums and raccoons hung out together? I guess the rules change when food is involved. You learn something new every day.

And while we generally only see these guys at night, there are exceptions to every rule. Here’s one:

One day in January Audrey was walking home from the bus stop after school. As she approached the corner to our cul-de-sac, she saw this.

A little bitty raccoon!

Audrey promptly called me on my cell phone (I was at the playground with the homeschoolers) to tell me, so I told her to hurry and take some pictures. She did. I headed home with the others so I could see the cute masked fella, but as we approached the corner, he retreated into the tree.

Little note to Rob here, I NEED you to replace my Lumix camera, the one with the awesome zoom — because my Canon wasn’t able to capture the otters frolicking in the pond behind our house. Bummer! I’d love to have captured them on film…uh…digital media (do they even still make film?)

The Canon was able to catch these guys in our backyard though. Lounging on the bank. Little note to Rey here, stay away from the banks of the pond!

There is so much cool wildlife in Florida, such as our friend Oscar at the beach, and our resident sandhill cranes, not to mention the myriad “critters” that the children have seen while visiting the beach. But dangerous wildlife lurks around every corner as well. It’s crucial to always be cautious and aware, and to have a healthy respect for those with which we share the environment.

For example, the gators pictured above. They are just small ones, but the “Mama” (about 10′ in length) was removed from that same pond by wildlife officials just months before we moved in here. And the neighbors directly across the street found a pygmy rattlesnakes in their bushes, just days after the neighbors two doors down found one in their pool area. Little note to self here, perhaps planting a bunch of flowers in the landscape bed would be a bad idea. Flowers = reptile hiding places.

I have not personally had a close encounter with a coral snake (not a live one anyway), but I came within inches of these guys, literally:

This cottonmouth was sunbathing next to the path of the nature trail. (The picture is fuzzy because it was taken with my cell phone). Thankfully, he never showed any aggression (by opening his mouth to expose the “cotton” inside). After we were a safe distance away, I shot a couple of photos, then we watched him until he tired of soaking up the rays and headed back into the woods.

And this critter, below, really freaked me out a little. A GINORMOUS eastern diamondback rattlesnake. He was at least 6 feet long, and is seen just after crossing the dirt path that both reenactors and spectators used at the Brooksville Raid (Civil War Reenactment) in January. This happened just after the “battle”, so I can’t help but think that the cannon and gun fire scared him out of hiding.

Is that amazing camouflage or what? Can you find the snake in that picture?
If you can’t, here is a cut-out from the above picture, zoomed way in.

Another photo, with his head raised.

Same photo, cropped and zoomed.

Again, thankfully, he showed no signs of aggression. We stood back and let him cross the path and slither away. (Shortly thereafter, Lefty informed me, of the log that you can see in the photo, “That’s the log that I always play on!”) I would have felt much better not knowing THAT.

Did I ever blog about the experiences we’ve had with both red widow and brown widow spiders? I can’t remember.

Just as the lyrics in that song from the 70s go, “I don’t like spiders and snakes.” Okay, the ring-necked snake is kind of cute, but I wasn’t fond of finding one in my swimming pool and having to fish him out.

Other reptiles are cool though. The gators are fun to watch — from a DISTANCE. And I LOVE turtles. The same day that we saw that water moccasin on the neighborhood nature trail, we found this guy on the way home. A Chicken Turtle! We carried him home, admired him, and photographed him for about 20 minutes before setting him free in our pond.

All of the above photos are of animals that we have come across just in the months of January and February so far, but my son happened upon something really cool on Friday, that we did not get a photo of (and I missed altogether). While in the yard at about dusk, looking for his little brother’s lost shoe, Gator was startled to see a “HUGE cat” running into the woods. He later identified the cat as a Florida cougar — a rare species to catch a glimpse of.

 

 

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