Springing Into Action

With the snow gone, we've been venturing away from home a bit.  Last week Sarah and I went with Grammy, Auntie Heather (a.k.a. Heshy), Forrest, Sam, and Kelley to a local butterfly conservatory.  Sarah wasn't crazy about the butterflies when we went three years ago, and her opinion hasn't changed much.  She worried the whole time about them landing on her.  She was much more interested in the reptiles and amphibians that were safely behind glass.

 

Sarah said this poison dart frog looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream (one of her favorite flavors).

 

Forrest, Sarah, and Grammy taking a break

 

I was happy to have a blue morpho land on my arm.

 

Kelley, Sarah, and Sam at lunch

We stopped for some ice cream and play time on the way home.

On Monday, Don, Sarah, and I went to the M*stic Aquarium on the coast of C*nnecticut.  We haven't been to an aquarium in nearly three years, and Sarah loved it.  She ran from one exhibit to the next (quite different from her behavior in public just a few months ago).  She was excited to see sharks but wouldn't touch the little ones in the pool.  The sea lion show was fun, but the belugas were my favorite.

 

 

 

 

Afterward, we drove past M*stic Seaport, where I spent a semester my junior year in college, almost 30 years ago.  It looked just as I remember (except for the big new science lab).  Since we were on the coast, I wanted Sarah to get a glimpse of the ocean, so we followed side roads to a tiny town beach in N*ank.  There, we could see a slice of the sea between the shore and Fish*rs Island.  Sarah said with wonder, "Is that the middle of the ocean?"

We didn't stay long, because it was cold, and Sarah asked if we could please come back on a warm day so she could play in the sand.  She has certainly earned a good beach day, given all the times she's visited the shore (mostly of lakes) under less than ideal conditions.  I promised her we would visit the ocean again soon.  She picked up a few slipper shells to start her shell collection, and we rushed back to the car. 

Sarah with Latim*r Reef Light in the distance

Not exactly "beach weather"