Elizabeth's Secret Garden

If I could use two words to describe Shedd Aquarium, they would be, magnificant and mesmerizing. It’s not every day you get to hear balooga whales make sqeaking noises or watch a large sting ray glide by right in front of your face. Mind you, it’s $40 dollars for an adult ticket, but worth every cent. So here is a word of advice, when choosing to drive your car, park in the planetarium parking which is in walking distance of the aquarium. If you get there before 9:30 am, you get the early bird price which is $11 as of the time of this posting. Just be sure it’s not on the day of an event because when we came back to see the plantarium, parking was $49! For obvious reasons, we passed this up and called it a day. These are all the little things they don’t tell you in the tourist websites. Website: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/   Shedd Aquarium opened on May 30, 1930 and for awhile was the largest indoor aquarium containing 5,000,000 US gallons of water! That’s far greater than you...

  As the weather increases in warmth, gardens are coming alive with activity. Before the heat really sets in, my family has been visiting as many local gardens and nature parks as possible. The best time to go to gardens are early morning. If your schedule permits, week days are best. We’ve done exceedingly well at finding the free ones and who wouldn’t go for that? Whether you want a nice morning stroll, want to spend quality time with family, or exerise your photography skills, there are so many options. It was well work the 45 minute drive out to UNC Chapel Hill. It is very well kept and tended for. You won’t be disappointed!! Website for North Carolina Botanical Gardens at UNC Chapel Hill: http://ncbg.unc.edu/visit/   Visiting hours: Tuesday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm Closed Mondays and University Holidays. A spot you won’t want to miss is The Mercer Reeves Hubbard Herb Garden. There is said to be 500 species and cultivars. An important addition to th...

  Stepping foot in the North Carolina State Capitol is like entering a whole other era as it is so well preserved with the originality firmly entact. It was completed in the year 1840 with a Greek Revival style of architecture. The Capitol housed the General Assembly until 1963 which they moved into the Legislative Building, but the office of the Governor and Secretary of State have remained. The Capitol proudly holds the title of Raleigh Historic Landmark and sits in the center of Capitol Square. If you desire to visit you can join the 100,000 visitors that come each year. You can be part of public tours at designated times or take a self-guided tour which is especially nice if you like to take your time with photographs and observing. Capitol tour: http://nchistoricsites.org/capitol/STAT_CAP/Tour.htm   The Rotunda is a key focal point of the Capitol. Upon entering, you will see the 1970 copy of the George Washington statue by Antonio Canova. As you can see, my visit too...

  In late afternoon, I began a road trip with a group of friends with our destination being none other than Pilot Mountain. The sun was beginning to set as the Hybrid we drove struggled to reach the top. We followed the road as it took us on curves and closer to our goal. The air grew thinner, but the excitement thickened. The mountain before us was a white quartzite monadnock. Pilot Mountain is part of the A.V.A Yadkin mountain. It rises up to 2,421 feet above sea level and expands across 3,703 acres! A combination of hours in the car, tiredness, but a feeling of amazement washed over me as I gazed at the valley directly below us.  If you look out and beyond, you can see some pristine, untouched forest along with homes resting in the valley. It looks so peaceful and almost undisturbed. Further out you might even catch a glimpse of Hanging Rocks State Park which we conquered the following day.

  It is that time of year when the heat of the summer is upon us, but it is also the time when flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and butterflies are beginning to emerge. This year, I’ve got squash, large tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and butterfly plants in my garden. The chocolate mint has really been a sensation this year. News of it has been spreading around the preschool that I work at and my dad has been drying it to distill. Other exciting happenings, are that my hollyhocks (picture below) are blooming with it being their second year and my native Common Milkweed is getting flowers. I’ve been waiting two years to see them bloom. Hollyhocks getting ready to open. A bumble bee enjoying lavender. Yarrow which is a herb used for fevers. Penta The squash and zucchini have started producing. I’ve got an entire row for them, though it looks like the squash borers might soon steal my family’s feast. With gardening, you’ve got to get used to the fact that you will ha...

    I guess you could say it was love at first sight. A bond between our sheep and a young puppy. Blizzard isn’t just any dog. He is a Great Pyrenees, a giant of the dog world. The breed has been used for hundreds of years as a guard dog. They can be gentle and affectionate, yet highly protective against strangers or animals that would harm the animals they are protecting. Blizzard is part of our family. He can be stubborn though. Mom used to take him up our stairs to say hello, but one day he decided that it was not time to return to his domain. I had an idea. What if I could lure him back into the fence? I grabbed a spring of parsley, doubting it would be found appetizing, but boy was I wrong. Blizzard took after me. Our neighbor starred as this large dog chased after me with my mom close behind. It did the trick. He ate the parsley and then went for my pocket knowing that another parsley leave was inside.   Blizzard is now 7 months old and still growing! He will...

    We hear a lot about the decline of pollinators, but how often do we hear people speak of the ray of hope that remains amidst the negative news? There is much to be concerned about and it may at times feel like we are swimming against a raging current, but saving our pollinators is worth the struggle when you consider that 75% of our crops rely on them. They fly from flower to flower carrying the pollen that will develop into fruit, vegetables, nuts, and more. Surprisingly, there are 20,000 bee species with only a few that our in charge of pollinating our crops and so it is important to save them. First, let’s consider the greatest threats to pollinators and then optimistic side. Habitat destruction is among the leading causes for population declines, but an even greater enemy threatens their health and even ours. What I’m referring to is pesticides. Our crops are laden with cancer causing pesticides. If workers have to wear masks when they spray these lethal chemicals ...