nixtress's Diaryland Diary

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More on our explorations and what a glorious day I've been blessed with.

Our explorations this weekend had an unusual twist, due to the large amounts of rain we've been getting. Driving down south, we came across many areas that were flooded or had been but then receded. The boys were floored to see rivers literally covering surrounding fields instead of flowing neatly between their banks.

The caverns were pretty cool. It's been eons since I've been (we went before I was even in kindergarten). The entrance to them was set inside an unassuming little house-like building that housed the gift shop as well as the opening to the caverns. Literally, they open a door inside, you walk down several steps and you're inside the caverns.

It was close quarters at times, certainly not a place for someone with space issues, and very damp. The temp stays a steady 54 degrees down there, nice on a hot day like Saturday was.

The crystal formations were amazing. There was some basic info given: the length of time it takes a crystal to form, why the oil in human skin discolors crystal formations if they're touched, etc. The colors were incredible, deep dark blues, greens and purples and vibrant bright reds, oranges and whites. We were in close proximity to a woman with an extremely loud voice that she insisted on using to talk about the last time she'd been there, but otherwise it was informative and fun. The boys were very attentive, and some of their comments cracked me up. Ryan asked our guide if someone got stuck in the caverns, would crystals form on their body because bodies have minerals already in them? Scary little guy. Trevor took pictures of just about every stalagmite and stalactite (better, annoying spelling man? hehe) in the place.

Once we were done with our tour, we went topside and the boys got to do a little gem mining. We purchased bags of dirt with semi-precious gems mixed in and they got to pan for them, dipping wooden-framed screens into a water sluice and then picking out their stones. There were reference cards there that the boys were able to look at to determine which stones they'd gotten, which they did promptly, chattering like little magpies the entire time.

The castles were beautiful. I can't imagine living in one. The space would be lovely but I can't imagine what I'd use to get the cobwebs off those high ceilings!

***

This morning dawned clear, very breezy and cool. Last night's weather predictions included thunderstorms this morning but they must have blown through pretty swiftly. It's gorgeous. I washed some laundry first thing and spent some time hanging my sheets on the line. They'll be dry in no time, the way that wind is blowing. And the sunshine that's streaming in my window is a welcome change to the drizzles that we had most of last week. After I finish this entry, I'm going for a walk with my cd player.

Nice to have a free day.

Happy Monday, one and all. May the sun shine on your shoulders, may your coworkers be good-natured, may the public at large take a turn for the better. I'm glad to have my Pollyanna optimism back.

N.

8:54 a.m. - 2004-05-24

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