Ice cream, Bat Caves and Planets, Oh My!

On August 27, we got to spend the whole day with dear Anna, had free ice cream in the bat cave, ate lunch in an abandoned zoo, saw Josh Groban's face (on his tour bus), slightly heard his voice from afar, and stared at tiny, sharp, Saturn.

You know the LORD loves to bless you when He gives you free ice cream... in the bat cave.

Entrance to the ice cream cave.

When we got to the Observatory, (after lots of traffic because Josh Groban was doing a concert!) we got in line to look through a small telescope that would stretch our vision to see Jupiter and Venus
- lined up with each other- which wouldn't happen again for 60 years.  (It looked like a little speck in front of a fiery ball.)

Another telescope was showing off Saturn.  I could not believe my eyes!  I couldn't believe it was the real Saturn!  It was so clear that I could see its rings and shadows.  To me, it seemed like I could've reached out to pick up the tiny model Saturn that was sitting on black fabric.  It almost looked computer animated, but it was real!

The sunset there was stunningly beautiful.

Later in the evening, we got in line to see the most looked through telescope in the world.  Griffith Griffith (who had donated the money to build the Observatory) wanted everyone to be able to see the stars.  Wouldn't he smile if he could see it now, the most looked through telescope in the world.

It was getting dark as we waited, but the view we had from up on the "roof" of the Observatory was beautiful.  All the city lights, like a thousand manufactured stars fallen on the ground.  :D

After quite a few quite awhiles, we reached the door to the huge telescope room.  As I watched people climb one by one up and down the stairs that brought them to the giant telescope, I wondered why they weren't gasping, or saying "Wow!"   We had recently heard someone say that the telescope was pointed at Saturn, and the planet didn't look any better than the view from the small telescopes.  We were a bit disheartened, but thought even if it was true, it would be amazing to look through the telescope that the most eyes had ever peered into the heavens through.
   

I loved this chart of Saturn.

Soon our waiting was over.  One by one we climbed to the telescope, peeked in, then walked back down.  When I looked in, I saw the same tiny Saturn I'd seen earlier.  But, as I stepped down, I thought, "That telescope was built in the 1930's."  I imagined men in big coats and derby hats looking through the telescope, little girls wearing feed sack dresses and bobbed hair cuts seeing a world they hadn't thought of before during the Great Depression.  It was built in Germany.  I pictured Hitler, looking through it.  And then I saw myself, tilting my face right where they had, right where they had helped to fulfill a bit of Griffith Griffith's dream of everyone seeing the stars.  As we left the telescope and headed down to the grounds, I got so excited, I couldn't stop talking about the history we'd just experienced.

When we see amazing historical places or things, I realize that learning history has helped me to see the people in that time as real people.  And they didn't live that long ago!  Learning history helps you to connect the dots and imagine what it was like back then, when you find yourself in a history rich place.  Or eating a jelly bean.  (Because you learned jelly bean history and now you can't eat one without thinking of it!)  :D

History is all around us, and we can really learn from it if we just take the time to look, think, and discover.

P.S.  Here is scientific proof of my cold hands:  (This is from a heat detector that was at the          
Observatory . . .  I was the only one with purple hands.)   ;)

The Redwoods... Beach?

The experience I most distinctly remembered was the waves!  Wait, waves in the Redwoods?  
Well, sort of.

Right before our wondrous hike, we stopped at an information center.  (Which happened to have the children's book that I learned most of my Redwood facts from!  And one of those cool water bottle filler uppers that Mom got really excited about.)  

A ways behind the center was the perfect spot to watch the splendor and power of California waves.  There was a sandy crest that had been carved out by the crashing waters, a crest that said, "Come and stand just a little higher than these monstrous beauties, but don't come any closer!  This is a place for you to watch and gape.  Not where a single human hand could dream of paddling or conquering these waves." 

We also learned about sneaker waves.  The waves were a bit far from us, but once, the waters sped together and crashed right on our bluff, right in front of us!  That, my friends, is a sneaker wave.  A lady had walked down to the water a bit and I thought, "Ah!!  That lady is going to get knocked down by the waves!  Lady!  Go back up!"  We all watched her, wondering if a sneaker was coming any time soon.  Luckily, she got out with just wet pant legs. If a sneaker had come, she totally would have had the craziest swim in her life.

I loved the tiny tough beach flowers growing out of the sand.  Amazing hardy little things.

I loved the "Redwood waves", and hugging on the beach, watching the waves with that giggly awe, screaming and jumping when that sneaker wave decided to say "Boo!" and figuring out that when we crouched down the roaring waves went quiet.  (That was probably fun for the other people on the beach, watching this family bob up and down.)  :)

Amazing how such different nature is all so close!  Woods, and waves.  I'd never seen waves like that, but little did I know how often I would be seeing them.  ;)  I've never seen trees quite so large either...

    Thank you LORD for showing us a tiny one millionth of an inch sliver of your AWEsomeness.

               -Brie

                                     Beach photos courtesy of Mom.

                                        And, a sunflower photo.   Because why not.

The First Adventure

The Redwoods.  When we were walking on that trail together, and looking up at those trees, 

I felt something like giggley awe.  At every new tree, we stopped and looked at each other, laughed and thought “We’re really here!!”    I gawked and thought- I know that I seriously can’t comprehend the awesomeness of these trees.                   

I didn’t really feel little while we were in the Redwoods, but once we went to normal sized forests and I didn’t have to crane my neck back to glimpse the top, I realized just how gi-mungo they are!  Regular trees aren’t an elephant thick.  I don’t laugh in spurty joy at the sight of them.  The Redwoods are, majesty.

     

   (This is practically what Dad looked like all day.)  :)

And they are quite interesting too!  Did you know that the Redwoods have shallow root systems?  (The major roots are only 1 inch thick!)  No way!  Well, the thing is, their roots grow out from the tree for about 50 to 100 feet, intertwining with other tree’s roots.  That makes them super strong. 

Forest fires and Redwoods actually have a pretty good relationship.  Fires clear out other plants that are crowding the ground, and if a fire gets close to a Redwood, the Redwood’s bark is so thick that fire usually can’t penetrate and burn up the tree!  If a fire does burn through, the tree can keep on growing.  We saw (and walked into) lots of trees with blackened, charred, hollowed insides.  But when you look up, there’s a tall, healthy tree growing above your head!  Hmm, makes me think of beauty from ashes.

Redwoods need moisture, and they actually are in a rainforest.  But when it doesn’t rain, (like this serious drought that we, I mean California, is currently in) it’s nice for them to be living by the coast!  Fog rolls in from the sea, and gets caught in the Redwood’s “leaves” (more like pine needles).  The water drips off the leaves and down to the ground, finishing the trip of the Redwood’s artificial rain!  It also waters other plants.  So cool!

Speaking of Redwood leaves, sometimes when the leaves die and fall off, they land in crevices in the tree.  They decompose and become soil.  Then, the lucky seeds of other plants, (even other kinds of trees!) will find their way to the Redwood’s Wonder View Resort, er, that plot of dead leaf dirt.  

    One day, a huge group of ferns was discovered growing on a Redwood- the mass weighed 1,600 pounds!  Heavier than an adult polar bear!  Those trees must be pretty strong.  

Up in those branches of the giant Redwoods is another world.  Little animals make their homes there, and never see the ground!  Branches tangle and create castles in the sky.  Researchers have even gotten lost exploring up there!

These big beauties can live for thousands of years.  We saw living trees that were babies when Jesus was born!  Some are even 3,00 years old.  Wow!  

                       

I loved how the branches seemed to shoot out from the trees!

  

  My cute tiny Mommy.

Can you possibly find a person in here?

My photo buddy!

(Talk about castles in the sky!!  This tree, or, trees? blew our minds. )

   My (little) brother.

The Lord is big.  And these trees prove it!

-Brie <3

P.S.  If you see your Dad doing this:

And you try to do it, thinking of course you don't need any help, then you will probably end up slipping right down square on your knee and at the end of the day your Mom and sister will have to be your crutches during bathroom stops.

    (And nobody even got a photo of me falling!!)  ;)

Howdy everybody!

This is Brie.  And this, is my board!  This is where I will be sharing my ideas and thoughts, photos and poems.  And all the while thanking God for this amazing adventure, and praying that I will glorify Him, and bless some people.

Love y'all!

-Brie <3  <---- (Just in case you don't know, that's a heart.)