Beautiful Blessings - 7/25/15

~ Spotting the pretty painted turtles in the pond at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake!

~ Seeing the beautiful colors mottled along the trails.

~ Stopping for ice cream at Stewart's! I had "Crazy Coconut"!

~ MOUNTAINS!! :~D Ah how I love the mountains!!!! <3 

~ Family to have adventures with <3

Now for some bonus pictures!

This is a great quote!

The ceiling in the Wild Center is soooooo beautiful!

Yes, I went up there. And yes I went all the way to the top of the bird's nest! I also did the suspension bridges, but I refused to do the spider web. lol!

The membership sticker matched my outfit! lol!! No, I didnt plan that ;~)

Science Saturday: Raspberries, Snapping Turtles and Bullfrogs, oh my!

Winslow LOVES raspberries! He was so excited when he heard that it would be one of the topics for Science Saturday! T-Tot actually picked some to go with dinner today! Mmmhhhhmmm good!

A few interesting things about Raspberries, Snapping Turtles, and Bullfrogs:

• Raspberry bushes have a 2 year growth pattern. The 1st year the canes grow. The 2nd, they bear fruit. After they produced their berries, the 2nd year canes die.
• Raspberries (and Blackberries) are actually not berries. A true berry has seeds in the center. Some examples of true berries are oranges, lemons, grapes, and tomatoes.
• Raspberry prickers aren't as sharp and poky as Blackberry prickers.
• Most turtles are slow, but comparatively Snapping Turtles are "fast". Their neck and head move quite quickly. Which is an advantage for when they are snapping at people or things.
• When Snapping Turtles are in the water they are not as aggressive as if they are on land.
• Snapping Turtles' shells grow to be about 1ft long. Occasionally they will be larger than that. They also range from about 10-20lbs. In a few select cases they've gotten up to 80lbs. 
• Bullfrogs usually don't awaken from hibernation until late spring.
• Bullfrogs are well-known for their deep resonating vocal calls they make. 
• Bullfrog tadpoles hatch in about 4-5 days after they are laid. It takes 2 years for them to become an adult, and another 2 years for them to mature and repeat the cycle.