okay, okay....

I've kept you waiting long enough!

While we were at the beach we visited the aquarium...the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. It's a wonderful place. We've enjoyed it every time that we've gone. It's also really cheap and both kids were free! There's a big touch tank with starfish, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and whelks. There's a big giant tank that a diver goes into to do a show. We always love that part. This time though the girls decided they wanted to be scuba divers so they could go in the tank, sans sharks, of course. There were also a few education stations this time where an aquarium worker (a well-informed one) comes out to a certain tank and shares all about their animal. This time it was about the octopus, fascinating creatures without having any extra knowledge, but all the more intriguing with new bits of information. In conjunction with the octopus education station they also had a "movie" to share in the auditorium. Not a high quality movie, but fascinating footage of the octopus and all the cool stuff they do. Oh, also upon entering the aquarium there was a whole reptile section with alligators, turtles, frogs, and snakes. There were a few ducks loose swimming around in the ponds (inside) as well as some quails running around. I had to say, more than once, "Don't chase the quails!" In addition to all of that fabulous stuff, the snack area was outside on a big deck which led to a boardwalk trail through the grounds...ponds, flowers, turtles, birds, snakes, butterflies... you name it, it was out there. Did I say we love this aquarium? Yea, I thought so! Now that you really want to go there for yourself, please enjoy some of our pictures from the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Collage 1: a quail, miss E learning about quails, a sign that I love, and lastly a Venus flytrap plant (the main reason for the sign)

Collage 2: a cute little frog, a slick looking snake, a big ol' gator, and a green tree frog.

Collage 3: a baby sea turtle, E in a crab shell, O in a crab shell, and cool fish (can't remember what kind)

Collage 4: a huge moray eel, the cool octopus, jellyfish, a spiny lobster, Nemo (I mean clown fish), a lion fish, a shark, some sting rays, and the diver.

Collage 5: water snake in pond outside, girls in the birding section, girls on the boardwalk over pond, and a nice big turtle.

Collage 6: beautiful flowers along the path

Okay, seriously, do I take too many pictures? Is there such a thing as too many? I can't help myself, I've tried. Maybe I should join the PTA....picture takers anonymous!