While my daughter is a major history buff, both of us are aquarium lovers. One of the other reasons for this trip was the Philadelphia Aquarium. It housed one of the few Hammerhead sharks in the world. Unfortunately, 3 weeks before we got there he died. Bummer. But the rest of the aquarium was fabulous.
They have a shark tunnel where you can walk under the tank and the sharks swim over you.
Then the really big tank has the sharks up front and personal.
But the most fun part was the pigmy hippos. We got there at feeding time so we got to watch. Such an amazing creature. Don’t let the word pygmy fool you, they were still over 5 thousand lbs. But compared to the 10k hippos of Africa, yeah they are smaller.
We also caught feeding time at the Piranha rain Forest that was set up for Halloween.
This guy was huge.
Check out some of the other fish, I take lots of pictures,
Seahorses
They had huge turtles including a snake head turtle.
Snakehead turtle
In closing, I remind you that animals understand love.
They stood cuddling each other for a long time.
Nature will teach us the power of kindness and love if we will just pay attention. So remember to always be kind to all kinds.
Thank you Susi Bocks for allowing me to write for The Short of It. The Short of It along with I Write Her, are a wonderful place where authors share their hearts with words. Please check out other authors that Susi of I Write Her has highlighted. They have amazing talent.
My daughter and I took another trip this past week to feed her taste for history. This trip took us to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of our country. This is where our forefathers met and discussed how to form this new country. Fortunately, people understood the importance of preserving the city’s history, by restoring its amazing buildings, museums, statues, and cemeteries.
Independence National Historical Park, the “most historic square mile in America” includes Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, two of the city’s most important attractions.
Independence Hall, formerly Pennsylvania State House, is the birthplace of the United States where in 1776, the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. Eleven years later, delegates to the Constitutional Convention created and signed an enduring framework of government – the United States Constitution.
Interior Photos:
Penn State House
During the blistering summer of 1776, 56 courageous men gathered at the Pennsylvania State House and defied the King of England.
Congress Hall
Eleven years later, representatives from 12 states gathered to shape the U.S. Constitution, finally creating one unified nation.
In 1751, Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly Isaac Norris ordered a bell for the bell tower to be made by the Whitechapel Foundry in London. That bell cracked on the first test ring. Local metalworkers John Pass and John Stow melted that bell down and cast a new one in Philadelphia. This is the bell that would ring to call lawmakers to their meetings and the townspeople together to hear the reading of the news. It was later known as the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell’s inscription is from the Bible (King James version): “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.”
The bell is made mostly of bronze weighing in at 2,080 lbs. The crack appeared over several years of heavy use and in 1852, it was removed from the tower when the repair was unsuccessful.
Over the next few days, I will post more on our trip hoping you enjoy the fun we had, even though it rained. But we don’t melt so on to the next amazing site.
I remind you as always – try to be kind. Its power can change the world.
To most places around the world, this day is called September 11th. But to us here in the US, it will forever be called 9-11. A day of horror, a day of unmitigated cruelty, a day of where the jealousy and hatred of another country unleashed itself on the innocent people of America.
It is a reminder to all believing Christians, that satan is in charge here on earth and we must stay tightly connected to our Lord and Father to survive until He calls us home to our real home in Heaven.
For ages, all around this planet, there have been acts of cruelty and atrocities to fellow mankind that were never the intention of God. God’s intention was the Garden of Eden, but satan found a way to destroy that beautiful garden throwing mankind out where he can continually torment him in an effort to strike out at God.
I am in continuous prayer against the cruelty of war and oppression that is everywhere on this earth. And as we, in the US, mourn again on this day where over 2,000 lives were senselessly lost, it is a reminder of the damage hate can cause.
In February, my daughter and I visited the site of the twin towers where now a large hole still remains in the ground. It has been turned into a memorial fountain with granite walls engraved with the names of the lives lost…people that were never found. Some were just ordinary people going to work, some were bystanders as the buildings began to fall and some were people sworn to protect others with their very lives, which they gave willingly trying to save as many as they could.
Even though the busy city still moves about today, there is a reverent quiet all around the square of the memorial fountain. People move quietly about as they remember the horrors of the day and pay their respects to those they lost. Even today, strangers weep over this devastating act of cruelty.
May we forever understand that this is no way to be and lift our voices to Heaven for the cruelty to stop. If it means that Jesus needs to come back…then come Lord Jesus and save us from ourselves.
For through kindness, understanding of our differences, and working together as one in Love, then and only then will we find Peace.
A couple people have asked me how the fence was going and I am about 1/3 down the fence line. It has been a fun project but it has been so hot, (yes, it gets hot in Iowa) that I can only be out there for about an hour at the time. But this weekend is supposed to be marvelous so I hope to get a lot done…but there is also football, so we will see.
So here we are so far…
The scroll is still wet but it will have “Trust in the Lord” Proverbs 3:5.
Everyone needs to find something that they enjoy, especially when they retire and for me, I don’t sit well, so I paint and write. Currently working on book 2 of Smiles from Heaven, maybe by Christmas.
Remember as always the power and value of being kind. Every living creature needs kindness. Have a fabulous week.
For the Love of 