Urban Safari Rescue Society

Ummmmmm…

I have to admit that I have been putting off any sort of documentation for the past couple of weeks, due to my inadequate and out of focus pictures!! 

Grrrrrr

So, I may have dropped my camera once.

Or twice.

Or maybe 3 times…

What did I learn? 

To not put any valuables in your stroller canopy, because your child will inevitably pull on it causing all the contents which were nestled safely

 to catapult into the air, not once, or twice, but THREE times.

Not only is my camera not feeling it's best self, but let's be honest, I have zero knowledge of how to use my camera to it's fullest potential to begin with. 

Next goal: How to take better pictures! 

I often find myself in-doors while on these adventures with my boys and feeling frustrated that I can't capture in a picture, what I am seeing with my eyes.

Forgive these amateur photos

So, on to the Urban Safari Rescue Society. 

What possessed us to happen upon this place you might ask?

It was actually this sign that peeked our curiosity.

 We walked into this place and got hit in the face with thee mooost heinous fumes! I'm talking air so thick and foul, you doubt you will hardly be able to come out alive!

This was more than just bugs my friends, this was toads, spiders, turtles, lizards, cockroaches, a pig, a skunk, salamanders, tarantulas, a parrot, and all creepy crawly things.

So naturally, the boys loved it!

 This here cockroach species, not only can survive forest fires by escaping under ground waiting for the fire to pass, but scientists have found that it can survive even 

high exposure to radiation!!! 

I have gained an entire new perspective towards this terrifying creature that I once had crawling on me in bed in Hawaii!! 

Yes that is 100% true and I have the hebejebes just typing out that memory… sheesh!!     

I think the amount of knowledge and experience gained in this short hour left these boys plain out pooped! 

But don't let their faces fool you, they gained a second wind immediately upon entering the car and filled in all the questions from the booklet they were given after the tour. 

The genuine snake skin souvenir that was included was also a nice touch :) 

Fire Station

This summer the boys and I came up with a "Wish List" for homeschool adventures. Naturally visiting a fire station was at the top Preston's list. What little boy doesn't want to meet a real firefighter and see all the fascinating gear they have? Lucky for us a gentlemen from our church happens to be a Fire Chief here in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver and he offered to show the boys around at his station. We happily took him up on his offer and checked that one off our list.

I'm certain that it was a day the boys will not soon forget. The firemen went above and beyond, explaining the purpose behind each piece of equipment and letting them experience as much hands on action as they wanted 

{hello Jaws of Life, YIKES!}

If you are looking for an exciting, educational, and free experience for your boys {or girls} I highly recommend paying a visit to your local fire station and maybe showing those firemen a little love by bringing a treat wouldn't hurt either :)

Ladies and gentlemen you are witnessing a dream coming true right here for this boy. I no longer have to explain to him why he can not have his own ax or hatchet, once he realized just how big and heavy they are, not mention dangerous! This thing was basically pulling him around {imagine everyone backing up in unison, as he tried taking steps while holding it}

And this was Grady's dream come true… 

sliding down an authentic firemen's pole! His face, so precious!

Please note the anticipation for the most ginormous water hose. 

Ty is plotting his attack at this moment...

Until he realizes it actually takes at least 2 people to hold it.

Grady tried to pretend he was really nervous about the whole thing, but get a load of these facial expressions, 

obviously he got over his fears pretty quickly.

Is Ty about to sneeze?

Is Preston trying to run?

There we go, all of you staring awkwardly into the sun…

I think I just accidentally made up a rap

Big thank you to Bob and the guys at the station!

 Axe, water hose, Jaws of Life, heat sensor, face mask, authentic fire pole, and headsets, what more could a boy want?

A Snowless Grouse Mountain

I'm finally getting around to that running list of things to see and do in Vancouver, YAY!

I have been known at times to live 
"flying by the seat of my pants" a bit, if you will, or the term "last minute" has been used as well… which ever you prefer although the first sounds a bit more exciting if you ask me:)  John was out of town for an away game, and let's be honest Homeschool, (AKA busy work from Teachers) was getting the best of us all, so we loaded in the car for a trip to Grouse Mountain. 

I had been told that the best (and cheapest) way is to hike the "Grouse Grind" up the mountain, and then ride the sky ride down. Although that route is truly tempting to me, doing it with three little ones alone didn't strike me as fun, so we opted for the Ultimate Package, and bought a round trip ticket on the sky ride. It was a decision I did not regret…:)

However, I did have 2 major regrets: 

No stroller and dead camera battery.

GRRRRRRR. 

I did manage to get a few great shots of the Bird and Lumberjack show before the camera took it's last breath,

But those views?? Come on! A camera phone just can't do those views any justice. 

We spent the entire day up on the mountain learning and playing and taking in those breath taking sites.

The Bird Show was fascinating! Quick facts we learned:

- There are so many Bald Eagles in B.C. due to the supply of Salmon that they eat

-Bald Eagles start to get their white feathers only after reaching maturity

-Owls like the eat Skunks... YIKES! They have no sense of smell

-Most birds of prey don't have a sense of smell with the exception of the Turkey Vulture which uses its sniffer to locate carcasses lying on the ground

-Turkey Vultures don't have feathers on their head to make for easy clean up after they have used their head to devour those dirty nasty carcasses, can you imagine getting that rotting dinner out of your feathers, God knows what He is doing folks. 

-Peregrine Falcolns,(Presty's favorite bird) are the fastest members of the animal kingdom reaching speeds up to 200mph,

and can snatch their food right out of the air, mid flight!

The Boys loved this "World Famous" Lumberjack Show so much, I had to peel them away from watching it a SECOND time! 

I'll admit we all had some good chuckles, 

and were thoroughly entertained 

We took the Chair Lift up the mountain, which puts you at about 4,100 feet above sea level. We then got in an elevator inside the Eye of the Wind and rode up about another 200 ft. 

It is impossible to find words sufficient

 to describe the view from the top. 

Your eyes are taking in a complete panorama of the Pacific Ocean, all of Vancouver and the 5 mountain ranges that surround you.

I think the Boy's favorite part of the Eye of the Wind, 

was looking through the plexiglass panels on the floor and seeing people walking directly 215 ft below them. 

Eye of the Wind facts:

-Overall height 215 ft

-Weighs 145 Tons

-Output Capacity of generated energy is enough to supply the needs of over 400 homes a year

-One blade weighs 12,200 pounds and measures 122 ft long

-It's the World's first and only wind turbine that allows you to stand in a clear glass viewPOD at the top of the tower

There was this moment while on top of the world, where everything seemed just right… I looked over to find little g chasing bubbles in the air and Heaven's rays shining down on my little boy. 

It was pure magic.