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Thursday, May 24, 2007
May 25: Lots of Lorikeets
“These lorikeets are way cooler than the butterflies!” Spencer says to us.
“You’re so stupid!” Juliette says. Not very nice, I guess. But he IS her little brother! Then she says, “The birds are great. But those butterflies! They’re totally unbelievable!”
And that’s how our visit to the birds started. With an argument over which part of Butterfly World is best. I didn’t say anything. But I kept thinking, “It’s all awesome, you guys! Stop fighting!” That’s what having a brother does to you. I’m glad I don’t have one!
Those two finally stop arguing about butterflies and birds or whatever is best. And we just watch these beautiful lorikeets. They’re a kind of parrot. That’s what Spencer said anyway. But they’ve got super long tails and do the funniest things!
Get this. This one green lorikeet walks next to me, then hops on my purse! I didn’t even have food in it! So I say, “Well, hi there!” And the bird starts unzipping my purse! Spencer just points and Juliette is laughing so hard and I say, “Ok. This IS pretty funny!” And other lorikeets are rolling around on the floor, playing real crazy with each other. They’re bird clowns! It’s like they want to keep us laughing!
Then we walk inside a huge cage of hummingbirds. Spencer says it’s the largest hummingbird cage in the whole United States. Just imagine being inside it! Hummingbirds buzz around our heads, zooming all over the place. They’re pretty! And so really, really tiny!
I knew Dad would pick us up soon. So we went to this other place filled with weird spiders and giant bugs and things. They’ve got a black widow spider and snakes and all that. Gross! But interesting too. Of course, dorky Spencer loved it! Typical boy! And he kept trying to stand near me because he thinks I’ll be his girlfriend. Yeah, right!
So, listen to this! We’re waiting outside Butterfly World for Dad to pick us up. And Spencer looks at me and says, “If some big bug landed on you, I’d knock it off you! You’re too pretty for any bugs and stuff, Isabella!” And then he rolls his eyes at me like he’s in love. Too gross! Grosser than the bugs! So I just say to him, “Spencer! You’re SO weird!” Even though he’s really not – he’s just a kid, that’s all.
I have to admit that I did learn a lot about Butterfly World from him. And we all had fun! Major fun!! So I guess, I really can’t complain about Spencer. I just hope Juliette finds some excuse to leave him home next time we go someplace. Wherever that place is – I’ll tell you all about it in my next blog, ok? See ya next week!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
May 17: Hanging With the Blue Morpho
 Ok, so now I’m going to tell you what it’s like. I mean, Butterfly World. Because remember last week I told you how I went there with my friend, Juliette. And her goofy little brother, Spencer, right? He went too. I’m Isabella, as you probably know by now. I write these blogs every week about my life here in South Florida.
Anyway, we’re at Butterfly World now. Inside that special huge room with all the butterflies just flying free everywhere all around us! But it doesn’t look like a room. It looks like a real jungle or something. There’s a waterfall and huge rocks and these wild jungly plants and stuff all over. And so we start walking along this path right through that indoor jungle. And here’s what happens next.
Juliette says, “Oh. I can’t believe this place! Is this just the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?!”
Then her brother, Spencer, says, “Wow! Look! That’s a blue morpho!” I think he was just trying to impress me. Remember? He’s this 10-year-old kid who’s like in love with me or whatever.
So Juliette and I ask, “a blue WHAT?” And Spencer says he read about butterflies online last night. And this amazing blue butterfly flying around is a blue morpho. Then he starts telling us about other butterflies.
“See that orange one? That’s called a queen butterfly,” Spencer says. “And that black one? That’s called an atala. And that …” So we just stop him. “Ok, ok! So you’re a butterfly expert!” Anything to get him to shut up for a few minutes. Because Juliette and I just wanted to let these beautiful creatures land on us. And they did! A huge brown butterfly lands right on her head! Spencer starts laughing like crazy. So do I! We can’t help it. And Juliette laughs too!
Then two butterflies, pretty white butterflies, are flying and playing around me. And then, guess what? They both land on me! One on my shoulder and one on my hand! Wow!! And I just stay totally still and look at them sitting on me like I’m their best friend! When they fly off, I just break out giggling, I’m so totally happy!
So we hang out in this butterfly jungle a long time. Until Spencer says, “Let’s see the lorikeets!” And Juliette and I ask, “See the what?” And her brother tells us Butterfly World also has lots of birds! Awesome birds, like hummingbirds that fly all around you. And these lorikeet things. So now we’re both totally into seeing this. Who wouldn’t be, right? Spencer is a pain sometimes. But he’s pretty smart too. So he takes us to find the birds and next week I’ll tell you about that. Because the birds are just as amazing as the butterflies!
Friday, May 11, 2007
May 11: Inside a World of Butterflies
Ok, so we’re going off on another adventure now. Or whatever. But ya know, if you want to read about my trip to the Everglades and other things I did first – well then, just scroll right to the bottom of this web page. Then read my whole blog from the first one. You might like it! Because lots of other kids read my blog every week. I think they like to read a blog by another kid, ya know? And to read about some place as exciting as South Florida.
Anyway, so I told you last week about walking to that way huge bridge with my best friend, Juliette. Oh yeah, and her dorky younger brother, Spencer. He was there too. Of course! Even though he creeps me out sometimes because he is SO madly in love with me or something. So anyway, my dad gets Juliette and Spencer and me in our car and drives us to this new place. It’s called Butterfly World. It really is like a whole world of butterflies! And you get to walk around – INSIDE it all!!!
Dad dropped us off and said he’d pick us up in two hours. And I’m like, “Great!” Because Juliette and I could do what we wanted to do. Instead of having some adult around us. Except we had to keep watching Spencer. Of course! But it didn’t even matter. Because Butterfly World was so amazing, incredible, awesome. How can I even start to tell you about this place?
At first Butterfly World is just, like, kinda interesting. I think Spencer liked watching all the wiggly, creepy caterpillars more than Juliette and I did. Maybe it’s a “boy thing” or whatever. But then we walked through this one door. And then it was SO totally a different world! I felt like I was in some movie almost. It’s like when the movie’s hero falls asleep and then wakes up in some place that’s totally magical, ya know? That’s what it’s like to walk into Butterfly World!
You see butterflies! Butterflies everywhere! THOUSANDS of butterflies! Big butterflies and small butterflies. Every amazing color and shape. From all over the world, places like Africa and South America and everywhere. But here’s the most awesome part – the butterflies float free all around you! It’s almost, like, you can’t believe what you’re seeing or something. But it’s true! That’s why it seems so sort of magical to be there, ya know? So next week, I’ll tell you all about what the butterflies look like and everything too. And how they landed on Juliette’s head! And on my shoulders and hands and all over. Too cool, right? Just wait til next week! You haven’t heard anything yet! See ya then!
May 11: Stranahan House - Actually a Pretty Cool Place
“Why do we have to go to this lame old house?” Lola yelped. You see Lola is not that much of a historical person. She’s more of the math type. “Well hun, you have to go. I don’t want to hear any whining, crying or complaining from the peanut gallery, a.k.a Lola.” “But Mom, who wants to learn on a Saturday?” “Knock it off peanut gallery.”
“Wow, I like the colors,” Lola mentioned. When they walked in to the Stranahan House, the tour guide was just about to leave, but they quickly paid and ran to be with the group. They walked what seemed to be a million miles. They thought that the hot Florida sun was following them.
“Mom, that was a long walk,” Lola moaned. The tour guide heard her. “I bet the barefoot mailman would have thought that was the shortest walk he had ever taken.” “Who is the barefoot mailman?” Lola questioned. “He was the first mailman, and back then they did not have cars so he took a route 68 miles to deliver citizen’s mail, on foot.” “Wow!” Lola said with her mouth drooping wide open.
The tour guide went on. “When Frank and Ivy went to go visit Frank’s relatives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a hurricane was coming, but they did not have T.V. So, nobody knew, and nobody was prepared. Frank and Ivy had weak windows so when they heard what had happened, they rushed back home on the next train to Fort Lauderdale. Ivy had recorded that when she got back, the rain was two inches in the whole house.” They went in and around the house and looked at all the plants.
“Okay this is our last stop,” the tour guide said. “At one point in time there was a fire in Fort Lauderdale and most of the town burnt down. It was very sad and they tried to rescue as many buildings as they could. Some they could not get to in time, but the ones they could, they formed what is called a bucket brigade ,which is where everybody lined up and took buckets of water and passed it down and they splashed it on the fire. Frank and Ivy were not affected by it.” “Cool!” Lola said.
“That concludes the tour. Be sure to check out the gift shop. Lola, was it as bad as you thought it would be.” “No, it was even better than I expected!”
-written by Audrey, age 11, Fort Lauderdale
Friday, May 4, 2007
May 4: A Way Cool Bridge - And Beyond
Hi, it’s me, your blog-friend Isabella! Back to write about things for you again. And today I have just one important question to ask you: Why do my friends always have brothers? Wherever I live, they always have brothers. Like my new best friend, Juliette. Since I moved to Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago, Juliette and I have gotten so tight. Ya know, tight like real sisters! I love her already. But her younger brother, Spencer. What a pain! He’s two years younger than Juliette and me. We’re both 12. But, get this – Spencer’s kinda like in love with me or something! Yuck! Always making silly eyes at me and trying to get me to laugh at his stupid jokes. Oh sure! I’ll have some ten-year-old kid for my boyfriend or something! As if!
So just yesterday, Juliette wants to walk some place near our homes. She says there’s this really way cool, really giant bridge and we can just walk there. BUT – yeah, you probably guessed. We have to take Spencer because she has to watch him and everything. I mean, he IS only ten but still … What a pain! He’s always telling me like, “You look like a movie star when you wear sunglasses, Isabella.” And like, “I wish Juliette had hair like yours” and everything else. Yuck, for sure!
We start walking from Juliette’s house, with Spencer tagging along like he’s some puppy dog or something. I wish he’d quit staring at me! But he’s a nice kid too, I guess. And we walk around one corner and, wow, wow! It IS a really way cool, really giant bridge! It’s a drawbridge, so it can open and close. Juliette says it’s the 17th Street Causeway bridge and they made it so big that most boats can float right under it. But sometimes it has to open anyway, when there’s some huge sailboat or whatever. We saw it open and it looked like this big monster with jaws that could swallow anything. There aren’t any bridges this big where I come from. Not even close!
So now we’re walking back to Juliette’s house. And she says something that I wish she hadn’t said. “Isabella’s dad is taking us to Butterfly World tomorrow,” she says, “so you wanna go too, Spencer?” Oh, great! She totally gives away our secret. This Butterfly World place is what I was talking about in my last blog. It’s got thousands of butterflies from all over the world. They land on your hand and everything. Sounds so great! But with Spencer??? What a pain! I think I’d rather stay home! But I can’t because Dad wants me to learn all about Fort Lauderdale. I mean, this IS my new home. So I’m stuck going. Like I said before – why do my friends always have brothers??? Next week, I’ll tell ya what happens!
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