The Creation Museum, Petersburg, KY

Grace on one of  the swinging bridges in the Botanical Gardens. Tip--don't go when there's a group of rowdy teenagers on the bridge.

Evangel, after she figured out why my camera kept telling me to go in the direction of the arrow. Oh, the Panorama mode.

The zebroids in the Petting Zoo. 

Not too sociable if you don't have feed to give them. 

If you do, it's scoop and turn away, ungrateful wretches.

The bookstore on the inside of the museum. Hopefully the winged monster hovering over the door doesn't spot me as I slink under him.

Skeleton bookworm (that's what can happen when you're so engrossed in reading that you forget to eat!), ignoring the ape, who is NO KIN to him. Couldn't figure how to turn this picture.

Our group scattered among the scary beasties. There were quite a few Mennonites there that day.

Dining on the porch of Noah's Cafe and catching up on news of the family. A Kenyan family Paul talked to were excited to learn that he is the chalk art evangelist they watch on Family Television in their country. What are the chances...?

Archaeology supports the Bible, although listening to evolutionists like the Leakeys, you'd never guess it.

There, now tell me where your teeth hurt, and...OUCH, GIMME MY FINGERS BACK!!

 

An extinct critter in the Garden of Eden. Eating fruit, I presume. 

"Oh, Adam, you're the only man for me...."

 

The choice that changed mankind forever.

 

Isaiah, Moses, and the Psalmist make a cameo appearance.

Even Methuselah took out time from his busy schedule to drop in. Do heed the prohibition on the fruit. Remember Eve, above.

My favorite section of the museum, Noah's Ark.

They are building a full-sized model in Hebron, KY, 

as part of a theme park. 

Storage rooms. And maybe the game room, who knows?

The family/dining room.

A fossilized clutch of segnosaur dinosaur eggs. Omelet, anyone?

Earth's time of confusion: the Tower of Babel.

The Lone Ranger rides again, astride her trusty steed, Gomer.

Lovely blooms in the garden. Not Eden.

A shot of the front sign as we leave. The dark sky is what was left of a heavy downpour (with hail) and nearby tornado. I had finally tired of waiting for the downpour to end, and took off my sandals, dashing for the car. Of course by the time I drove the car out of the parking lot to pick up Grace, the rain had ended and instead, people were pouring out of the museum and into the parking lot. The hotel was two states away, but only a little over 16 miles. However,  due to a tractor trailer wreck on I-275, we sat in the car for at least two and a quarter hours before a couple of trucks moved sufficiently for us to sneak out and hit Exit 16. But the wait wasn't that bad--the temperature had dropped from the 90's to the 70's; we had books; and there were peaches left over from what we brought up from SC.

We had already passed an accident shortly before this, that had a pickup hanging over the concrete barriers. We were very thankful to the Lord for the storm which kept us out of harm's way.

You know you're in the South when you see a water tower with the word "y'all" on it!

  

First stop on our Kentucky trip

 Our friend's mountain house.

 Oops, no--got the wrong house. THIS is the right one, on top of the mountain.

 Looking out the front door at the garden.

 Supper on the deck with breezes blowing, and a gorgeous view of range after range of mountains.

 My main men in North Carolina: Cody and Aussie. 

Cody was inherited, and not a grateful ward, scouting the mountains on his own for the first few weeks. Aussie got a last-minute stay of execution at the local animal shelter. Together they form the citizen's watch for the neighborhood. there was a huge rattler (I think it was, spotted nearby recently.)

Looking out from the back porch. 

Hummingbirds come frequently to sip at the glass, as well as other lovely species of feathered visitors.

Scripture Memory Fellowship at Southland Christian Camp

Scripture Memory Fellowship held its camp this year in June, at Southland Christian Camp and Conference Center in Ringgold, Louisiana. This facility was actually built by Bible Memory Association for its Miracle Camp. Anyway, Southland provided the facility, staff, and food, doing a very good job. So no Whitefeet here.

Looks a lot like Miracle Camp in Cleveland, Georgia. Or what used to be Miracle Camp. Now it's run by Woodlands Camp, also Christian. Maybe one day SMF will hold a camp there for 
those of us who live so far from Louisiana.
 

Staff hillbilly skit. Caught them at a moment when they weren't saluting the memory of General Lee.

A serious class of scholars and their teachers.

A happy camper on the zipline. I was going to try it until I watched a camper land hard on his bottom. He wasn't hurt, but my coccyx already holds a grudge against me due to a skating party 37 years ago. So no go.

This picture is obviously out of order, since I took it in Alabama,  on the way home. But it's like my dog Sapphire when she is stealing food--only dynamite will move her. And it has messed up the picture below as well. This is a replica of the Statue of Liberty which I discovered during my night driving on the way to camp, off the Interstate, with her torch blazing. A startling sight.

Ah, Morning Watch, reminiscent of  the good old days. The kids sat on plastic sheeting to prevent bugs breakfasting on them, but we adults got cushy chairs. The perks of growing up!

Ice cream after the first evening service (I think). It being night, Grace and I virtuously passed on the dessert and headed for our cabin. To the right is the Southland director, Mike Herbster, and to his left is Joe Whitaker, who, with his wife, brought a busload of kids to camp; she (Linda W.) is active on BMA's Facebook page.

Canoeing all over the lake.

As you see, our accommodations were cushier than we ever had at BMA camp. And AIR CONDITIONING.

Paintball warfare! Not my dealie. Why should I pay to have someone shoot me and possibly hurt me?  (It does hurt sometimes.)      

.

The one time Grace and I take a voyage on the lake--on our last full day--we get called back in because of a lake wind advisory. But we'd had a while, even enough time to discover that you could actually steer the paddle boat. Nobody bothered to instruct us when they sent us out.

Susan Woychuk and little Mary. Isn't she a cutie? Her dad had talked about her in Morning Watch, how she's at the stage where her communications consist entirely of "No!" So her brother asked her if she wanted candy. "No!" And as her dad was telling this, she was sitting back there laughing again, catching the drift. Her mom's a sweet lady. I made her acquaintance in the pool. Oh, I could tell a parallel story about one of my nieces at the same stage, and how the students in our school would ask her leading questions, like "Is Aunt Joy ugly?" An obliging nod. But she'll probably read this, so I dassn't name her.

Grace and one of the little campers, who was apparently feeling a little homesick.

One of the adult teachers, Dr. Austen Tucker. Eighteen years ago last month, he returned home from jogging, and went outside to trim a tree. He climbed up and began to feel heat exhaustion, but was too out of it to ask for help from a man nearby. He passed out and fell to the ground, breaking his neck and back in several places. The doctors marveled that he was even alive. He and his wife had no insurance, but the hospital forgave all but the doctors' bills, if I recall correctly--God provided for him! He teaches college online.

The staff choir--they had a professional sound to them. Sixty-something in the choir.

At the back of the chapel. The building looked similar to Georgia's BMA camp, from the outside, but different, sort of, on the inside. We provided Grace's and Paul's booklets on a table in the back, along with Paul's chalk talk DVD's and the 180 DVD's.

Grace giving the Gift Box object lesson. Some people wanted details on it afterward.

Jim Woychuk with Tic Tac Know, in Morning Rally. There was an embarrassingly low level of Bible Knowledge among the kids that volunteered for the questions, indicative of our churches today. But some of the families did well, including the Woychuk kids.

Resting at the Mississippi welcome station. Please ignore the casino behind me, as I did.

Sibling portrait reject

 The photographer said hug, so I did. Well, drape might be more like it. 

But hey, we did smile. Or grin.

And here, propped on a fence post like crows. 

But really, I like the setting, much better than inside, although the noontime sun did a number 

on our hair (hairs).

Now to take another and turn it into a respectable prayer card.

Vist with Joseph and Gemma, May 2012

 The bucolic scenery amidst which Vashti and I walked every morning, crossing the slow-moving stream, 

and pausing to record cheerful yellow wildflowers.

 Someone should remind this elephant not to even look on the wine when it is red! 

Apparently he gets too drunk to walk, and they have to put him on this truckbed. 

I'd hate to have him tip over on me. Or upchuck on me, for that matter.

 The Children';s Museum in Indy. What some individuals will do to dodge paying an entrance fee.

 Although if I worked in the ticket office, I don't think I wouldn't argue with either of them.

Over ANYTHING.

 

 The air balloon that we didn't ride. I did see a toddler in arms riding it, though. 

But he probably didn't have to pay 14 bucks for the privilege.

 A friendly Indian interpreter at Conner Farms. 

He's retired, and can devote a good bit of his time volunteering here.

 The lady's chamber in the main the house. Pretty, although the decor is a bit busy,

and I would have added some color for beauty. 

I was sorely tempted at times to give the actors a hard time;

but I restrained myself by only making jokes with them.

 The petting part of the farm. I was diligently petting a couple of bulky ewes, 

but they pushed past me and demanded that Joseph pet them instead. I felt quite dissed.

 Chicago: we wandered through Chinatown for a while, ducking into a touristy shop and buying beautiful dressing gowns for Gemma and Grace, and then we stopped for lunch. The restaurant seemed more of a locals' eatery, judging from the lack of decorations. But the Chinese lady was quite nice, and she even let me charge up my camera while we ate. There was so much food--we ordered family style--that we took home boxes for another meal.

 Posing with the Willis Tower in the background. Instead of driving closer, we walked, which probably saved both time and stress, even with GPS.

 Looking down from the SkyDeck. It takes about an hour to get from the front door to the top. 

A book would come in handy for the long lines, although it would have to be examined by security.

 They take a photo of your group, for security and for profit--around $45 for three prints. 

How did I resist??

 Standing on the balcony, Joseph is a brave soul.

 The best I could do was sit on the floor and inch backward onto the glass, not looking down. 

Well, if I went too far out, the building might tip over!!

 My man Phineas, who is less than thrilled to have a strange woman clutching him in her arms.

There, hold your nose just like that for the most flattering shot.

I know all about photography--I'm the most photographed celeb around.

Once again the center of attention with Mom and Uncle Josiah. 

Oh, and someone's lips, we aren't saying whose. The crowd had a hilarious time with Bible charades.