Babe's Bucket List Challenge #3 - Zipline through the Rainforest

 

Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?

Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)?  Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life!  Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core.  He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing.  He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul.  Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.

In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from.  My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it!  You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico, and El Yunque was always one of my favorite places to visit.  While I couldn't do the Rainforest Zipline in El Yunque (and you totally should, given the chance) - largely due to weather and the greater economic climate - we did find a place that was second best down in Florida!  

We started the day behind this guy, who really looked like a lot of fun.  My bestie and I did this one together, along with her daughter.  None of us had ever ziplined, but we were on a roll checking things off our bucket lists, and this one was on mine.  Said daughter strapped in and jumped right off like she'd been doing it her whole life.  Bestie was...a little more hesitant, but we were so proud of her!  Finally I got to bring up the rear, laughing the whole way.  

We got to zip through multiple lines, between trees, over the canopy level of trees, and see the stunning rainforest-ish scenery below...including gators!  No worries, though.  The gators were, if not tame, then supervised, since this zipline was at a wildlife refuge.  While there, we saw a number of exotic animals, including ostriches (and if you've ever been to the Arbuckles in Oklahoma, you'll understand why we all quickly backed away from them!) and parrots.

Personally, though, my favorite animal was the one-armed monkey at the animal rehab center.  This little guy felt like my spirit animal.  Partly because he's a spider monkey (an affectionate name hubby uses for me) and partly because you could tell that he just was not going to accept that he only had one arm now, and he was persistent and resilient, continuing to work on movement and having a normal monkey life.  I really felt that to my core....  Why?  Learn more in next month's Bucket List Challenge!

Here we GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

So what are you doing for your bucket list challenges this year??

Giveaway + Timeless Life Lessons for Moms of All Types

  

About The Book

Have you ever whispered to yourself, I’ll be a better mom tomorrow…but tomorrow never comes? Maybe you’re comparing yourself to other moms and feel you aren’t measuring up. But don’t lose hope. Just as moms in Scripture learned from life’s ups and downs, with God’s help, you can become the mom you long to be. Moms of the Bible explores timeless life lessons from Bible moms of all types, revealing how their stories of failure, faith, and hope can help you fulfill your own calling with confidence. From the redeemed Rehab to the horrible Herodias, each story unveils eye-opening insights and powerful applications that can help you as you seek to raise up children who impact their generation with fearless faith. Author Rhonda Stoppe engages you with the warmth and wisdom of a trusted friend who’s been there herself. For mothers of all ages and stages—including step, adoptive, foster, and grandmothers raising their grandkids—this uplifting look at the moms of Scripture will empower you to influence the culture in profound ways through your sacred ministry of motherhood. What'd I Think? Divided into three parts - fearless moms, flawed moms, and faithful moms - this is an open and honest discourse on how God has used moms throughout history to change the world.  It is a deep dive into motherhood that uses scripture and examples of the Bible, but couples each with the author's personal stories to bring these Biblical stories into the more modern age and make them more relatable. This is a quick read and each chapter links to a more audio-based version, which is a nice addition to the book for those of us on the go. The chapters end with “Life Lessons” and add practical insight for the reader. This would be a good book for a mom’s Bible study.  From the first chapter on the story of the prostitute, Rahab, to the last chapter about unnamed women in the Bible, you will be seen, encouraged, and strengthened. Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through FrontGate Blogger Network in exchange for my honest thoughts. Learn More About the Book & Win a Copy!

Week-Long Spring Nature Unit Study for High School (FREE PRINTABLE)

Awakening the Earth: Observing, Understanding, and Appreciating Spring

This unit is appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  It is designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Visit the Subscribers Page for a printable PDF version.

For extra enrichment, try the in depth Zoo Studies.  To tailor for additional middle or elementary school family members, prepare for your library visit with the Spring Holidays Booklist.

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DAY 1: Signs of Spring — Observation & Awareness

Activities:

• Phenology Walk: Go on a 30–60 minute nature walk. Note changes in:

• Buds and blossoms

• Migrating or nesting birds

• Insects, frogs, or amphibians returning

• Ground plants emerging (e.g., crocus, daffodils, dandelions)

• You may want to use nature journaling supplies 

• Journaling:

  • In your nature journal, create a “Spring Signs” log: include sketches, temperature, plant/bird/insect notes

  • Prompt: “What do I notice that wasn’t here a few weeks ago?”

• Science Component:

  • Learn about plant dormancy and what triggers budburst.

  • Researcg and write about climate change effects on spring onset.

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DAY 2: Insects and Pollinators

Activities:

• Poetry/Lit:

  • “Spring” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
  • “Lines Written in Early Spring” by William Wordsworth
  • “A Light Exists in Spring” by Emily Dickinson

• Outdoor Observation: Look for bees, flies, butterflies, and other insects.

  • Use a field guide to ID them.

  • Set up a simple nectar station and observe the visitors.

• Science Component:

  • Define and provide an example of pollination ecology and mutualism in your notebook

  • Investigate how different insects contribute to pollination. Include a page on at least three of these in your notebook.

• Art & Writing:

  • Sketch an insect you observed and label its body parts.

  • Creative prompt: “A Day in the Life of a Spring Bee” (short story or poem).

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DAY 3: Trees, Buds, and Blossoms

Activities:

• Tree Bud Identification:

  • Choose 2–3 local trees and examine their buds. Document what you see in your nature journal.

  • Record shape, size, leaf-out stage of at least two different types of leaves.

• Botany Study:

  • Learn basic parts of a flower and how flowering differs among species.

  • Optional: dissect a flower and label its parts.

• Math/Nature Integration:

  • Measure bud or leaf growth each day for 5 days and graph the results.

  • Learn about Fibonacci sequences in flower petals or seed arrangements.

• Creative Writing Prompt:

  • “If a tree could tell the story of spring, what would it say?”

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DAY 4: Birds, Nests, and Migration

Activities:

• Bird Watching:

  • Watch and identify birds for 20–30 minutes in the morning or evening.

  • Note calls, colors, behaviors (mating, nest-building, feeding) in your notebook.

• Science Topic:

  • Study spring bird migration: why birds migrate, how they navigate.

  • Learn about one local migratory bird in depth and document with drawings and research in your notebook.

• If you love birds, try out the Raptors unit study.

• Art Component:

• Draw or paint a local, non-migratory bird species (resident species).

• Make a simple bird feeder or nesting material station.

• Writing Prompt:

  • “Why do you think birds return each spring?”

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DAY 5: Water, Soil, and Life Beneath Our Feet

Activities:

• Soil Observation:

  • Collect soil samples from different spots (forest, lawn, garden).

  • Compare color, texture, moisture and record in your notebook.

• Water Study:

  • Visit a local stream or pond.

  • Observe spring runoff and insect life (mayflies, beetles, tadpoles).

• Science Extension:

  • Study soil organisms: earthworms, decomposers, mycorrhizal fungi. Write about each of these and their importance in your notebook.

• Final Creative Prompt:

  • Write a reflection: “What have I learned from watching spring unfold?”

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You might also be interested in these more-in-depth units:

  

Pick up the ENTIRE SERIES right now - plus several bonus units - in our Cottage Shop.

These units are appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  They are designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Each day takes 1-2 hours. This bundle includes the basic twelve, tailored to each month of the year, plus EIGHT bonus units!