Crystal Cave

Welcome to...

Crystal Cave!!!

These photos were taken at today's awesome field trip to Crystal Cave in Spring Valley, WI. This was my third trip there, and I think it was the best one ever! We had an excellent guide who was super with the kids and his knowledge about this cave. Chris is only 17 years old and is homeschooled. He told me he was so thrilled for the opportunity to have this job, which the adults I spoke with agreed suit him quite well!

Descending down into the cave... .
It's over 70 feet deep, and is the safest place to be during an earthquake, something that has me perplexed... . Anyone know why this is true???

Two little bats hanging outCute little faces!A different species of bat!

Cool shapeStalactites and Stalagmites
A way to remember which is which:
stalactites hang on tight to the ceiling,
and stalagmites might possibly reach the ceiling of the cave
You can also see what's called a bacon formation on the top right side of this picture.Cool, huh???
Soda Straws

Can you see them dripping?

I was told this is one of the most photographed formations in the cave.
A fossil on the cave's floor in one of the roomsThis is actually the underside of an old mud puddle!!!
The Refrigerator
Can you see the hanging carrot (top left center), the soda bottle, and two glasses next to it??? There are also two straws, but they are harder to point out.
Use your imagination, and you can see more!
The Wishing Room
A section of a wishing wall
No, I didn't post any pics of the famous Charlie. You need to see it for yourself, and hear the story that goes along with it! Honestly, if you are ever in Eau Claire or the Twin City area, this cave is worth the trip!
--LKR

Who'da Thought...

Whoa--am I dreaming???

Can you believe it???

The 28th day of April greeted us with heavily laden Evergreen boughs, about 6″on our deck's railing, chairs, and grill with heavy wet snow!!! Thankfully, there was only about 2" to trudge through in the yard, which was tolerable to both me and poochie. The roads were all clear--no shoveling needed, so this was a dream snowfall!

It was 31 degrees @ 7am, and our hummingbird feeder was frozen. Fortunately, no hummers have been spotted in Eau Claire as of yet, according to Journey North.

In 2002, a record was set when 3" of snow fell in town. Depending on where the snow was measured, we very well may have set a new record for this date!

Driving into town, it was interesting to see grass sticking up through the snow. There were even patches of green under several trees! But, it was really strange--in Spring Valley, about 45 minutes west of us, there were no traces of snow!!!

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time for a photo shoot. Some were shot through windows, and a few more were taken as I was heading for the school, early this morning. --LKR