Cave Woman

I have fond memories of our family exploring a lava tube cave in Oregon. I was about 14 years old, and the cave seemed to never end. This was back in the day where there was no admission, no tour guide and honestly, no safety precautions. We just parked our Suburban and went in. It was exciting and scary all at once. I still recall some of the beautiful formations, and of course, seeing real bats! Today, was an adventure as well, but with a more educational, touristy tone.

After what has become our normal morning routine; nasty coffee, low water pressure and an hour long commute in rush hour to take Mom to Grandmas house, we set our sights on Highway 66. Having spent so many days in the busyness of the city, it was refreshing to get away from it all. The road meandered along on our way to Shenandoah National Park. Even the forests are different here. The earth is a golden rust colour. There are ferns that grow to be the height of trees.

90 minutes later, we arrived at Skyline Caverns. A quaint family run business just off the highway. The tour underground was fascinating. We were guided by a young lady by the name of Kristen, who was knowledgeable and had a corny joke at every turn. At the lowest point we were 200 feet underground, and we walked a total of 1.8 miles. Not too sure what that is in kilometers, but it's a long way. As usual on any field trip we take, Diane was right up front chatting up the tour guide.

One of the most beautiful (and rare) formations in the cave were the Anthrodites. They are known as the "Orchids of the Mineral Kingdom". They looked like sea urchins suspended from the ceiling. As of yet, Anthrodites have only been found in two other places in the world. It was impossible not to be entranced by these beauties. So amazing to think that they were created in the depths of the earth, with nobody to enjoy them but The Creator Himself.

Speaking of creation, here's an example of the brilliance of scientists. A while back a minuscule beetle was discovered in the cave water. Scientists from the Smithsonian took a sample of 6 beetles back to the surface for testing. What they didn't plan on was that the heat from the sun would fry these 'samples' upon exposure. The ironic thing is this...they've never found any other beetles. Discovered and Extinct all at once. The name given to this microscopic beetle is Pseudonophthalmus Petrunkevitch Valentine Beetle.

After coming back to reality, we found our way back to Grandmas. We visited with the aunties and Grandma for a while. Apparently she had been asking for the 'little one' all day. She enjoys watching Diane playing in the back yard and climbing the tree. When her memory is good, she calls her Diana, other times it's just little one. We sat in the backyard for a while, and enjoyed the clear sky and late day breeze.