Posted in Daily Blessings

Last Saturday (before my illness), my family and I went spelunking atCarter Caves in Kentucky.  But before we went, we stopped off at the market to choose a pumpkin for the children for the Fall Season.  They had such a grand time, running here and there searching for just the *right* pumpkin to decorate their home with!

They did finally choose the one they wanted, and off to the highway we headed!  Now, I had never been in a *northern* cave.  All the ones down home are limestone, and have a lot of danger associated with them (think of the term "sinkhole"--common in Florida!).  So this was a new adventure for all of us, as my son and the children had never been either! 

We passed some beautiful scenery along the way, and saw some of the leaves turning color, just blazing away on the hillsides.  There was also a lovely stream that we went over just after we entered the state park, and it just brought joy to my heart. 

I love the countryside, especially in Appalachia.  Not only is it beautiful, but folks are just downright friendly! 

Anyhow, we all went into Cascade Cave.  What beauty we beheld! 

Of course, there were bats (called Indiana bats, because that is where they originate from, although they do venture down into northern Kentucky, and as forth north as southern Michigan, according to our tour guide).  But there were many more wonders to feast our eyes upon!  Stalagmites, Stalagtites, both grown together to form Columns, and an underground Reflection Pool with a stream running from it through the cave.  Beautiful! 

After we left Cascade Cave, my family went to the X-Cave, which forms a natural X formation.  Now, this Nanna did not go in that cave!  Not only was I exhausted from exploring the Cascade Cave, the X-cave had very narrow passages and low ceilings (one had to double over just to get in it!).  Now, I'm not small, or petite.  No, I'm a country-cooking Mama, and my girth shows it!  And not only that, I do have a bit of claustrophia, and I do not like tight spaces at all.  So, I was quite content to sit back at the welcome center and read while they went exploring without me! 

We did have a lovely group of Mennonite families as part of our tour group through the Cascade Cav(they gave me permission to take a picture).  They stayed toward the back of the group where Robert and I were with the children.  They were ever so friendly, and that helped to take my mind off the fact that I was underground, and the tour guide had locked the door behind us when we went in! 

I would encourage anyone to go spelunking if they have the chance.  Now, if this gal can do it with claustrophobia, anyone can do it!  Just choose a cave that is large, with high ceilings and wide passages.  A friendly group along with you will help, and there's so much beauty to be seen.

My son and the children did go into another cave as we were leaving, but that one wasn't part of a tour.  The park allows folks to explore caves alone with a permit, and they loved the last one they went in!  There was an underground river, fish in the river that were snow white, and since the river runs out through the rocks, he had no idea how those fish got in there, or if they had ever been outside of that cave.  All we could figure was that at one time, there was an opening, and fish swam in and out.  Apparently that opening closed up, trapped some fish in, and these are their *ancestors* for lack of a better word.  No, they had probably never seen daylight, and he said you could almost see their bones.  Of course, he was having to see with a flashlight, and that made it even more beautiful.  The children said there were thousands of bats in that cave (which my son verified for me), and yet they weren't afraid of them at all!  Amazing! 

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my little dialogue about our day trip last weekend.  Perhaps you'll get the chance to go cave exploring sometime, too!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin