Hiking

[emily_in_nc]

Teehee, nothing is wrong with you, Crankin, but I suspect most of those folks scrambling in sandals are 1) 20-30 years younger and 2) Been doing it for a lot longer than you. Give yourself a break -- you're out there doing your best, and that's way better than most people sitting on their couch eating potato chips! So, congratulations! Sounds like you did a difficult hike and made it! Yay you!

We actually did another hike today. There has been unseasonably cool weather here in western Iowa for the holiday weekend; otherwise, we would not have been hiking. In fact, I thought our hiking was through for the summer, as I mentioned in a couple posts back. Yesterday was raining with a high of 61, so we did nothing at all, but today it was overcast and slowly rose from upper 50s to low 70s but with quite a bit of breeze, so we decided to postpone our planned bike ride 'til tomorrow, which is going to be warmer and sunnier, and hike instead. Just a short one of a little over 4 miles, but very pretty, and nice to be on a trail in the state park where we only saw two other people vs. in the very busy campground section where we're staying, with kids everywhere, biking up and down the road in front of us, walking, scootering, etc. A good break, and very pretty to see all the prairie wildflowers and many birds. We saw a Baltimore Oriole, a couple of Dickcissels singing madly, a hawk being chased by a posse of Red-Winged Blackbirds, lots of Canada Geese on the pond, a Great Blue Heron, and a deer. Lovely!