Friday Morning Hiles - Part 2

Delaney and I went on another great hike with her classmates. This time we went to the McLane Creek Nature Trail.  Great

This time I was able to photograph the trail map before I headed out, but it didn't matter; it's such a gorgeous wooded area that I couldn't tell where I was at any point in the hike. It's a good thing I was with people who had been there before.

Delaney just followed the group enjoying the time with her classmates. It's so nice for her to be able to spend time them during the Summer. Especially in such a fantastic environment. As far as the trees go, it's actually very similar to her Kinderhaus yard. We spotted evidence of beavers throughout the ponds, and many Salamanders.

These are not fast paced hikes by any means. The pace is set by the youngest hikers. So snacks and water are necessary to ensure a good time. This trail had spots that were not the best for a double wide jogger cycle, but just about anything else will get through it with ease. And there are plenty of resting spots. Another hike I could easily recommend.

 

Garage Sale Confession

I do feel like I have a confession to make; I am not a lover of garage sales. It's been 18 years since I've had a garage sale, and over 17 years since I've been to one. But when we ran out of room to stack any more Rubbermaid storage bins that hold the things we may use some day, push came to shove. We had a garage sale. I'm not saying that we actually opened any of those storage bins, but we cleaned and sold other items that I normally would have delivered to the Goodwill - someday.  

A sure sign that we had too many pets at one time (dogs, rabbits, chickens). Even the boat was for sale.

When only 1 person in your home rides a bike, and you have 8 of them, you need to downsize.
We kept 3 (just in case...) and sold these.

Delaney was happy to sell her seashells for .10 each.  

I'm convinced that she will never forget this garage sale. She could barely contain herself. She let us know when someone was coming down the driveway before our dog (the driveway alarm) did. She visited with everyone who showed up. I should add here that we live out in the country where everyone has acreage and it's hard to get to know your neighbors. But we met so many of them during this sale. It truly felt like the neighborly thing to do. Afterward, we agreed to go to future neighborhood garage sales, if for no there reason than to meet our neighbors. And maybe the next time we come across stuff like this:

and remember that we no longer have a need for it (we don't have horses), just maybe we will have another garage sale.

Friday Morning Hikes

Delaney and I have been meeting her classmates for hikes every Friday morning to keep in touch. We've been exploring the State Parks in the area. Let me tell you they are gorgeous, but especially so when you see them through the eyes of a 5 year old. Here are some photos from the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. I have this annoying need to photograph the trail map before I head out, but I couldn't find one for this hike. Needless to say, it wasn't needed for this hike. Almost the whole trek was on a gorgeous boardwalk like this one.

We saw a fair amount of wildlife on this hike.

The sides of this barn have many birds nests that have been ripped open by owls swooping by to steal eggs.

Our guide set up a spotting scope for the kids to see a bald eagle resting in a tree along the river.

View point on the Nisqually River

Delaney and Davin

Slightly aggressive Grey Squirrels. This one is devouring something he stole from a picnic table.

I highly recommend this hike, but pack in some water and snacks. Your little one will work up an appetite. To see actual images of the refuge just follow the link above. 

Happy Birthday Keegan

 This is our version of a Banana Split. We all had a great time celebrating my youngest sons 14th birthday. This is Keegan. I think he has the cutest smile. No more curly red hair, but he is about as Irish as you can get.