15,543 Steps/6.78 Miles Later

Hubby rode his bike 7 miles while I slept. Was a little worried because he was supposed to leave very early and wasn’t back by 9:30. Very happy to finally hear from him. We had a late breakfast and sat around just chilling until 11:30. Unfortunately, we left the trail guide and bug spray in the camper. Somehow our “trail” became a two lane gravel road that we were stuck on for 9,000 steps. And the gnats and mosquitoes drove us nuts. It wasn’t my ideal “hike.” I found a few items worth photographing. And things greatly improved when we finally got back in the forest. Our goal was to get to Beaver Lake and after more than 13,000 steps, we found it. The title provides my totals for the day. We are skipping the hike tomorrow; need a little Kindle time before we start packing up. So for the collage, you get a damselfly, blue and a green dragonflies, swallowtail butterflies, a frightening spider (glad it was on the lily pad), a daddy long legs, two new fungi, a few wildflowers, forest greenery, ferns and moss. We checked but no one was home in the fairy house tree with the upside down heart door. And of course, there is hubby resting by the scenic lake while I got the shots of a few insects. There was a blue heron on the other side but we could not get a decent photo. Birds sang occasionally but they hid in the tree canopies. We trudged back to the parking lot. Not sure how but my weary body got to the showers before I quit for the day. Dinner was easy: chicken Alfredo that just had to be baked, corn on the cob and super kale salad. I prepped, hubby cooked. And that is our day. My six grands all started school today. Sky was able to get a parking pass but Mancil did not - too many seniors scooped them up. Sure hope your day was easier on the body. Stay safe. Thanks for visiting. "Leave the roads; take the trails." - Pythagoras