Now that we are winding down the school year and my children do not have as much schoolwork as they normally do, it is much easier to sneak away for a lovely morning hike and complete our school work in the afternoon. We have had some perfect days here lately as well - sunny with temperatures in the 70s and high 60s. That's my definition of perfect weather, anyway!We went to a hiking trail at a Conservation Area. The 1.6 mile hike that we took traversed through many wetland areas. Some parts of the trail were pretty muddy. My youngest was particularly careful in picking his way through the muddy parts of the trail.
Along the way, we spotted this beautiful butterfly. According to my "Common Butterflies and Skippers of Ohio" booklet from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, I think it is a Red Admiral. 
We also saw these beautiful purple wildflowers all along the trail. According to my Wildflowers of Ohio Field Guide, I think they are Wild Geranium. The highlight of our hike was the excitement by the creek. I had read about the Conservation Area prior to our hike and I told my children that beavers were commonly seen in the area. My oldest son noticed a thrashing tail in the water and quickly called us all over to see. He thought it must be a beaver.
The thrashing tail was actually not a tail at all, it was several very large fish making their way through a narrow part of the creek. Sadly, none of us were quick enough to get a picture!Our morning hike was an extremely enjoyable time for all of us. I left the Conservation Area feeling really relaxed for the first time in weeks. Hopefully, I can schedule another morning hike for us next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment