Devils Den with Tammy

Today Tammy and I went back to Devils Den to hike the bike trails. We had our water shoes ready for the creek crossing, but to our surprise...NO WATER at the trail crossing! We couldn't believe it and was astounded by the lack of water in the very deep holes around the crossing area. Some areas looked to be around 10-12 feet below where the water had been running just last Tuesday. It was like something had just sucked the water away. The rocks were dry and there was no mud in the bottom of the deepest holes. the picture above shows the spot where we have had our lunch sitting on the darker rocks just ahead of Tammy to the right. This entire area was dry.

Usually the water is running just below where Tammy's feet are hanging and the tree has small waterfalls running on each side of it.

The picture above shows what the crossing area looked like today and the photo below show how it looked last Tuesday.

Today was just a strange day from the start. With old vans with satanic symbols in the parking lot, No water in one of the deeper areas, no sounds in the woods and a strange acting guy on the trail (which we crossed the creek and stayed far from him) it was just weird. BUT...a day hiking is still better than a tread mill or working out with a video! :-)

Devils Den with the Girls

Tammy, Barbara and I hiked Devils Den Bike trails again. Here we are getting ready to cross the creek. It was too deep and running too swift last week for us to cross so it was nice to be able to today. We wear water shoes..not Target bags on our feet.
We all really like to get in the water!

Barbara in the water!

A bike trail sign in an unusal place. After all the flooding some of the markers end up way off the trails.

A nice daisy on the trail back

This guy was at least 9 inches long and a pretty yellowy orange color. I have never seen one this big and that color in our area before. Thought he was a snake at first because of his size. The only snake we saw today was a brown mud snake (according to Barbara) with an orange band close to his head. Tammy thought it looked like a necklace.:-)

Shores Lake Ozark Highland Spur Trail

Waterfall on the Creek.

Sunday after church we drove down to Shores Lake to hike part of the Ozark Highland Trail to the larger waterfall. Joe wasn't ready for the camera shot!

This is probably one of my better pictures! The waterfall was awesome and I look really good here. :-)

This is just below the falls. The water was the prettiest I've seen it at this location.
You have to hike in about 3 miles to see this but it's worth it. What a great place to have a lunch picnic.

Devils Den in-between Storms

Barbara on the rocks! Not a drink, but a great hiker.

This is one of the bike trail crossings on the creek, it was too swift for us to cross here.
It was a nice, clean big rock to sit on for our water/snack break.

Just a shot of the creek

This is where we usually cross over, but it was too deep and running too swift. We didn't want to get knocked down and pushed into the brush/log jams just out of sight. ( Smart Women we are!)

As we were walking down the trail I turned to say something to Barbara and out of the corner of my eye I saw this guy about five feet up in a tree. YIKES... these things creep me out! I getting good on spotting them. The last two hikes we have seen snakes.

Hey MOM...take a hike!

Old, rough bark, twisted and crooked....trees! Not me.

Beautiful flowers with built in "don't pick me" protection.

Somehow I didn't get the memo concerning orange shirts for the trail! :-)

Drink break.

Pappa, Oma and the sleepy Colin. He had fallen asleep in his backpack and his head was bouncing around too much for his grandpa's liking, so he got carried for a bit.

Joe and I had a great hike with Colin, Michael and Ashley.

It was a different looking trail compared to the ones in Arkansas. There were some really unusual trees and flowers. It was a great place to hike even when it's really really hot. The trees would shade you on most of the trail that we were on. I want to go back and do some longer trails with the kids. (big and little!)

A really neat OLD tree that had blown down, (or lightening) and Ashley. Once again..Thank you Ashley for NOT putting the picture of me on the tree. :-)

Mothers Day Weekend in HOT San Antonio

Pappa and Colin enjoying Sonic cream slushies!

Naked butt bubble blowing.

A great Mothers Day pre-lunch photo op. It was a prefect day for being outside. A weekend with Michael, Ashley and Colin. An afternoon call from Jon and Kristen....the only thing that would have made it "PERFECT" would have been if Jon and Kristen could have been there with us. As a mom, we take what we can get!

Thank you Colin, Michael and Ashley for the new shamrock charm. I love it and the bracelet!

Michael and Ashley doing some kind of dance before lunch. :-) Must be a new Mothers Day thing in San Antonio?

Colin growling with his Juicy Juice straw on the way to church.

Dinner with Big and Little Maners!

Joe and I met Tammy and Dennis for our usual Friday night dinning. What a special treat is was to have Ava and Seth join us!

The twins have grown so much since we saw them last. Ava and I shared guacamole as Seth waited for his "Quesadillas"
Which he took apart and ate the "Quesa" first then the "dillas" last.