A Sixty minute hike!

 

Because of the hot weather and a foot that has bothered me, I've made more sixty minute hikes this summer.

Mourning Dove (on the trail! I had to say Shooo to get it to move!)

It's hard for me to make that turn, 

I always want to go a little bit farther.

But it's been good for me I think.

Dotted Horsemint in full bloom

I've definitely enjoyed getting out in nature whenever I can, for any length of time!

And we've had some funny sightings around the house lately too.

Who wouldn't want a little red MG delivered to the front door?

Our neighbor has a 'new ride' now!

And this Red-shouldered Hawk perched on the roof across the street.

To get ready for Fall....

this black cat walked all the way around our house.

Does that ward off goblins and ghouls?

Can't hurt! lol

Sixty minutes is enough time to get some good exercise and experience nature. (that's a forest monster not me!)

Has it cooled off at your house this month?

Are you ready for Fall?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway - Sharp-shinned Hawk

 

It's fun to look back at previous posts to find out when you first learned about a particular bird or critter.

The first time I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk (and properly identified it) was in 2019. The post was HERE.

And it was only about 2 miles from the one I saw this week!

Maybe less as the crow flies...or in this case the hawk!

I saw it at the very beginning of my hike and was lucky that it landed nearby. It's a small hawk and stands very upright.

It was breezy that day and he has a few ruffled feathers!

The Sumac is still blooming and I saw what I thought was a big wasp on one flower head.

But now I think it's a Trichopoda fly. There were other tiny wasps on the blooms too.

I saw a Northern Harrier, but in this photo he is high in the sky and impossible to pick out!

I noticed a couple of new markings on the paved part of the trail.

The heart was showing the turn for the trail I hike through the woods.

A collage of the Sumac blooms

Any monsters in the deep forest you ask?

Just a couple!

Thanks for joining me for another hot and humid hike along the Greenway.

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Let's hike the trails at Manatee Springs State Park

 

Even though the Springs are the highlight of a trip to Manatee Springs, you know I'm going to find some hiking trails to explore!

So let's take a hike on the Sink Trail Loop first.

It was a beautiful trail with some really big surprises along the way.

Coral Bean in bloom.

Hubby leading the way!

We watched deer along the way and that's always fun.

But the surprise was the sink holes.

We see a lot of sinkholes here in Florida but these were the prettiest ones I've ever seen.

I'm not sure how many we saw on this short walk but I think I photographed 6 of them.

They all had water in them and were crystal clear!

How do you like these vines looping around over the sinkholes? 

We also hiked Deer Run and saw several small birds.

Northern Cardinal

Warbler

You couldn't sit down because the bugs would attack! 

And then there are the forest monsters to worry about!

I came home like a kid that had been to summer camp....bug bites on my legs and a patch of poison ivy on my ankle.

But of course I wouldn't have missed a thing! 

And getting out in the forest is what I love best!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Hiking the Florida trails in early summer!

 

We are definitely feeling the heat and summertime humidity but it's still really nice deep in the woods.

Between camping trips, I head to the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and on this particular hike, I went down into the diggings.

It's cooler and extends my hike to closer to 2 hours but it has it's own rewards.

On this hike, I went to Josef's table. 

It's a table in the middle of the forest, dedicated to Josef who loved to hike.

I left a seashell from Canaveral National Seashore on the table the last time I visited and it was still there.

Something new was this beautiful little Chinese Zen planter.

It was on the large boulder next to the table.

The tiny plant was pretty too!

And behind the table someone had put together a ladder. It's a little big for the gnomes that live there so I'm not sure who uses it. Any guesses?

Always pretty wildflowers and this caterpillar was colorful!

I wanted to include photos of this duck that showed up in our flower bed this week too.

I think he stopped to take a break on the way to the neighborhood pond. 

I asked him, but he ignored me.

Now back to the hike deep in the forest to find the monsters!

You know I saw some! 

Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !  

Deep in the Forest!

 Time to put on our hiking shoes and go deep into the woods!

Don't be skeeeeered!

You're in Bear Country now!

A REAL bear den!

OK! That's close enough....let's keep going!

We'll only go during the day when the monsters don't look as scary.

Because you KNOW there will be monsters in the forest!

Some real.....

others imagined!

Use your imagination!

But don't let it run WILD!

I love hiking deep into the forest BEST! 

Gnome Country! It's my favorite place to be!

We'll just stop now to watch the pretty Warblers!

Time to FLY!

Were you skeeeered? Maybe just a little? Me too!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !