Weekend Hike

After kayaking for the first time Saturday (no photos--I was afraid I'd drop the camera!) I was a bit stiff, so thought I'd take a hike Sunday to loosen up. This was a "recommended hike" at one of the local nature preserves. I did see some lovely flowers...

...and some very happy flowers

...but much of this hike was in the blazing sun and on a road covered with large gravel, making walking a bit of a chore--not to mention the trails were not well marked and I spent most of the time not sure where I was.

Green on green...can you see the little critter?

The hike was supposed to be four miles, rated easy to moderate. Right. By the time I got back to my car, I was thirsty (even though I'd taken bottled water and drank the worse-than-tepid stuff), soaked with sweat, beet red, and tired. Not to mention perturbed. I'd taken their word for it and planned a nice 1.5 - 2 hour walk. I walked almost 3.5 hours (5.7 miles) without being sure where I was most of the time.