I haven't posted in awhile, but we've been doing a lot of fun things lately (including a big road trip, which I'll write about in a separate post). Spring has arrived here, and I've been following the spring ephemeral wildflowers by going on frequent hikes and wildflower walks with the girls.
Here are some photos I took last month at one of my favorite nature preserves near our house, Swift Creek Bluffs (managed by the Triangle Land Conservancy)...there are some fantastic spring wildflowers here!
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| Lilly pointing out a trout lily |
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| trout lilies |
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| who lives in here?? |
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| spring beauties (the white flowers) nestled against a beech tree |
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| hepatica |
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| Lilly enjoying a snack on the steps with the trout lilies |
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| bloodroot |
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| another bloodroot |
This next series of photos is from another Triangle Land Conservancy preserve, Johnston Mill Preserve, up near Chapel Hill...another great place to see spring wildflowers.
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| spring beauties |
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| windflowers |
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| looking at a little creek |
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| a rare photo with me |
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| across from the old mill |
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| ACORN!! |
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| the girls love to find "horses" in the woods |
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| a really cool bench along the trail |
We also took a spontaneous trip to the NC Zoo in Asheboro a couple of weeks ago...it was during spring break for many of the school districts in NC, and it was so crowded! We rushed through because we didn't get there until after lunch, so I didn't take many pictures, but the girls had fun.
We also went camping / canoeing with some friends of ours a couple of weekends ago. We went to Merchant's Millpond State Park, which is a neat cypress pond up in the northeast corner of the state, about 2.5 hours away from Raleigh. It was fun, and I think the kids really enjoyed it.
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| Lilly and Jacob chasing each other in circles with frisbees on their heads...this was pretty funny and went on for about 5 minutes |
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| dinnertime...venison, corn, green beans, and mac & cheese |
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| Maggie striking a pose by the campfire |
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| venturing out on the pond the next morning |
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| the Moormans...Leslie, Chris, and the boys |
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| daddy's going to have to make another paddle! |
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| we paddled right next to a goose sitting on a nest |
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