Tuliptree and Toadshade Trails ~

Yesterday afternoon our youngest son and his family went with us to a nature preserve called
Goll Woods
 that is in our area. I can't remember the last time we walked in here!
I wanted to last fall and it didn't work out so we got a jump on it this year. Not many pretty
leaves or flowers yet, but we will come again in a few weeks when the tulip trees and other
flowers are in bloom hopefully and again in the fall.

We followed our son and he took us over this bridge on the way.
Of course I had to have hubby stop the Jeep and get out and snap a few pics.

We parked our vehicles and hit the trails.
Don't you just love the names? I do!
We decided to walk Tuliptree Trail first.

The little girls did well overall. Big sister Annika did a lot of whining the farther
we walked, but I thought they did a great job because we walked over 3 miles.
Maybe four.

This is what sweet Ainsley said to her mommy after picking up these two sticks.

Moss was everywhere you looked and it was great to see some green.

I tried to take photos of unique trees.

I think this is a shag bark tree? 

A huge roll of barbed wire

Have you ever seen a camouflage tree? Pretty neat. We saw a few of these.

I wonder what little creatures have wandered in and out of here over the years.

This was the second trail we walked called Toadshade Trail.

I wanted to get a shot of how huge these trees look next to us. 

These trees are just crazy

Son Nathan on a baby snake hunt. It wriggled away so I couldn't get a photo.

Contemplating the long walk ahead? lol

There were several trees with carvings on them along the river.

This sweetie did a lot of this...her legs could just hardly carry her. 

This tree reminded me of an elephants foot! What do you think?

This photo should have been up higher in the post , but I forgot to add it.
 {Had to get one of myself in here too}
If you scroll up higher in this post you will see that my son swiped my hat and was wearing it.
 He LOVES that hat. {It is really my husbands}


We had a WONDERFUL family time, but I am just not as young as I used to be. I went into this walk already
aching all over and I was worse for wear when we got home. Exhausted, but it was so worth it. I love
family times like this. I hope you enjoyed our nature walk as well! I took about 280 pictures plus so I
really had to pare them down!!

{I am having an online garage sale again so be sure and check out my previous post. I will be adding
more things as the days go by. Thank you!!}

A photographer wannabe

Can you believe that I actually created something

yesterday? I know...shocked myself too. Not really

a lot to do in this nasty heat wave we are having so

I made some "lavender cookie" tags. I really wanted

to make the cookies instead, but it is just

too hot. I do think that I should probably go ahead

and make the cookies and bake them in my car

though!! I am sure it would work. ugh.

I put the tags on some of my old jars and had a

photo taking session. In fact I got very carried away

taking photos!

{I think the mirror image photo above is kinda neat}

I took some outside...

I took some closeup...

I took some in the mulch... {if you notice the jar in the background my lavender went wonky on me. Yep, forgot to glue it}

and on the deck.

Snapped a few in front of an old shutter...

on a chair.

{I took some just about everywhere!}

I would truly love to learn how to take better

photos, but I learn better by someone showing

me rather than reading a book. I am still trying

to figure out the book that came with my

camera and I have had it for a couple years or

more. tee hee Do they have a course out there

called, "photography for really dumb dummies"?? LOL

I did have fun though whether I know what I am doing

or not and I guess that is what is most important.

It is about White Wednesday time again so I will be

linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm.

Have a blessed week ahead and stay cool!!

{If you haven't submitted a name for my

kitty yet click here}

My Oldest Son...Jason ~

I want to introduce you to my oldest son Jason today. This is one of my favorite pictures of him that was taken a few years ago. He is now 27 years old , married and has a precious baby girl ~ Jason graduated from Huntington College in Indiana with a degree in graphic design. This poster is one that he made while he was in college. The adorable little girl in the picture is our 1st grandchild who was living with us at the time. (she is now almost 10 years old...where do the years go )

Jason also had several of his photographs published in the Christian magazine *Discipleship Journal* published by NavPress in his senior year of college.

One photo Jason had published in the magazine ~

This was printed on one of the first pages of the magazine ~

I love this photo he took of bike tires and rocks. I will never forget what my dad said when he saw the picture for the first time..."He missed the bicycles...only the tires and rocks??? "...LOL Too funny!

Jason now works at Huntington College in their computer department. I always forget his official title , but I do know that he troubleshoots a lot of computer issues. He has also designed several websites. A few of them are The Kimmel House Inn B and B, NAACP, (North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals), Baumann and Scott Photography along with others. (If you check out the photography site and click on "pregnancy" you will see a photo of Jason's wife when she was expecting their precious little Keira) We love him and his family so much and wish Gods blessing on them always!