2 Hikes and a Snake

Before we left for our big Indiana adventure (more on that in a later post), we purchased a used hiking backpack. We felt this would put us in an elite group of people known as awesome and extreme hikers. But really it just makes us regular hikers. I think the backpack would've had to be new to accomplish the elite group stamina. Meanwhile, we have a book that tells us all of the best hiking spots in the Springs. Wait. Maybe THAT puts us in the elite awesome hiker group. I'll have to think about it. The hike we chose on this particular summer day back on June 1st (I remember because the camera date says so) was the one located at Ute Valley Park. Rattlesnakes make this park their home. I hate snakes. The snake story is saved for the 2nd hike so don't get all excited. I just forgot that we took Evan in his jogging stroller on this hike because we didn't have the hiking carrier yet.

Here's Dawson posing with a rock to show off his Spiderman tattoo.

I don't know what he's sitting on here. Probably a snake. But the background is pretty.

Jason spotted this tree on the trail and we wanted to take it home for a Christmas tree. For Evan.

This is Dawson in a tree that is sideways.

I'm too lazy to fix the picture. Sorry. I guess that's it.

I interrupt the regularly scheduled program to bring the following pictures:

 Dawson and I finished this 1,000 piece puzzle of candy bars.

 Back when Evan was still taking a bottle, sometimes I'd have to lay him on the rug in the kitchen to let him have it so that I could work. I work from home! Sue me. Jason found this intriguing one day for whatever reason.

Sometimes Evan crawls up on Dawson's lap to watch cartoons in the beanbag.

 Evan is happy after bath time.

 Then he looks at stuff.

 Dawson called me into the bathroom to show me this trick. Should he go on America's Got Talent?

Then, after that little episode, he got a drink of water and spilled some water on the floor in the bathroom. Rather than cleaning up said spill, he decided to do this:

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

The 2nd hike (for which we owned the hiking carrier) was taken on June 8th. Thank you camera. This hike was at Mueller State Park. Bears make this park their home. I preferred that they stay home and not find me trespassing even though I looked awesome with a hiking carrier.

Here we are, ready to go: Evan and I were both excited. So was my elbow.

Did you all take notice that  my hair is in a ponytail?

This hike is 5 miles. A girl can be happy with her hair in a ponytail with a 21 pound kid in the back at first. You can see that in our first stop at the first outlook.

 There were 3 outlooks. This is my perception of looking out:

A few scenic pictures.

As you might be guessing. I could not manage to climb up on those rocks with Evan. Well. Unless I was carried dangling from a helicopter.

  Many of you might be wondering if Evan found my ponytail interesting and decided to pull my hair. I can answer that question. Yes. Yes he did. That being said, why is HE the grumpy one in this picture?

 Jason talked Dawson into laying down in this log. We came back and got him later. That's a joke.

We were up so high that the trees could see up our shorts.

 Aha. Here's me with my hair in a bun. No more ponytail. I'm smiling but I'm miserable at this point. Nevertheless, I was determined to make the stinking hike to the end with Evan in that carrier on my back. Extreme. Stubborn.

This is all granite. If you'd like some for a brand new kitchen counter top, let me know. I'll go blow some up and ship it to you. For a small fee. How much does C4 cost?

Jason and Dawson climbed down the rocks. I didn't zoom in.

I told them to wait and I would zoom in.

 A nice couple took our picture.

 And now it's time for the snake story. As we were nearing the end of the hike, we came upon a pond. In the pond we saw movement. As we gazed out into the rippling effect of the movement we saw this:

A man eating swimming snake! Well. A snake eating a green animal.

I could have fainted from the horror (and the heat and the tiredness) but I was too engrossed in the massacre to encourage my faint skills to take over. Jason said the green thing the snake is eating is a bullfrog tadpole. I hope it was poisonous.

And that is the last picture I have of that hike. So apparently I made it back to the Jeep alive.

On our way home from the hike, we stopped at a campsite where our inlaws were. This site had a splash park and a pool.

 Dawson and Evan both love the water. Which is good because I run out of ideas of things for them to love.

 Last story.

 Ma/Pa in-law have a camper with a door that shuts and locks but can be pushed open if you smack and smack and smack it. Evan found this out for us. He smacked the door until it went flying open and he fell down the metal stairs. I screamed. Gloria said "Jesus, Jesus" and Jason yelled. Then Jason ran down the stairs, grabbed Evan who was screaming and crying, and brought him inside to put an ice pack on the very large knot taking shape on his crown. No broken bones. A small scrape on his arm. The End.