Yesterday I accompanied my mom, brother, sister, aunt and cousins on a hike through a local nature preserve. We didn't even try to explore all 20 miles of the preserve and just tackled the trail leading onto a lake island. A small journey, but a satisfying one.
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Lexi gets started.
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Cactus blooms.
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A cardinal perches above us.
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Cousins exploring and discovering.
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Cone flowers.
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Lovely, delicate blue flower.
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Dragonflies were everywhere. One persistent fellow flew ahead of us for awhile. When we stopped, he buzzed around. When we walked on, he would stay just ahead of us.
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More yellow cactus blossoms.
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A lovely shade of purple.
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Lake in the background. Some white plant in the foreground.
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The lake.
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Look closely - what can you see?
I see two little eyes looking at me.
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The trumpet vines were in profuse bloom.
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There were many butterflies flying around us, some of which were very colorful and the size of a large hand.
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A caterpillar inching his way up.
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More trumpet vine.
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A tree in profuse, pink bloom.
All photos by LTS