A hiking trip

 I went out to Lake Durant  this afternoon (apparently the video works, it's just a LOT quieter than when I posted the video on Twitter, and the sound - waves lapping on a shore - was the main reason I took it. 

I just needed to get out. Church was fine except it was my turn to pray at the table and I just really hard a hard time; words almost didn't come even though I "asked for" them to like I sometimes do. I think I've been away from it for too long - been nearly seven months since I prayed at table. And I needed some exercise but the idea of either doing the dvd or climbing on the cross country skiier again made me unhappy, so I thought "I'll go for a walk"

But not in a neighborhood, too many people, I didn't want people. And not at Platter, though that would be my first choice - it's a weekend, and it's a camping area, and it will be mobbed (possibly, once it cools down this fall, it will be okay). Then I remembered Lake Durant. This spot is literally ten miles from me, and I had seen some mention of a "nature trail" - I had only been there to demonstrate herbaceous vegetation sampling with my classes and we hadn't walked in very far

I was not prepared for how big the nature trail is

It's really long. It's not SUPER natural (heh) because it is mowed and it shares space with a recently-installed "disc golf" course. But it's good enough, it's a long trail out in nature without people and with interesting things to see. The video I posted above was maybe halfway in, maybe a little less. I didn't walk the entire length of it (but want to some time to see if it loops back around) because at probably the 1 1/2 mile mark there was a large bird (PROBABLY a great egret - it was white and had that shape) that seemed to be defending a territory and it got kind of ticked off at me, and I didn't want it to dive at me or vomit on me (some larger birds will do that to drive off perceived threats) so I just turned around and walked back. But sometime I want to walk the whole thing.

It's mostly kind of scrubby and it has been mown and there are lots of non-native species, but there's still nice stuff to see

Antelope-horns or green milkweed (Asclepias viridis). And a carpenter bee, but not the one I tried to get a good picture of. (I scared that one off before I could get the photo)

Heck, I'm not sure what this is, it could be a non-native species.

Composites, the little ones are probably Gutierriza. The big one might be a Bidens? though it seems late for those.(Sometimes we get re-flowering if it's been dry and then we had rain)

Liatris, also known as gayfeather. 

There were some bees out and some butterflies - I tried to get a photo of a carpenter bee on a milkweed but I got too close and scared it off. 

It's just nice to be out. Nice to be doing something that feels like before-times normal to me. I did bring along a mask - I have a wee small Suumiko Gurashi bag that is just big enough to hold my card case (so: driver's license for driving, and ID) and a few folded bills (in case I need cash) and my phone and now a mask and ear saver. I didn't meet anyone though; there was a group using the picnic pavilion when I got there but they'd left by the time I came back, and there were people out on the lake. 

It will be interesting to go back as the fall progresses; I like hiking in cooler weather and even in a light drizzle if it's not too cold, so I could see going back out even into November. And it's close, which is quite a virtue right now - I could even go at the end of the workday for a bit, at least until the time change.