Flora & Fauna

So this Sunday I went on one last practice hike before Colorado. Also turns out my digital camera just had crappy batteries and it is indeed NOT broken. So I got to take lots of pictures at Ledges State Park. I spent 3 hours out there and was exhausted afterward but it was a really amazing day and it felt good to get back to nature.

(pretty flowers)

( a view from the sort of top)

(Tested the waterproofness of my hiking boots. They work well.)

(probably more what you think Iowa looks like)

I also saw a few herds of deer.

I was totally racking up the outdoors man points all day. Climbing through mud, traipsing through/across creeks (and apparently a field of poison oak...don't worry I'm magically totally fine) hiking in the rain. So just as I feel like I finally earned my outdoor cred and would arrive in Colorado a true outdoors man (woman?) thennnn......Well there was a HUGE bumble bee after me and I was not paying attention to the ground and then I looked and almost stepped on a snake, screamed and ran away. Adios outdoors man points. I suppose I'll always be a pink dress wearing, pageant loving, fashion obsessed, make up loving girl at heart. But hey I can brave it with the rest of them. So long as bugs spiders and snakes stay away. Like far far away. In case you were curious this is what the snake looked like.

(Yeah Black Mamba. I know I don't know how it got lost in Iowa either..)

Cheers!

Marisa

P.S. okay this reallllly what the snake looked like.

(Common Garter Snake....In my defense it was the biggest one I've ever seen)