Battle Creek Regional Park...the Creek

Right here in River City.

Right away we noticed something. Flying. Sitting on leaves. Buzzing on by...

Damselflies.

Things Mom learned: when at rest their wings close shut, this is one way to distinguish them from dragonflies. I am the least knowledgeable person in our house when it comes to nature. 

 Our trek took us along a large section of the creek. If the fit bit is to be trusted this was a 3+ mile jaunt (both ways).

And I got sidelined taking photos of wild flowers.

Purple ones.

White ones.

Daisy looking white ones.

My flower identification skills are right up there with my nature skills.

One of many bridges. A good opportunity for Dad to peer over the rail into the water.

Tis cottonwood season. Looks like our yard!

Another bridge.

Another opportunity...

Bugs. Brown ones. 

Green ones

fuzzy ones (photo courtesy of Zoe)

Crawly ones, 

With spots.

And after the inspection, they go back to rest on a leaf on the side of the road.

We enjoyed the canopy on the only hot day of the Memorial weekend (Zoe's photo).

Awesome find....a path near our house.

huggy buggy.

This may not be the time or place, but one of our twins does know how to independently tie shoe laced shoes. 

One of them does not ("I forgot")

God Bless you Shawn for teaching them. I got to the point where I crossed the laces and realized I couldn't slow down the process enough to explain it. 

Well I could have tried, I suppose.

The one who remembers: "Shawn teached me where to put the bunny ear"

So. Much. Fall.

And I was feeling like we kind of missed it all. 

Looking at our photos at the Landscape Arboretum makes me think we got it all in that day.

Love that place.

LOVE that place.

Can you tell?

Arboretum 2012

The colors were incredibly vibrant and the weather warm.

Yet it was a terribly cranky day for some reason.

Move on to the next day, folks.

Lake Elmo Regional Park

Sometimes it's just best to pick the nice pictures and ignore the reality. 

Just be sure there is reality. But memory plays tricks on us (nostalgia), so why not just live in that world?

(my legs are tired! CARRY ME! I CAN'T walk. waaaaaaa.)

(I pooped)

Missed it by that much.