Just like this is the last week of summer, this will be my last posts about the Roaring River State Park trip. The park is located in the Mark Twain National Forest and Southwest Ozark hills region of Missouri.

We took two hikes while we were there and I thought I’d share a few photos of the area.  

The first trail was a short one just .4 miles with the trail start in the parking lot of the lodge.

The Springhouse Trail:

Sounds easy enough. It’s pretty much all uphill though.  Definitely, highlighted my out of shape form. Good thing I had pretty flowers to distract me! You can see my bird photos from this trail in this post. (Don’t worry my husband would stop every once in a while and wait for me. I always lag behind taking too many photos.)  Pretty views of the forest as well!  I was happy when the trail started to do this as we made our way back to the parking lot starting point. 

The Dear Leap Trail:

The next trail took me a bit out of my comfort zone as well. Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned I’m a bit afraid of heights?  Still when you want a photo from an overlook…you suck it up…and go on the scary hike!

I wanted a picture from that little wooden overlook up there.

I forgot to take a picture of the trail head sign.  The .20 mile trail rates as rugged (um…) with (from the park website):

• Natural surface, dirt, mud, gravel, shifting rocks, slippery surface, etc.
• Rocks, roots and/or downed vegetation on trail
• Wood or stone steps
• Steep grades and inclines more than 10 percent
• Bluffs or drop-offs next to trail
• Bridges and/or structural crossings

Everything someone with a fear of heights wants on a hike! Ha. Those steps sort of in the middle of the picture below start the trail.  Look more steps! Not too bad so far…

Look a cave! Did you know Missouri’s known also known as the cave state because we have lots of them here? This one had a “closed” sign, not that I’m all that into spelunking. 

Thankful not to spot any of these creatures during the hike. One scary thing at a time for me!  I think I already shared this view but I love it enough I’m sharing it again. 

Just around the corner from it, our destination! 

Oh, that’s a little ways down there isn’t it? 

And finally, the overview shots I braved the trail to get:  Here’s a better view of where we started:  One last look and photo before we went back down the trail (a surprisingly easy decline! It would be a super easy trail in reverse) and started home:  I can’t wait to go back or until then take a few local hikes.

Do you enjoy hiking on trails?

*Linking this post up to the last 30 Days of Summer Blogging Fun.

So I’ve had a bit of a forgetful week.  The week’s been fine. My memory, however, not so much.

Some blame goes to my calendar. Dates input wrong. Fire my secretary! Oh, wait…that’s me.  I worked a full day as opposed to a half-day on Wednesday. Worked on Thursday when my calendar said Friday.

Felt a bit sick today so it all worked out in the end. Except I completely forgot to put up our summer link up for this week. It is STILL summer! Until next Saturday.

Since I’ve missed doing the Five on Friday posts and linking up over at the F.A.S.T. blog (still on break), I decided to do one today. The (perhaps final) 30 Days of Summer Fun link up follows this post.

FIVE FROM FRIDAY TO FRIDAY

ONE: Last Friday we took our anniversary trip to Roaring River State Park. 

Two: Late Summer Blooms. Every time I see the wildflowers, want my own yard full of them. These were two of my favorites, no idea what they’re called:  Three: A special visitor at my own tiny attempt at a butterfly garden! 

Four: I haven’t succumbed to the pre-fall pressures to get an early pumpkin spice latte. (It’s not even October yet!) However, I did bake cookies! Found a recipe for French vanilla wafers in my mom’s recipe box. No idea what makes them French. They were easy and quick hit. Next time, I do need to bake them to a darker golden color.  Five: A couple more for Roaring River State Park since I don’t have a lot of photos to go with my other highlights from this week: watching a stealth bomber fly overhead, a fun mini-golf outing with friends, and a little too much time yesterday and today in front of the TV.   ******

What made your week memorable? Or make me feel better, what did you forget this week?

If you’re still squeezing some fun out of that summer sun, don’t forget to link up and share all about it!

It’s still summer! Even if today was a drizzly, dreary day. And even if it cooled off a bit tonight. (Admittedly, I’m a bit glad about it because the rain earlier was only increasing the humidity by about 500 percent)

School’s started. However, it’s still summer. For a few more weeks. Not too many more as this will be one of the final 3 link ups for the 30 Days of Summer Blogging Fun series.

Just another quick nature puzzle for my link up post. Took these photos on a sunny mid-August day.

Found yet another creature on my Black-eyed Susan flowers. Probably going to be hardest to spot in the first photo. The green pod thing is on my tropical milkweed. Look more to the far right of the photo to search for the creature.  Do you see the “stem” over there? Here’s my first close-up attempt (a bit blurry):  I think you can tell now that the stem is indeed an insect. What kind of insect?  A praying mantis!  The praying mantis refused cooperation for a proper photo from the front.  Interesting to find this brown fellow. Usually, the ones I spot around here are green.

Another sign of summer’s final end giving up to fall: the number of crickets and grasshoppers jumping around outside. Hope they stay there and don’t invite themselves into the basement.

“It’s still summer!”  I cry as I wave off the crowds of pumpkin spice latte fanatics with my spray sunscreen.

The calendar confirms this. We have twenty glorious days of late summer left to enjoy.  One way I’m enjoying it is my morning walk around the yard (with the cat) to check on the garden.

It’s almost time to plant those fall bulbs but for now I’m enjoying my late summer blooms around the yard.

My morning glories finally bloomed! I planted these a bit late and did not expect to see any blooms. I’d given up for this year when one morning I walked out the door to this glorious (get it?) site!

An actual Morning Glory bloom!  And another one is almost ready! After a few rainy days throughout the week, a few brief encores from the rose-bush! A much welcome sight after their earlier summer battle with the beetles.  The geraniums wanted an encore as well!  And a new flower joined the garden. Pretty but uninvited. Unidentified by this amateur gardener as well. What is this white vine stealing the spotlight from the other flowers?  It’s not the same as this, another one enjoying a late summer encore. Or rather attempting to shine amid the uninvited crowd.  I’m not sure what it’s called either but I did invite it home from the garden store earlier in the summer.

And while I did indeed get a super late start on carving out my butterfly garden area of the front yard, a butterfly visited it!  

What’s blooming in your yard?

And if you’re one of the those fall fanatics, please save me a latte for when the season truly arrives in a few more weeks.

(Linking up with the 30 Days of Summer Fun Blogging Series)

My apologies for not posting a 30 days link up or post last week. Sometimes, life or work rather takes over blogging. Hopefully, you’ve been hopping over to my friend, Rebecca’s blog as she is keeping up for both of us! Be sure to go check out all her great summer posts. 

Today felt a bit more fall like around here. So strange or maybe Midwest normal. Yesterday, the temperature hovered in the mid to high 90’s all day. Then, a quick and heavy rainstorm raged through. Today,the temperature’s did not hit 80 degrees. And clouds all day long.

A great day for a bit of Danish hygge.

Have you heard of Hygge? It’s a Danish word meaning something close to “cozy.” Check out Meik Wiking’s The Little Book of Hygge for more information.

Pronounced Hoo-Ga. (When I stop to think of the correct pronunciation, I for some reason must think it in a Cookie Monster voice. I have no idea why but it helps me remember how to say it.)

It’s mostly a concept for the fall and winter months. However, I thought I’d try for a bit of Summer Hygge out on the backyard deck. (This was a few weeks back when the weather was a bit more mid-summer cooperative.)

If you plan to spend a Midwest evening outside in these parts, bring bug repellant. Unless you’re throwing a party for the mosquitoes. I’m nice but I’m not that nice!

A key component of hygge is candles. I didn’t have any Citronella candles for atmosphere but I did have a fun Citronella Incense Lantern thing.  Neither my son or myself could quite figure it out and broke both the ones I bought.  I just sort of made do with it. 

I sat out on the deck and read my magazine as the sun set and my little Carolina wrens started to chatter.   Not sure whether or not I did manage the summer hygge but I enjoyed my time out there.