Did I mention yet... I'm Stupid?

My daughter (aka A) and I hiked about 5 pm with Eddie. We parked low and took the low trail to the concrete "reststop" by the tracks. There was quite a bit of mud from the rains this week, and that area has a hard time drying out. There were several bikers and a couple with their 2 well-behaved dogs. For some crazy reason we were both pretty tired just half way out. I felt like I was lumbering along. Temp in the low 70s, all in the shade, so there was no excuse.

I slipped and fell, daintily I might add, which is a feat in itself, while going down the hill to the lower. A had just mentioned there was water trickling down a rock, and since she was wearing shoes instead of her boots I was just about to warn her about slipping, because wet rocks are manipulative that way, when I slipped. I brushed my rear off as best I could, but later, when I was walking in front, she broadcast that there was dirt on my ass which was shouting, "I fell, look at me, I fell!" So I stuck my rear out at her and made her brush it off again.

We sat and chatted quite a while at the concrete before heading back. I noticed several different types of pretty little wildflowers and plan to return tomorrow alone with my camera just to get the flowers. We saw an eastern tiger swallowtail, the yellow and black kind. Even if I'd had my camera I don't believe I would have had a good shot. It was flying and lighting high, and besides, we were there to hike.

Total hike, including rest stop, about 1 hr, 45 min.

On April 12 I wrote and put up a pic of the little maple tree I had transplanted in the backyard. I had been concerned because the maples in the neighborhood, including its mother next door, had been leafing out for a while. Well, this evening I went to look closely at all the leaves, very proud that I hadn't killed it, and still wondering how to best stunt its growth so it wouldn't get so big (since it is close to the house). Anyway, this is what I found, and why I'm stupid:


Obviously this is a redbud tree, and I'm very happy! I don't know how I could have forgotten that I transplanted a redbud instead of a maple. There are 2 maple sprigs at the side of the house, so I didn't just make it up.


This is Blocky, aka Hooly, after she put herself to bed for the evening. The turtles are always so cute the way they think they are completely hidden just because their face is. Come to think of it, cats and dogs do that, too.