M+M Daily Favs 5.15

M1 = our family walk around town

M2 = lunch at the Sandpiper (the girls love the sandpiper because they get juice in grown up glasses and drink it with 2 straws)

Pajama Games

We have been having the girls choose the pjs that they would like to wear each night; but tonight, since i was putting laundry away while Dad bathed the kids, i picked out the pjs.  Since it is cool and rainy, i picked footed fleece sleepers.  

Despite the fact that i had picked her favorite elephant footy pajamies, M2 wanted pajamies without feet.  While we were trying to talk her into wearing said pjs, the following conversation took place:

M2 - but foot pajamies shoot arrows at my head

Dad - the Red Sox wear elephant jammers

M2 - ok

Family About Town

Instead of a "hike" tonight, we strolled around town.  There was much debate about this...  M2 really wanted to go back to Cope Park and M1 really wanted to "walk across the water on the rocks".  We decided on a neighborhood stroll as B has a lot of packing to do and the Red Sox are on here tonight...  GO SOX!

We walked up the hill and then down Goldbelt to Calhoun passing the Governor's House.

     

We played follow the leader, slide along the curb, and posed for a picture by the totem.

     

Since it's hilly where we live, we really weren't walking a lot with the ice and snow...  Also, it got dark soo early!  Now it's light until almost 10 pm.  It's strange getting used to that because i always feel like it's earlier than it is; but after a long dark winter, i'm really enjoying the light!

Good Morning Mr. Porcupine!

When the alarm went off at 5 am, I was so happy to discover it wasn't raining!  I was out the door by 5:20 (a little sluggish this morning after staying up late to watch the season finale of Grey's) and looking forward to seeing my bears.  When  i think "my bears", i'm thinking of the first ones i saw while on Perseverance Trail  on May 11th.  They weren't around to be seen today, but i did see some as i walked Basin Road to the head of the trail.  There's a little black dot almost in the center of the picture...  That's the tail end of the bear as it lumbered into the trees.

After that early viewing, i was disappointed not to see my bears.  I was walking down past the spot where i usually see them and texting my sister that i hadn't seen them (she worries about me running into bears, so i like to let her know that i'm on my way home without any scratches) when i heard a scuffle at my feet...  I jumped back and looked up to see a porcupine trapped up against the wall of the trail.  It looked pretty mad...

  See how the back end is all fluffed up?  Thats where they hide the quills!

I tried to pass it on the left, but it went left:

so I settled in behind it for a slow walk down the trail until it was able to find some trees to escape to:

The meeting made me laugh as i expect to see porcupines here in the wooded sections of the trail,

but not here in the falling rock zone

Although the forecast is for rain today through Sunday, i'm hoping to hike again tomorrow before B leaves on his trip.  We had 4 sunshiney days this week, so i'm expecting rain, but hoping it will just be the usual showers.

M+M Daily Favs 5.14

M1 = eating dinner: pizza bread, apple slices, and "apple juice and orange juice and grape juice mixed together" (don't worry, it's mostly water!)

M2 = our family hike

Family Time on Flume Trail

After dinner we drove up the street to Basin Road and followed it to the head of the Flume and Mt. Roberts trails. The Flume Trail is really neat... and perfect for "hiking" with the kiddos.

As we turned onto Basin Road, we saw one of the girls' preschool teachers. She let us know that there was a bear in the avalanche zone. (In the picture below, the avalanche zone is the green patch on the hill that you can see in the distance through the trees.) The girls were pretty excited! Bill and i were able to see the bear while we were driving to the trailhead, but M+M weren't able to see it until we were on the trail and a little bit closer and at a different angle. I don't even know where to tell you to look in this picture for the bear... It was smaller than the one/ones that i have been seeing, but i promise it is there!

We had some showers today, but i was so glad to be able to get out again tonight. M2's favorite part of the hike was seeing all the bridges. M1's favorite part of the hike was playing follow the leader.

Another Morning on Perseverance Trail

The forecast is calling for rain today, so i was very happy to wake up and find that the rain has yet to start.  I let the house at 5:15 am and headed back to Perseverance Trail in hopes of seeing my bear.  Before i even got to the trail, i saw 2 porcupines.  The first knew i was there and wasn't happy about it, i don't think the second one heard me or cared.  I see why they are so dangerous, i wasn't even sure they were porcupines until i got home and looked up a few pictures.  I thought the quills would be more distinctive, but they looked like fur.

          

I did get to see my bear today!  Of course i have no idea if it was the same bear that i saw Monday and Tuesday, but it was in the same spot.  In the picture on the left, there is a patch of snow that looks like and arrowhead pointing to the left.  If you follow the point, you will see a tiny black spot, that's my bear!  These pictures are taken with my phone, so the quality isn't the best.  I know it looks like a clump of dirt, but i did see it walking around and reach up into a tree.  The picture on the right is the basin separating me and the bear.  

                    

If the forecast is correct, this will be my last hike for a couple weeks...  B leaves on Saturday for a 2 week trip, so M+M and i will be heading for the gym for exercise (elliptical for me) and fun (playroom for them).

Morning Hike on Mt. Roberts Trail

Once it started getting light earlier and the snow melted downtown and on days it wasn't raining and on the days when B isn't traveling, i started walking around for my workouts instead of heading to the gym.  On my first stroll (about a month ago), i found the beginning of the Mt. Roberts Trail.  I walked all the way to the top of the stairs, looked to the right, and saw that the trail was still covered in snow.  Today (after after working on Perseverance Trail since last week) i decided to try Mt. Roberts Trail again.  It was a lot harder then Perseverance, but really fun!  I think i made it almost to the end (the top of Mt. Roberts) but ran into too much snow to keep going.

  Look up the steps and see the snow.  It's hard packed and slippery.

(i'm only wearing day hikers and carrying a bottle of water and have to be home by 7am so B can get to work)  I guess i have to wait a little longer to try to get to the top.  Maybe the incoming rain can help out!  No wildlife today (On Monday i saw a bear and on Tuesday i saw a mountain goat and 2 bears!), but since the trail was narrow and steep, i was glad to be alone.

M+M Daily Favs 5.13

M1 = picking up Daddy at work for lunch

M2 = our first family hike in Cope Park

(that's M2 on the left, and M1 on the right - yes, my daughters hike in skirts and dresses!)