okay, so i haven't been too good about updating. it's not that we haven't been hiking - i've just been too busy the rest of the time to update this blog. so, here's an old post that should have been written three weeks ago:

7/14/2007

continued knee swelling and an unfortunate run-in with my cat made for a weekend of light hiking. my knee didn't want to deal with too many steep grades, and the flesh hanging from the wounds on my hand screamed "please! no! don't use your trekking poles!" so, we took a drive to pleasant valley wildlife refuge and did a little exploring.

the weather was lovely, and the scent of pine deep in the woods so inviting. we walked through feields, forests, along ponds and streams. with all the water around, the bugs were unbearable, but we survived with only a few bites.

we saw no beavers, but found evidence that they were living nearby:







































and while we were taking photos along the pond, we scared a duck who took off into the reeds. you can't really see him, but he's there:




















overall, it was a nice, light hike. wish we could have done something a little more challenging, but my knee needed a rest.

some more photos:






























































































































































































































































































and the prize-winning photo of the week, taken by my hiking partner:
















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