Walking Sand Creek Trail

There was little break in the heat on Thursday so I took Audrey and Maeve to walk the Sand Creek Trail in North Newton. We haven't done this in a long time and it was such fun. There were actually cool breezes under the canopy of trees, although by the time we returned to the van, we were HOT - and Audrey and I feeling the allergy affects of cottonwoods!!!

The little red hat Maeve is wearing is one her Daddy got in Hawaii in 1984, just before he turned 10! It's been a staple in "Grandma's toy box" for 20 years. ALL the grandchildren have worn it at one time or another. Now Maeve has it.  Isn't it cute on her!!!!

We stopped to see lots of pretty and interesting things, like these little purple wildflowers.

Can you fnd the butterfly? We have never seen a butterfly with these colors. It really blended in with the dirt, twigs, and leaves. One wing was a little damaged but it still managed to flit around.

We sure don't know what this is but Maeve emphatically proclaimed it as GROSS!

There is still water in the Sand Creek. Many more days of high temps and it will be dry. So sad! The girls would have liked to walk across the bridge, but Grandma wasn't brave enough.

We saw lots of lady bugs and other little crawly things.

So gorgeous!

The trail is marked with several lovely memorial benches - great places to rest! The girls read every memorial plaque! Sitting on the benches provided perfect opportunities to be quiet and listen to the birds. We heard lots of woodpeckers. Maeve asked "what is a woodpecker?" Audrey replied, "like Woody Woodpecker."  "Oh!"

Along the way we began to hear a tractor and clanging equipment. At the break in the trail a hay field appeared! Sure enough, a farmer was baling hay! By the time we returned on the trail he was finished and carrying off the last bale!

Audrey wanted to take my photo and thought it was special to use my phone for this purpose.

So then Maeve wanted a turn to take a "phone photo" and found this puffy weed!

One of them spotted the bird house nailed to the tree. Good eye. I had missed it.

Fallen trees with such interesting interiors.

I remembered from another hike that there was this little burial spot for a little dog.  So we used this as our turn-around point. Maeve was quite concerned that a little dog would be buried here. That prompted a discussion as to what might have happened to it. I proposed that the owner loved it so much that they probably laid it on its special bed, wrapped in its special blanket. That satisfied her and she was not so concerned. Judging by the cut-out of a daschund, that lead to a discussion of the little dog their Mommie had when she was young which was hit by a car - boy could we take "rabbit trails".

Sometime before we all arrived in Newton there was a serious flood and the creek level was exceedingly high. This marker indicates just how high - many feet above the current level. Amazing!

Walking out. Audrey and I trying to escape the cotton from the cottonwood trees. Not good for our allergies!

Lady bug on Audrey's shirt. Even had one in the car after we departed.

A little stroll through the memorial garden.

Audrey wanted to take one more photo. She tried really hard to get these two white butterflies on the purple flowers.  Good job!

Lunch and ice cream at Braum's ended a perfect time together!!! Thank you girls for being my walking buddies! I love you SOOOO much!!!!

I am going to miss these girls more than I can say!!