In Step On the Matanuska River Bike Trail

Our In Step Walking Group met again today. We were small in number....but the fellowship and fun were sweet. It was hazy. You can barely see the mountain behind us - there are several wildfires raging in Alaska just now.  The air didn't SMELL bad, it didn't hurt our lungs...we were happy to be outside.

Britney, Stacia, Krista, Jen, Jacque, Nani, Josiah, Caleb

Britney, Krista, Josiah, Caleb, Jen, Jacque, Me, Nani

We live in  a pretty area. I really enjoyed walking this path. It winds all the way from our town to a river the next little town over. I've watched families and groups of friends walking, riding, and jogging on it - it made me happy to be on it today.

No one was able to tell me the name of these purple wildflowers. I WAS told they are NOT indigenous to the state and are invasive. We are allowed to pick all we want. I can't help but wonder if they would conquer the Devil's Club in the "back 40."

Fireweed - so pretty 

Matanuska River 

We walked about an hour and then went to a nearby park to let the kids play and enjoy a picnic lunch - under a shady pavilion. It was about 10* cooler today - it really was a relief. In a land with 20 hours of sun a day - it gets old when the temps are high. LOL   Arielle and Lindsey joined us at the park with their kids.

Sydney and Harper found these great rocks. Nani, Krista and I struck out! 

Morning Guests (Intruders the rest of the family says)

Aren't they gorgeous?

Stacia was leaving the RV when she saw the twins. She looked around and Mama was on the other side of the RV. She was stranded in the RV until they moved around to where we were. 

 I was out setting sprinklers when I saw the sight below!

Eating the Lilac off our deck 

Yikes - the closest I've been to moose yet.  I dropped the sprinkler and ran onto the deck...."Moose." 

Krista had walked out the front and saw the mama. She came in to warn of moose.  I grabbed the camera and documented.  The babies got into the orchard! ARGH. It would appear we're going to have to add the electric to the fence....

Poor Lucille, our free range hen. She's taken to staying in the brush at the front of the property. This is the second day she's been sitting on eggs and had moose trample through. We didn't hear her for a long time after they left and wondered if she had gotten hurt. She's back this afternoon. 

Well-mannered - they went right to the kid's table

I was worried they'd eat our new tables. 

Benny was growling at the moose. 

They are cool to watch run. They were startled when I got a phone call. 

Off they go until another day. Hopefully, the fence will be ready to go when they return. 

The excitement slowed us down and made us a tad bit later than we would have liked to our walking group.