My Columbines.

They are blooming for the first time this year. And I think they have gone above and beyond. I mean, seriously. Aren't they just gorgeous?

And all from seed, too. I don't think I've ever grown anything this successfully from seed before.

Part 2.

Lifting her up onto the wall for the photo.
Which Josh took early.
Cause he's sneaky like that.

E's favorite part of camping.
Hot cocoa and a fire.

E jumped the creek and climbed up
as close as she could
to the waterfall in the Little Sand Cave.

Sand in the Big Sand Cave.
It looked like orange Kool-aid powder.

Balancing rocks.
We each created our
own smaller versions.

Hatching baby Swallow.
The nest was under a sandstone overhang.
Just at the height of E on tiptoe.

E and I at the
top of a small waterfall.

Camping. 2015.

Wyalusing State Park.

On the road. She was just a little bit excited.

Winter hats, afternoon tea...

...and this view

Covered wagons are allowed on the trails...

...but no bikes.

Wild Columbine.

Banks of the Wisconsin River. 
The opposite shoreline is actually an island.

Josh said this is pretty much 
what we look like when 
we go hiking.

Amethyst Shooting Star.

Mississippi River to our left...

Wisconsin River straight ahead.

Staircase? Or...ladder?

Treasure Cave.

Always wanting to 
go up higher. 
Just like her daddy.

Stone steps.

May Apple blossom.

E's road art.

Cave view.

Sunset on our first full day.

This was pretty much our all day view

Notes: 

It was cold. Like I wore long underwear cold. Did you see the first picture? Yeah. We left home in short sleeves. THAT didn't last. We wore everything. EVER.Y.THING. we had. E even slept in hat and gloves on our first night.

Our campsite was on a huge bluff overlooking the place where the Wisconsin River and the Mississippi meet. Soaring Bald Eagles and airplanes, coming in for a landing at the Prairie Du Chien airport, were lower than we were.

There were TONS of Orioles. More than I've ever seen.

On one hike we counted 32 turtles sunning themselves on 2 dead logs in the river.

We saw one snake. And like us he was wondering what happened to spring.

We watched a swallow hatch from an egg. Pictures of that to come. I hope...

We explored 2 different types of caves.

And came home with YET ANOTHER raccoon story. This one takes the cake, folks. Trust me.