Camping Trip, Day Three

Wednesday, Sept. 22: Today was the first day of fall, though the weather said otherwise. It was cool in the early mornings, and after sunset, but by noon each day, it was quite warm.

We were up at 6:30...well, Mother, Sis, and I were up at 6:30....Hubbie was up at 5:30 to check the river. He said the water was down, so he and Sis suited up to trout fish. But, boo, when we got there, it was up again.

So, we went to the fishing pier, where we had absolutely no luck. After breakfast, we decided to walk a paved path near the dam. Here, Sis and I find a bonanza of wildflowers near the boat launch ramp, around a curve. While Mother was able to enjoy the river in her wheelchair, she couldn't access the wildflowers on the sandy, hilly bank.

From the river, we went to a resort, where there is a bird sanctuary. The sanctuary features colorful pheasants, peacocks, and Guinea hens.

Back at camp, after lunch, Mother napped while Hubbie, Sis, and I take a driving tour and shop for a few items at a grocery store.

Later in the afternoon, we all went to the Visitor's Center, where we attended a program on butterflies, which took place in the center's butterfly garden. It was a wonderful place to do snapshots of both the flowers and the butterflies. Sis got some particularly good shots.

The Visitor's Center itself features a film about the river, the building of the dam, and the trout fishing opportunities that resulted. Models of record trout and lake fish sit on pedestals. There are also a couple of aquariums, at which an interpreter treated us to the feeding of trout and bass. Actually, she was trying to feed the red-eared slider turtles that were in the bass aquarium, but the bass kept snatching the worms right out of the mouths of the turtles. At the rainbow trout aquarium, the interpreter poured minnow into the water. As quick as the minnows were, the trout snapped them up with lightening speed. I sort of felt bad for the minnows.

Later, for supper, we had homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Sat in the yard for a while afterward, and then played Skipbo...Mother won two games, Hubbie and I each won one.