Seven Island Wildlife Refuge - 1/30/2011

Old Man Winter, according to the forecast, was loosening his grip on East Tennessee this past weekend. I reckon his hand must have been hurting or cramping. He's recovered however because it's cold once again. Seeing that springlike weather was going to grace us over the weekend, our minds raced over the possibility of getting out two days in a row. With so much going on around here, two whole days just wasn't in the cards. But we're thankful we got to get out for the time we did.

Earlier in the week, wifey stumbled across Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge during one of her morning trips across the interwebs.  An absolute gem of a place and close to home to boot. Why hadn't we ever heard of this place before? As it happens, this place is quite popular with bird watchers, trail runners, and nature lovers in general. It was at one time a large homestead belonging to the Kelly family and was donated to Knox County to become a wildlife refuge.

Seven Islands features lush pastoral land cradled by the French Broad River. Additionally, there are roughly 5 miles worth of double-track, grassy trail  that takes the walker, hiker, runner, or nature lover through the fields, up the Overlook Trail, and past all sorts of bird houses, roosts, and research implements. On the Overlook trail, the views of the Smokies are breathtaking, and when coupled with sights of the French Broad, one couldn't ask for a more serene backdrop.

The River Island, Steamboat Island, and Homestead trails along the lower parts of the refuge guide you through more fields along bluffs of the Overlook trail and alongside the French Broad. Along the way are ample opportunities to glimpse various species of birds, aquatic life, and plenty of trees, flora and fauna. There are two barns on the homestead each featuring their own Appalachian quilt marking their significance in the area and making them part of the Appalachian Quilt Trail. The Kelly home is still present on the grounds as well and is a beautiful farm house at that.

We hiked a total of 3.72 miles of trail during our visit after all was said and done. Graced by clear skies, wonderful views, and plenty of much needed sunlight, we couldn't have been more blessed. We found tons of "Critters'" eggs all along the way too. It turns out they weren't critters from outer space, nor were they brains, but rather they were Osage Oranges (aka Horse Apples). Robin and I both had never seen these softball sized fruits.

And the thorns on the trees they grow on! Oh my!

The hike was indeed wonderful and we plan on going back again. If you fancy a trip there, may we suggest getting there early. As the day grew longer, more and more people were spotted along the trails. If you are anything like us, we try to avoid the crowds so we can enjoy the peaceful solitude of nature. Early in the day, that is what we got. Once church let out and the masses arrived, it was a completely different vibe (think inner city park). Luckily, we were about done anyway.

Lunch was calling our name from the car, and the Beene was bugging about her "sammich."










Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

P.S. Here's our track details from Trimble, and here's more pictures.

Pre-track edit:

Post-track edit:

In Search of Hemlock Bluffs TVA Small Wild Area

The weather was absolutely gorgeous. You know the type, sunny and warm in the middle of November. How did that happen? This is East Tennessee, it supposed to be cold, wet and miserably dreary out until at least April.


Anyway, it was indeed a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we (Tim, Robin, Kiddo, and the Beene) were itching to get out of the house as usual. I know what you're thinking, Saturday, November, East Tennessee, shouldn't we be somewhere watching the UT game? We say "Game Hell". Of course we had some tasks that needed to be accomplished, but they were taken care of in no time flat.

We finally headed out some time in the early afternoon in search of Hemlock Bluffs TVA Small Wild Area.You see, Tim came across this area earlier in the week while searching for someplace to hike. Considering it was close to home and we hadn't heard of it before, we figured why the heck not.

In our search, we ended up in Loyston Point Recreation Area. We thought we would stop by the lake and let the photog snap a few pictures. No sooner than we stopped Big Billy Bob Mr. Manager of the area comes driving up like he owns the place or something. Wants to know if we are planning on camping or something and proceeds to tell us to make sure we keep our dog on a leash. Needless to say, we didn't stick around and found it hard not to stop at his trailer and throw eggs at it. Of course we had no eggs so on we went with the sneaking suspicion that we would never grace the recreation area with our presence again.

We still hadn't found the Hemlock Bluffs and though for sure we are on the right track before we ended up at the recreation area. So back out to the end of the road we were on we went. We came back out to the road we turned off of to get to the bluffs and decided to go in another direction. This time we found ourselves at a dead end with a gate that lead to some Outdoors Club of Fountain City of some such other. So we turned it around and headed back towards Loyston Point Rd.

Instead of turning back onto Loyston Point Rd. we went straight and stop in front of a little church with a light house to gain our bearings. We saw a road that went back to a Boy Scout camp and that struck Robin's fancy so we decided to check it out. We found a troop back there spending the weekend camping and all the things boy scout troops do. We talked with a couple of the parents to see if they knew how to get to the area we were looking for. After consulting our map, their map and a GPS, they determined that we had been on the right track but didn't know for certain where it was.

It was then we had a suspicion that one of the gated roads had to be the way to the Small Wild. Back up Loyston Point Road we traveled and came to the gated road and looking on Tim's crackberry, we knew then that was the road. So we parked the car and started walking down the jeep road. Within a few hundred feet, we were certain we were in the right direction as we came upon a trail sign reading, well something like Hemlock Bl*ff Tr__l. You see the signs had holes in them. The are is a designated safe area, but a quarter mile back on Loyston Point Road there is a sign saying as much. Past that it is free range to hunters.

Needless to say, we weren't certain how safe it was to be back there but we didn't see anyone parked at the gate and only heard the sound of hunting rifle way off in the distance towards the hunting areas. We probably hiked the jeep road a good mile or more before we stopped and decided it was getting to late to venture any further and turned around and headed back out.

We never did make it to the designated wild area, however we have a pretty good idea, for the most part, how to get back to it. You know in Tim's researching, he didn't find much of anything on the place. On our way out we come to the conclusion, like we have so many times before that Robin has the better relationship with her boyfriend Google than does Tim. We also decided that we would come back some other time better equipped and much earlier so we could really explore the place. So stay tuned as there will be more on the Hemlock Bluffs TVA Small Wild Area.

Oh and one more thing, Robin consulted her boyfriend Google that evening and found that the trail is the Hemlock Bluff Recreational Trail and it's a 7 mile loop that starts in the Loyston Point Recreation Area, D'oh. I guess we might be back there after all.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

Our Annual Unplugging Part Deux

So far, we had survived the 'coons for two nights. It was Tuesday morning and again the morning ritual took place. Get the fire going to heat water in the camp coffee pot for those mornin' cups of joe and then start breakfast. On this morning we had eggs and sausage if I remember correctly, all cooked on the Coleman stove.

Morning time coffee and fire

Nothing better than waking up on a chilly morning to a nice warm fire

It was definitely chilly that morning, so the hot breakfast, coffee, and fire were essential. Before long, it was time to get into our day clothes and start the second daily ritual of gathering wood and getting it squared away for the upcoming evening. Once that was done and the kids had some play time and several walks around the campground and too the bathhouse and back, it was lunchtime. I don't remember what we had for lunch on this day. As a matter of fact, I don't remember our lunches past Monday. I think we had Sandwiches or something easy like that, possibly BLTs.

After lunch, it was time to get the big Ham Radio out and see what I could do. Once again I won't bore you with these details so you can check the Ham Radio blog for those details. I will tell you that I didn't have any luck in making contact with anyone. I only played for about an hour before it was time to get a fire going, start thinking about supper and entertaining Clover and Ashby.

For supper, Robin cooked us a nice big ol' pot of chili. It was quite delicious especially considering how cool it was that evening. I believe the low that night was in the lower 40's. After the chili, it was time for some dessert. Robin took a can of biscuits fried em up in a pan. With that came the fixin's which included a cinnamon and sugar mix and both cherry and blueberry pie filling. That's right mini pies. Let me tell you how good these were. Absolutely delicious. After about 4 or 5 it was time for our evening cup of coffee and our nightly sitting around the campfire, listening to both the HT (it's a hand held Ham Radio) and/or the shortwave radio. You'd think we were into Radios or something.

Anyway, this day we had carried our garbage out further this time. However, earlier in the day, there was another family that joined us in the campground and the trash can we opted to play the raccoon's favorite game, Guess which trash can has food, was right across from the campsite the family had chosen to stay at. I'm sure they got quite the thrill out of that. Of course we heard the raccoons but luckily we didn't have any run-ins with them this evening. Instead, we had another pleasant surprise. It was later in the evening and the kids were already asleep in the tent. Robin and I was sitting by the fire enjoying a cup of coffee and each other's company when I heard the kids stirring in the bed. Robin heard it too, but she also heard something else. We had a small bag of trash still on the picnic table under the awning and Robin heard it rustle. Of course I just thought it was the wind. We both turned and looked and what did we see? Well, if you said a raccoon, you couldn't be further from the truth. Instead it was a big orange, no it wasn't a bobcat, it was a kitty cat. That's right, we had ourselves a big Tom camp kitty. It was rather startling at first, but once he realized we were on to him, he took off rather quickly. Robin and I both got a pretty good chuckle out of it, and shortly there after it was time to tote that bag of garbage off and get ready for bed.

Well, I'll leave it at this for the time being as it has become another lengthy post. I'll be sure to get working on the Third shortly for your reading and viewing enjoyment. Until next time....

God bless and enjoy the outdoors,
Tim and Robin

Here's an extra treat:

Little button mushrooms all around camp.

Sunday Swoon: Supper in the Park

This past Sunday was a lovely day, and we were all aching to get outside. Clover had lots of energy to expend, seeing how she’d been cooped up all week with us sick people. She needed a walk in the park; we needed to eat supper. So, we resolved to combine the two, and had supper in the park.

I whipped up an insanely easy, but delicious, supper and had us packed up in less than 30 minutes. In our little plastic containers I had purchased just for those occasions, I placed two boneless, breaded pork chops each, some stuffing, and a side of long-cut green beans. I added a brown gravy to the pork chops (something I made out of a package and later regretted – I typically make a buttermilk roux gravy for pork chops, but it takes longer). I added a container of capped strawberries, and threw a bottle of honey into our basket. I made sure everyone had a fork, gathered some napkins, and packed a cooler. I hunted down an old sheet to use as a tablecloth, and we headed for the door.

We decided to go to Norris Dam State Park, as it is close to home and Clover likes to walk there. She gets tired of the same ol’ walking places, so we try to mix it up for her. Besides that, the park offers a really nice picnic area on the East side of the dam, with an array of wildlife and wildflowers to be photographed.

When we arrived, we unpacked and set to eating. It seemed we were all famished, as hardly one word was passed between the three of us. Only chomps and deeps swallows could be heard amidst the birds singing and some children playing far off to the side of us. It didn’t take us long to finish up, and then we packed the picnic, stored it in the car, and took Clover Beene for her walk.

Beside our choice picnic table was a long stretch of young trees, and beside it was an easement for the power lines that wind through, offering a small bit of field – and Clover loved that. She sniffed and hunted for “hoppers” while Ashby took advantage of the young growth forest. She tugged, swung, climbed, and played on just about every tree in there. She stopped to count rings on the only old growth stump we found. She lost count after about 5. It had been there a while, and was very decayed. I accepted this opportunity of natural child playtime, and took lots of pictures. I set focus on some wildflowers, while she hunted for sticks to play with. Clover continued to sniff, and dragged Tim along with her.

We walked a short piece down to the lower picnic area. There I caught more photos of wildflowers, and some wild berries. Ashby played with a huge stick she had found, and sat on the “mushroom topped” tables – at least that’s what she called them. She played on the rocks that border the parking area, while Clover sniffed and sniffed and sniffed some more. She was drawn towards the scent of a deer, which came remarkably close to us. They must be used to people in the park. I caught a great picture of it (posted below).

After letting the kids play just a bit more (Ashby the ruler of the bathrooms, and Clover the ruler of the nose), we took the road back to the upper picnic area, packed up the kids and left for home. It was a great Sunday in the park… relaxing and refreshing. We highly advise “Supper in the Park!”

And now... for the pics:

Pic-a-nic Basket

Yummy Food

Dessert: Strawberries with Honey

Ashby chowing down.

Young forests = Good Fun

How strong is she? Well, the tree still stands.

Nice try... but we see you!

*sniff, sniff* My Favorite Thing!

Wildflowers in the Park

More sneezes - I mean, Wildflowers - in the Park

Thistle in Bloom

Lots of "Do Not Eats"

Ashby's favorite thing... A Stick!

Ashby on her "mushroom table"

"By the power of this stick, I shall rule the bathrooms!"

A lovely, curious little deer

An ugly picture of the dam due to "Dam" power lines.

The High Road or the Low Road to Rock Creek...

I awoke Sunday morning around 9:30am and started my normal ritual. I made the coffee, turned on the radios (HAM Radios that is), and then sat at the computer to surf for a few. It wasn't long after that that Robin was up and we sat together and surfed while sipping our coffee. I then made my way over to the HF radio to work a few stations on 10 meters....Wait, I know what you are thinking, I know this is our outdoor blog not my ham radio blog. It's called building a story.

Anyway, Robin and I eventually ended up out on the back deck drinking coffee and trying to decide what to get into. The weather was beautiful. Sunny, 70's, and low humidity. As you may or may not know, the last week and a half has been nothing but rain, rain, and yet more rain. So you can imagine how cooped up Robin and Ashby must have been feeling. Back to what to get in to. As I said, the weather was wonderful and we didn't want to be inside. So our options became, wash the outside of the house, pull weeds and try to clear our bank in the back yard, price our junk for a yard sale in September, or go hiking.

We must have toiled over our options for an hour or more. It was around 2:00pm when we decided that we didn't want to do any work and it was getting too late to do anything anyway. So finally we decided what to do after a brief amount of time sitting at the computer. We decided we ought to take our side kick for a walk, but where? We didn't want to go too far from the house, so that left us with two options; Big Ridge State Park for a typical walk, or Norris Dam State Park for a walk on one of its various trails. I had found a nice trail map for Norris, as we didn't know a whole lot about the trails, at least other than the fitness trail and the various short trails around the tea room. We decided to head to the west side of the park and hike one of the trails around the campground, Hootin Hollow Trail.

So off we were, making our way to Norris. We got there around 4:30pm or so, parked the car, and on our way from the Andrew's Ridge trail to reach the Hootin Hollow trail head. This stretch was about .5 miles to the trail head. Of course I spied on the trail map that there was another trail head in this area for the Rock Creek trail. In all actuality, I believed this trail would be more worth while as it seemed to go down to a creek and the lake. The other trail just lead up to the campground and really didn't seem to offer any natural wonders or items of significance.

Well the .5 miles from the Andrew's Ridge trail head to Rock Creek trail head is a gentle sloping grade on what appears to be an old jeep road. The terrain was soft, easy and sloped down gradually to the other trail heads. We got to the Rock Creek trail head and had a decision to make. Did we take the first turn off or the second? After looking at them we decided we would take the second because it look like it would be tougher to come up that one than the other one. I will add here that we were right. The half mile to the back of the loop was quite the descent. Looking at the topographical trail map it traverses 7 grade lines. Unfortunately the map didn't have increments for the lines, but if my guess is correct, each line is 100 feet. So the trail descended approximately 700 feet in just under a half mile. I don't know about you, but being in the shape we were (Robin and I at least) that would have been killer coming back up. The way down is a bit steep. I wouldn't recommend sandals or flat bottom shoes. This is definitely a trail you want good footwear on, like hiking boots or trail shoes of some sort. The terrain is gentle and soft and according to Robin not too bad on the joints. Seeing as I don't have the knee or ankle issues that she does, I'll let her be the judge on that.

There are plenty of poplars, maples, and other trees along the trail. We saw several different species of fungus (i.e. mushrooms), trillium here and there, and a couple different types of ferns. We saw several little frogs as well. Back to the trail though. The terrain is mostly gravel with some larger rocks. There were hardly any roots or anything that makes a trail tough when it comes to footing. There were several stretches where the ground was almost grassy.

We finally made it to the bottom of the ridge to the point where the loop heads back up, or you can take the side trail about 800 feet to the lake for what is an excellent spot for the kids to play or if you are a pair of hikers only.... Let's just say it's quiet, secluded, and looked like it didn't receive much traffic from other hikers. At this point in the trail you can see what might have been a natural spring feeding part of the creek.

We got back to the lake and I guess we stayed there for a good half hour or so to let the kids play. Robin got plenty of nice shots too. The trail back there follows beside and at some points in the creek bed. Of course in those spots there wasn't much if any water at all. After about a half hour, and the side kick thoroughly soaked, we decided it was time to head back. Besides, it was a little after 5:30pm by this time and we still had to run to town for a few things, get home and have dinner, and all the nightly routine stuff.

So back we traveled. This part of the trail is a nice gradual ascent up the ridge. It's approximately .65 miles up to the trail head. So that 700 foot elevation gain, as I said was much easier. Although the last .15 miles is probably the toughest but again it's only about .15 miles, so it's over pretty quick.

It took us about 30 minutes to get back up to the trail head. Along the way there are two little foot bridges and a big tree across the trail that you have to crawl under. On the way up, Robin spotted a deer in the middle of the trail. It wasn't but a second or two later that it darted into the woods and was out of site. We finally made it to the top and we were on our way out towards the car.

Overall, I thought it was a great trail. Depending on which way you take the loop, it can be either a moderate 1.7 mile hike or a hard 1.7 mile hike. If you go the way we did today (counter clockwise) it will be a moderate hike. Allow plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and especially the spot by the lake. Bring some water as well, on days like today we worked up a good sweat. Luckily, this time of the year the canopy is full and that helps keep it cool.

I hope that if you decide to go on this trail, you enjoy it as much as we did. Let us know what you think about it and share your stories with us by leaving us comments. And now for everyone's favorite part....

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

...The Pictures.

Andrew's Ridge Trail Head

A Fungus is Among Us

A View Through the Woods

Signpost at the Back of the Loop

A Hole in the Ground?
Looks Like a Dried Up Spring

The Secluded Cove

Leaves on the Water

Kiddo is Exploring the Area

The Side Kick Looking for a Rock in the Water

Up and Under
The Final Ascent

Max Patch or Bust....

So Sunday afternoon, after my mom and nephew left to head back home, Robin, the Rugrat, the trusty side kick, and I decided to take off and head out towards North Carolina and try our luck in finding Max Patch Meadows again. That's right I said again. We've attempted to go there 2 previous times and both times were failures. Regardless we had fun just getting out and about those two times. After a little research, making sandwiches, packing drinks in a cooler, and getting the rest of our gear together, we were out the door and on our way.

Max Patch Meadows is just over the border from Tennessee, in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. It's just up from Harmon's Den. Those of you who have been on the AT for any amount of time or at least have studied and dreamed of doing the AT should be familiar with Max Patch. It is a bald sitting at 4,616' in elevation along the Appalachian Trail. The directions to get there have improved since our last voyage to get there and the signs once you exit the interstate (at least from the Harmon's Den exit #7 on I-40) have gotten better.

There is lots of flora and fauna to view on the trip up once you exit the interstate and head up the graveled forest service road. Tons of yellow, purple, orange, and red flowers. The rhododendrons were blooming in the gully's as we traversed the road and switchbacks on the way up. I will save all the technicals as there are plenty of sites that go over that much better than I can, such as: http://www.wildlifesouth.com/Locations/NorthCarolina/MaxPatchRd.html and http://www.griztrax.net/hiking/MaxPatch/Max.htm.

Anyway, it only took us about an hour or so once we left town and got on our way. We arrived at the parking area for Max Patch around 4:30pm or so. It was a nice uneventful drive the whole way there and not a sign of rain anywhere as we traveled. However the second we parked the windshield was littered with drops. We sat for a minute debating on whether to wait or head on up. Well the rugrat and I out voted Robin and we decided to head on up. We could see several other visitors (hikers, sight seers, etc.) headed down. Our trusty side kick seemed keen to get up the trail as well so on we went. I have to say that from the parking lot looking up to the top of the bald it doesn't look like a very steep route up. Boy was I deceived. It didn't help that by the time we were half way up the trail my entire back was soaked. As a matter of fact, all of our backs were soaked and Robin's glasses were of no help as they were totally wet with drops of rain. Every once in a while the rain would slack off but as we continued up, it would start up again. Needless to say, this had to be the stupidest thing we had ever done. We know better than to go into the mountains without having rain gear in the summer. As most of you know, a storm or shower can pop up in the mountains without a moments notice.

Despite the situation we arrived atop the bald and the view was spectacular. We stayed up there for a few minutes. The rain stopped long enough for Robin to snap a few shots. I have to say it's not a complete panoramic view from one spot. You have to move from one side to the other to see everything, but other than that, it's not that bad. We finally decided to head back down. Of course the rain wasn't complete. We were completely soaked by the time we got back down. I had rain dripping from my eyebrows into my eyes and would have to wipe my brow with my hand, or would shake my head to no avail.

The funniest thing happened once we got back to the parking lot. Yep you guessed it. The rain stopped, and the sun came out. D'oh, if only we had listened to Robin. We could have went up the trail at a leisurely pace. We could have taken our time, taken the big camera and tripod and got some really good shots. Oh well, that's just our luck sometimes. Anyway we hung around long enough to pull our shoes off and don the flip flops. We got dry enough to not be dripping anymore and decided it was time to head out.

Overall, it was indeed a fun and memorable experience. We finally found the infamous Max Patch. We will definitely have to go back again sometime. I would absolutely love to go up there sometime in the winter when the meadow is covered in snow. Talk about a great place to go sledding. Anyway, enjoy the pictures. If you find you have the time, there a few cabins up there that one can rent. You'll just have to Google "Max Patch Cabins" and you should find some suitable results.

Until next time, happy trails.

Tim and the gang.

The Rugrat, the Sidekick on 4 legs, and Moi.

Robin and Tim with the Sidekick's Tail
On Top of Max Patch

One of the Views from Max Patch

The Sidekick
Ready to Head Back to the Homestead

The View from the Parking Lot Whilst in the Car
(See it doesn't look that steep now does it?)

Speed Racer Himself
(Don't I wish?)

The Sidekick, Relaxin on the way Home.
("This is a chin rest Doddy Mans, not an armrest", so says the Sidekick)

My Head Still ain't Frozen

This past week the weather has been very reminiscent of Fall in East Tennessee. With the weather being as pleasant as it has been, we decided get out of the doors and into the beautiful wild we call home. We had initially planned to head to Buffalo Mountain Park, but at the last minute we decided to head instead out to Frozen Head to take a short hike, let the kids play, and have a picnic lunch.

So with the plan in mind, we packed our lunch, a cooler, Fluzzy (that's the camera), and ourselves into the car and headed on our merry way out to Frozen Head State Park. Of course we had to make a slight detour across the street to Mom and Dad's house to make a couple special event contacts on the HF Ham Radio (More details on my Ham Radio Blog).

After our detour and the drive, we arrived at the park. Once everyone made their necessary pit stop we headed to the trail head and went about our leisurely way along the Interpretive Loop Trail. Along the way Robin pointed out interesting flora, fauna, insects, and other miscellaneous things to the girls. Meanwhile, our trusty sidekick Clover sniffed until her heart was content. There were several photo ops along the way, of which can be seen at the bottom of the post.

We made a couple of detours along the trail. One such detour was into the dried up creek bed to search for geodes, of which we found none. Rugrat, however, did find a salamander. Our second detour was unintentional. We crossed the first bridge at which there was a sign prior to crossing that pointed left to continue along the interpretative trail. I noticed the sign but didn't say anything. I really didn't have any excuse for not saying anything, other than I figured Robin knew where we were headed. She was just following the blazes on the trail and didn't notice the sign. It wasn't until we crested a nice incline that I figured I had better say anything before we headed up anymore major elevation gains. It was at this point that Robin wanted to know why I hadn't said anything before.

We made our way back down the trail to the bridge and righted our course and were once again along the way of the correct trail. We followed more of a creek bed crossed another wooden bridge, at which Robin decided it was time for some photos. If we had any good rains recently, I believe we would have been treated to a beautiful cascade or waterfall. However, we haven't had much rain this month so we had to imagine the waterfall instead.

After we finished the photos at this spot and various other spots we continue on down the trail. We came to a bench in which we sat to take a breather. Prior to resting our footsies, Rugrat two had spotted and captured a little frog. I ought to take a moment to explain that during the entire trip, we were awarding the rugrats small amounts of money for any and all wildlife spotted during our ventures. For the spotting and capture of the frog (of course the frog was released promptly and unharmed) we awarded rugrat two 10 cents for spotting and 50 cents for catching the little amphibian.

After a little over a mile or so, we emerged from the trail and headed to the picnic and playground area. We had sandwiches, chips, and cookies. After eating, we let the kids play on the playground and in the creek for a little bit. We finally decided it was time to head back to the homestead and over to mom and dad's to play a little radio. At the end of the adventure the final tally was rugrat 1 - .55 cents. Rugrat 2 - .72 cents. Of course I rounded both of their totals to .75 cents to which they were both pleased.

Anyway, take care all and enjoy the photos below and remember to leave no trace of your visit out of doors. Trash does kill.

As always,
Tim

Tim in the Wild

All Three Rugrats

Clover Sittin' Pretty

Robin in the Wild

Rugrats I and II

Rugrats on the Slide