A Day in the Wilderness (sort of) /  by Dave Hileman

We arrived at Fort Wilderness Campground about noon and got the site we wanted in Bobcat Bend. You have been to Disney too many times if you know sites you want in advance. It is perfect. We are not going to parks but don’t think that means a lazy day, we walked 7.5 miles on day one. That is almost 18,000 steps. We around the campground, drove to Disney Springs for an early dinner at The Homecoming. Too much food, but so very good. We have another day’s meals in the leftovers. We walked at the Springs, took a boat to Port Orleans and walked about there and boated back, hustled from one end to the opposite end to get back to our car and back to the campground in time to walk to the beach and watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. Tomorrow will not be less busy. But what fun. We snagged a cone to share at Salt and Straw during a deluge in the afternoon (before dinner!) and it was exceptional. We tried S&S in Seattle three years ago and it was equally as good.

Fireworks over Bay Lake

A mid-fifties Amphicar plies the water in front of the hot air balloon at Disney Springs.

Wekiwa Springs /  by Dave Hileman

First stop on the way to the wedding was this state park in the north part of greater Orlando. It was an okay place, pretty hemmed in by development but nicely kept. The big draw here is the spring and it is packed with people enjoying the 68 degree water in the hot Florida sun. The campground had 60 spaces with electric and water and a few of those had sewer. We took a 3 mile hike at Sand Beach but did not see much wildlife. One red-shouldered hawk. But it was a neat, mossy, humid environment with lots of various palms and ferns. Could not imagine cutting through this stuff like the Spanish explorers did in helmets and breastplates. I would have been dead by the end of the first week.

The Springs Pool

The Mill Creek Trail at Sand Pond

Wounded /  by Dave Hileman

This young seal was attacked by “something” and had a head wound. We alerted a ranger but I have no idea if they were able to do anything for the seal. Along the rocks in Otter Cliffs at Acadia National Park.

"Going to the Chapel..." /  by Dave Hileman

We are headed to Florida where I am going to officiate a wedding. So we washed, de-oxidized, washed and waxed the Oliver and really cleaned the Sequoia as well. Looking good I think for 98,500 miles on the trailer and 130k on the hauler. We will be at two Florida State Parks and 2 days at Fort Wilderness. So looking forward to seeing our friends and enjoying a great week.

10,000 Plus /  by Dave Hileman

We are crossing the Bear Tooth Mountains from Yellowstone to Red Lodge. The road is well over 10k at points and it was spectacular. The road is 63 miles across alpine tundra. It is also the largest high altitude plateau in the United States. The highest point on the highway is 10,974 feet. This is another recovered image.

Short Walk - 2 photos /  by Dave Hileman

Last Sunday we had an errand for North Raleigh Christian Church driving to Williamsburg from Raleigh in the AM to worship at LifePointe then back. But after church we had a walk with our son downtown and an ice cream at Big Scoops - his treat! Nice. It had just rained, hard, so everything felt fresh. The flowers were thrilled:)

I think this is some sort of day lilly but I know they grow all over Virginia along the roads. I always enjoyed seeing them. THis one was against a Williamsburg picket fence.

At a garden gate, once again for me a mystery flower. I think my focus is on the little brother here.


Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site /  by Dave Hileman

This is not a new photo. I bought a camera a year before I took this but it is an early one of mine taken on our trip west in 2009. It was not available to me for several years. I had a strange convergence of events when the Aperture program was discontinued and the remnant I had was so corrupted it would not open. I had rescued a lot before it just quit working but about 3500 or more photos were gone, in effect. Until my grandson managed to get one of my old BU hard drives working and a better copy downloaded and I spent the morning getting some photos back. Yay. I am excited to have them and while many are not too good it is still great to have them and the record of our trip. Plus with better editing I might get some decent shots. Might. This is an original chuck wagon one of thousands of artifacts you can see at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Montana. We stumbled onto this park heading to Glacier and we loved it. A ranch for more than 100 years it was turned over intact with everything as it was to the NPS. Great place to visit.

So that is one part of the news. We also leave early Sunday morning for Florida. We will be at Fort Wilderness for two days and Lake Louise State Park for 6 while celebrating the marriage of our friend’s daughter, Angie. She and John will marry on Saturday the 25th.

Cool Off /  by Dave Hileman

We have started with the extreme heat and humidity too early! Enjoy the refreshing spray of this waterfall.

Actually I may have some news tomorrow. I think I do, but tomorrow I will know for certain. Stay tuned.

Also next week is travel again, more on Wednesday and Friday is the 7th or 8th anniversary of TLT. Roll out the party.

Congratulations, Addie! /  by Dave Hileman

Our talented, disciplined and beautiful granddaughter completes her high school education this afternoon. She was on both the YOTA and LRHS swim teams (and is the head coach for the summer swim team.) She was a standout academically with National Society Honors in multiple subjects and will head to college at UNC, Chapel Hill this fall. Could not be more proud of her. She is a joy.

One of her senior photos, not one of mine.

A Hike at Linville Gorge - Stage Two The View /  by Dave Hileman

Linville Gorge is a lush, verdant valley with the Linville River coursing through the valley floor. There are mountains all around and high cliffs on the north side, where we hiked and named peaks still further to our west like Hawk’s Bill and Tabletop. Lake James (I think), a large man-made lake at the eastern end,.

This was a shot from my “private” rock where I sat for our reflection time after the devotion. Hard not to think of God’s amazing works.

The first viewpoint looking east as we begin the ascent. That is Lake James.

One of the many social paths along the rim of the ridge. Stunning day.

A Hike at Linville Gorge -Stage One People /  by Dave Hileman

Waypoint Church Planters and Christian Financial Resource sponsor different outings each year. This week was a hike that 14 folks attended at the Linville Gorge Trail in the Pisgah National Forest. This is an out and back trail about 1200+ elevation gain and I measured 5.8 on my iPhone at just under 15,000 steps. We met in Morgantown and then rode about 10 miles to the start of the hike. Today’s post will be some of the people. I never did get a shot of everyone - the only time we were all together was for the devotion and I was not shooting then.

At the start we are all fresh!

The folks on the right and left were our sponsors, the fellow in the grey was the local leader and did the devotions, his daughter was a star and some random guy that just kept getting in the photos! This was about 2/3 of the way up.

Everyone was off by themselves to reflect on the devotion and the 131st Psalm as a part of the devotion. Good time.

Not a part of our group but a hiker with style!

Sunset on the OBX Series /  by Dave Hileman

Thanks for looking at the Outer Banks photos. I have a few more I may or may not show, abstracts that I have not really worked with to edit yet. Not sure how they will turn out. Yesterday I took a very long, uphill hike with some minister friends. So exptect a few from the Blue Ridge soon.

The Mating Game - OBX Series (multiple photos) /  by Dave Hileman

We were able to come up to the line where the Park Service had set an area aside for nesting. The terns, however, did not read the signs and were nesting on both sides of the lines. It was amazing to see all the activity swirling all around. The terns have an interesting mating ritual. The male goes fishing and then with a fish in it’s beak, tries to impress a female tern. She usually rebuffs a few attempts. Some scientists think the size of the fish correlates to how well the female expects the male to provide for her brood. Anyway, we watched this unfold with multiple pairs of terns. I managed to isolate one from the time he starts to woo his potential mate until she accepts the fish from him.

The male is on the right trying to get the attention of the female with the fish he is holding. This took several minutes before she landed.

She still feigned disinterest so he resorts to raising and lowering wings and trying to move in front of her.

More impressing

Not working well as she turns away.

He moves back in the field of view and she eyes the fish

He moves awaiting her decision

The lowering of her head indicates acceptance

He offers the fish to her and…

…she accepts. We will allow them some privacy now:)

There were many pairs of terns all around the beach.

Three in One - OBX Series /  by Dave Hileman

I love to find reflections. Shadows are also high on my “like” list and if you have read more than a few of my posts, you will find a bird or two land on this site. Walking along the beach I hit the trifecta - a brilliant plover, his shadow and his reflection all three distinct in color and shape. Photo satisfaction.