For the first time in my life, it has recently been pointed out to me that Alabama is an unsafe place to live. And also for the second time in my life, less than a month later. I really had no idea. I was in denial. It’s so beautiful…It has to be perfect! All places […]
The Lilies, the Snakes, and the Misplaced Boob.
It was time for a new adventure. And I wanted to see firsthand, for the first time in my life, The Cahaba Lily. It’s a famed flower in our area, being very rare, quite endangered, and living in sparse, hard-to-access clumps along the Cahaba River, which is a relatively tiny waterway that winds itself through […]
Finishing by the Skin of my Teeth.
We. Have finished. Like the Loaves and the Fishes, God somehow multiplied our days and we got in not the 165 required minimum, and not the 175 recommended, but 176 school days. One hundred seventy-six days of school since I took this picture. Despite the wreck. Despite spending a full week and the better part […]
Not ANOTHER Outdoorsy Post.
So I took 2,457 pictures this past weekend while we were at Oak Mountain, and edited and kept 265. It took me approximately 16 hours to go through them all and save and edit, so I decided that I would subject you to more of them. Because I deserve your attention, guys. And also […]
On Running Away While Staying in Town.
Starting Friday afternoon, I took an unexpected four day/three night vacation. …Something about that sounds like I went to prison, but no. We, as a family, discovered the pure joy in taking a completely unplanned weekend getaway. It all started at noon on Friday. Chris had told me he was going to be trail running […]
Exploring Secrets in Birmingham.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared 30 really cool places that the kids and I like to visit on hikes. But, regardless of the destination’s level of “knownness”, pretty much all of them are on the grid. They can be found on hiking maps, they’re not hidden, and they’re available for public use. But since I published that […]
The Grand Bug Hunt.
“Do you need me to babysit this week? I need your kid’s help catching insects.” “Ummm, no…but you’re welcome to come over and we’ll help you catch bugs.” This conversation took place with my least in-tune-with-nature babysitter, Giann. Her idea of “outdoors” is going to an outlet mall, or perhaps eating outside – if the […]
It’s Not About the Journey: 30 Hiking Destinations around Birmingham
In the past seven days, my nine and five year old have hiked 15 miles with me – and this isn’t unusual for us. There were tears once, whining a few times, and EMERGENCY NEEDS TO PEE twice, but overall, they were excited, running ahead of me, and looking for adventure. The secret to this […]
Running The Weekend Away.
Running. I know. It’s an obnoxious subject. I have a friend who is a serious frenemy of my running habits, and she has informed me that I was really close to getting an intervention after I posted this photo of Chris and I a couple weeks ago: So I do understand that I am pushing […]
Stumbling Into Epic Adventure
“I’m starting to feel antsy to get out of town again – I guess that’s a good sign.” I had just told Chris that last Sunday, and it was the first time I’d even thought about leaving town since the all-too-often mentioned wreck twelve weeks ago. Sitting with my legs down for more than half an hour […]