A Picturesque Picnic

Can you see the little picnic table tucked away far beneath that old Alligator Juniper? The one my family is marching towards as purposefully as ants at a picnic? That's where we had the distinct pleasure of enjoying our lunch today. And it was beautiful. Breathtaking, really. At every turn we were faced with sweeping vistas of tall skies and majestic mountains, a pleasing palette of greens and golds, and we were serenaded by the song of countless unseen insects.

The first table we came to was already happily occupied...

...so we continued on to a second, even more perfectly located spot to spread our feast of Lunchables, trail mix, and fruit grain bars. Dylan and Caitlyn were so eager to explore that we could not keep them still long enough to eat more than a bite or two before they were dashing off again!

Finally, after packing up the remains of our meal, we headed off down the trail to further investigate our gorgeous surroundings. We found several lizards lazily sunning themselves on large boulders, and thought their camouflage quite clever.

Despite the heavy rains we've been regularly receiving this past week, there were not as many wildflowers in bloom as we had hoped to see...although the ones we did come across were quite striking.

It was a tad too warm for a lengthy hike, but we all agreed that our leisurely walk was just as fun. Actually, a high point for the kids came as we were driving home, when we passed a few cows resting under the shade of some trees along the side of the road. We pulled over for a minute to allow them a better look, and the chorus of giggles erupting from the backseat as the cows bid us farewell with a twitch of their tails was the sweetest sound in the world.

And I was pleased to encounter the only butterfly we saw today as we approached the highway on our way out of Aguirre Springs. (My dear, indulgent husband even let me climb out of the van for a quick picture!)

We talked and laughed the entire way home, and, since none of the kids had what could reasonably be considered a nap, they are all now asleep and Darren and I are busy making plans about what fun we might want to have tomorrow. We're considering driving out to Lake Roberts and the Gila National Forest, so the alarm is set and I, for one, am looking forward to another incredible day!