Magical Morrow Mountain-- or Serendipitous in this case

Ten days ago we confirmed a plan with Jennifer to 

use the kids' Veterans Day holiday for a picnic and hike

at our beloved Morrow Mountain State Park.

Lo, and behold.  Amanda calls and asks if they could 

"drop in" from Georgia and spend a couple of nights with

us.  DUH!  YES (or weeks)!

The surprise visit happily coincided with the pre-planned

Morrow Mountain visit. So with no more delay, let me 

share some of the highlights of that glorious day.

Before noon it was breezy at the mountaintop, so we decided to
picnic down by Lake Tillery.  Hey, where's Ryan?

Oh, near the food, of course.

Act One, Scene 1: Clair spreads her wings.

Act One, Scene 2: Evan follows suit.

Act One, Scene 3: Ryan tries HIS wings.  Did you ever doubt it?

In spite of overnight rain, the trails were dry.  We chose the
Three Rivers Trail, which at 0.8 miles figured to be enough of a
 challenge.  It was well worth a steep climb for the views we would get.

The rear guard never wavered.

Posing at the top with various specimens.  Hunter has a
granddaddy long-legs.  Those were abundant and highly prized
on this fall day.

Jennifer and Amanda with five of the grandest "grands" ever.
From here, we could view the three rivers that converge to form
Lake Tillery: the Yadkin River joins the Uwharrie River which
then becomes known as the Pee Dee River.

Focus on the Hump-backed orb weaver (spider) near center.
None of our cameras could focus very well.

Here, the giant arachnid menaces Claire, but she stares him down.
She is ARTEMIS, and knows no fear!

We came to a fair-sized ravine which the older kids size up for
crossing.  Meanwhile, Ryan, who never misses a photo op,
steals the show.

Trees are for climbing, whether they're vertical, diagonal, or horizontal.
Going UP!

Anybody have an idea how we'll get back?

This nearby fallen tree presented a different kind of obstacle course.
It was a maze worthy of the Minotaur.

Dry logs are a welcome rest stop after a steep climb-- AND a
steep descent.  No one said they were tired, though.

Evan and Hunter thought this tree could be called Zero.

The river had an icy but serene look today.

Even in mid-November the leaves were more muted than vivid.

Here's a look back up at the mini-mountain we had hiked over.
I think the next time we go, the kids will blaze their own trails.

Yes, those are lilies in the foreground.  I'd never seen them there before.
A nice view of the shore we had followed.

Our nature patrol found oddities everywhere they turned.

Even at the end of the trail, they wanted to "sign in" to show we
had been there.  Nothing wrong with their "temporary graffiti."

We relaxed for a while at the park museum.  It was Ryan's first time
and he was spellbound by many of the exhibits.  All our kids are
museum buffs.

Before heading home, we drove back to the mountaintop

for some final photos.  On a future visit, we'll hike the

trail at the top.  Only Ryan hadn't done it before, but he'll

get his chance.

Did you ever sit on a rock wall at an overlook and wonder what
it would be like to roll all the way down a mountain?
I wonder why these two are smiling so big.  Hmm.

Evan and Hunter display two of their granddaddy longleg friends.
To the children's credit, none of them tried to scare each other with them.
They simply wanted to hold them and play with them.

Zooming in on Lake Tillery from the mountaintop picnic area.

Hey guys, I'm over here.  Behind you.

Five grandkids and two granddaddy longlegs.

Bri: Everybody flap your wings, like this.
Hunter: I don't think spiders can fly.

For me and Judy, this is what happiness looks like.

These three moms are responsible for a WHOLE lot of happiness
for a whole lot of people!