Yellow River Camping

Rick and I spent a long weekend camping at Yellow River State Forest.

Our campsite! Rocinante is laying out to dry and the blue tarp tied to the tree is our makeshift shower curtain/ clothesline. We hang our camp shower beneath the tarp so we can wash up properly without offending any neighbors.

Bald Eagle on the Yellow River

Great Swallowtail Butterfly on a bull thistle

Great Swallowtail Butterflies

Rick and a Rainbow Trout caught in Big Paint Creek

Grosbeak

Erin and a teeny tiny Crawdad she caught by hand in the Yellow River

Rough Winged Swallow

Painted Turtle

A little Bass Rick caught in the mouth of the Yellow River

Viceroy Butterfly - the viceroy is a non-poisonous Monarch mimic, but the black band across the lower wing gives it away. The Monarch doesn't have one.

Lake Macbride

Rick and I took Rocinante out for a paddle around Lake Macbride

Yellow Warbler

Grasshopper Sparrow

Rose Breasted Grosbeak - female

Northern Waterthrush

Our homemade Jugs for Jug-Fishin'

Jug Fishing at Palo Reservoir

Rick and I took Rocinante out for a little Jug Fishing at the Palo Reservoir aka: Pleasant Creek

Painted Turtle

Muskrat - if you look closely, you can see Rocinante's reflection in his eye. We were so close we could hear him chewing that blade of grass!

Green Heron

Ducks on dead trees

Painted Turtles

Erin and a Channel Cat - caught on a jug and stinkbait

Kingbird

Ricky and a little Channel Cat - this one talked a lot!

Jug Fishing at Lake Macbride

Rick finds a "honey hole" in a cove at Lake Macbride, a storm drove us in early the first day, but we went back the day after to catch some more catfish!

Fishing Raccoons

This little guy chewed on this artificial lure for a couple minutes before deciding it wasn't food and discarding it.

This mama raccoon teaches her little ones how to feel around under submerged rocks for food.

Backbone Camping

Rick, Matt, Alex and I headed up to backbone for a weekend of camping and fishing!

3 fearless explorers head up the rocky stairs to "the cave"

3 fearless explorers at the mouth of "the cave" (the flashlightless camera girl is IN the cave)

Alex crawls through "the cave" after abandoning further exploration in favor of being able to stand up again

Alex and Rick beside a creek in Backbone State Park 

Matt fishing in a creek at Backbone State Park