Monday - Field Trip, Helping at Water Street Mission, and Pickleball!

Ken and I were both up before 5:30, with Ken leaving at 5:30 to be a breakfast server at the Water Street Mission.  I left at 7 to pick up Polly and then meet the rest of the "Curvettes" in Akron (8 of us) to go on a field trip that was planned by our group coordinator, Marcia, to Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve about an hour drive.

What a special group of friends!

We stopped at the Neptune Diner in Lancaster for breakfast before heading to the Preserve.  There is a mile hike through the woods that is designated as a wildflower trail and there are so many beautiful varieties of them throughout the walk.  Obviously the flowers that are blooming changes with the seasons, temperatures, and rainfall, so Marcia and Kathy try to go there every week in the spring to see what is blooming.  We saw lots of Virginia Bluebells (probably my favorite), Susquehanna Trillium, phlox, Dutchman's breeches, and violets. There were a few other varieties too, but I don't remember their names!   It is wonderful that this area is preserved!

Beautiful purple wild violets!

Dutchman Breeches!

There are numerous types of trillium, but the
one with red in the center is called the
Susquehanna Trillium!  (I only know the names
of these wildflowers because of Marcia!)

This really doesn't capture the beauty of
all the Virginia Bluebells on the hillside!
They are a gorgeous shade of blue, but the
buds are purple!

After completing the 2 mile round trip hike, we drove to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed lunch together.  Then off to a dairy not far down the road for some homemade ice cream.  Eating has to be a part of a field trip when us ladies get together.

We were back to Akron by 2:45 and I drove back home.  Ken had spent about 3 hours volunteering at the Mission, then took a walk, and worked at his desk.  He also had an appointment with Dane, our financial advisor.  At 4 we met John and Cindy at Rothsville to play pickleball.  It was a bit windy and more difficult to play outdoors with the "elements" but we did well.  Neither Cindy nor I seemed to have an over abundance of energy, but we had a good time.  

By 6:15 we were back to our house and Ken grilled chicken so we could all enjoy a dinner of salads.  We played a game of Skip-Bo which the men won (did I ever say how much I dislike that game probably because the women never seem to win) and then 5 Crowns, which the men also won.  Not a good night of game playing for the ladies.

John and Cindy left around 9:45 and Ken and I cleaned up and headed to bed.  It was a busy, but fun day!