A beautiful day for Rockin' in the Swamp

"Line the kids up over there, pull the covers off of the Gold Mine and rush them through; that's why it's a 'Gold Rush' ". There was much enthusiasm over picking up chunks of pyrite.

That white pile of limestone had lots of fossils for the kids to search out... and no age limit on the "kids" who could hunt through it... I found a nice spiral shell. There were wonderful displays set up in the Nature center, too... folks from the Gem and Mineral society, LSU Geology, artists and crafters, and others. I resisted my urge to climb the Rock Wall.

Some "Spring" in my steps

Lots of goings- on in the swamp; critters are getting busy. Trees are budding, with a few early ones popping out. It's still early; cold in the mornings, but afternoon was very pleasant... shirtsleeve temperatures and sunny. Turtles were lined up on logs in the pond, a pair of geese feeding on the bank. I think the geese were visitors from a nearby lake. Lots of little birds were active in the trees and thickets; hawks were keening, egrets feeding. Owls are nesting, I guess... there were at least sthree pairs of barred owls hooting back and forth. Bunnies and squirrels were hopping around. Overall, a pleasant commune with nature.