Outdoors

Winter didn't really seem to stop lingering until about mid-May out here. Ever since then, we have been LOVING being outside. It's really hitting me that we are (probably) entering our last year here in Ithaca. We really really love this beautiful town, especially in summer. All I want to do is be outside exploring all the trails and state parks all day everyday right now. That's a little hard with a new baby, but we're still getting out quite a bit which is filling my soul. 

This trip to Taughannock was my first big solo trip with the kids. (Sadly it did not end well as there was construction on the way home and we had to sit in traffic for 45 minutes with a screaming baby, much of the time on a bridge where I couldn't pull off to help her. It was a stressful ending to a beautiful outing). 

 

  We went back again with my parents when they were here for Emmy's baby blessing. Interesting to see the water comparison. The waterfall did seem so much smaller that second time.

 Cornell's arboretum has been closed to cars since March, and walking in seemed like a long walk, but we finally found a closer entrance to go in where we could park outside. So happy that we found it because it is the perfect place for a Sunday stroll. This trip was especially cool because we found a bunch of fish and a large turtle family to feed bread to.

 The predator eyeing her prey.

 We played at a new (to us) state park a couple of weeks ago, Long Point State Park. We were sure that the water would be way too cold for swimming (it was a coolish day in the low 70s with lots of wind), but brought the kids suits just in case. Is swimming ever too cold for kids?

 

 Buttermilk Falls is a favorite. The swimming "pool" at the bottom of the trail is currently closed, but we found a nice little swimming hole of our own on the trail.