Hiking Weekiwachee Preserve

I have been out for a while with a medical condition.  Lets just say that it was not menopause and it was too personal to write about.  Since I could not write about the one thing that was occupying all my time, I didn't know what to write at all.  Thankfully, it is all over now and this last Saturday I was given clearance by the doctor to start exercising again.  I have not exercised in any form for the last 8 weeks.  At first I had medical clearance but was too scared that any form of movement was going to cause an event I was trying to avoid and then the event actually happened 6 weeks later and I was told not to run anymore until I was cleared.  I instead spent the last 8 weeks trying not to move too much and whining and complaining as much as possible.  Well, come on, it wasn't like I could do anything else!  I whined and complained so much I was annoying myself.   Even my animals where trying to get away from me.   Joy turned to sniffing shoes for solace.

 Poor Joy's shoe sniffing habit has become a serious problem......  

ANYWAY, it is over now, and this Sunday we went hiking at the Weekiwachee Preserve in Spring Hill for my first outing.  I had intended to run, but starting over is proving to be much harder than I anticipated, and it was more of a run/hike/climb.  My Hottie rode his bike. 

Weekiwachee Preserve started out as a limestone mine, and I am told that the sides drop about 25 feet where you see the reeds stop in the water.  I did not test this theory.  The water is also a really beautiful blue-green because of the limestone. 

 It was gorgeous out and not too hot.  I did a good bit of running but also a lot of exploring.  We saw a female deer and her baby, a very large grasshopper, a very large ant, an armidillo, possibly an alligator (we couldn't be sure), and heard several unidentified things crashing around.  My mind immediately jumped to snake, alligator, or black bear but it was probably nothing more than a lizard.

[caption id="attachment_110" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Trying to catch the deer on camera but too slow."][/caption]

This ant was 1 inch long. My Hottie says it is called a Cow Killer.

 

BBIIIGG Grasshopper!

 

View from a giant hill.

 

Hottie trying to get away.

 

 

Sun is starting to set.

 

This turned out to be a great place to spend a Sunday.  We are planning to come back again soon.   We got Subway sandwiches and went home to work on the house.  I have a long way to go to get back into running shape again, but I can't think of a prettier environment to start in.  Hope you all had a great weekend.  Tomorrow will be shrimp and cheesy grits!