A Sunday Saunter

There's a great place just up the road from our house called Yates Mill.  It's an old corn mill, and we've been there on a field trip to take tours before.  This particular Sunday (it's been several weeks now) we decided to head out in the afternoon to burn off some energy with the kids by exploring a few of the trails around the lake.

What beautiful scenery!  I always love getting out of the house for a fun, low-key hike with the kids.  Of course, these outings don't always turn out as planned. Sometimes the tensions get high, accidents happen, injuries occur, fights break out, weather turns bad, and so on.  You know how it goes, right?  But at least we try.

This outing was generally a success, despite a few little arguments.  We discovered a trail that connects to the NC State Ag. farms and played on a big wooden swing hanging from an oak tree on the edge of their property.  Very cool.  And these days its seems that our oldest can always be found with a volleyball attached to her.   She and her dad volleyed all they way around the lake, which did happen to annoy a few of the other hikers (in our family!)

But I seem to love this place.  If it weren't for the bit of road noise that you can hear on part of the trail, it would be almost perfect.  So serene, so green, and best of all...close to home.

Notice the Duke Splash T-shirt my volley ball girl is wearing.  She got that at an event held at Duke University the day before our hike. It was for middle and high schoolers. She was able to choose 4 classes and have a pizza lunch for free!  Some of her home school buddies went too and she loved it!  They turned her loose on campus with a map and a list of her classes.  So much freedom and independence!!   She was totally seeing herself going to school there in the future, which, of course, was probably the whole point of the event.