Whoo Says You Can't Have a Great Hike in the Mud?

Things are a bit muddy here in north central Kentucky.  Boot scraping and shoe changing before getting into the car is a must.  It was even muddier at Jefferson Memorial Forest yesterday, and the trails not as enticing as those at the Bernheim Arboretum, but we slogged on down the trail in the Paul Yost Rec Area anyway because we were in awe of the sunshine.

I didn't even think I was going to turn on my camera on this hike, and then I saw a swoosh of big bird wing out of the corner of my eye.  Not the giant yellow PBS guy, but a gorgeous owl!  It might have been a celebrity like Big Bird for how excited I got.  Here's my photographic proof.

Okay, I'm not the birder some of you others are since this is the first owl I've seen in the wild, but it's a Barred Owl, right? Someone let me know if I'm wrong.  I'm not used to having video capability on my camera, if I'd remembered I should have switched over to it after I got this shot because it was just as beautiful flying away.  I may now be officially in love with my Canon SX50.  I would have never got this shot with my DSLR. By the time I got it set up the owl probably would have been gone, and due to the heavier lens camera shake probably would have been noticeable.

It's a good thing I'm skinny these days! Eight years ago this might have been a problem, but then again, eight years ago I wouldn't have hiked a muddy trail for the pure love of the sunshine and endorphins either.  Even though you can't see my face,  proof that I was on the trail, just like the owl.

The neighbor by the parking lot had some cute horses. The neigh-bor, get it? Yeah, I know. The white one's coat was kind of long and fuzzy like a stuffed animal.

One more image before I drag Cory out of bed.  I liked it, you can feel the sunshine.