Hey guys!
So, it sounds like you all are a lemon-loving bunch! Thank you for all the comments on the Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes from yesterday…I just wish I could take credit for such deliciousness!
I can’t wait to finish up my review of the other nu new NuNaturals product, their orange-flavored stevia, so I can get a chance to share some with you guys! Notice I used the term “guyS”…
That’s right, there will be a chance for not one, not two, but FOUR winners on this giveaway! Yay for free stuff! π
I know, I know…I’m hurrying!
Anywho, how about that post title? I thought it seemed appropriate after yesterday’s Wizard of Oz reference…believe me, I’m trying hard to resist the urge to belt out “Over the Rainbow” right now!
So while I could have been in the kitchen all day yesterday, plotting delicious plans with my stevia products, I chose to spend the day in the great outdoors, exploring with BB.Β We left the ever sexy Mistress of the Road at home, and decided to take BB’s baby out for a little fun instead:
Sadly, she was nameless until yesterday when I dubbed her:
Regina the Ranger!
Her middle name is 4×4 for those interested! π
It was a cool and windy day yesterday, so most of our adventure was of the off-roading, jolt-the-spine-out-of-your-back variety, but Fern did a pretty good job of navigating us over hills and through ditches to find some hidden gems.
And of course, I have photo documentation:
The purple flowers are Wisteria…and after smelling them for the first time yesterday, I’ve decided I want to plant like TWENTY of them in my backyard!
After a while of jumping in and out of the truck/hanging the camera out the window to get some shots of all the scenery, we came across a man-made beach and decided to get out and walk around.
Luckily, the clouds decided to part around that time, so we had a few warm minutes in the sun. We found a man-made beach and explored a bit right at the shoreline:
See that little guy at the top right? That’s a skeleton of an Alligator Gar…but just a wee one as it isn’t uncommon to see them get to 6.5 FEET in length!
Just a little bit of fish trivia for ya…BB is FULL of fun little facts about nature and wildlife Β and I’ve realized the more I hang out with him, the more it rubs off on me.
So keep us in mind if you ever need a lifeline or anything! π
Of course, like many of our nature outings, I get click happy and take about 500 pictures of plants and flowers, while BB goes on a hunt for wildlife.
Remember that time he caught a rattlesnake?
Well, it seems I’m dating a regular Steve Irwin:
And in BB’s impromptu nature show, we have:
1. A stinkpot turtle…believe me, he has that name for a reason…stiiiiiiinky!
2. A diamondback water snakeΒ …don’t worry, he’s not venomous!
3. And a crawfish (or crawdad, or crayfish…to-MAY-to, to-MAH-to)
After a small presentation of each followed by a question and answer period, BB was patient with me as I asked him, “will it bite me?” before I petted each animal…
Unfortunately there were no stickers, candy, or balloon animals.
Obviously, BB needs to up his game if he ever plans on making a living out of this. Luckily, he was able to win me over with a little hand holding…
And the promise of a good meal!
Once we got back to Casa de Broccoli, I roasted up some MUTANT brussel sprouts (seriously, these things deserve their own zip code!) while he got to work on grilling up some swordfish!
At the last minute, we decided on some baked sweet potatoes too!
Mmm, mmm, MMMMM!
Yeah, I’d say he definitely has a future in the nature business…The Discovery Channel doesn’t even know what they’re missing! π
Did you have any outdoor OR culinary adventures this weekend?
I used to have Wisteria in my old backyard and it always made the whole yard smell amazing!
Haha this post reminds me of when I was a kid though – I used to LOVE going to the creek and catching snakes, salamanders, and crayfish. Haven’t had any adventures like that in years though. π My weekend consisted of mostly studying. But at least the end is in sight – only 4 more days!
Haha, that’s exactly how BB was a kid too…only he never grew out of it! I, on the other hand, was always to afraid to touch anything. I once accidentally squished a lightning bug in my hand and vowed to never again try to catch them! Lol
Woo hoo…the end is in sight! Good luck with your finals!
What awesome outdoor adventures! I did some bike riding, but nothing super nature-y like this. Your hike has me a bit jealous!
Thank you! I used to think I was a pretty outdoorsy person and could have a good adventure on my own…then I met BB and he showed me how it’s REALLY done! π
Aww such cute photos, I love the holding hands one π I’m a romantic in disguise.
I can’t wait for the giveaway!
Thank you Kammie!
BEAUTIFUL pictures! I love taking shadow photos, so mysterious (and romantic if it’s a kissing one :)). I noticed you are wearing the barefoot running shoes. How long have you been wearing them? Do you only run in those or alternate? How do you like them? I am thinking about trying barefoot running out….
Thank you so much! Yes, I bought my Vibram Five Fingers about a year ago and I love them! I bought the “Trekking” variety so they’re good for running but they also make excellent hiking shoes because of the tread. I do like them for running, but not really for long distances. I’ve never done more than 5 miles of running in them at a time, but I noticed on the weeks where I ran a couple of 5 milers, my arches started to get really sore (not like pain really, but more like a dull ache that lasted throughout the day). They really do help you run with better form tho. I ran in them for the first time in months the other day and my calves are STILL sore since they basically force you to land on the ball of your feet (yeah, I got a bit lazy in my Asics running shoes). I’d definitely recommend them if you’re looking for a good barefoot running shoe…just take this bit of advice: make sure to work up to your mileage! Walk in them for a while and get used to them before you go on any long hikes or runs, otherwise you will get KILLER blisters (obviously, I’m speaking from experience) π
Awww it sounds like you guys had such a fun weekend! He is WAY braver that I would be!!! haha fun adventures though π
G-love always wins me over with handholding!
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