What a difference 47 months makes!

It's not really spring here, but the thermometer hit 65 degrees today in Georgia. (Massholes: Come visit. Really.) And what was today? A perfect day to celebrate 47 months with Lil' Genghis.

Yep, she's just one moon away from her 4th birthday. And she'll be in Brazil for that birthday -- unfortunately, away from dad, but fortunately, with like, a brazilian Brazilians and even some vikings, but that's a different story) for her birthday.

Anyway. Where were we? Oh. Today. 47 months. Springlike.

So Lil' Genghis wanted to go hiking, so we set out for Brown's Mount, a 500-foot, er, mountain rising opposite the Ocmulgee River from Macon, Ga. It's a nice relatively fast hike, unless you're Isabella, super explorer! She learned all about moss, and some other stuff, along the way. Let's take a look.


IMG_2948 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep

Here she's guiding us up the hill. She also learned about trail blazes, and we talked some about trail blazers.


IMG_2949 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep

Do you go around obstacles, or just over them? Another nice lesson ...


IMG_2953 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep

Yes, she was running. She was happy!


IMG_2957 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep

After she learned about moss, she started seeing it everywhere, and wondered who chopped down the tree. We learned about decay, and also stuff that's neat to touch.


IMG_2959 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep
Mom wanted a picture, but Lil' Genghis wanted to keep looking around. Macon rises in the background.


IMG_2969 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep
Holding hands, mom and Isabella thread their way between fallen trees, rocks and black bearsmoss.


IMG_2971 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep
On the way down, she started to get tired. Gravity sucks.

---

After we got off Brown's Mount, we went to The Hat (sorry, Aunt Sharon) for lunch. Then we went to The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, which runs sorta through Macon.

Lil' Genghis picked up her first stalker there.


IMG_2975 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep
The boy was determined to catch her. "I'm going to catch her!" he stated, vowing to catch her.

(Uncle Joe, sound familiar?)


IMG_2977 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep
Lil' Genghis strains up a small rise as mom is left in her dust.

mom was busy taking pictures from other angles:


All in all, it was a beautiful, beautiful day. Lil' Genghis learned quite a bit about nature, a city she often visits, ancient seas and her inner strengths. She heard the relative quiet of woods, let her fingers drag across moss, climbed a rock, touched fossils, got chips and salsa, made several friends, ...

and most importantly, wore herself flat out.


IMG_2979 from album 110213-Browns Mount, Ocmulgee trail, early sleep