Pileated Woodpecker

Yup, I saw two, not one but TWO! My pictures aren't the best, but that doesn't lessen the thrill for me at all! We also saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk. He posed for a bit, then flew off. Some other birds shown below.

Nearly as large as a crow, the Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in most of North America. Its loud ringing calls and huge, rectangular excavations in dead trees announce its presence in forests across the continent.

Pileated Woodpecker, used to be rare,

but these guys are making a comeback

and I suspect moving their range northward,

as many other birds are doing.

Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker

American Tree Sparrow

(a winter only sparrow)

Sharp-shinned hawk

(similar to Cooper's Hawk)

Sharp-shinned hawk

Black-capped Chickadee

Hiking Kansas City - Return of a Legendary Book....

IT REALLY HAPPENED! The co-authors finally after 6 years published a new version of my all time favorite book "Hiking Kansas City". I have such fond memories of taking the kids on little day trips when they were younger, even in a stroller! The previous 2 versions of this book helped me plan, envision, dream and have giant adventures on a small scale. My previous versions have many little notes inside, records of hikes with one or both of my own children, and sometimes we added to the mix with childhood friends or family members. The first hike I took using this book as a guide was the October when Jordan went to kindergarten, and Steven and I took one of the hikes in the book. I still remember it like yesterday.

This 2007 version jumped off the shelf at Borders right into my eager hand! As I paged through this quote in the back caught my eye. It speaks my language.

Afoot and light-hearted,
I take to the open road,
Healthy, free,
the world before me,
The long brown path before me,
leading wherever I choose.
...Walt Whitman