The Trials of Motherhood

I saw this opossum on the trail this morning.

She was loaded down with at least eight babies clinging to her back.

Our Preggo Deer

The deers' bellies are drooping with expectant fawns.

WE usually start seeing the fawns around Memorial Day.

It won't be long now!

Lincoln's Home

On or way back to Indiana, we stopped at Springfield Illinois

and visited Lincoln's  home.

 Its the only home Lincoln actually owned.

 Many of the furnishings are the original possessions of the Lincoln family.

His son donated the home & contents to the national park service with the stipulation that no one would ever be charged admission to see the home.

 In a nearby cemetery, is Lincoln's impressive tomb.

Outside is a bust of Lincoln.

It is considered good luck to rub his nose, thus its a little shiny!

Inside the building are many sculptures of Lincoln.

His wife &  two young sons are also buried here.

Springfield is worth a stop to see this important piece of US history.

Digging for treasure!

Arkansas is the Quartz capital of the world,

so, of course, we had to visit a quartz mine.

The owners took up a mountain and allowed us to dig in the dirt 

looking for the clear crystals.

 WE found some pretty cool specimens.

This was a our best find, a complete quartz crystal.

I forgot how fun it is to play in the dirt!

Another National Park - Hot Springs

We finally made it to Hot Springs.

Even though its relatively close to us, we had car trouble when we attempted to visit the park.

2018 was finally the year of the hot bath!

Our 46th National park!

The Fordyce Bathhouse houses the visitor center and allows you to see 

what the bathhouse craze was all about.

 In addition to actual baths, they provided massages.

 A massage table

 The elegant dressing room

 And they had beauty parlors too!

And physical fitness was emphasized with this gum.

 The town of Hot Springs has free spring water available downtown.

And you can still see some springs flowing from the hillsides.