Special Spring Saturday

 After taking Cora out for breakfast last weekend, Stace took Violet out to Carl's Jr. Saturday morning for their favorite, biscuits and gravy.

 Meanwhile, I thought it would be nice for me and Cora to have a date, too. I invited her to come with me on a walk to Starbucks, via the beautiful Summit hill and valley trail.

She agreed, and we had a great time. Maybe I have a new walking/workout buddy on weekend mornings.

 We got home from our walk just barely in time to head to Placerita Nature Center, for the Junior Ranger program. This time, Ranger Frank led us on a walk and showed us little signs that show that nature's creatures are all around us. Horizontal marks across the trees, for instance, show the insect-seeking Northern Flicker; while a shallow hole in the side of the hill is a likely grey fox burrow.
Here, we are checking out tadpoles in the butterfly pond.

 Then, Frank passed out owl pellets for dissection - what fun, for our nature-loving girls! We discovered a rat's jawbone, along with lots of other bones.

 On this gorgeous day, we weren't quite ready to be done hiking.

After getting lunch at Jersey Mike's, we went over to Elsmere Canyon, a new trail for us. The budding oak trees shaded the path, and a trickle of water still flowed in the creek (on the left in the photo).

It was a lovely afternoon. When we got home, I rested with a book, while Stace made dinner. We enjoyed dinner outside, in our newly beautified backyard.