DRIVING PRACTICE

We've traveled from Indiana approximately 250 miles north then west to Hamilton, Illinois as we press homeward. North for cooler weather and West headed back to California. It was the perfect day for a driving lesson for me since I've only driven the motor home once. The traffic was helpfully light on Highway 10 and  136 West.

The corn harvesters were moving from field to field and I was grateful, as I drove, that I was meeting them instead of being stuck behind them. They are huge and hard to see around.

At times there were several of them in a row rolling to the next field where they work in crews and get in the ethanol corn. The soybean fields are beginning to ripen, but not quite ready for harvest yet.

 Illinois is quite flat and I drove in a heavy, broadside wind for my three hours behind the wheel. I got much needed  practice navigating stop signs, curves, uphill and down, and several left and right turns. I stopped twice, once for a snack and water break; Another stop for Jim to get on the computer and find us a place to stay for the night.It isn't as difficult to drive one of these big rigs as I thought. Of course, practice helps.

Only one "narrow" hazzard, which happened after Jim took the wheel. And he also met a harvester in front of us. You can see how much of the road they use. We expect we'll see more of them across Missouri.

Looking back, a week or more, at a place in Indiana, I saw a sign for a historic marker in the Land Of The Limberlost. We couldn't stop, but this morning I looked it up on-line and found out what it is. If you are curious, as I was, check the link to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limberlost_Swamp

HIKING HORSESHOE LAKES

Horseshoe Lakes is made up of ten named lakes and several smaller un-named lakes. We've hiked around those nearest to us and decided to see the rest of the area. A couple boaters were out  fishing in the morning and some kids were fishing from the bank. Other than that, there is not much activity on these nice little lakes.

This is Four Island Lake, which describes it perfectly and is the biggest lake in the cluster. We completely walked around it our second day here.

 Turkey Toe has several inlets that resemble fijords. You can stand on the bank and see water on either side of you.

One end of North Lake

Goose Foot. The names are typically descriptive of their shape.

On the way back to the motor home we passed this invitation to come on in and have a margarita. I think everyone is familiar with the figure of Maxine. People never lack for a sense of humor when they set up their space. Jim called it a day, but I decided to take the forest hike as well.

Butterflies were plentiful here and I found a milkweed pod which is great butterfly food.

Horseshoe Lakes Preserve also grows several tracts of soybeans and ethanol corn on the outer perimeter of the property.

Choke cherries, wild grape and another white berry that I don't recognize grow around the lakes.

This pretty blue butterfly closed its wings just as I snapped.

This darker butterfly may be the same species as the one above. I don't know my butterflies that well.

I saw several others species that I couldn't get pictures of. This one seemed to hover near fallen berries on the ground.

Several butterflies thought this plant was pretty yummy as well. I don't recognize the plant since Indiana forest is unfamiliar to me.

The forest hike ended back near the ranger station at Miners Lake.
This pretty spot was breezy and cool and a pleasant place to stay as we gear up for a straight shot back to California.

We sat outside and read until the sun went down on Horseshoe Lake.