hee, she said Cox

I got out of work a couple hours early today and I pondered for a great while (OK, five minutes) over what to do for the afternoon. Instead of doing what I really wanted (either take a nap in the AC or go to Best Buy to purchase Alias Season 2 and watch that for the rest of the afternoon) I decided to venture over to Cox (hee) Arboretum. I hadn't been there since, I think, 6th grade (for those counting, that was 11 years ago) and whenever I drive by on the way back from Kroger I always berate myself for never going.

So, ignoring the 90 degree heat and the blistering sun, I grabbed a bottle of water and my sunglasses, put my hair in a ponytail, changed into clothes I wouldn't mind burning once I got home, and was on my way.

Ok, I forgot how freaking COOL that place is. Not cool as in temperature wise because HELLO 90 degrees, but cool as in "oh my god, there's a chipmunk! There's a baby goose! There's a FROG! There's a turtle! There's an alligato--oh wait, that's fake, but look another frog!"

After wandering around the different paths and ponds, I decided to take a little hike on the Nature Trail because 1) I like Nature and 2) I have no hard feelings against Trails.

I will not say that I got lost, but after walking down paths blue-yellow, blue, yellow, red, E, G, D, and B, I will say I should have probably taken a map.

Things I also should have taken? More water, bug spray (freaking horse flies AS BIG AS MY HEAD), and my camera. Although, if I'd taken my camera, I probably would have spent more time staring at the little screen than at the actual scenery RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME and then I would have probably stepped on a chipmunk or something.

The only thing I didn't see (aside from hiking paths A, C, and F, of course) was the Butterfly House, because I wanted to save something new for next time.

And for a bonus? I FINALLY learned how to spell arboretum.