Our first stop was Oliver Winery where we had lunch of smoked gouda, rosemary pink salt flatbread and Riesling.
After checking into a motel and scouting part of the 13,000 acres of Hoosier National Forest, we headed in for the night and another bottle of wine. Just then a large green shooting star streaked across the southwestern horizon.
Sunday morning, we headed out to explore Indiana's version of wilderness.
And discovered spring flowers, such as spring beauties with its edible tubers,
cut-leaved toothwort,
dogwood blooms (OK, I'm pushing this as a bloom but it's almost there),
and club moss and Christmas ferns carpeting the forest floor.
Cress, trout lilies and redbuds were in full bud, but I was liken' the lichen.
Terrill Cemetery was at the end of one trail. There were a few modern gravestones, but some stones were hand carved, such as this 1848 marker with the holes acting as guidelines.
Some stones were crudely hand-chiseled and some graves were marked only with a stone. I was amazed that WH is still remembered with a fading daffodil and a flag.
We left the marked trail to find a little lake.
It was time for a short rest, lunch and a nap.
Ed tried out his Katedyn water filter in the lake. I was very interested as a water filter has been on my wish list for some time.
Refreshed, it was time for some bushwhacking, using a compass and a topographical map. We stuck to the ridges and headed mostly south, avoiding ravines such as this one that was over 200' deep.
The ridges took us through some thickets of wild roses and the wind started to pick up. Gusts up to 50 mph were forecast. The tops of the trees were dancing up a storm while singing to us. We used extreme caution to avoid falling limbs and trees. Just as we hit the trail, a 50' hardwood tree came down about 25 ' from Steve.
Back at the car, we decided to take a brief look at T. C. Steele State Historic Site and then time for a hot shower. The temps reached 80 degrees and the hiking was strenuous, so the hot shower was a real luxury.
It was a great way to spend our anniversary weekend. (19 years)