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| Granise and Grandpa joined LDC and I in the chilly mountains last week |
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| We saw Bear, Elk, Whistle-Pig...oh my (If you are like me, I had no clue what a Whistle-Pig was. AKA- woodchuck, land-beaver, groundhog) |
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| Celebrating their anniversary (43 years) in the Smokies |
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| We learned why the Smokies are the Salamander Capital of the World and participated in monitoring data on the salamanders. (Before we headed into the research area we had to have our shoes decontaminated. We heart science.) |
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| Looking for the little elusive fellas |
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| On to being a... Stream Splasher We rolled up our pants and waded through a mountain stream to look for mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and other aquatic critters. |
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| Once we completed three Smoky Mountain National Park classes, LDC was sworn in and awarded as a Junior Ranger. |
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| We had our share of the predictable mid-afternoon summer storms but evenings were just right for making up bluegrass lyrics, creating fairy gardens in the campsite, drinking a hot toddy, and watching the sunset. |
 Four Things You Can't Recover: The Stone after the throw The Word after it's said The Occasion after it's missed The Time after it's gone MotherQuotes |
| http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2010/08/becoming-junior-ranger-great-smoky-mountains-national-park6449 |