Rim Rock Trail Hike

We went on two adventures today. After feeding the animals, who have decided to behave and get back to their routine, we headed to Kentucky to an Amish saddle makers shop. We took the ferry across the Ohio river at Cave-in-Rock.

The saddle maker had some really lovely saddle and a lot of other very nice leather tack. I drooled. Amy bought a nice bridle and sat on a few saddles and asked a million very interesting questions on working leather and making saddles. 

On the way back we decided to go for a hike at the Pounds Hollow recreation area on the Rim Rock trail. I did some of the trail with Fred the previous winter. Amy and I explored a bit further. We hiked the left hand trail that runs along the top of the bluff to the stairs and went down to the bottom of the bluff to Ox-Lot cave. From there we hiked out to Pounds Hollow Lake and were delighted to find a Cypress swamp! We also found some daffodils coming up. We went back to Ox-Lot cave and hiked back to the parking lot around the base of the bluff. We did some exploring among the rocks. At the parking lot, we decided to hike the trail around the top of the bluff again in search for some prickly pear cactus. We did not find any but enjoyed the search anyway.

When we got home, we fed the animals. I got in touch with Delbert and Ruth to see if we could use Ruth's mule to go riding the next day and she said yes. Bishops called me and told me the rear end on my truck was fried and my starter was shot. They said they could rebuild the rear end but it would be cheaper for him to find me a low mileage axle and just replace the whole thing. Even that was going to be expensive. He had found an axle but would have to have it shipped in and said he would not have the truck ready until the following Friday. I told him I'd have to give it some thought and that I might just bring the truck back to the house and leave it in Illinois.

We were still watching the weather reports and it was looking bad for travel for nearly all of the following week. Maine was going to get hit with back to back storms. Amy's husband told us the best route home would be to leave Illinois and turn south.