Happy Father's Day! Hybrid run today at Floyds Fork. Dropped in at Prairie Preserve and then out to connect with the Loop where the purple Swamp Roses grow. Saw some great Orange Daylilies along the way. I turned back after exploring the Long Bridge. There is an odd set of steps that look like they go nowhere. Gemini says they are "structural stepped footings. On the way back through the Prairie I saw a family of deer with two little ones. Got some trail in today too on Big Beech.

Past and Present

Looking closely at those structural footings Gemini identified, it’s a great reminder of how much solid engineering matters—whether you're securing a bridge across the Floyds Fork river bottom or building rockets. Speaking of which, it's been wild following the news this past week about SpaceX's massive, record-breaking IPO and their new supercomputer expansions. Science and technology are moving at such blistering speeds right now toward the stars. It's a stark contrast to the nightly news, which always seems bogged down by the same fleeting political friction and overseas conflicts. Out here on The Strand, things move at a much more grounded pace. Standing on the Long Bridge and listening to the wind through the sycamore trees, you can still feel the quiet, enduring history of pioneer surveyor John Floyd and the generations of farming families who worked this land long before the paved trails ever arrived.

Watching that family of deer in the prairie earlier really brought it all full circle for me. Nature has a beautiful way of just keeping on, adapting and thriving no matter what new technological leap or geopolitical drama is dominating the headlines. Finding that quiet rhythm on the trail today was exactly what I needed. It gave me plenty of time to reflect on my own family, and honestly, I couldn't be more proud of my three children and the unique, wonderful paths they are carving out for themselves in this fast-paced world. Watching them grow and navigate it all is the greatest adventure I could ever ask for. Here’s to a fantastic Father's Day, and to all the dads out there finding a little peace in the woods today!

Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) - Thrives as a beautiful native shrub, bursting into clusters of fragrant, five-petaled pink blossoms every summer. Perfectly adapted to the damp bottomland soil of the Floyds Fork watershed and locations like The Strand, this resilient plant loves wet feet and serves as a vital component of the local ecosystem. Its dense, thorny branches provide essential nesting cover for native birds, its yellow centers attract local pollinators, and its bright red autumn fruit—known as rose hips—offers a crucial winter food source for regional wildlife.

Orange Daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) - A classic visual marker of early summer, erupting into full bloom every June and July. Frequently called "Ditch Lilies," these hardy, trumpet-shaped flowers line regional walking paths like The Strand, pop up along highway medians, and blanket rural roadsides throughout Jefferson County. While they are a beloved, nostalgic sight for many locals, these resilient plants are actually non-native imports that escaped historic homestead gardens, spreading aggressively through thick underground roots to outcompete local wildflowers.