Family fun at Spring Mill...

We visited Spring Mill State Park on Sunday, October 9th. We went to the Nature Centre and then hiked the scenic trail around the nearby lake. Autumn is a lovely time of year for hiking and exploring the beautiful parks, nature reserves, and recreation areas of Indiana.

The girls meet a black rat snake.

Inquisitive common snapping turtle.

Riaan and Anya show us their wing span.

The changing colours of autumn.

The dam wall/slipway at the lake.

Beautiful golden leaves.

My sweet family.

View across to the bridge crossing the lake.

Little rose bushes turning red.

A type of old man's beard in a tree.

The lake at Spring Mill.

After the hike, we spent time at a playground. :)

Variegated Fritillary Chrysalis...

I came across this colourful chrysalis in the verbena plant in our indigenous wildflower garden earlier this month. It belongs to a variegated fritillary butterfly, which I have blogged about previously. This chrysalis was an empty shell several days later, and we were happy that it emerged before the weather turned much colder!

The empty shell of the chrysalis. Note the skin of the caterpillar still attached.

Cave Cricket...

We came across a cave cricket in our grass in the back garden earlier in October. It has been quite dry and these insects generally enjoy moist, dark areas such as caves, dark forests, and under stones. They can be a pest in crawl spaces and cellars - and the only other time that I have seen one was inside our very own crawl space back in 2019.

Aviation Day at the Airport...

Our local airport - which I cycle past quite frequently - hosted an Aviation Day recently. I took Riaan and Eliza to see all the different aeroplanes, and their favourite was certainly watching the remote-controlled planes that were flying off the grass runway. There was lots of activity on the main runway, too, as the planes based at Daviess County Airport were giving aeroplane rides to the paying public. It was interesting to see the vintage planes on display, as well as those which were taking off and landing. :)

Planes and people on the apron at Daviess County Airport.

Old private plane on display.

Riaan in front of an Aero L-29 Delfin jet - a Cold War era plane.

Beechcraft T-34 Mentor.

Biplane on display. Unfortunately, it was too windy for this plane to fly on the day.

One of the planes giving plane rides.

Remote-controlled aeroplanes on the grass airstrip.

A bald eagle flies above a r/c plane.

The eagle was mirroring the movements of the r/c plane!

The Beechcraft T-34 prepares for take-off.

A plane approaches the runway - just after one had taken off.

Louisville Riverboat Cruise...

Our local home school group organised an exciting field trip on Saturday, 1st October. And since this trip had a distinctly nautical theme, we decided to purchase tickets and join the fun. We drove across to Louisville, Kentucky, where we boarded the Mary M. Miller for a scenic cruise of the Ohio River. The much-older Belle of Louisville paddle-steamer (pictured below) is also based here, and it was interesting to see her too. 

It was fantastic being back on the water again - albeit on a river - and seeing all the boats, bridges, and barges! Our children had a wonderful time and loved exploring this interesting vessel. 

Once the trip was finished we drove back to the Indiana side of the river, where the kids played at a playground. We wrapped the day up with Middle Eastern cuisine in New Albany, Indiana. Yum!

 

Family photo just before we boarded the Mary M. Miller.

UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Tri-jet.

Lighthouse imitation on top of one of Louisville's skyscrapers.

A pusher or towboat with its load of barges sails under the George Rogers Clark Bridge.

View towards Falls of the Ohio State Park - beyond the Fourteenth Street Rail Bridge.

The George Rogers Clark Bridge.

The Mary M. Miller docked at Louisville.

The wheel of the Mary M. Miller is mainly cosmetic. This modern vessel is powered by propellers underneath the stern.

 The larger Belle of Louisville.

Mayor Andrew Broaddus, the only surviving floating lifesaving station. She now houses a gift shop and office space for the Belle of Louisville.

The Big Four Bridge, a pedestrian bridge linking Indiana and Kentucky.

The public docks area.

View across to Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The Howard Mansion, in Jeffersonville.

Fishing trawler moored along the river.

Having cleared the bridges, we sailed east along the river.

The Nugent Sand Company, which provides sand for many industries.

Another pusher docked alongside the riverbank.

A speedboat powers past.

Looking aft or west towards the Louisville skyline.

The Louisville Water Company Pumping Station.

The sign showing the 1937 Flood level.

Riaan was kept busy with the activities in the boat's "passport."

Eliza also enjoyed colouring in the pictures during the cruise.

Impressive building near Jeffersonville, Indiana. Note the Colgate Clock in the distance.

The truss vertical-lift bridge that makes up part of the Fourteenth Street Bridge. Also visible is the entrance to the canal section of the Ohio River, which allows river traffic to bypass the Falls of the Ohio.