The Zoo over Ambuscade Street

We hiked almost six miles this morning, to the detriment of my left heel, which always blisters horribly no matter what I do. Having deformed feet sucks. The trails at Lake Anna State Park are a bit strange, because they clearly get more use by horses than they do by hikers. But, even with the insane humidity, being able to hike out of the direct sun is always more pleasant.

I came back and picked blackberries while Erik watched TV - lots and lots and lots of blackberries. They're all really small, though, so they only filled about a third of the bowl I brought. Not enough for a pie. Actually, if I could get any deeper into the underbrush there would be enough for a dozen pies, but I went as deep as I could, and have the battlescars to prove it - my hands, arms, and feet are scratched like you wouldn't believe.

And, I may have a gig as an elf come December - $250 for a few hours of balloon animals and face paint? Heck yea! I just need to brush off my clown skills and dig out my balloon pumps. W00t!