Hanging Rock and Hathaway Preserve at Ross Run in Lagro, Indiana

A friend and I decided to go on a photo shoot in Lagro, Indiana, not far from Wabash. I never expected to go on a hike that day but we did.  I was not sorry that we went even if it was hot and the bugs thought that we were dinner. 

The first place that we visited was hanging rock. It is located in Lagro and it was lovely to look at from below. I was afraid to climb up to the top because I feared falling and killing myself or ruining my camera, or both. I should have worn hiking boots that day.  

The view of the water was still just as lovely from below and I tried to imagine myself in a boat drifting lazily down stream. You know, there is a peace that comes over you when you are in nature.  Even if we could hear someone mowing their lawn not far away the peace was still there. Sometimes, I feel that way when I am in the garden and my hands are in the dirt. It is like a calm that comes over you and rests with your soul for a bit. 

I love stones. Whenever I am somewhere I look for one to bring back home as a memento of the trip. Sand and shells I bring back with me too.  My dad used to carry a stone in his pocket all of the time.  It could be that I got my love for them from him.  

The next place we went was Hathaway Preserve at Ross Run, about a mile or two from Hanging Rock. It is a place filled with a couple of water falls and surrounding woods and cliffs to look down from.  

We started out in a path and then went back into the woods onto a trail that went two miles around. Because the water wasn't high we were able to walk in the stream in some places. 

The colors of the stones were intense greens and blues that caught my eye as we looked for things to photograph. The deeper we went into the woods there were surprising things that we found. 

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Mushrooms were all over the place and looked sort of like a fairy garden. I expected to see a gnome at any moment or a little fairy fluttering around.

Next, we came upon a log with what appeared to be shells attached to it. I touched them and they were smooth just like a shell. I have no idea what it was or how it got there. You have no idea how badly I wanted a sample of this to bring home. But I respected the sign asking to take nothing and leave nothing. It was hard though. 

A light ray highlighted a insect eaten leaf. It was still strangely beautiful as it stood out from the rest of the vegetation.  

We saw this sight near the end of our hike. It is layered stones. I wondered how this happened as we climbed into the spring to take a closer look. How long did it take for this giant layer of stone to accumulate or is it man made?

 It was a beautiful day to be out and about enjoying the places that I should make more effort in visiting.  Yes it was a bit beyond my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed it.