weekend fun

lucy's had a rough couple of weeks... molars + roseola virus = bad mood betty.

so we've stayed away from friends and fun places for a while, to keep from spreading germs and also from having huge meltdowns in public.

but all is clear and my sweet girl has returned - yay!

to celebrate, we decided to get out of the house saturday morning, and visit the carolina raptor center, a rehabilitation center for injured birds of prey. i hadn't been there since i was 8 or 9, so i wasn't really sure what to expect. but it was so much fun, and a really perfect way to spend the morning.

the raptor center, situated alongside of mountain island lake, is part of a huge nature preserve with trails for hiking and horseback riding. before going to see the birds, we decided to walk around the nature trails for a little bit and enjoy the fresh (muggy) air.

hello sweet girl - oh how i've missed you...

there was a small beach-like section off one of the nature trails, where lucy did some sea shell (lake shell?) hunting...

once inside the raptor center, we walked the 3/4-of-a-mile trail opened to the public.

every turn had a different bird "hut" with information on that particular type of bird.

although we were allowed only on the main trail, the raptor center actually has over 50 acres with "huts" all over, housing and rehabilitating injured birds of prey.

one of the best parts of our whole experience was watching the live bird presentation, where several different raptors were showcased.

this little guy, an eastern screech owl, was my favorite... :)

such a fun time!

if you're in or around the charlotte area, definitely consider checking it out - it's a great way to spend the morning!