Road Trip: Arkansas Trip (August 2012) was filled with clouds, bugs, and elephant ears

I went back to Arkansas in August, well actually August 23rd-September 1st, with Skylar.  We ended up having a great time with John, and my family, and ended up celebrating my 35th birthday while we were there too.  Skylar found all sorts of bugs and insects out at John's house, I got stung by a scorpion, and John's elephant ears were amazing.  Here's a quick recap, in pictures.

The journey there:  All the clouds and mountain tops.

I always love flying during the day out of Portland, Oregon because the sky is so pretty and all the tall mountains can be seen.  When it's not raining, of course.

The endless bugs of the south:  Scorpions, walking sticks, Luna moth, and even a very big cicada.

This little scorpion gave me quite an attention-getting sting.  There were a few scorpions hanging around John's house from time-to-time, but this one was perched right on his door mat and I stepped right on him, BAREFOOTED!  The area where he lives is very sandy, so they hang around due to the soil and sand content.  The sting was very painful, but only lasted about 10 minutes.  My chest hurt a bit and I felt dizzy, but I think that was due to being nervous about the sting more than the sting itself.  My foot was a bit tender for about a week, but nothing major.  It was a very interesting experience, to say the least.

After the whole excitement of the scorpion we discovered that Skylar had been bite by something too.  We finally determined that it had to be a mosquito.  The mosquitoes in the south look something like small birds at times, haha!

The Walking Sticks:  Brown Walking Stick.

Green Walking Stick:

The Cicada:

The Luna Moth:

John's Elephant Ears:

  

These elephant ears were just amazing.  I have always loved large amounts of elephant ears clustered together like this and John had really taken great care of them.  Wish they could grow in Oregon the way they grow in Arkansas. 

Besides all the bug bites, stings, and excitement, this trip was a blast.  Skylar had a fun time finding all these crazy insects and bugs too.  It was a great learning experience, that's for sure.  And I got to play the Arkansas lottery for the first time!

Eco-Tip:  Use public transportation when you can.  A city bus is running around the clock in many cities and towns, and a taxi is just a phone call away.  When you are going out on the town with your buddies and pals, why not share a cab or take advantage of what's running anyway in your town and leave your own cars at home.  And while you are out and about, smile at one stranger today.  Who knows, your smile may turn his entire day into gold!  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.