Forty TrailBlazers, 5 canines (assorted sizes), and one bird led by Ruth Ann made the short drive to Alma to do the Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Trot around Lake Alma, a scenic trail with views of the lake and bayou. It starts out as a paved, family-friendly path and then turns into an actual hike. Unlike the River Trail in Little Rock, this is not just an urban stroll since it has some ups and downs and some rough ground as well as some tricky spots. Alas, Yours Truly aka Picture-Taker Woman cannot award it her Foot and Knee-Friendly Rating due to some steep patches with loose dirt, rocky sections, and some narrow ledges sloping sideways that could lead to a swift downhill slide! Of course, some trail volunteers could make some rock steps and stabilize the ledges to solve these problems. There are some parts where there are parallel upper and lower trails. On the plus side the trail is short (3 ½ miles), involves a short commute, is a neat place to hike, and can be done in a morning or afternoon for those short on time. 

It was good to see some new faces as well as some old friends whom we have not seen in many moons. We saw the ruins of a small homestead with a tiny one room stone cabin complete with fireplace as well as another small structure that might have been a washroom or icehouse or what have you. Imagine our surprise when Santa, not looking quite like his jolly old self, made a surprise appearance at the homestead. Unfortunately, he has not yet done his pre-Christmas limbering exercises, so instead of braving a descent down the chimney, he opted to hide behind it! 

We had an enjoyable afternoon with great weather and a big turnout.