Hi. Vern here. Well, well, well…there you are. Again! Just where I left you last week. You can’t hide from me. I’m an expert at hide and seek, dontchaknow. Becoming an expert didn’t just happen overnight…it takes years and years of practice and tons of hiding places to get as good as I am at it…but it’s all worth it.

Do you want me to let you in on my secret? OK, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anyone. Here’s the trick. So, when you play hide and seek everyone thinks that they need to find a super far away hiding spot and when the “Ready-or-not-here-I-come” part happens, the seeker almost every time goes running off to look for the hider far away, in obvious big hiding spots. They are always overlooking the spots that are right in front of them. So the trick is finding that hiding a spot that’s not only close by but it’s also in plain sight. I know it doesn’t really make sense, but really it makes sense. One place that is hiding right in plain sight is this neat nature trail on the south side of Viroqua. It’s called the John O. Lund Memorial Nature Trail and Veteran Hills Disc Golf Course. Ever been there? It just might be your new favorite hiding spot. It’s a 40-plus acre nature trail and disc golf course right off the parking lot that is behind the Viroqua VFW Post 3032. You will know you are in the right place because you can smell the fresh donuts (The Cakery makes some of the best in the county.) and fried fish from the VFW. (Especially on Fridays!) – Anyways, enough about donuts and fish.

The John O. Lund trail meanders around some really great trees, wooded areas and prairie. I see humans hiking, running, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and more. There are some benches along the trails if you need to take a load off and just soak it up for awhile. Although it’s perfectly wild, it’s maintained and you can tell someone took time to really care for that land…and that human was the one and only, John O. Lund. He used to live on a farm in Coon Valley and after serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam he returned to the area. Every day he dutifully cared for the grounds of the VFW post and when he was offered payment, he simply refused. He was just that kind of human. Making this piece of the world better for humans and wildlife to enjoy in the future not because he had to, but because he could.

It’s such a great spot that Vernon Trails partnered with the Viroqua VFW to build the city of Viroqua’s first disc golf course. I’d say a couple times a week I’ll find a disc and try out my backhand, side arm (also referred to as the forehand), overhand, hyzer, and anhyzer. I learned all those throws by watching the cool disc golfers that play around here.

Perhaps now that it’s spring and you know about John O. Lund nature trail you can get out and practice your hiding…but remember – hiding in plain sight will be the key to your success. Hey, maybe I’ll see you around…or…maybe I won’t!