Walking the Trails

It’s not often that I take my afternoon walks around the trails of our home with a camera, but I thought that today would be a good opportunity to photograph my walk for all of you.  We seem to be experiencing the full effects of summer right about now, with temperatures in the low 90s and the humidity inching toward the end of the scale here in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  

For the first few minutes of my walk I kept having to wipe off the lens & screen of my camera because of condensation.  It’s not unheard of to have to deal with that when one goes from a dry, air-conditioned environment to one that is hot & humid.  You should have seen my sunglasses!  What’s one to do?

Depending on my mood or what part of the property I want to see first, I either walk in an easterly direction or towards the west & onto the meadow.  This time I chose east because it was the closest to the bottom of the driveway.  Keep in mind that we have access to 4 entrances to the miles of trails that surround our home.  Two are located along the driveway, one is located just behind the annex of the stone barn and one is situated directly behind the house.  The one behind the house is among my favorite walks, because it leads onto this tiny wooden bridge that I love to stand on.  It spans a stream that cuts through the back of the house, and is directly across from the 19th century [spring house].

Take a little stroll with me and have a glimpse of the landscape the way it is now here in Pennsylvania.  

Here I've already gone into one of the trails.  You can see how thick with vegetation several stretches of it can be.

Going down a steep hill, there is a small bridge which one must cross in order to get over the stream that goes through the woods.

I've already crossed the bridge and am looking back.  You can't really tell from this picture, but it's quite a trek to go up that trail.

 This particular area leads to the [spring house].  

Another bridge.  This one is small and the trail that connects from here goes up toward the back of our home.

The small spring house.  After all of these years, there is still a steady trickle of water from the spring inside the house.

Onward!  The last time I photographed the trails, everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow and the wind was howling.  What a difference two seasons make.

I think there should be another bridge here, but for now there are a few slippery rocks which must be used to cross the small stream.

A fallen tree was cut up into sections and removed from blocking the trail.  Every single year there are several trees that come down because of inclement weather.

Once I get through the clearing, I get to the two acre parcel which is being replanted with native trees. 

This is one of the casualties from Hurricane Sandy.  A majestic maple tree was cut in half during that storm, yet it continues to thrive.  

Just two years ago, these saplings were tiny things, but with a lot of patience and care, they too are thriving.  I can only imagine what this area is going to look like in five or ten years.

 Here I come onto the meadow.  I think perhaps this is my favorite area.

Looking toward the west, the tall specimen trees are green and lush.  Our friend Sean does a magnificent job of keeping the meadow in tip top shape.

This is looking toward the east.  The mown path that winds around the perimeter of the meadow is always a pleasant walk.  I usually take these walks when I need to gather my thoughts and figure out a problem or when I need a solution to a dilemma.  Everyone needs to have that go-to place.

I came across this young deer as I was heading back to the house.  He or she was having none of it.  The poor thing was clearly unhappy being photographed.

❃

I hope all of you are having a good summer and are enjoying everything that comes with it.  Yes, even the sun & heat can be a good departure from the rumbling, lightning & thunder of those summertime storms that crop up here on the east coast. 

Expect a lot sweet things in the coming weeks here on Good Things by David.  I promise you, it’s going to be fun!