Life Down on the Farm, in Small Towns and in the Great Outdoors
On my way home from Swatara and Memorial Lake State Parks, I decided to swing through Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Middle Creek is not a place I visit much in Autumn, but it is well worth a stop. Middle Creek is administered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for game propogation and wildlife conservation, but it feels park-like. With opportunities for hiking, picnicing, boating and fantastic birding and wildlife watching, it makes for a great day out.
Today we have a temporary break from covered bridges. On my trips to photograph these bridges, I come upon other interesting stuff. In fact, one of my all-time-favorite shots, was a picture I took after turning 180 degrees around from a covered bridge. The idly curious can check out the first shot on this post. Here are some views from around Columbia County:
I also made my way over to Frances Slocum State Park in Luzerne County that same weekend.
Driving around locally usually produces more images of farms, even if I am mainly looking for covered bridges. The farms in Chester and Lancaster County are really visually interesting and varied, so I can’t help myself.
Plenty more covered bridge photos are upcoming, too.
I was in the vicinity of Fleetwood and Lyons in Berks County one Saturday and came across these scenes:
Here’s a look at some of my Spring travels through Montgomery County.
Nestled between the mountain ridges in Perry County is Sherman’s Valley. The valley is traversed by Route 274, with its heart in Blain, PA. I came here in search of a couple of covered bridges on Sherman Creek. The narrow valley feels remote due to its situation between two ridge lines. However, it is not to far from Carlisle and Harrisburg.
It was, unfortunately, quite a gloomy morning when I was there. Here is a sampling of what I saw (and, or course, those covered bridges):
Western Adams County, along the slopes of South Mountain, hosts a large number of orchards. I was on my way to Gettysburg from Pine Grove Furnace and happened on this area by chance. It was a nice surprise.
I had to visit the Historic Round Barn and Farm Market in Biglerville, PA. The family-owned market has fresh fruits and vegetables, jams, jellies, honey, canned fruits and vegetables, snacks, candy, and gift items. It is well worth a visit if you are near Gettysburg.
Nestled between South Mountain and the Blue Mountain ridge line lies the Cumberland Valley, an area known for fertile farms, world famous fly fishing, and an annual classic car show. I explored the farm country in the northern part of the valley.
The Valley is not all about farms, however …
Memorial Day brought me to Gettysburg National Military Park on my way home from the Cumberland Valley. I had been here a few times when I was young, but it’s been a while since I was there. In additional to being educational and preserving this country’s history, the park is a lovely place for a walk or bike ride. As I am not an expert on military history, I will share some of the views and monuments that I particularly liked, with particular emphasis on farms.
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Sometimes you just encounter some fun or interesting stuff while out with your camera.
