An day drive around the lovely Kimberton area of Chester County. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
-
Rambling Around Kimberton
An old ruin along a creek, near the Kennedy Covered Bridge The “Historical” Seven Star Inn A couple of hooved friends on a warm winter’s day …. They are everywhere this time of year. Really nice barn Struble Lake in northwestern Chester County – definitely not in Kimberton. -
A Detour to the North, Part I
This October I was fortunate to take a trip to Maine, Nova Scotia and Quebec. Much of the topography of the inland areas, and the fall color, remind me of Pennsylvania. First up is a boat trip from Bar Harbor, Maine. This part of the Maine coast from Bar Harbor to Somes Sound is dotted with the “cottages” of the rich and famous.
The trip was themed around the lighthouses of the Bay of Maine near the Mount Desert Island shore.
Here are some boats, buoys, and critters along the way, along with a few looks at Mount Desert Island from the sea.
-
A Dam Long Way Around, Part 2
I left Austin and proceeded south to Sizerville State Park. This park reminds me of Hyner Run or Reeds Gap. It is a quiet park with a small campground and a pool. Alas, the pool at Reeds Gap is gone, but this type of park remains one of my favorites. The 368 acre Sizerville is surrounded by Elk State Forest and near large blocks of additional state forest land. If it wasn’t so far, I’d like to come back here.
The drive up to Salt Run Vista was worth it. Yes, someone must drive up here to mow this. 
Salt Run Vista 
Trees on the way down the mountain to Sizerville. 
A bonus vista – the narrower view at Crooked Run Vista. I then made the long journey to Kettle Creek State Park. In retrospect, I should have done this the day before as continuation of my trip to Ole Bull, but now I know better. The park consists of 1,793 acres along Kettle Creek in western Clinton County. The park is in a valley surrounded by mountainous terrain and wilderness. Many of the existing recreational facilities arose from a joint flood control project developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. The park offers camping, boating, hunting, fishing, hiking, and other activities.
Another dam. 
A dam with a flag. 
Looking down over the edge to the lake. It’s further than it looks. 
The valley with the lake is pretty. 
A family paddle. I thought I might be able to save some time getting to Sinnemahoning State Park by driving up to Kettle Creek Vista then cutting across the ridge and down the other side. Of course there were no roads down into the other valley, because there was another lake, with (you guessed it) another dam.
Kettle Creek Vista. I made the trek back down the valley to highway north to Sinnemahoning State Park. The park, located near the center of the Pennsylvania Wilds’ scenic steep valleys region, encompasses 1,910 acres of beautiful scenery and outstanding wildlife habitat. Situated in Cameron and Potter counties, the park is nestled between the green-shouldered ridges of Pennsylvania’s Elk State Forest and Susquehannock State Forest. The park is long and narrow and includes lands on both sides of First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek — a major tributary to the Sinnemahoning Creek. At the southern end of the park, a 145-acre reservoir created by the George B. Stevenson dam provides fishing and boating opportunities. There is a campground and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, including elk, bear, and large variety of birds.
Another valley with another dam. 
Park office and wildlife center. 
A look inside the Wildlife Center. 
-
It’s Very Early Fall in Lancaster County
An unusually bright and sunny day greeted me in late September in Lancaster county. The sky was so blue and the white so white that it almost hurts my eyes. I’m not used to this here in Pennsylvania. As it was a Sunday, the buggy traffic was out in force, and the field horses were grazing in the fields.
Buggies are upcoming in the next episode!
-
Summer at Middle Creek
I don’t make it to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon counties all that often during the Summer. Here are a few shots from around the property.
A lovely tiger swallowtail decided to hang out. 
Geese can be found at Middle Creek almost any time of year. 
The corn is looking good. 
Farming is done at Middle Creek. The fields provide habitat and food for some species. 
Pennsylvania farm country in a nutshell. 
I never really noticed the hills around this area as much as on this trip. 
Much to do here other than wildlife viewing. 
A glamorous egret interloper with the geese. 
Purple wildflowers along this pond. 
Lots of wildflowers everywhere …. -
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Our annual Poconos girls’ weekend occurred in July this year. On short notice, my friend was able to find a great weekly rental at Lake Naomi. I also take this time to do some exploring around the Poconos. I set out to view some lake communities I hadn’t visited before. I will leave the rest of the weekend to your imagination.
The most photogenic was the Emerald Lakes area. 
Boats lined up near a swimming beach. 
A nice private dock in need of a boat. 
This looks like a great family day out. 
A deer came out to say hello. 
The clubhouse beach at Stillwater Lake has seen better days. The waterfowl have taken over. 
Something different: Checking out the shooting range at State Game Lands 127. -
The Season Begins
The onset of Spring turns my mind to birds. This is usually the best time of year to look for birds due to the opportunity to see migrating rarities in bright breeding dress. I frequently stop by Marsh Creek State Park when in the area. This is a good spot for bird watching, but I don’t seem to have much luck here. It probably doesn’t help that I am not a morning person and am, therefore, often looking for birds after 11 am. I did see some distant Common Mergansers on the lake, but had to settle for non-bird photos.
Land cruisin’ 
No entry 
I always think I am going to find something here but never do …. I also stopped by Struble Lake that day. This was more promising this time around. I saw a Savannah Sparrow and a lot of Snow Geese. There was still a fair amount of ice on the lake in early March.
Snow geese and friends -
Horned Larks and Goodbye to Winter
Disclaimer: There are no pictures of horned larks in this post
The grapevine (okay, Ebird) continued to carry news of horned larks, Lapland longspurs, and snow buntings in farmers’ fields in northwestern Chester County near Honeybrook. As mentioned in my previous post, I had visited this area over the Winter in connection with a trip to try to find a snowy owl that had briefly been seen nearby. On the first try, I had no luck. This time around I spotted horned larks in small flocks, which is a new species for my life list. This is a very picturesque area with lovely farms that merited more photos.
This young farmer was fertilizing his fields for Spring.
Here’s a better look.
Cattle feeding and soaking up the sun.
Two Amish schoolhouses are close to each other in this area.
Some looks at the farms and fields.
The plastic tubes are there to protect the young trees as they grow along this riparian boundary. The tubes will biodegrade over time.
Pennsylvania “standing stones.”
-
Lots of animals, but not what I was looking for …
This Winter I traveled to northwestern Chester County in search of a snowy owl and some horned larks. I didn’t find either. However, I did find some pretty farms, interesting buildings and charismatic farm animals along the way.
Mom and baby? 
The stare down. 
“Get off our lawn!” 
What do you think is down this road?
