The (Not so) Rural Pennsylvanian

  • The Sights of Cumberland County

    Here are some views of Cumerland County. They are mostly in the northwestern part of the county.

    dickinson pa
    Primitive Schoolhouse, Huntsdale

  • Springton Manor Farm

    Springton Manor Farm is part of the Chester County park system. Within its historic landscape of fenced fields, stone walls and misty morning vistas is a preserved patchwork of colonial plantation, Industrial Revolution era scientific farm, Victorian tenant farm, and gentleman’s country estate. The Manor House and Carriage House overlook 300 acres of centuries-old sugar maples, open pastures and Penn Oaks, which surround the lower pond. The Manor House is not open to the general public.

    Initially part of a William Penn Manor, Springton Manor has been in agricultural use since the early 1700’s. On this demonstration farm, one can meet the animals and learn about Chester County’s farming history. The barn complex consists of the Great Barn, sheep shed, goat shed, a roost and equipment shed. You may see horses, donkeys, rabbits, calves, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and peacocks. The Family Farm Museum, located within the Great Barn, contains seasonal tools and apparatus used on Chester County farms from the 1700’s to the 1900’s.

    This visit focuses on the exterior of the property and the manor house. I visited this property previously. You can view that post here. That post has views of the farm buildings. I intend to return earlier in the day to try to photograph some of the animals. which now seem to include llamas or alpacas.

    A house in nearby Glenmoore

  • Spring is Trying to “Spring”

    It feels like the season is a bit late this year. However, the early bulbs and the forsythia are finally making an effort.

    Snowdrops, The Willows in Radnor
    Daffodils and forsythia, Berwyn

    Below are some early Spring scenes from around Valley Forge.

    A lovely horse boarding farm on Yellow Springs Road.
    The Pawling Farm, part of Valley Forge National Historical Park

  • A Lucky Birding Day

    This winter has been particularly harsh, with prolonged periods of below average temperatures that have kept me trapped at home when the snow fails to melt around my car. I did, however, manage to travel to a farming area in northwestern Chester County to do some birding on New Year’s weekend.

    This area is known for attracting winter migrant species that prefer open habitats, such as horned larks, Lapland longspurs, and snow buntings. I have had lucky seeing the horned larks before. This time, I saw the flocks of birds but had difficulty making out individuals with my binoculars or camera. However, a popular bird sound id app did pick up all of the species above, including the snow bunting and longspur. To access this site, one has to try to pull off by the side of the road and sit an wait. There was one other car during the time I was there. The locals must think we are crazy.

    In terms of pictures, I had to content myself with scenes of the local area.

    Gee, this farm looks familiar.
    Cows sheltering in the woods.

    I made my way home via Marsh Creek State Park. Alas, the gull photos I took there were too distant and blurry.

    A pensive scene on an overcast day.

  • Tioga County – Church, Farm, Forest

    There is some lovely countryside the way to and from Leonard Harrison State Park in Tioga County.

    Middle Ridge Church

  • A Covered Bridge in a Quiet Valley

    On my way to the Pine Creek area, I made a quick stop in Columbia County to view the Kramer Covered Bridge. I had somehow missed photographing this bridge, even though it is near where my relatives live.

    Showing signs of Autumn …
    A stop at Kitchens Cemerery where my grandparents are buried.

    The Kramer Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that is located in Greenwood Township. It crosses Mud Run. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Built in 1881, this historic structure is a 50-foot-long (15 m), Queen Post Truss bridge with a metal roof constructed in 1881. It is one of twenty-eight historic covered bridges that are located in Columbia and Montour Counties.

    Finally, the covered bridge.
    Mud Run

  • A Leisurely September Day

    A qucik trip into Lancaster County proved to a source a frustration. A higher level of traffic and lighting challenges did not yield the photographs I had hoped for. However, I took the opportunity to check out the rebuilt Smorgasbord and Restaurant at the Hershey Farm Resort. I had a very nice meal, and I am glad to see the business back in operation after a fire.

    Here are some views of eastern Lancaster County in September.

  • Some Local Gems Preserved

    Rushton Woods Preserve is an 86-acre owned by the Willistown Conservation Trust. The preserve has an impressive complex of meadows, wetlands, and mature woodland for visitors to explore. You can hike trails through the upland forest of beech, maple, oak, and tulip poplars, and then follow the trails down to Okehocking Run.

    The property is a popular spot for birding, and the scrub shrub demonstration area is a favorite stopover for migrating songbirds including warblers and chats. Rushton Woods Preserve is also home to Rushton Farm and the Rushton Conservation Center, Rushton Farm CSA and the location of a variety of WCT community and educational events.

    Looks like some old beehives.

    Nearby one finds Kirkwood Preserve, where warm and cool season grasses comprise the majority of this 102-acre Preserve, providing important nesting and foraging habitat for grassland birds. The Preserve features over 4 miles of pedestrian and equestrian trails, a half-mile stretch of Crum Creek, and 8 acres of upland and riparian woodland. Kirkwood Preserve is part of an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area (IBA), a global network of sites recognized for their outstanding value to bird conservation.

    The preserve is popular with walkers, hikers and birders.
    Some of the nearby farms.

  • Horses and Cows and Farms, Oh My!: Octoraro Edition

    Today’s post takes us back to the area of the Octoraro watershed in southern Chester and Lancaster counties, with a focus on some of the farms and animals of the area.

  • Along Templin Road

    One of my favorite locations to photograph is along Templin Road in northern Chester County. The area is adjacent to the Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve and Warwick Furnace and sits in the valley of the French Creek, South Branch.

    This pond has been a favorite subject in the past. Here is a sunset shot from quite a few years ago.

    … and a swan from years gone by.

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