Reflections at Cherry Run / Homeward Bound

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." 
~ Charles Dickens

It was to be a pleasant day, with a mix of sunshine and clouds and a breeze. Nothing outright horrible was happening at the moment (thank goodness!) and my husband and I had not been to the woods lately, so we packed some things up, feasted on a couple of quick burgers on the way, and headed for Cherry Run. 

We parked our car in a parking lot along the road, grabbed our daysacks and chairs, and headed up the trail along the creek, to a place where we like to sit. I was wearing a fleece hooded jacket and a fleece vest, and I was still a bit chilly. We became sun seekers, moving to the spots in the forest where there was a gap overhead so the light could shine through and warm us.

I took my water shoes along, but it was one of the few times I've been there that I did not actually wade. With local temps in the 40s, it seemed just a bit too chilly for that, for me. And I am a girl who adores cold, clean water.

It was a great day for photographs and I took a bunch: of the trees, the rhododendron bushes, the stream. There is also a small set of ruins there, and I checked that out: a roof, a glass bottle, some other odd things. Strange brushes with history: somebody once lived here, but not any time recently.

We spent more than four hours along the stream, reading our books and listening to music. I've been reading Zoe Howe's biography of Stevie Nicks, Visions, Dreams, & Rumours, and I've been talking about it non-stop. So my husband humored me and played Rock a Little, Stevie's third solo album. It was delightful, as always.

I was in the woods, either sitting in my chair or walking around the stream, taking pictures, listening to the music. I decided that one of the songs from that album would have to help serve as the soundtrack for my day. And so it shall be.

Around 4 p.m., we started talking about what we might like to eat on the way home: whether we should simply go home and enjoy some delectable open-face hot roast beef sandwiches with gravy (yes, there was just a bit leftover from that lovely Wednesday lunch), or whether we should grab something on the way. We agreed in the end that a Jim's Italian hoagie* might just about hit the spot, and so that was our big plan.

We packed up our things and walked out amid sunny skies. I got about half-way there before I had to rip all my jackets off. I was just too hot! March is a fine month, but some days, it feels like all you get done is putting it all on and then taking it all off! I froze! I sweated! It all happened within five minutes. It must be spring!

We walked part of the way down along the stream bed itself. There is not much I adore more than the sight of light through trees. Well, the shot above goes one better than that: How about the reflection of light through trees?

There is a stand of tall trees we walk through on the path to go back to the car, and I always like to take photos of my husband as my "man in nature" among those trees. The light was glorious and he was wearing a bright blue vest. I think you will get a feeling for what a sweet moment it was if you take a peek at the photo - which I call Homeward Bound - in the extras.

There have been some trying times for us of late, and this day was just the healing balm we needed. For we are nature lovers, and we draw energy, and sustenance, and peace from Pennsylvania's wild woods and waters, and I hope to share these things with you. Please enjoy two glimpses of Cherry Run on a gorgeous spring day.

I've got two photos so here are two soundtrack songs. First, as promised, here is a tune from 1985's Rock a Little. It's a personal fave, and this video allows Stevie to explain the origin of the song. For the photo above, here is Stevie Nicks, with Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You? 

And for my second shot, of my best beloved strolling through a beautiful stand of trees at one of our favorite places before heading home, here is Homeward Bound, performed by Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter. It's just the bees' knees.

P.S. I've made a posting on Instagram for Cherry Run. You may see several more photos here.

*This was a good decision. On this day, I enjoyed one of the best Italian hoagies of my entire life, courtesy of Jim's Italian Cuisine, in Bellefonte, PA.