Quehanna Sunset

The weather forecast was calling for a nice couple of days, mostly sunny, though chilly and breezy at times. We packed the car in the morning and by noon, we were on our way to a car camping trip in the Quehanna Wild Area. Backpacks are big and ungainly and take up the entire back seat. Without them, it felt like we were traveling light.

After one quick stop along the way to check out the colors along the Susquehanna River, we drove to our usual camping spot and settled in. But the wind was daunting. I ended up spending most of my time sitting in the front seat of the car, but my face was still pink and windburned by the day's end. (If you spend lots of time outdoors, always carry a good moisturizer; I recommend Oil of Olay, which I've used for many years.)

The wind would abate and then it would kick back up again. I decided not to bother setting up my tent. It somehow suddenly felt like it might be more trouble than it was worth. My husband set up his tent outside, but I would spend the night in the back seat of my Mazda Protege, after we listened to much of the Penn State - Ohio State football game on the radio of my car.

We don't get out overnight as often as we used to. We always joke to each other that if you are watching the sunset in Quehanna, you must be staying there. And so indeed we were. And it was a rare treat for me. Just before sunset, some clouds moved in. The fading sun lit the clouds in shades of purple, blue, and pink. It put on quite a show, so here it is: sundown, Quehanna Wild Area style.

The soundtrack: Gordon Lightfoot, with Sundown.