This weekend my family made our annual fall trip to Spring Mill State Park. It’s been a very hectic time for us and I think all of us were glad to head to the woods and unwind for a bit. There the park and inn were, greeting us just like old friends and we rejoiced in the serenity and beauty of the landscape there. My mom and I spent long hours hiking in the woods. We try to time it to go during peak autumn color. We’ve had a strange autumn here and I’m not sure we’ll have a peak. It’s been very warm – haven’t even had a freeze yet. Many trees are still green, some have colored, and others just dropped their leaves in confusion. I find the forest to be incredibly soothing to my soul. I love to walk in the company of trees.
We had bright sunny days all weekend and I was entranced by chasing the sun through the trees. Most of my pictures this time were of the sun peaking through the forest and lighting up the leaves. The sunlight bathed everything in a golden hue. We visited the pioneer village and garden. Because we haven’t had a frost yet, there were still plenty of flowers in bloom and the ferns and moss were lush and green. We saw a blacksmith at work and got to watch as he thinned out a poker handle into a leaf and stem. It was fascinating for me because it’s very much the same processes we use in metalsmithing for jewelry, except his was on a larger scale and requires more muscle. And then we spent more time in the forest and walking around the lake.
It was idyllic and I’m so grateful for another opportunity to see our special park in its autumn glory. I hope you are enjoying the autumn weather (if you’re on the Northern Hemisphere) too!
Blessings to you,
Sarah
anordinarymiracleday 
I, too, ‘love to walk in the company of trees.’ They are stalwart companions. 🙂