In these next three weeks we move from New York to our winter camp. Georgetown Marina in Florida. We have a little time so we dawdle our way south.
We stay to the familiar interstates this segment of the trip across Northern Pennsylvania but views are still amazing. One mountain ridge after another is blanketed with warm golds and browns dotted with red.
We stop over in York for a bit of family time. Grown-ups are all well and grandniece, Harlow, is doing a lot more talking and always on the go.
Next stop, Skyline Drive Virginia. 
We leave the rig down in the valley in Edinburgh to cruise the drive more leisurely in the car. We have seen more wildlife on the drive in the summer but when it comes to scenery, I say there is no better time of year for this drive. We stop at nearly every viewpoint and hit a few trails.
The first day we go for elevation and long views: Compton Peak trail (3 mi 850ft elevation change) and Mary’s Rock Summit trail (2.9 mi 830ft elevation change ). Views from atop make them both worth the work to get there.
On a hazy day we head out on Dark Hollow Falls trail. The creek babbles beside us, tumbling and gurgling over leaf strewn boulders as we descend with it. It is beautiful.
It is my Birthday. What a beautiful place to celebrate. Kent cooks dinner on the actual date, then I get to celebrate the next day at the Edinburg Mill Restaurant with local cider and some awesome prime rib. I think 65 was a good year. Here is to 66.
for the 2-year-old granddaughter and after her nap I was treated to the most heartwarming greeting you can imagine. She saw me as soon as she got to the bottom of the stairs, ran and jumped into my arms and just hugged me for several minutes. Wow! That made the whole trip worthwhile.
help her Yellow “Wheelie” School Bus, also from Grandpa, navigate the “mud” (carpet) in her bedroom. The new toy became an instant success by pushing the bus out of the “mud”. Makes Grandpa really proud.
Willa tries her hand at paddling, loves trailing her toes and fingers to watch the ripples, and embraces the tippyness imparted by rocking back and forth. Looks like this will be a popular pastime. Water playing; our picnic benches have never been so 
well decorated or as clean and outdoor brown washtub baths are a great way to cool off on those 90F days. Intermittent rain showers let us recreate chalk art every couple days. Hop-scotch always makes an appearance and this week we had to
create the “hole in the ground” tree with lots of verse details. Nearly every steamy afternoon includes a cold, drippy, sticky watermelon treat.
So, what did we do? Nothing much; but it was great fun!
A wooded, creekside trail in the early morning hours; my favorite kind of east coast hike. The morning fog has cleared but left a blanket of droplets in the fine hemlock boughs. The slightest disturbance from wind or canopy wildlife sends a fine shower cascading from high above our heads sparkling in brilliant shafts of sunlight that have penetrated into the quiet shade. The air is filled with the trill of thrushes and chip, chirp and chatter of forest birds rising from the understory along with the rat-a-tat of woodpecker drumming reverberating among the towering trees. A creek babbles and splashes as it tumbles across rock and forest debris. The sweet scent of wildflowers accents the damp cool smell of the lush forest floor and grey-brown stone outcroppings stand out in contrast to the green-brown growth. It is peaceful and beautiful!