winter walk

A couple times this winter I've went on a walk after work at a nearby park. I knew this park was close by, but didn't realize how lovely and historic a location it was!

Click picture to enlarge and zoom in

I begin at Berks County Heritage Center (#3 on above map), and walk along the Union Canal Trail past Red Bridge and Gring's Mill (#5, 6, 8). All along the path, Tulpehocken Creek gurgles by.

Tulpehocken Creek along Union Canal Trail

Red Bridge, spanning Tulpehocken Creek 

Originally known as Wertz's Bridge, Red Bridge was built in 1867 and is the longest covered bridge in Pennsylvania. 

Gring's Mill and Farmhouse

The grist mill was built in 1811 and farmhouse in 1831. To reach the mill and farmstead from across the creek, a bridge is built over a small dam. Stopping to watch and listen to the rushing water is a must!

Gring's Mill bridge and dam

This stone house adjoins the bridge and dam

Scott Althouse, a dye manufacturer, built the dam and bridge around 1931 to create direct electricity used in a paint making process.

Remains of the Union Canal

I only learned this today, but remnants of the Union Canal can be seen alongside Tulpehocken Creek. At one time, this canal ran 82 miles, connecting the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers. Construction began in 1792 during George Washington's presidency. The canal was used to transport coal and lumber to Philadelphia until the 1880's. Wow! To hear the stories those trees and canal banks could tell of days gone by!

What a beautiful place to take in the beauty of nature! Even though the trees are bare and it was a biting cold day, the loveliness was still there. My walk also took me over this cantilever footbridge.

The very best part of this winter walk was when I happened to see a patch of small bright yellow flowers along the trail. They weren't crocuses, and I don't remember seeing anything like them before. It felt like a new discovery! How could anything so brilliant be blooming on this bitterly cold day? I found out they're called winter aconite, and are part of the buttercup family.

When I started looking, I saw they were all along the trail in patches of woods where the sun shone through. These tiny bloomers totally made my day!

I had almost convinced myself I was too tired to go on a walk, but am so glad I didn't skip it. Hopefully I'll remember that next time! I can't wait to see how the trail changes as spring comes. If it's beautiful now, how gorgeous will it be then??

winter mood

It's been too long since I've blogged. Maybe it's the winter blues, or the fact that I was sick for two solid weeks, or because I've been spending most of my spare time working on puzzles. Somehow there hasn't been an inspiration or topic to write about. So I'll just write what comes to me now.

It has been such a gray, dreary winter. There hasn't been any snow to speak of, neither has it been bitter cold. It's just day after day of clouds and weak light. There was one day last week of clear blue skies and sunshine that reminded me again how glorious a sunny day is. On the positive side, I spend most of my days inside with no windows anyway, which is actually more of a trial when it's a beautiful day. Winter has its blessings, the greatest of which is evenings spent working on a puzzle in a warm basement with the fire going. I've been working on a 2000 piece for the last while. Usually I don't save them, but this one is pretty magnificent, so I'm thinking about gluing it together when I'm done.

A couple weeks ago I bought an Instant Pot and have been trying it out. There was one recipe I threw away, but otherwise everything I've tried has turned out well. It seems like you're kind of limited to soups, meats, or goulash though. Those casserole type dishes might taste ok, but they just look sloppy. If you have any great recipes to share, let me know!

I'm enjoying this "home season" and choose to focus on that instead of the bleakness of winter. Spring will be here before we know it!