Forests of Seabeck

The Land of the Fae

(This is definitely a picture you want to click to enlarge.)

Horsetails, Early Tree-Like Plants

Reflections of Trees

Today’s image is from our travels on Halloween while staying in the Poconos. The beech trees are among the last trees in the Pocono area to hold and release their auburn leaves.

The week just got away from me! I still want so much to share all the fun things I saw in the Poconos, but you know how it goes after vacation...

Monday I’ll tell you about where we stayed, followed by some highlights of the parks we visited, the lakes and rivers we fished, and the trees and forests that kept us company along the way.

Back from the Pocono Forests!

How I spent my birthday. :)

This image was taken on the banks of Mud Run in Hickory Run State Park. Thank you everyone for your kind wishes - I had a fantastic week in the woods.

I have SO much to share with you! More tomorrow about my adventures, and information about the upcoming Festival of the Trees.

Trees Are Turning!

Last weekend took us all over the area: I saw Washington D.C. for the first time, the Chesapeake Bay, and crossed into two new states (new to me, anyways), if only in passing.

Sunday, we decided to stick closer to home and spend less time in the truck, which led us to Evansburg State Park, and French Creek State Park.

Above are two of the images I caught on the waters of the Skippack Creek in Evansburg State Park. The trees along the creek are just turning their colors, and it was so peaceful and beautiful there, that had our loveable (PITA) puppy not chosen to run away like the recalcitrant little adolescent he is, I believe I could have sat here all day long, just listening to the water and the wind until sundown.

Lunch at the Delaware Water Gap

After we enjoyed our time in the Poconos, we drove back home via the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area on the Pennsylvania side.

We traversed much of the area, leaving more to be explored next time. Our main stop was for le petit déjeuner along side a river. Since we forgot to stop at the information center, I’m not actually sure just what this branch is called… but I can only assume it is one of many creeks, rivers, and other waterways which feed the Delaware River.

There are several pictures to share from our luncheon, so I’ll just start your weekend with these two: the first image is somewhat the perspective we had when we first spotted the river from the road. Naturally, we were very excited to find a convenient place to park and munch and enjoy the water's voice.

The trees you see give you an idea of our setting. The river was lined with trees, rhododendrons, and shrubs, and the water was deliciously cold. After lunch, we just had to take turns soaking our feet in its sweet coolness!

Remember that today is the last day to make comments which will count towards Arboreality’s First Birthday donation to the American Forests Global ReLeaf effort.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Playing in the Pocono Forests

In the Poconos, the trees are at a wonderful point where anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 (or more) of the trees in a given area are turning their leaves. Fiery reds, pinks, oranges, and golds are contrasted against rich greens and browns.

It was the ultimate in eye candy, and while my camera couldn’t possibly do our travels justice, these are just some of the beautiful things we saw in the forest. We visited the Delaware State Forest, Gouldsboro State Park, and Promised Land State Park, where most of these pictures were taken.

If anyone knows the identity of the plant in the eighth picture, please tell us! It looks so familiar, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Perhaps some type of fern?

Tomorrow: the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area

Washington Crossing

Before heading north to the Poconos, we started the weekend in New Hope, PA, and bounced up, down, and across the Delaware River.

We stopped to explore part of Washington Crossing Historic Park, and walked the dogs along the canal.

Here the leaves were just beginning to yellow, and a good walk almost made us forget the cool which saturated the late afternoon air.

We were just having too much fun, so instead of going home we jumped in the truck, and headed north.

The Festival of the Trees 4

The Festival of the Trees 4 is now online at Hoarded Ordinaries, courtesy of Lorianne. Please send good thoughts to Cindy at Woodsong for good health!

For more information about the Festival of the Trees, and how you can contribute your entries to next month’s Festival, visit the Festival of the Trees blog.

Coming up this week at Arboreality: more from Longwood Gardens, and a peek at autumn in the Poconos!

The old spring house

My journey through the neighboring woods came to an unexpected halt when I realized that I was on the wrong side of the “No Trespassing Sign.” Apparently, a deer trail is no indication of property rights.

As I now understand it, after discussing things with my landlady, the farm property ends just a couple feet beyond the old spring house (which means that I was likely out-of-bounds even while snapping the top image).

After a wonderfully fun exploration of the forest, I have realized that until I meet the owners of the neighboring property and ask permission, I likely will not be able to explore this area again. Trespassing is not cool, no matter how beautiful the trees.

So, upon realizing that the “No Trespassing Sign” was located just beyond the spring house, I promptly hopped through the mud to the spring house, which is where we too shall end our week-long journey.


Typically I approach the spring house from the hedge, which means that the first thing I see are the small stone steps leading up to a loft, and the rotted-out doors covering what was once some type of motor, possibly a generator.

The old spring house was obviously once an important part of the farm. I’m still trying to learn just how it worked and what it did.


The big “trough” you see which is currently filled with stagnant water has a hole at the bottom of the stone, which indicates how the water flows into and then back out of the spring house.


As we continue to explore the trees and other flora, let us remember the important relationships shared between the land, its many creatures, and the ever-moving water systems above, below, and along the ground.

Reflections on the spring

Perhaps Barbara is right… maybe these pictures do not require any words at all.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Up a creek

Beltzville State Park was our last stop on the way home from the Poconos. We’d made our way down to the water with the intention of attempting to fish… only to find (once we’d read the 2006 Pennsylvania Fishing Summary) that it wasn’t permitted at this time of year. Unfortunately, we cannot be certain of that, because that guide was more obscure and inscrutable than the finest of fine prints. Perhaps it was merely our lack of experience that led to the misunderstanding, but one way or the other, we abandoned the idea of fishing all together for the weekend, and simply enjoyed the beauty around us.

By the by, if you look carefully across the water in the top image you'll see some of the rhododendrons on the far bank near the shoreline!

Of tree tops and cloud bottoms

True, this picture is more of the breathtaking clouds than the trees. However, trees play a critical role in many of Earth’s interconnected systems – including the water systems.

Ever notice the “steam” rising off of trees in the morning? This process, known as transpiration, is one of many ways that trees help to maintain water in the surrounding ecosystems, intentional or not. Trees release this water in the morning, which helps them to draw water up through their roots (provided that you subscribe to the tension-cohesion theory of water distribution in trees).

Trees absorb rainwater (and flooding, to a certain extent), which helps distribute water slowly and evenly throughout the ecosystems. Their methods of absorption also act as a filtration device, removing some impurities (at least to an extent) to keep water clean for the rest of us smaller organisms.

Some of the water which trees render through transpiration (or evapotranspiration whereupon water evaporates off the surface of trees) helps to contribute to the formation of new clouds… to rain again another day!