For Love of the Woods and Little Rivers, Part 1.

I still hope to share with you pretty pics from my trip to NC at the end of March, and the beauty of the lake here I got to enjoy from April through June. Of late the foliage around the lake has been quite parched, and I didn't even venture out there in the severe heat of this week. The parks service trims back the lushness of the foliage around the lake at the beginning of July each year before the fireworks, but this year they gave it such a severe crew cut, and with this drought, I have doubts the lushness will come back by September. So it's been a little depressing to walk around this month. I've had a hungering to see some moving water and get to the beach, but I've been holding off on that 2 1/2 hour drive with hopes the gas prices will drop at some point. But google was my friend, and I found that not more than a 30 minute drive away there was a park with waterfalls I had not been to yet.

Last Sunday I headed out there and I'm still on a happy from that hike. So here's a little late offering for Froday, as I think these are the kinds of woods and little rivers Master Baggins would enjoy roaming about. I'm in love with my little corner of the world again.

As this was a scouting mission, I did not bring the hobbit dolls, but they'll be coming next time, because what a place full of tree boles for a hobbit to hide under from Black Riders, and waterfalls to hike past crossing the Shire, and ferns and mosses, boulders, and of course mushrooms!!! Patapsco Valley State Park runs just south west of Baltimore and Cascade Falls is in the southernmost part, and here's what I saw--please click on the pics to embiggen.



( Come along on a little forest hike through grand old trees and along the stream, over boulders and down to the falls . . . )