Back on the Trail

With the New York apartment cleared out, things are finally returning to some sort of normal and we've been able to get out and about to some of our favorite places. 

My dad is moving in to a retirement home near me and my sister, and we've had the chance to even get him out on the trail with us a couple of times. The first place we took him was Great Falls, which is stunning no matter how many times you've seen it. 

My dad has always loved impressive views, and Great Falls is certainly that. 

We took a pretty long walk and my dad did great, and loved it. 

Another time, we decided to take my dad to Sugarloaf Mountain which afforded stunning views 













as well as a cool big bird--is it a turkey vulture?

Weekends and evenings have mostly been spent with my sister and dad, but one day recently Florian and I made a point to get out with Fozzie and Lamar for one of our epic hikes.














We haven't been to Gunpowder Falls state park for a while, so we decided to go to a part of it we've never been to before.

A gorgeous trail shaded by a sun-dappled forest canopy, flanked by verdant ferns in the understory on either side.

The trail went steeply down the side of a canyon, then arrived at a wide stream and traveled along its bank. 

It was a hot and humid day, so what a relief to see the cool water and watch the dogs jump in. 

The water was crystal clear and deep in some places, with a magical mist rising up off it that suggested warm water or even a hot spring. 

Florian and I were ready to jump right on in and join those dogs, but as we waded in and our ankles turned to blocks of ice we quickly changed our minds.












How did it get so cold? It had been hot for a while, and it had been warm at night, and its not like the stream could have been glacier-fed. 

One of those mysteries! The dogs didn't seem to mind, and that's the important thing. 














Then we walked downstream a bit and across a cool bridge then found a historic mill, which was now a private residence.












I love those historic Maryland places, love the stone architecture that reminds me of something you'd see in Switzerland.

Adding to the feeling of mystery was another small creek, a tributary to the main one, that was much warmer. 

The dogs made no distinction between the cold water and warm, but seemed to love them both. 













That's the spirit guys! You go in so I don't have to.