Homegrown Snow-O-Lantern

Happy Halloween!

Daydreaming of Fall

Backpacking in Colonel Denning State Park

Steve and I prefer to backpack in the fall and winter, so that’s what we did this past weekend!

Along with the four of us, Steve’s college roommate and best man, Kevin, came along for our overnight excursion. Steve did some research on places we could go, provided us with a few options and we all decided to head to Colonel Denning State Park.


10/22/2011 - 10/23/2011
Location: Colonel Denning State Park, Pennsylvania
Lodging: Three-man tent along Warner Trail
Travelers: Steve, Christine, Kevin, Rocky & Nemo


The highlight of this park is the view of Cumberland Valley, which can be seen by climbing Flat Rock Trail to the overlook on the crest of Blue Mountain.  In addition to the view, the park has 18 miles of hiking trails and is a trailhead for the 105 mile Tuscarora Trail. The weather and temperature were typical for fall and in the evening, after setting up camp, we were able to sit close to the fire and sleep comfortably at night. We had an excellent time with a good friend in the great outdoors!

-Christine

Flat Rock

This view of Cumberland Valley was taken from the overlook
at Flat Rock on the crest of Blue Mountain.

Our Campsite Along Warner Trail

The next few pictures, including the one above, were taken in the area surrounding our campsite. This photo was shot in the evening and the others were taken at sunrise.

Ring-Necked Pheasants

These colorful, male Ring-Necked Pheasants are not native to North America,
but now are one of it's most popular game birds, especially in Pennsylvania.

Finding Nemo

This image was taken during a hike on one of our favorite local trails -
Tumbling Run in Michaux State Forest, PA. Finding Nemo is easy when there is water near by.

Fall in Central Pennsylvania



Our Honeymoon in Costa Rica

Steve and I tied the knot on Saturday, June 25, 2011. We left for our honeymoon in Costa Rica the following Monday. This was our first adventure together as a married couple, and our first trip to Central America. We had such a wonderful time together, saw a lot of exotic animals and took some amazing shots!

6/27/2011 - 7/5/2011
Location: Arenal & Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Lodging: Arenal Nayara Hotel & Gardens; La Mansion Inn Hotel
Travelers: Mr. & Mrs. Brindle :)

If you are interested in seeing tropical rainforests and wildlife, then this is the place to visit! We saw a variety of species including: Capuchin Monkeys, Three-toed Sloths, Basilisk Lizards, Iguanas, Red-eyed Tree Frogs, Squirrel Monkeys ... the list goes on. In Costa Rica, summer is the rainy season. The thunderstorms were intense, but quick and never ruined our day, only woke us up occasionally at night. When the clouds gave way to the sun, it was beautiful and warm. Both the Arenal Nayara Hotel and the La Mansion Inn Hotel were extraordinary. We toured Arenal Volcano and went hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park, relaxed in the Tabacon Hot Springs in Arenal and sunbathed at the public beach in Manuel Antonio, ate delicious food at local restaurants, and rafted on the Savagre River. It was a fantastic honeymoon and a great start to our life together as a married couple.

Enjoy and be inspired by nature!

-Christine

Arenal Volcano

This was taken from the Arenal Nayara Hotel.
The Arenal Volcano is Costa Rica's most active volcano
and one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. 

Eyelash Pit Viper

We found this viper on a hike around the Arenal Volcano.

Panoramic View of Manuel Antonio
La Mansion Inn Hotel provides 360 degree views from its rooftop.

Both this image and the one below were taken there.

The peninsula in this picture is part of Manuel Antonio National Park.

Manuel Antonio

Rainbow Grasshopper

We found this colorful grasshopper during a hike through Manuel Antonio National Park.

Capuchin Monkey

We saw a lot of Capuchin Monkeys during our stay in Manuel Antonio.
It was fascinating to witness their athleticism and human-like behavior.

Sandy Rocky

This photo was taken during a family vacation at the beach in Sandbridge, Virginia.

The dogs love to dig in the sand and we love to watch them.



My Favorite Photographs

I decided that it would be fun to periodically share some of my favorite photographs in between posts. I’ll include a short description of each. I hope you like them!

-Christine

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
In the summertime, these butterflies cluster to sip water from the ground.

Ithaca is Gorges

Steve decided to plan a weekend trip to Ithaca, New York, so that we could hike, take pictures and play in nature during, what we refer to as, “prime-time foliage”...most commonly referred to as fall. It’s our most favorite time of the year! We rented the dog-friendly Hillview Holiday House, a two bedroom guest house owned by the Inn on Columbia for the weekend, and our newly married friends, Matt & Sam, came along for the adventure. This was our first trip to Ithaca and the Finger Lakes area. We definitely plan to return in the future… there was just not enough time in one weekend to see everything.

10/7/2011 - 10/9/2011
Location: Ithaca, New York
Lodging: Hillview Holiday House (an Inn on Columbia guest house)
Travelers: Steve, Christine, Matt, Sam, Rocky & Nemo

Ithaca is a small, quaint town with plenty to see and do both indoors and outdoors. There is an abundance of wineries and breweries throughout the area, as well as an array of restaurants to satisfy any palate and budget. Ithaca is nearby many state parks & forests of all varieties. The opportunities for a photographer are endless, especially during fall.

After a long work week, we decided to lay low Friday night and enjoy each other’s company. We spent all day Saturday hiking first in Six Mile Creek Gorge, and then in Robert Treman State Park visiting both Lucifer & Lower Falls. We headed downtown Saturday evening for dinner and drinks. The Bandwagon Brewpub, where we had dinner, was a small bar and restaurant with local brews and cuisine. We left Sunday morning, headed back to Pennsylvania and spent the afternoon hiking Sand Run Falls in Tioga State Forest.

Our mini-vacation was fun and definitely needed. Playing in nature and seeing the beautiful fall foliage in Ithaca renewed our spirits and was a great start to the season.

Enjoy and be inspired by nature!

-Christine

Lucifer Falls in Robert Treman State Park.

Lucifer Falls is a 115 foot cascade.

Exploring the trails in Robert Treman State Park.

There are several small waterfalls and stone formations to see during a hike in Robert Treman State Park.

Sand Run Falls in Tioga State Forest.

Nature from a Dog’s Perspective

Our yellow labs love nature as much as we do. Rocky and Nemo enjoy any outdoor adventure through any landscape and in any weather. Their enthusiasm for the outdoors can be seen in many of our pictures. That natural gravitation towards the wilderness inspires us to take them on regular journeys off the beaten path.

Rocky and Nemo are 8 year old yellow lab brothers. Rocky grew up with Steve and his mom, while Nemo grew up with my parents and I. Their personalities reflect their separate upbringings. Rocky is a ball obsessed, type A cuddlier and Nemo is an independent,  expressive  swimmer.  Physically, Nemo is slightly darker and stockier, while Rocky is white as the snow and athletically built.  Now that they live together full-time, they are inseparable.

Seeing the dogs in their natural element inspires us to be in ours.

-Christine

Rocky and Nemo’s spirits soar as soon as the snow begins to fall. They love it almost as much as we do. This photograph was taken after a heavy snowstorm on my mother-in-laws land along Clarks Creek in Dauphin, PA.  This is one of our most favorite places to play outside.

This picture was taken during an overnight backpacking trip on the AT.

Even in the woods, the dogs expect their breakfast at the crack of dawn, no exceptions!

I spy one person and two dogs on another overnight backpacking trip in Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania. On a chilly winter night like this, I have no problem sharing a small tent

with another person and two dogs.

Like most boys, the dogs love being dirty.

As you can clearly see in this picture, Nemo is the jumper of the family.

This was taken during an AT hike on Peters Mountain. Love this action shot!

We went hiking after a snowstorm on Hawk Rock in Duncannon.

Steve climbed a tree and took pictures of us from above.

Can you tell we love to hike in the winter? This is in Shahola Falls, Poconos.

I spy Rocky swimming in the background!