Wow, weekends do not get any better than the one we just experienced! As I said on my personal FB page, “There is no possible way this weekend could have been more perfect or more beautiful.”
I headed to SPAC and the State Park on Saturday morning (not too early because I attended a truly fantastic wedding on Friday night at Saratoga National) for what turned into a rather lengthy hike/walk.
I parked by the Hall of Springs, walked past SPAC and behind the Auto Museum, and began my walk on the trail back there. The angle of the sun was perfect for casting really interesting shadows everywhere!
As I crossed over the little bridge pictured above, when I looked down at the water below, I noticed a path leading down to the bottom. Carefully protecting my camera, I climbed down and followed the path along the edge of the water. It was very quiet except for the sounds of all the summer bugs. Very peaceful. Very sunny.
I amused myself with my shadow photo, I liked that it made me look really tall and leggy (actually, I am really tall, but not THAT tall).
I used to bring my dog, Maddy, here for walks and to play in the water all the time. It was when I still lived in Burnt Hills, and coming here was always such a special treat and special time for both of us. Lots of great memories walking these trails.
I came back up to the upper path and followed it to the SPAC Route 50 lot, crossed the lot and got back on the trail.
As I entered the picnic areas, I was flooded with so many memories…it happens every time I am there. Years and years and years of family picnics along the creek, many birthday parties as a kid, our high school Senior Skip Day, and then outings and picnics with my own kids (and I should probably mention parties in the park with my friends before concerts which we attended with our $5.00 lawn tickets!).
And so many walks with my dog.
One really cool childhood memory is of all the preparation that went into each family picnic. My mom and my aunt would bring so much food! My cousins and I would all run around playing frisbee and baseball, begging to go to the pool, catching tadpoles, or walking the trails. And inevitably, at some point during our day, it would rain. That was the most fun part. The adults had it down to a science how quickly they would cover the food and the tables…and they would send all of us kids to camp out under the picnic tables until the rain stopped. We would stay cocooned under there with the edges of the vinyl tablecloth hanging down to protect us from the rain. Funny how those things stay with you through the years…
At any rate, we were blessed with such a perfect weekend. I am glad I was able to take advantage of each and every moment, and enjoy the beautiful sunshine and cooler air.
I hope everyone was able to enjoy this beautiful weekend!
