As you've probably figured out by now, we do alot of driving...especially down to Portland. This entails most of the day...and much of the evening in the car. And as much as we enjoy our excursions, there are many times when it can get to be more drudgery than enjoyment. By the time we rush, rush to make all the stops and do all the deliveries required, then...and only then....are we able to finally relax, stretch the legs, and try to find something a bit more fun to do.
This time of year, though, it gets dark by 4-4:30...and it's cold...so going to the park or the beach later in the day becomes more or less out of the question. So the past couple of weeks we hit upon the notion to take a little hike before we get to Portland. We found the perfect spot in the quaint artsy town of Hallowell. Just up the hill toward the edge of the lovely restored historic homes in the neighborhood, lies the Vaughn Woods. These paths through the woods are open year-round and meander along a stream with wonderful waterfalls and stone bridges.
After one such hike, we stopped in at Slate's Bakery for some hot chocolate and we bumped into a lady there whom we had seen on the trail. She informed us that the locals refer to the Vaughn Woods affectionately as 'Hobbit Land'...and that is a most apt description of the place!
So as I was putting this blog together, the song from the Sound of Music kept running through my head..."these are a few of my favorite things"...ya know the song...right?? Well, if you need a reminder, this will get you in the mood...
That was someone's very cute rendition! Hope you enjoyed that...and now that you've got the tune running in your head, here's my rendition of a "few of my fav-or-ite things"....
ba-dum bum bum....ba-dum bum bum....
"Girls in plaid tartan...
Or gingham with smocking..."
"Fuzzy white boots...
Or mary-janes with cute stockings"
"Crunchy brown leaves that can float down the stream--
These are a few of my fav-or-ite things!"
Oh there's more!
"Hidden stone pathways
which wend into bridges..."
"Dangling your feet
off the arches and ridges..."
"Fun woodland frolics...
Under sun dappled trees--"
These are a few of my fav-or-ite things!"
Up for one more? Here we go...
"Boys with long sticks...
wearing blue fair-isle sweaters"
"Snug woolen mittens...
and crisp Autumn weather"
"Children that swing on the trees while they sing--
These are a few of my fav-or-ite thiiings..."
Interlude:
"When the clock ticks,
When we're car sick,
When the fidgets striiiiike"
"We simply head into the woods for a hike..."
"And then we can drive...
AAAALLL NIIIIIGHT!"