Back from Hawk Mountain

We just got back from a few days of family vacation in Pennsylvania. We spent a few days camping and seeing some sights. Our main goal was to visit Hawk Mountain, so named for all of the raptors that swing by there in the fall on their migration south. A mild hike up the mountain from the visitor's center yielded this spectacular view. We did get to see a lot of raptors - mostly turkey buzzards, but at one point we got to see through binoculars a "kettle," or rotating column, of several dozen birds as they caught thermals several miles from the mountain. Quite an impressive sight. Views like these just lead me to spontaneously start praising the amazing Maker, and cause me to thank Him for allowing me to experience such sights.

We also stopped by French Creek State Park. The picture is of Hopewell Lake.

We had a good time together. My wonderful kids seemed to enjoy the slow pace of our vacation, away from the computer and any console games. We "camped" in a cabin; it had real beds and a futon, electric, a refrigerator and a heater. This seems like cheating compared to our earlier tent camping experiences years ago, but we all agreed that we enjoyed this experience better. In the spirit of camping, though, we did cook two meals a day over a fire. They were great meals, planned (but not all executed by) my darling wife. She asked that each family member take main responsibility for building one fire and cooking the meal. She let me make chicken soup one night, which was pretty straightforward - I was glad for that! My darling kids took responsibility for their meals (my son made great hamburgers), helped set up and tear down camp, did dishes when asked, and just generally contributed to a great time.

The last picture is of some random beautiful scenery, as taken by my daughter as we sped by. I just love being in such places, where there are trees, and hills, and old buildings. It calms my soul.