Sharing My Heart

No matter how far I have traveled in my life~ I am a country girl..and a small town girl at heart. I have traveled and lived many places. Home and family have always been along the New York and Vermont border in the sleepy Village of Granville NY. I have lived most of my life there, and must admit to being a bit bewildered to move just outside the city of Schenectady. Tim would ask me what I would miss (besides my girls)....my mountains; always my mountains. I still do, but they are never so far away. Here in Schenectady, one can walk along the city streets

and enjoy all of the revitalization projects..Visit artsy shops on a cobbeled street, perhaps stop by Little Italy for fresh bread or a gelato and go a little farther into the Historic Stockade. I am so lucky to have someone that has the same heart....

A short drive, brings us here, to Thatcher Park. We have come here a few times and I am always in awe. I forget just how much I love it. It is rich in history ~This area dates back to the late 1500's and below where we are standing in this picture is the Indian Ladder Trail. It was used by the Mohawk Iroquois. They would fell trees and use them as ladders to reach a trading post run by Henry Hudson. There is an area called the Tory cave, in which Jacob Salsbury hid from the settlers during the Burgoyne Invasion.

Today we are walking across the top of the trail and are located approximately in the middle. The leaves are at peak foliage in the valley and the day is a perfect, crisp October day. If you look to the tall mountain just right of the center, you see Mount Equinox, Vermont. Not so far from my beloved Granville and where much of my Dad's side of the family has roots. ~ now my heart smiles.

See that ridge to the right~ that is the top that we are walking along. Quite a way down, just to the tree tops. You can just make out the mountains beyond. That is Massachusetts. The stone to the left....well a couple steps beyond and what a drop!

Looking to the left is the Adirondacks~ oh, and the cliffs. Let's not forget those! We are going to walk along the trail to the left and you will see the other side of the Escarpment.

We walk along the wooded trail and the view is beautiful. We are ever mindful that we are along the top of the cliffs and yes, that is the edge where the brown leaves end. 

A break in the trees and you can see how massive this is. What a miracle that this birch has survived just above the tops of the trees along the limestone.

We come across a wee friend. What will the Winter hold for us Mr. Woolie?

And then we come to our destination. Nothing like a cup of Hot Chocolate on a hike! I picked some snowberries and found some hickory nuts for my candle bowl and to use in photo shoots,

The view of the Escarpment and the Adirondacks beyond is amazing. My heart truly does smile. I am fortunate to have a man that knows the way to this girl's heart~ never mind flowers, chocolates or yes....jewelry. Even though my home may not be where I thought it would be...it is not far at all from my beloved mountains...and oh what a view of them!

AS a grand finale, I found this beautiful video of the hike through the Indian Ladder Trail; which was below the trail that we hiked. I am in awe every time I walk it and hope that you will find the beauty of it also. Can you feel the history of those that walked it hundreds of years before us? It feels like one is back in time...it feels like Last of the Mohicans.  May it make your heart smile as it does mine. * You will want to scroll down to the bottom of my blog to turn off the music to fully enjoy the video.*