Snow Dusted Shots From South Side of Our Town - January 13th 2019

@kelsnm and I enjoyed a nice breakfast at the corner Queen City Diner, the morning after our baby shower for our Son, James. Was a bleak morning with a gray overcast Stratus cloud ceiling... following a nice overnight dusting of my favorite precipitation form.

The fresh snowflakes, only the second snow so far this Winter, pressured me into an afternoon flight session to capture its raw beauty.

I am sure I have said it before, but something about the cleaning appearance that the freshly laid snow on the ground gives the landscape.. its beautiful to me. And surely many others feel the same. Ahhh I was hoping for a bit more, but one or two inches is enough for now I guess.

The Schuylkill River runs around these mountains as it collects all the drainage from up North and surrounding basin. The moderate sized city of Reading sits nestled in between the mountain side, geologically known as the Reading Prong, and the river banks. The river flows all the way to Philadelphia where it drains into the Delaware and eventually into the Chesapeake and into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Reading Prong rock strata eventually connects up with other similar rock strata found in New England regions of the Appalachians. Nolde Forest might also be a part of the Reading Prong, as not much of the rock strata is remaining.

Alvernia University is located South of Reading and can perhaps be spotted in these photos.

The bike trail, named the Thun Trail, runs along the Schuylkill for a while, but eventually diverges for a small bit before re converging with the River to extend all the way to Philly. A quite long bike trail.. one that I used to ride with my Mother when I was much younger, crazy how times change.

But there were a couple riders out today, enjoying the crisp air during a casual cruise.

The once beautiful, city of Reading. Making a comeback perhaps. But the local news would suggest otherwise.. with recent ex mayors being thrown behind bars for corruption.. and current mayors under investigation for the same... makes someone like myself, who is concerned for their's and their own's future, think what is really going on at the top..

But there she is.. the gem from the South.

Schuylkill River makes for a scenic view.

Criss Crossing lawn mower patterns still visible underneath an inch dusting of snow cover.

Local roads bisect nature like veins and arteries through the body of land. And the trees and dormant plants like hairs on the skin of the surface.

I am thankful that although there is a pretty scrummy city nearby there is at least a refuge, an escape to wilderness not too far away.. much like our future home. Our newly bought land is totally secluded and private as I hope to remain.

I remain grateful for everything in life and thank Heavenly Father regularly for everything there is in Life.

Take care y'all. Video to follow with amazing footage so check back soon!