One of my most glorious days of hiking was at Natural Land Trust’s Binky Lee Nature Preserve. This oddly named 112 acre tract is a former farm on a hilltop in Chester County south of Phoenixville. Natural Lands Trust is letting the farm revert back to meadow and forest, and they have four miles of trail snaking through the site. I had a spare day in October and headed out, not knowing what to expect. Rarely have I been so rewarded on a hike. 
The skies had been promising rain all day, but the skies cleared and the sun came out. The afternoon light gave a glow to all it touched. Although just past their peak, the colors of fall were around me. For the best part of more than two miles I felt as if God had created the world so I could photograph it. The hike was a loop around the central meadow at Binky Lee, but I’ll let the photos tell the story 

Eventually the threatened rain materialized, and I was wet when I got back to my car. I sheltered under a tree for a few minutes, listening to the rain falling on the grass and leaves. One of my best hikes. I know I will be back.