Every fall, our family camps at Jenny Jump State Forest in Hope, NJ. And every fall, I am amazed at the beauty and brilliant colors of the forest.

It rained our first night there, but we were cozy, warm, and dry in our trailer. There’s something about waking to the sound of rain on the trailer’s roof while being dry and warm in your sleeping bag.

Here is my journal entry that morning:
It is 10:30 in the morning at Jenny Jump.
We are relaxing in our trailer, listening to soft bluegrass music, the sound of rain on the canvas roof over my bed, and the propane heater producing warm air flowing through our cozy space. G is sitting on the sofa reading a book while I sit next to him, warming my feet at the heating vent. JP is still asleep in his bunk. E is in my bed with her doll and her book. She is wearing leopard-print earmuffs.
I am happy.

This year, we were joined by my husband’s brother, his family, and some friends who stayed in shelters (simple cabins) in the park. In the morning, while waiting for the rain to stop, we read books and played Bananagrams. Once it stopped raining, we hiked the beautiful Summit Trail and were treated to stunning views of the valley. After lunch, we gathered around the campfire for s’mores and hot chocolate. Later at night while sitting by the campfire, we viewed the stars above us as the sounds of crickets and cicadas lulled us to drowsiness.

The next morning, we awoke to brilliant sunshine. After church and a hearty breakfast, we hiked to Ghost Lake where we were dazzled by the reflection of the changing leaves upon the still surface of the lake.

We had a restful time away surrounded by the glorious beauty of nature in the fall.

Today I am so grateful for the season of fall.

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came,—
The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread a carpet,
And every thing was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing;
Professor Wind, the band…
~George Cooper, “October’s Party”

Campsite #26
Oatmeal for breakfast
Bananagrams on a rainy morning
Off to a hike after the rain stopped
Summit trail
Scrambling up rocks
Lichen
In the land of fairies
Getting warm around the campfire. Photo taken by my daughter
Campfire smoke looking like fog
Hot chocolate – one of the best things about camping. Photo taken by my daughter
Waking up to a beautiful Sunday morning
Sunday morning eggs and sausage
Climbing a big rock
Sunday hike – Ghost Lake Trail
View from Ghost Lake Trail
Ghost Lake Trail
Beautiful road called “Shades of Death Rd”
View from the Summit Trail
View from the Summit Trail
Ghost Lake
Ghost Lake

If you want read a previous post about Jenny Jump, click here.

If you would like to share your version of “Thankful Thursday” (photos or text or both) today or in the future, you can link your post to my post on Thursdays in the comments section with the title “Thankful Thursday”.

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