Cloud Show/End of Season at Whipple Dam

It had been raining on and off for days, and when it semi-cleared, my husband and I wanted to get out of the house and actually go somewhere and do something. So we decided that since we had not been to Whipple Dam recently, that's where we wanted to go.

So we had a lovely hot lunch at Couch's, which is 10 minutes away, and then we drove in to Whipple Dam, which we found to be completely deserted! (In other food news, we'd also wrap up our visit at afternoon's end by picking up a half rack of ribs to go, at Doan's Bones barbecue joint, which you have to drive past to go in to Whipple Dam.)

The swimming season for many people ends on Labor Day. In the old days, the state park beach areas closed to swimming after that weekend, but nowadays, they are open longer. As of this day, they did not know yet when they will close the beach at Whipple, but clearly it's still open for a bit longer!

So . . . welcome to our private beach! I think there were two or three other vehicles that came and went while we were there. It was like being billionaires, or something, with our very own island. Except that our island was a pretty little lake in the woods of central PA.

Gorgeous dragonflies and damselflies sailed around us, and tried to land on my husband's head. I stalked some amberwings but they never sat down long enough for me to get any pictures. They sat on the rope of the swimming area. They chased each other through the skies. Personally, I do not know of anywhere in central PA that is better for dragons and damsels than Whipple.

The water is low and the spillway was barely trickling. We have had rain, but apparently it's not been enough to reverse the near-drought conditions we've been facing in many parts of PA. But I'm not in charge of that (which is a thing I say a lot to myself now that I'm retired). I'm just the girl with the camera!

When we arrived, the area was totally socked in with big dark clouds. But as we stayed longer, the sky cleared up and we still had big white clouds in the distance, but it was eventually taken over by blue sky and sunshine. Whipple Dam is so tiny. And from where I stood, it looks like it could be in Europe. Do you see the light shining on trees in the distance?

I photographed the row boats on the far shore and you could feel and hear the peacefulness of the place. Abandoned toys sat in little buckets along the shore. The season is nearly over, but there's still swimming to be had - and PEACE to be had - at Whipple Dam.

My soundtrack song for this pretty little place that is one of central Pennsylvania's state park gems is the Eagles, with Peaceful Easy Feeling.