I don't know about you but for us crawling out of the den this week was a scary proposition. We are seriously not ready for a 50 degree one day temperature drop. Yowzah. However, we women and dogs did still get out on the Great Allegheny Passage for a walk in the snow on Tuesday morning. It was beautiful in spite of the cold although I might get some argument from the women if not the dogs - the pups couldn't have been happier. I wish I taken a picture but I think the phone would have frozen!

Choosing this week's masthead was a no-brainer as soon as I clicked on the Friends of Trough Creek & Warriors Path Book of Faces. Zac Waite posted a couple of crystal clear beauties there and picking a crop for this one was especially hard. Check out the original for the full effect.

Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator

News of Note

Please join me in welcoming Peggy Davidson to the PPFF fold. Peggy's our new Development Coordinator so she'll be charged with the all-important (some might say "all-consuming") task of helping us to raise money for all our projects and goals. Peggy hails from York and has a background in fundraising going back several years. We are going to appreciate having her expertise!

If you've yet to hike the Falls Trail at Ricketts Glen State Park this year, too late! Yes, the ice has arrived and the trail has been closed until it's once again clear of excessive slipperiness.

Marci had the company of a few hardy and hearty souls on a legislative tour at Whipple Dam State Park and Rothrock State Forest on Wednesday. Frozen toes all around. The next excursion on the tour is set for Worlds End State Park next Wednesday at 1:30.

We are hoping, of course, for NO frozen (or wet) toes on the ExtraGive outings that accompany this great day of giving. Lunch and hike with Amanda and Marci (and maybe Peggy) on Thursday at noon at Susquehannock State Park; then head over to Sam Lewis State Park for a tour of the newly evolving education center at 3:00.

Back last week when it was warm ... Bill and I took a little bike ride down to Ohiopyle State Park as I'd learned from the Friends of Ohiopyle Facebook page that the volunteer trail day on Saturday was partially devoted to construction of the new campsites for the Great Allegheny Passage. Cyclists on the GAP know that until this point the only camping available in the park was at Kentuck Campground at the top of a very steep, very rutted trail. Not a lot of fun with a loaded bike. But by next year five new sites will be in play much closer to the trail. Approached by a stone path and ringed by stones as well, the sites look as if they will be big enough for two or perhaps three two-person tents. A welcome addition!

At Work and Play in the State Parks and Forests

NORTH	SOUTH
Looking ahead to next Thursday evening, the FRIENDS OF ROTHROCK will host a Deer, Forest Health & Hunting program at the Boalsburg Fire Company.	The challenge of preparing an entire Thanksgiving feast is met by the FRIENDS OF COWANS GAP through the annual Thanksgiving Campfire Cooking demo on Saturday.
EAST	WEST
Head over to DELAWARE CANAL STATE PARK for Two States, Two Canals 7.5-mile hike tomorrow. Registration is required so don't tarry!	At POINT STATE PARK on Sunday morning, join a two-hour walk along Pennsylvania's riverfronts to explore the city's agricultural (yes, you heard that right) past.

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Do you like music? Are you tech savvy? Have we got the group for you! The Friends of Shikellamy love their concerts in the park but have challenges with (yes, weather) but also getting the word out about their great projects. A Facebook/website/marketing/communications person would be welcome. Contact Flo and talk about it!

These and other fun events and fulfilling volunteer opportunities can be found on the PPFF events calendar and DCNR Calendar of Events. Bookmark them and you'll never miss the boat (or hike or festival).

Picture of the Week

I told Beltzville Jeff Wartluft that this photo of the lake is all about the texture. The play of light and limbs is lovely. Thanks for sharing, Jeff!

Take Five for Trivia

Even the hardiest of hardy mums would have a hard time surviving this week's cold snap I imagine. And not many survived last week's trivia challenge either. Mums were indeed brought here in "colonial times" and Karl Linnaeus is responsible for giving them their name combining the Greek words "chrysos," meaning gold, with "anthemon," meaning flower in 1753. But their introduction to the US is credited to Colonel John Stevens of Hoboken, NJ who brought in a variety called "Dark Purple" (if only it had been Deep Purple, we could now cue the opening chords of "Smoke on the Water" but I digress). Bill doesn't care nearly so much about the import of the mums as he does for the fact that Stevens is credited with creation of the first American steam locomotive and was granted the first ever charter (in the US) for a railroad.

This week's question is a derivation of DCNR's weekly "Resource" email. Do elk get cold?

Send in your answer and we'll enter your correct response into our monthly prize drawing. All correct answers each week will go into the hat and at the end of the month we'll draw one lucky winner. The more correct answers you submit in a month (up to four or the occasional five depending on the month), the more chances you'll have to win.

In Closing

I got a shingles shot this week and while sitting in the doctor's office waiting for the jab, I picked up an old copy of "Country" magazine from June 2014. It was chockful of beautiful photographs from national and state parks across the US and first-person stories, jokes, and recipes. The article illustrated with this photograph made me grin like an idiot. Click and read of a grand and glorious adventure. And then let's resolve to "Be Like Tan" and live a little more exuberantly. At least this week!

Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of PPFF may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll-free within Pennsylvania, to 800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a proud member of Earth Share and 1% for the Planet and is a Gold GuideStar participant.