Nothing is going to foil my day!

 March 21, 2022


I basically invited myself (well not really, but kinda) to a picnic lunch at beautiful Moraine State Park in Portersville, PA with my mom and aunt. It was a happy accident (thanks, Bob Ross for the awesome phrase), and a great opportunity for me to GET one of the locations on my trash and treasure tableau bucket list.

My mom and aunt found this jewel during the pandemic lock-down as a way to get together when everything was closed and only outside visiting was recommended. It is a perfect location because it is about halfway between their humble abodes. We also realized, I am also about the same distance away from a different direction, so a wonderful triangulated location was discovered if we all want to get together!

They pack a lunch, set a table, and sit down and enjoy the relaxing and beautiful landscape where Lake Arthur is the natural backdrop!

I listened to them reminisce about the different seasons they have seen come and go at this very spot (or at least one close to it). Their descriptions did transform the landscape for me as I watched the trees blossom into green foliage and then turn the colors of autumn, and crumble and die into winter (yes, they did come here in the cold LOL!). I then re-entered reality as this beautiful day smelled of the coming spring and the trees showed the first signs of buds. The take-away is this is a magical spot no matter the time of year, so don't let the closed restrooms, lack of sail boats and closed launches keep you away in the off season! Lake Arthur is big, blue and beautiful all year around!



These two pictures look a little too much winter and not enough spring, so you will have to trust me that spring is indeed on the way!


We each brought food to share (salmon salad sandwiches on healthy marble rye, raw veggies, apples, blueberry muffins, and apple crisp) and the table was set, complete with a table cloth and center pieces, including two planter dishes of violas and one Grogu (hey, even Jedi Masters in training need to eat)! I got to take one home with me... can't say thank you for flowers (it is bad luck), but I did appreciate the thought!

Since this is a DCNR Pennsylvania State Park, it has a "carry it in - carry it out" policy, so my trash supply was extremely limited (which is a very good thing); however, there was some trash left behind by the park staff, which I think it can be safely assumed was part of a repair or warning about erosion.

The tableau was made from of our lunch garbage. My aunt made a swan out of her foil. I made a container out of mine, and I had to uncrumple my mom's to get to the uneaten crust inside... nothing wasted for the sake of art!!!

The title of this tableau is "Nothing is going to foil my day!" I realize that normally to foil someone is to stop them from their devious plans like Rocky and Bullwinkle foil the plans of Boris and Natasha, but I couldn't resist the pun! 

I also have to point out that I did foil my own photo because if you look closely, you can see my shadow in the picture... amateur photographer move, I know (which is why I need practice)! Ah, foiled, again!




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