What a beautiful day. Today was one of those Autumn days that are near perfect. The sky was a light blue transitioning to a pale eggshell blue near the horizon. There were a few clouds and some chem-trails but it was mostly clear. When we arrived, the temp was about 10 C and it rose to 16 C when we left. We heard American Goldfinches, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Northern Bluejays. It was one of those days you want to make the most of.

The leaves are in that going-away stage where the vibrant reds and oranges fade to browns and the brilliant yellows have mostly waned to pastel yellow with brown speckling. Soon they will all be gone, only the conifers will be there to break up the monotony.

There weren’t a lot of people about this morning, and it was nice to have the battlefield almost all to ourselves. We got set up and on the air by 1344 UTC and immediately made contacts. They were coming in close enough that I barely had time to self-spot though several people did enter spots for us. Gettysburg National Military Park holds a lot of interest for people, and it seems we usually do well here. In about 35 minutes we made 47 contacts and then it tapered off, the band conditions changing with the morning.

SWMBO took a walk around the top of Culp’s Hill as I was taking my station down and then I climbed the tower. The tower is 60 feet tall and was built in 1896 and is a well-known location to take in the view and to study the battlefield. I took some pics from the top and made my way down.

SWMBO asked that we take a drive around and I was happy to oblige. One of my contacts made a comment about the battlefield being hallowed ground and that struck a note with me as we slowly drove around. We are very fortunate to live as close to it as we do and it is a very serene place to visit. Some of the areas are awe-inspiring, and you can’t help but to be reverent. The other Civil War battlegrounds we have visited don’t seem to have the same immensity about them. That is one of the reasons we keep returning.

Well enough for this session. Namaste, kids and always look to the future while bearing the past in mind.