Spooooky

Washington Irving's classic, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has always been one of my favorites.  As I travel a hiking trail near my home, I became vividly aware of the tale's haunting depictions.  Armed with only my camera I attempted to capture images worthy of Irving's verbal setting.  Before me loomed the iconic bridge described in his words:

...This road leads through a sandy hollow shaded by trees for about a quarter of a mile, where it crosses the bridge famous in goblin story; and just beyond swells the green knoll...

Over a deep black part of the stream, not far from the church, was formerly thrown a wooden bridge; the road that led to it, and the bridge itself, were thickly shaded by overhanging trees, which cast a gloom about it, even in the daytime; but occasioned a fearful darkness at night. Such was one of the favorite haunts of the Headless Horseman, and the place where he was most frequently encountered... 

...In the center of the road stood an enormous tulip-tree, which towered like a giant above all the other trees of the neighborhood, and formed a kind of landmark. Its limbs were gnarled and fantastic, large enough to form trunks for ordinary trees, twisting down almost to the earth, and rising again into the air....

...About two hundred yards from the tree, a small brook crossed the road...

 

...He saw the walls of the church dimly glaring under the trees beyond...

An opening, in the trees now cheered him with the hopes that the church bridge was at hand… "If I can but reach that bridge," thought Ichabod, " I am safe." 

Maybe my imagination had gotten the better of me but as I hiked that trail, I could almost hear the horse's hoof-beats or maybe it was just the fact that the trail allows equines.  Either way it made for a fun and exciting afternoon.  Once safely across the bridge and back at my computer, I noticed in one of the photo's I'd snapped, an actual cemetery rested against the peaceful hillside.