Ingredients for a great night on the
General Dacey Trail: 2.5 miles of paths
aligned with the glow of luminaries, 3 Inches of Snow, 1 Full Moon, and much more.
. .
There is
something special about the warm glow of a candle. Many of us have been to a candlelight
Christmas Eve service, where the beautiful light created by just one match,
lights the entire room. Others of us
have attended a candle lighting vigil in a cemetery to honor loved ones,
lighting candles set up in front of tombstones to brighten the night. From a distance, it appears that stars have
settled on the ground.
On January
23rd, I had the privilege of walking by the light of the moon on the
General Dacey Trail. And while I have
been on trails at night with the moon providing enough of its own light to
guide the way, I had not been on such a path where luminaires were hung from
trees and aligned on the edges of the trail, making me feel as if I was a child
in an enchanted forest. The reflection
of the moon on the lake, and the trail even more aglow due to the snow, made
this night a great choice to hold this event.
To make the evening
even more special, ice ball luminaries lit up the path leading to the bonfire
where more artistic frozen designs were magnified by L.E.D. lights. Hot drinks awaited those wanting to warm
themselves by the fire, and there were bales of hay for those desiring to rest
their legs and socialize with the many participants. For those wanting to leave their mark, there
was also a 6 foot luminaire in which one could sign their name.
Each of
these ingredients made for yet another great experience on the General Dacey
Trail.
A huge thank
you to the Shelbyville Area Community Foundation and Mr. Jerry Yockey for
organizing this event. Thanks also to
Mr. Bob Newstradt for the artistic luminaries, and to each person that helped
out with this successful community event that allowed the trail to be used for such
a great activity!
Jenny Biggs
