Tuesday, October 13, 2020

MANASSAS NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK

A few weeks ago we drove to this area but it was crowded, so we didn't take our usual walk.  That was on a weekend.  We decided to return on Monday (October 5th).  
We woke up to blue skies and the temperature was perfect for walking.  It was in the mid 60s. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but what few people we saw were some distance away.  We walked by one young couple walking their dogs while on the trail in the woods.  When we saw them coming we put our masks on.  
Last time, apart from the pathways that had been cut for us to walk without hindrance, the grass was very high.  
On Monday everywhere we looked we could see bales of hay, all neatly placed in all the fields.  
The smell of new mown hay was an added pleasant element to our walk.
But first something else took our interest.  We noticed that several trees bore fruit.  They looked  like apples.  Edible or ornamental?  Not sure!
I tried to find online what they were without success, but we saw this fruit on the ground in various stages of decay.  
At the first fence a butterfly rested on the bottom strip, and it began to feed on the old fruit.  I believe this is a Red-Spotted Purple Admiral (Limenitis arthemis). You can see one at this website.  There is more information here.
There were others enjoying the fruit.  The next photo shows a European Hornet (Vespa crabro), which is the largest eusocial wasp native to Europe.  It is also the only true hornet (genus Vespa) found in North America, having been introduced by European settlers in 1840.  I read that they differ from most wasp species as they are active day and night. The European hornet is less aggressive apparently than say the bald-faced hornet and yellow jacket.  But still, a hornet is a hornet is a hornet.  Best to be wary I would imagine and admire from afar.
The flies are identified as Flesh Fly (Sarcophaga spp.)  I am not going to go into detail on this one, my initial reaction being 'ewwww'.  For those who are interested in more information, I have provided this link from Wikipedia.  I probably won't do any more research on this one.
We walk across a field heading to a trail we remembered that goes through the woods.  If you click here it will take you to a website giving more information.  
This is an easy walk according to the site but we didn't take the whole loop trail today.  We thoroughly enjoyed what we did do.  Here is a map showing the trail.
Turkey Tail or False Turkey Tail?  I didn't want to get on my hands and knees in the dirt, nose to fungi, for a closer inspection. 
"At this very interesting website, it says: Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is a species of fungus that closely resembles a turkey's tail.  As a bracket fungus, named because of its shelf-like form, its job is to break down either the lignin or cellulose in rotting wood.
But here's a Thanksgiving - and beyond - conundrum; there's an imposter out there, the false turkey tail (Stereum hirsutum).  And there are several species of bracket fungi anyway.  So how can you tell if you have a 'true' turkey tail?"

And then the article goes on to explain the differences with great photos.

You can read it here.
We didn't notice any birds today, a couple of squirrels and that was about it.  I kept looking up into the trees but saw no movement up there.
But I was happy that this was our fungus/mushroom day.  I look forward to this time of the year in part because of these.
I definitely would not try ID'ing these mushrooms by name.  I used my plant app which said this is one of the poisonous types.  And according to that plant app 'Picture This', the heart shaped leaf in the photo below is from the Common blue violet, botanical name Viola sororia.  The leaves on the right are from the Jack-in-the-pulpit, botanical name Arisaema triphyllum.
As for our mushroom?  I made my mind up just to enjoy looking, and not worry about its name.
I found a very interesting series on YouTube, presented by a young man who is very knowledgeable about mushrooms.  It is called Learn Your Land and he has several about mushrooms.  I watched one titled Mid-Autumn Mushroom Hunting.  You can see it if you click here.  I will slowly be working my way through all of them.
"Mushrooms were the roses in the garden of that unseen world, because the real mushroom plant was underground.  The parts you could see - what most people called a mushroom - was just a brief apparition.  A cloud flower."

~Margaret Atwood~
The Year of the Flood
These pretty daisy-like flowers are a species of Aster called White-panicle aster.  They were blooming everywhere.  
Its botanical name is Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, and it is native to North America.  It is a perennial and blooms in Summer and Fall.  
You can go to a website if you click on this link.  Scrolling down the page you will find close up photographs of this pretty flower.
There were also ones called Smooth blue aster, as those in the photo above.  Its botanical name is Symphyotrichum laeve.  They bloom from early to mid Autumn, and are native to Canada and the United States.
I can't tell you enough what a tonic it was to walk through those woods and it was so nice, for the most part, to have it all to ourselves.  
We met the couple I mentioned at the beginning of my post, very briefly.  Enough time to say hello and to ask them if I could take a photo of their dogs as we passed.  They were happy to oblige and smiled.  I am sure those dogs were smiling too, in my world they were smiling, and of course I was happy to have my doggy fix that day.  They were the only people we met on our walk, apart from seeing a few in the distance.
We turned around shortly afterwards.
We found a bench just beyond the line of trees on the right, and sat for a while enjoying our surroundings.
From the bench there was a reminder (a cannon) of what went on here at the 1st Battle of Manassas and the 2nd Battle of Manassas.  My history source (my sweet other half) tells me that the North used to name their battles after cities, whereas the South named them after geographical locations.  The South called these two battles 1st Battle of Bull Run and the 2nd Battle of Bull Run, named after the stream nearby.  "Run" is another name for stream (or creek) around here.
Always hard to comprehend what occurred in these now peaceful surroundings.
All freshly painted and polished.
Below are all that remains of a two-and-a-half-story home.
Below is a photo I found on the historical marker nearby.
In part the marker reads, "In 1860 Benjamin Chinn and his family lived here in a two-and-a-half story frame farmhouse.  Known as "Hazel Plain", the modest plantation comprised several hundred acres.  The property was typical of those in Prince William County, yielding wheat, corn, oats and potatoes for cash and subsistence.  
War engulfed the Chinn homestead twice in thirteen months.  Prominently located on a high ridge overlooking the Warrenton Turnpike and Young's Branch, Hazel Plain stood as a silent witness to some of the heaviest fighting during both battles of Manassas.  On each occasion the family took refuge with relatives."
And now?  So totally peaceful!
I could stay here for hours but it was time to move on.  
Another place we will be coming back, because at this point in time we like the solitude and the wide open spaces.
Before I finish this post I would like to give a shout-out to a lovely blog hosted by Linda Schaub.  It is called 'Walkin', Writin' Wit and Whimsy'. I found it while looking for information about my butterfly.  I enjoyed reading the host's nature walk in her home state of Michigan, and it is such an interesting and enjoyable blog.  Linda's website is here.

Hopefully I have all my facts correct in this post, but I am by no means an expert.  I enjoy researching and I read and read and read.  If you see anything you think is incorrect please let me know.  

Thanks for looking and I hope your day is a great one.







32 comments:

  1. What an amazing walk! Both small and large wonders and miracles! I have to say my favorite is the gorgeous butterfly. We had these European Hornets a couple years ago. I think I even posted them! They were so frightening; they flew in the kitchen at night. They are HUGE and made a loud buzzing sound. They terrified me. Thankfully I haven't seen any this year. Now they are all talking about the new Killer Hornets. I hope to never see one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ginny, I looked at your post on the European Hornets. I wouldn't want them inside the house. When we had our black hornets building a nest inside the light fixture right outside our back door, I was worried every time I opened the door, and it was a while before we could safely remove the nest.

      Delete
  2. https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1374840862168255424/6682384473546199212
    Here is the link to my European Hornet post if you're interested.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely photos.
    Nice to see fungi, it's always interesting to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too Margaret and our son just sent us a lovely one from his walk. I will post it sometime :)

      Delete
  4. How wonderful to be out and about and enjoy nature again! We are still in lockdown and I appreciated the outing. Looks like we had nice weather, too.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So sorry to hear that Amalia, I hope you will be able to get out soon. This is so scary :* Stay safe my friend. xo

      Delete
  5. Thank you so much for taking us on this beautiful, informative and socially distanced walk.
    Stay safe, stay well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome EC, glad you enjoyed it and I wish you the same :)

      Delete
  6. Hello, Denise,
    Wonderful post on your visit to the battlefield. Love the flowers, mushrooms and the pretty butterfly. Cute puppy dogs. Take care, enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Interesting post and I enjoyed the virtual walk tremendously. Hope all is well. Take care Diane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad Diane. Thank you, all is well here and I hope the same for you :)

      Delete
  8. Interesting facts about the battles and the reasons for their names. I did not know that Run meant river or creek. Chinn is a Chinese name, so I was taken aback by that story. Lovely house, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting Gigi. Here is what I found on the name Chinn. The name Chinn comes from when the family lived near a crevice, chasm, or canyon. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word chine, that comes from the Old English word "cinu," meaning fissure, or chasm. The surname meant "dweller by the ravine." So interesting and thank you for that information as it sent me on another search :)

      Delete
  9. Beautiful scenery and a very nice adventure. Your apple picture looks like it has the same texture as a pear. They can really be messy when they rot on the ground. I hopped over from Ginny's blog, and happy that I did. Take care....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Shug, that crossed my mind that they might be pears, especially in one of the photos I took. Glad you took a look at Ginny's blog. You take care too :)

      Delete
  10. Such a beautiful walk and so many wonderful photos! I especially love all the fungi shots, they are always so interesting to me. Have a great week :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Martha, thank you and I'm happy you liked those fungi shots. I was happy to get them on our walk. You have a great week too :)

      Delete
  11. These days there's an app for almost anything. So you should be able to identify the apple.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is indeed, I should take a look. Thanks Red :)

      Delete
  12. Thanks for sharing this beautiful informative walk with us! Good idea to go on a less crowded day. We are in a 2nd wave of Covid in the Toronto area.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome Christine, glad you enjoyed it :) I am so sorry to hear about your 2nd wave.

      Delete
  13. I really enjoy your research as well as your great pictures ... that is a perfect walk for me even in non-Covid times. Beauty and history, love this all. Thanks to you and Greg for the history part ...I didn’t know (or had forgotten) about the battle naming and even that “Run” was another name for creek.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sally, so glad you did. I agree, we always enjoyed our trips out here even before Covid. I will pass on your thanks to Gregg. He knows a lot of history and has honed it even more since we have lived not too far away from here for 25 plus years.

      Delete
  14. My husband would spend the whole day there just for the historical value!! Me? I'd be there for the beauty of it all and the nature on display. I've never seen that turkey tail fungus, but it's pretty & aptly named. Thanks Denise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome Anni, so happy you enjoyed. I also love the nature of this area. Still learning on both that and the history :)

      Delete
  15. Denise, your posts are so interesting and so informative! I love how you identify all the beauty you encounter. I will have to download the apps you use for identification. I'm so glad you had such a great day walking on those peaceful battlefields. It is so hard to imagine all the pain from those days of war. You are so lucky that the area was not crowded and you were able to enjoy without fear. Stay safe, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Martha Ellen, and thank you :) I find the apps come in useful. Occasionally I have a doubt on an ID but it doesn’t happen that often. It always makes me reflective when we come here knowing it’s history. You stay safe too my friend :)

      Delete

Thank you so for taking the time to leave a comment. I enjoy reading them very much and always try to return a visit. As I do monitor comments it may take a while for them to appear, even quite late depending on what is going on and how much time I am able to spend on the computer.

I appreciate all who look at my blog, but I won't be publishing any businesses. If you are only able to publish anonymously, would you sign your name please, and leave an addy so I can return your visit where possible? Thank you!