Wednesday, June 16, 2021

WALK AT HUNTLEY MEADOWS PARK IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ON 5-22-21 - PART 1

 It has been raining over the last few days, along with thunderstorms.  Our walking has been cut to a minimum.  Last month we took a trip to Huntley Meadows, another place we haven't been to in over a year.  It was so good to get back.  There is a path through the wood, which eventually takes you to a fork.  The left path goes through more woods and eventually gets you to the marshland.  The right path gets you to that marshland very quickly.  This is the one we usually take.  

I shared these interesting insects in a previous post. They were son's photos.  Here are a few more I found at Huntley Meadows.  This will probably be the last of them for a long time as they will disappear soon.  The next emergence will be in 1938.  I noticed a big difference in the degree of sound this morning, not the usual steady hum.  It rained heavily last night, but even without the rain, they have been quieter.
Last night it rained hard.  Will they be back?  Not sure!
Brood X has left quite an impression on me.  I have actually enjoyed the experience.  You can read about them at this link and another interesting article here.
The collage below is comprised of photos from the deck at the back of our house.  I noticed the interesting transformation on this one.  It is shedding its final skin.  The insect emerges very pale but it slowly gets darker once its body hardens.  Those pale wings in the middle bottom photo remind of those I see on fairies in book illustrations. 
A collage of those I saw at Huntley Meadows.
One more photo and that's it, I'll go onto other things I saw that day.
For instance, trees!  It all seemed incredibly lush and green.  
I was very happy to be out in the sunshine, and in the wood with all those trees.  I wanted to go hug every one of them.  Yes, I restrained myself.  The spirit was willing but good sense said there is a lot of poison ivy out there, and yet…

“Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.”

~Albert Schweitzer~“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”

~Martin Luther~

“Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.”

~Sir David Attenborough~

“The trees encountered on a country stroll reveal a lot about that country's soul...a culture is no better than its woods."

~W.H.Auden~

We are almost through the wood and we are getting close to where the beavers hang out.
We didn't see the North American Beavers today.  They are more active at a later hour, but there were signs everywhere. Do you see the two dams they built along that stream?  I have seen much larger and longer ones nearby.
Next you can see more of their handiwork.  One felled tree and two trunks sticking out of the water.  They are off center right in the photo...and further along they just started on this tree.
The frogs were out also today and another critter friend, but that's for the next post.






33 comments:

  1. I am convinced that one of these days you will see a beaver at work! I guess when they see anyone coming, they just slink back down in the water! The cicadas are creepy, especially the red eyes.

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    1. Thank you Ginny, I hope it won't be long. I love those little critters :) Yes, I'm glad they - the cicadas - don't grow any bigger :0

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  2. Thank you (so much) for the beauty you share.

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  3. What a lovely place for a walk and so many beautiful things to see - including those trees :)

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    1. Thank you Margaret and the best thing about these places, as you no doubt have seen yourself, there is always something to see that you didn't see on the last visit.

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  4. After reading this post, Denise, I realized that we have not been to the local near by park in several weeks. That will be remedied soon as the weather is finally cooler. Thanks for the cicadas collages as we have not seen a single one here yet.

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    1. Thank you Beatrice, I look forward to your photos from the park :) Interesting you haven't had the cicadas. Perhaps they didn't make it that far north?

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  5. Beautiful photos Denise, thanks for sharing them with us!

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    1. Thank you Martha, and you are very welcome :)

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  6. A lively walk and wonderful quotes.

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  7. I meant to say ‘lovely walk’

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    1. It happens often here :) I often find words are changed on the auto correct after I push the publish button.

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  8. There is something so invigorating about a walk in the woods. Beautiful post

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    1. I love walking through the woods and I agree with you 100 percent, and thank you :)

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  9. in woods like these it is very smart to NOT hug them or even wander out through them, but to stay on paths provided. so beautiful to look at though. looking at these guys I found myself wishing I could shed the dry, rough, ugly and wrinkled skin off of my body and have new

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    1. Most definitely, and we stay on the trails because we don't want to trample anything underfoot :) Now that's a thought, shedding our skin. I think I would rather stick to that cream I keep putting on and hope for the best. Even that's not working, lol!

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  10. Lovely place. There are a lot of f cicadas! Their sound is huge!

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    1. Thank you Anne :) Seems to me that they are about an inch to an inch and a half long.

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  11. Uma maravilha de reportagem fotográfica.
    Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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    1. Muito obrigado! Estou feliz que você tenha gostado das minhas fotos e informações. Um abraço e uma boa semana contínua.

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  12. Love each and all of your quotes you used today! I'm not fond of those bugs (they're noisy in Texas)...beaver evidence is pretty cool...and I love the rich, dappled greens.

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  13. It looks like a really nice place and the photos of the cicadas are excellent, well done to your son. Hope all is well, Diane.

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    1. Hi Diane, I will let him know. All is well thank you :) I wish you the same.

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  14. Denise, thank you for coming by my blog! So nice to meet you! I truly love this post! That is so interesting about the cicadas! Love the photos you got of them! I would be hugging the trees with you! Love all the photos and the quotes! Big Hugs!

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    1. Lovely to meet you too, especially another tree hugger. I enjoyed your blog very much and look forward to revisiting. Thank you and also sending big hugs :)

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  15. It certainly looks a lovely place to walk, with so many things to see.
    I enjoyed your photographs, thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  16. Very green. The only time I've seen beavers is at sunset.

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    1. Thank you William, the only time I have seen them at our Walney Pond and here is later nearer sunset. And that would be a wonderful time to take photos of them. We will have to make sure go much later one of these times.

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  17. We have cicadas in our yard. They make a racket!

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    1. Thanks Linda, our son has a lot more in his area than we do. I can hear them loudly in the background when we talk to him on the phone :)

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