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.