HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - WASHINGTON-DULLES AIRPORT

 

A sunset photo taken by our son while he and our daughter-in-law were approaching Washington-Dulles Airport a few evenings ago.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING…

This is the beginning of a new day.  You have been given this day to use as you will.  You can waste it or use it for good.  What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.  When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.  In its place is something that you have left behind.  Let it be something good.  

~Author Unknown ~

(Photo taken overlooking Monterey Bay from Cannery Row, California, in 2009.)

HUNTLEY MEADOWS ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 2022

Well, the squirrels sounded like Hannibal crossing the Alps as Gregg put it.  They were very loud.  We have two trees that are overhanging the roof, one in back and one in front where they have a nest.  We have made a call to the same man who cut our other two down.  Not to remove them but a good trim so that they will not touch the house.  Our furry friends will have to take the longer way around, and we won't hear the sound of elephants crossing the alps waking us up in the morning!  And we don't want them chewing through the roof and taking up residence in the attic, bless their furry cotton socks.It was gorgeous on Monday (65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit).  Blue skies and Huntley Meadows was calling to us.  The rest of the week is going to be rainy.  The photos above and below I took because of the single leaf caught in a tangle of branches.  The splash of red in all that brown got my attention and begged for a photo.  I notice these things.  I would have taken a better photo of that leaf, but someone forgot to put the battery back in the camera after they recharged it last night.  Not pointing any fingers but I saw that person in the mirror this morning, still rolling her eyes!  The battery is now back where it belongs.All my photos were taken with my cell phone, which is my camera of choice these days, unless I want to get closer to the wildlife, and you know what happened there.  These phones are getting better and better for taking photos.  I do need to get a better holder for it, so that I can grab it more securely.  Do any of you have one for your phone that you can recommend?  I have been looking for a while.The first thing we noticed at the park was how high the water level was.  It had extended further towards the wooded path we take to get to the wetland.  Of course, the water birds are loving it.  I cropped the ones of the ducks below from the photo above.

The park's Beaver population has been busy! Below you can see one of their lodges.  I read some are big enough to fit a human inside.  It looks small but a lot of it is built under water, so who knows.  This particular lodge some time ago, almost covered the bench at the start of the walkway, but gradually the park people managed to reduce the lodge back to this size.  Otherwise, I think that lodge would have extended across the walkway, covering the bench completely and blocking the path to the wetlands.

Here's Gregg standing next to the bench where we often sit. You can about make out a couple of smaller tree stumps that have been nibbled to a point.  More clearly if you enlarge.

We arrived at 4.00 p.m., wanting to get photos when the sun was lower in the sky.  The parking lot was packed.  Also, the road leading down to the park was lined with cars parked on the side of the road for about half a mile.  We were lucky as there was one parking space near the entrance. Otherwise, we would have turned around and gone at another time.  It was Presidents Day.  We had forgotten many would not be at work.

Wire fencing was wrapped around several of the trees to protect them, as you can see from the one above.  Many trees in the park had orange marks, identifying those to be cut down. An industrious beaver had had a good nibble.  I don't think it would have been much longer for that tree to topple.  

For safety reasons I'm sure, as it was right next to where people walk every day, it had been cut down.  There were many of them like this.

The following is a photo from one of my old posts. I have seen them here but there were none today, still a little bit too early I think.

I read that Beavers form monogamous pairs and usually live in family groups of up to eight related individuals called colonies. The younger siblings stay with their parents for up to 2 years, helping with infant care, food collection, and dam building.  Talking of which, you can just about see a dam in the lower part of this photo.

Next is the root system of an old tree, the felled trunk out of sight.  It was much bigger at one time but it is slowly disintegrating back into the water.

Gregg is on the right in the next photo, and we are at the point where we decided to turn around and go back on a quieter day.  It sounds silly I know, but I was getting a bit nervous of an adult or child running or bumping into me.  I had already had a couple children doing just that.  The boardwalk isn't wide enough if all of a sudden you come across a group of people who are staring at something that catches their attention.  One person stops and suddenly you have a lot of them looking in the same direction. I didn't want to be knocked over the side!  I can't dodge that fast any more even if I saw anyone coming.  I had visions of swimming with the fishes, and the toads, and the snappers, and everything else in that murky water.  Yes, I'm exaggerating somewhat, but the thought crossed my mind as I heard yet again a parent telling their children to slow down, watch where they were walking/running, as they made their way around me.  Dodgem cars anyone?  Not that I begrudge these children and their parents enjoying this glorious day.  It is a great place for a seed to be sown in a child, to enjoy nature in their early years, better still to learn how to protect it, and maybe watch out for the older ladies who may be in the way.

So, back towards the car we went, having had a thoroughly enjoyable time, and knowing that we would be able to come back at any time the weather was agreeable.  I feel very blessed that this place is only a short car ride away.  We passed this lovely dog, what a beauty!  

The rest of the photos are sights we saw on the way back through the wood.

This is the visitor center on our right as we pass by. We always know we are a short distance away from our car.

A few photos on our way home.  It was a lovely sunset but I had missed the full onset.

That's all for today.  Thanks for visiting and a very happy Wednesday to you all.

GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE

Good morning Everyone. My little friend and I wanted to wish you a great day!

 "Morning Glory is the best name.  It always refreshes me to see it."

~Henry David Thoreau~ 

CAROLLA, NORTH CAROLINA TRIP - NINTH DAY - 9-9-17 - JOURNEY HOME

Corolla, North Carolina Trip

Ninth Day

Saturday, September 9th, 2017

Journey Home

One last sunrise to enjoy from the vacation rental.  I shall miss this view.  The photo below was taken a few days earlier. The one above, the morning we left. 

We were on our way at 8:40 a.m., along with the rest of the family.  We intend to drop by Gregg's brother‘s home on the way north.

There were lots of people like this heading home today.  Our car was pretty well packed but not as much as this one.

We are entertained when waiting at traffic lights, interested in the stickers people put on back windows.  Some easily figured out, others leave us scratching our heads.

We stopped at what has become our local Harris Teeter for a coffee.  We often stopped on our way back to the house to pick up a few needed items.  They have a Starbucks inside and the line was long.  Customers were good-natured and friendly.

All week we have been passing by a lovely sculpture of a horse and foal.    

I asked Gregg if we could stop to take a few photos.

It is a beauty of a sculpture.

1:26 p.m. and we have just left Gregg's brother's house, after having a very nice couple of hours catching up. Their sister and her husband arrived about 15 minutes after we did. We drove over to a favorite sandwich shop, and ate at a picnic table outside. We couldn't have had more perfect weather.  It was warm but not too hot, and there was a lovely breeze.  It was great to see Gregg's brother as it has been a while. After lunch we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. 

We pass a familiar statue, one I have seen hundreds of times before.  It is a replica of the much larger one, not too far from where we live.

5.16 p.m.  and we are 28 miles away from home, 44 minutes to go according to the GPS. 

6.15 p.m. and rolling in our driveway.  "Hello house, good to see you house!"  We have had a super week but you know how it goes, Home Sweet Home!  It is great to be back.

~~~~~


If you have missed any of my vacation posts or would like to take a second look, you can click here to see them again.

COROLLA NORTH CAROLINA TRIP - 5TH DAY - 9-5-17 - PART 1 - SUNSET

Corolla, North Carolina Trip - Fifth Day - Part 1

Sunrise 
Wright Brothers' Memorial
Lost Colony

Tuesday, September 5th, 2017

It is now 6.50 p.m. and I am back at the house.  I got up today for the sunrise. Gregg almost had to see it on his own as he left before me, with me mumbling some poor excuse about being too tired.  I mumble things incoherently when I am almost all-the-way asleep.  However, after he left I could not bear the thought of him seeing that sunrise on his own.  I heard the door close and I had immediate regret, so I kicked my lazy butt out of bed and dressed faster than I usually do, literally throwing clothes on, raced down to the beach without any thought of twisted ankles - I have a history - had momentary panic when I couldn't see him, but looked and looked and there he was.  

I snuck up behind him and gave him a big hug, experiencing a few seconds of thought that I might be hugging a complete stranger.  I have been known to rush up to someone - rarely thank the powers - pat them on the back, chatting away for what seems like an eternity,  thinking it was Gregg - that happened not so long ago - only to be greeted by a  strange face in complete shock at being accosted by, whomever he thought I was.  I don't blush too often but when I blush I am my own sunrise, and it was a wee bit dark that morning.  I needn't have worried.  Gregg saw me coming as he had a big smile on his face and he wasn't surprised.  He knows me better than I know myself at times.  A few minutes later here comes the sun.  Surreal!  

"Sunrise offered a very beautiful spectacle; the water was quite unruffled, but the motion communicated by the tides was so great that, although there was not a breath of air stirring, the sea heaved slowly with a grand and majestic motion."

~George Grey~

These are all Gregg's sunrise photos.  I have some of my own which I will share at a later date.

It was a lovely time at the beach in that very special light. There were a few other sun worshippers.   

As it got lighter we could see a familiar figure approaching.  It was Gregg's sister.

We had a nice time chatting for a while....

  

and watched as these two cute dogs trotted by. 

They were certainly enjoying their walk.

Gregg and his sister took a walk further up the beach and I meandered back to the house, taking lots of photos along the way,

 finding a few shells,

I thought this was some kind of seaweed and was very surprised to find that it was an egg casing for a skate.  I would like to spend more time at the beach to improve my knowledge of such things.

I came across the following here and here which gives more information.



I came across the remains of a horseshoe crab earlier.  I look forward to the day when I can see a live one.

I see traces of those ghost crabs again...

and occasionally see them scurrying down into burrows as I walk along the path back to the house.  

The dunes are high and you can't see the ocean when you reach the bottom level.  It is very private and incredibly pretty.  

There is a row of sea oats on the top of the dunes, and I believe this pink flower, quite tiny, is a perennial sand bean.  These and the other fauna keep me well occupied.  I am not sure what the spiky plant is.

I believe these are pokeweed berries.  There is an interesting article at this link.

We have a private entrance and there is no one else to disturb my thoughts, and no one awake in the house yet.  Once I had finished searching for wildflowers and ghost crabs, I found a comfortable chair and sat outside for a while enjoying the peacefulness of it all, looking up at the dunes and the pretty glow that still filled the sky.  It was a perfect time of the day to do this.  I stayed there for a half hour or so, before going in and getting ready for another day of sight-seeing.