Virginia Native Plants (3/27/2015)

I am completing the development of a class that will be titled "Plants for Erosion and Sediment Control & Stormwater Management".  I will start teaching this class next week and am looking forward to it.  Hopefully it will not bomb; from what I hear in the field, everybody is looking forward to it.  I have a huge responsibility resting on my shoulders.

In the process of doing research for this topic I ran into now three reference guides that I thought were very good:

1. A native plant guide for Virginia's Eastern Shore (click here)
2. A native plant guide for Virginia's Northern Neck (click here)
3. A native plant guide for northern Virginia (click here and you'll find it on this page)

All are really good and a lot of fun to browse through,  Yes my course will deal with native plants and alien invaders (as in plants).  The department I work in is spearheading the effort in creating these guides, and word is that the Hampton Roads will be next, maybe divided into the south side and north side.  

This division into the north and south side is so indicative of what is going on in our area politically and socially.  Everyone wants to make this the greater Hampton Roads area but the darn Hampton Roads and the tunnels divide us and it is hard not to see that as a barrier between us and them (who ever us and them are).  Oh well.

Back to my class.  I will let the readers know how it is going, these next two months of traveling will tell.  The photo below was taken two Sundays ago, and to me it is symbolic of a new beginning, a new class and more respect for nature in general and of native plants in particular.  Of course it was taken in Newport News Park just around sunrise.

Ramblings in Newport News Park (2/3/2015)

This morning I had the rare opportunity to take the dogs on a sunrise walk.  It was the result of a major screw up from my side.  The evening before I had opened the trunk of my car to put my little lunch bag in the trunk and somehow my keys had fallen in my bag and I had not noticed.  When I closed the trunk, I was locked out.  So I was standing in the parking garage, upset and completely disgusted with myself.  There is just too much stress where I work, and it does not look like things will lighten up soon.  Not knowing what to do, it felt like it would be cheaper to have my wife come all the way from home to save me as opposed to paying someone to unlock my car.  It may have been a mistake to do that, but we got a nice dinner out of it (we went out to dinner at Pasture, which is rapidly becoming one of my more favorite places to eat in downtown Richmond).  Oh well, we decided to sleep late and I would take the dog walking duties.

So back to my walk.  The sun was coming up and yes, since the earth is round, the top of the trees were the first ones being hit by the sun.  They were a fiery gold color.  This reminded me of a saying we have in Dutch: “hoge bomen vangen veel wind”, or translated “tall trees catch a lot of wind.”  Here I could say “tall trees catch the first rays.” 

Oh well, the Dutch saying is used to remind us that famous and important people receive all the scrutiny.  We can see that with the paparazzi and movie stars, or even politicians.  It all came together at that moment.  I had just watched a little thing on the CBS morning news how the Republican candidates for president were all pro-choice, at least when it came to vaccinating their children.  Honestly, who cares, but obviously they are the tall trees now and will get a lot of wind.  I’m not really looking forward to another political season.  It seems we are always in election mode.

But there is a deeper issue here, as well.  The important thing I’m learning over and over is that as a society we don’t care any longer about what the experts say and what the scientists and specialists have discovered; whether it is vaccinations or global warming.  And, the politicians just go along with them, they are catering to the lowest common denominator. 

Yorktown (12/17/2014)

After rain the previous day, it was foggy this morning.  Conditions were just right around sunup and the moisture laden air coming off the land over the cooler water created this wonderful fog.  Naturally not a good thing, knowing there is a bridge hiding in the fog and boaters beware.  I have not sailed under foggy conditions, and reading some accounts it can be quite mystical; especially one of the accounts of a cruise in the northern Pacific/Bering Sea area. 

As usual, I had to drive by the Yorktown riverfront on my way to work, and had to shoot these familiar pictures.  Like it or not seeing the water, especially on days like today, give me this amazing feeling inside that is hard to describe.  It is the same feeling I get when looking at my loved ones; a feeling of pure bliss.  On top of that I saw two bald eagles along the parkway.  They are often there during the winter and early spring.

This morning I got the email of this week’s challenge by Cee Neuner that I sometimes participate in and it asked for seascapes.  Boy do these photos fit in; so here is my entry.

Highland County (11/3/2014)

Monday was the last morning of a long weekend in Highland County.  It was fun to see our daughter, who drove over from Morgantown and to visit with friends who had decided to move away from the Tidewater of Virginia and settle in the mountains.

The morning started out nice.  We had rented a cabin in the B&B and the sun was just coming above the horizon when I walked over to the main house for a cup of coffee.  Low sun angles make amazing pictures. so I quickly walked over to a cabin that is known as the "Bird house" and shot the picture below.  The orange glow of the sun on the foreground and the distant mountains created a great picture.

Before leaving we decided to go for a walk.  The road we took was past the B&B towards what I assume is Sounding Knob, since we were walking on Sounding Knob Road.  The knob is in the Highland County Wildlife Management area and according to the map, the knob is close to 4300 ft high.  We only walked for an hour, but it was nice to be out and about.  I could not help taking the picture of the lone tree in the pasture along the road.

We ended the morning with a drive to Bridgewater Virginia and a visit to the Bluestone vineyard.  This is another winery that I have to add to an up coming Virginia wine review that I write so now and then on this blog.  But suffice it to say the wines were decent; the place is pet friendly, and it was a great place for a pick-nick lunch with a glass of cold rose wine.  Regretfully, after arriving home at 6 pm, I was back into the car to drive to Fredericksburg for two days of teaching.  I need to retire!

York River (10/20/2014)

I’m running about two days behind in posting my pictures, but the sunrise on the York River was absolutely spectacular on Monday.  A combination of the clouds and the right timing (in going to work) made it almost unforgettable.  Add to it the sailboat that was moored at anchor balls helped in the composition and pulled at this sailor’s heart strings.

The lower part of the York and the Chesapeake are great for sailing.  You can always tie up for an hour or even for an overnight at the floating docks in Yorktown.  I am always amazed by the tidal current that clips by the docks, but boats seem to weather it well.  The advantage is that there are some pretty decent restaurants in the little town, which particularly helps with overnight travelers.  Breakfast is another story; that may be difficult to find in particular on Mondays and Tuesdays.  The mooring balls are also nice, I know the county charges for them; although I have no idea how they collect their money.  Regretfully, there does not seem to be a water taxi to bring people on shore to the restaurants and I am not sure if I would be comfortable leaving a dingy on the beach, considering how busy this beachfront is.

Of all the marinas in the area, York River Yacht Haven is your best bet for overnight visitors.  This marina has a nice restaurant and a good marine store.  The York Haven Marina and White House Cove Marina in Poquoson are pretty darn good too; White House Cove has restaurant on the premises as well.  Crown Point Marina might be another destination.  I do not think Wormley Creek Marina takes transients, but they have a great service shop.  Our Yacht Club will also allow transients, but getting to a store or a restaurant will be difficult.  However, our club has a lot of friendly helpful members so that issue could be solved (in particular if you are buying). 

Sailing in the area is great, the York is fun and so is the Mobjack Bay.  A lot of us sail year round, although the winters can be chilly at times.  I find February to be the toughest month in the area, but to each his/her own.  All together we enjoy being on the York and lower Chesapeake Bay.  It is a great place to visit and to sail.

Yorktown (9/10/2014)

I commute from Yorktown to Richmond every day when I don’t travel to somewhere in Virginia.  An exception is Fridays when I telecommute.  My favorite commuting routes brings me into Yorktown proper, along the Parkway, and only then will I pop onto Interstate 64 and do the rest of my commute.  On the way back I take a similar route.  Having these small traditions or shall we call it rituals is very important to me and I suspect, to many people.  For me, it gets the work day started and, in the afternoon, it is a nice end to a busy day and a crazy commute. 

What I don’t understand are all these commuters that get antsy and try to pass you on the Parkway while you already drive two or three miles over the speed limit.  To me the Parkway is not really for commuters; it is a ritual, a way to relax and almost meditate.

I clearly suffer from horizon deficit disorder (I just made up that term, but I have it).  I need to be able to see far and preferably see the horizon.  In the 80s we lived for three months in Durham, NC; and I still remember that feeling of claustrophobia; all those trees everywhere and no horizon.  I grew up on an island in the Caribbean and remember that on clear days we were able to see the mountains of Venezuela, more than 40 miles away.  I need to see the horizon, or at least past the next tree and this is why this ritual is so important to me.

This morning was magical.  We have had two days of rain in our area, and some was very heavy.  The town of Smithfield reported 12 inches (or 30 cm) of rain during the past two days).  So it was great to see the sun peak out of the clouds this morning.  Looking at the horizon I was amazed by the interplay of sun and light in our partly cloudy sky.  I saw sunbeams streaking down, while a tanker waiting to load (or unload) at the oil terminal was in the shade of a cloud.  I had to stop and take this photo of the scene. 

Back in the car, driving down the parkway I all the sudden saw a bald eagle coming my way flying above the trees.  Bald eagles are gorgeous majestic birds and I was absolutely amazed how big this one was, soaring over the trees, wings wide and looking in the direction of the river.  It was absolutely magical; a great start of a new day.  I just wonder how many commuters experienced the same thing.

Snow in the Yorktown area (1/21/2014)

Boy it was cold this morning (12 degrees F).  It has snowed some and the temperatures had dropped dramatically. his picture is of the same pond as always, early in the morning as the sun came up.  Beautiful sight.

York River (1/17/2014)

Having a day off I got up early to take a few sunrise pictures along the Colonial Parkway.  Yes, the State Virginia gives off on the Friday before the Martin Luther King Holiday as Lee/Jackson Day.

This picture had not much to do with sun rise but I just loved the ice on the pole and the colors so close to sunup.  A second one show the sun rising behind the bridge.

Good Morning Yorktown (1/9/2014)

“Red in the morning, sailor’s warning.” This is an interesting saying and from what I can find on-line there may be some truth to it (http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/weather-sailor.html).  It seems that dust from an approaching storm is kicked up and that the sun light is refracted in it, with the red rays hitting our eyes.    

It was glorious this morning, and the sun came up right behind the Dominion Power Plant in York County.  Not sure if it is a good omen or not.  When we moved to the county in 2000 we read reports that this is the most polluting power plant on the east coast (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Yorktown_Power_Station).  I’m still not sure if that is correct, but there were reports last year that it is not very good (http://wydaily.com/2013/07/26/report-yorktown-power-station-as-operating-near-impaired-waterway/).  All I know is that when the wind is bad (maybe a few times in the year) you can smell the coal that is being burned at the power station.  Moreover, my sailboat is usually covered with ash from the power station.  Thanks goodness two of the three generating units at the plant will be shut down next year (maybe the rumors were not far off).  These are coal burning; the third is an oil burning unit which will remain operational.  Maybe it is a new day for pollution in the area.  Regardless it was a gorgeous sunrise.  I should really carry my good camera with me instead of just my phone.