Posts filed under 'Uncategorized'
Weekly Winners – June 28th – July 4th
This week’s Weekly Winners come from Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. I spent the 4th of July weekend in my hometown- Occoquan, Virginia. It was a busy holiday! I got to meet my Mom’s new dog, Willy (which between her two existing dogs, my two dogs and Willy put us at 5 dogs in one house). We made a visit to the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center outside of Dulles. On Saturday, we went up to Silver Spring, MD to visit my grandmother. Then my mother made her third metro ride *ever* as we went to watch the fireworks on the Mall. Finally, Sunday morning I got to visit with an old high school classmate and meet his new girlfriend.
Willy, Occoquan VA
The guy on the left’s facial hair caught my eye, Udvar-Hazy Center
Back of Plane, Udvar-Hazy Center
Mom and I on Metro, Vienna, VA
Fireworks, Washington, DC
Ryan and I on the Mall, Washington, DC
My friend Alex on the right and his girlfriend Ryn, Occoquan, VA
More photos (and videos) of the Washington DC Fireworks Show and the Udvar-Hazy Center are on my Flickr site. Also, be sure to check out more of this week’s Weekly Winners out at Sarcastic Mom!
3 comments July 6, 2009
Weekly Winners – June 14 – June 20, 2009
This week’s set comes from La Crosse, Wisconsin. I was traveling for work, but had some fun as well! One evening I got to go out for a boat ride with my co-worker and her family. They took me on a sunset cruise on two beautiful rivers– Black and Mississippi.
Docking for Boarding
Houseboats Along the Black River
Mother and Daughter at Sunset
Sunset on the Mississippi
More pictures of our Mississippi and Black River Boat Trip can be found on my Flickr site. Also, be sure to check out more of Weekly Winners out at Sarcastic Mom!
6 comments June 20, 2009
Phytoremediating Doritos Bags and Soda Cans
In addition to recycling baldcypress trees, nature can also clean up contaminants, preventing them from seeping into the water table. The process is called “phytoremediation“. Here in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the U.S. Coast Guard base is using willow and poplar trees to clean up an old fuel farm site.
Phytoremediation at Work in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
(Photo by Ryan Somma)
On an evening walk at Camden Causeway Park a few weeks ago, I saw another example of Elizabeth City trees participating in a cleanup effort. From what I can tell in my five months here, the Camden Causeway Park tends to be especially prone to litter. Just as trees absorb metal blazes, fences and even gravestones, the trees at Camden Causeway Park aren’t deterred by the garbage they encounter on the swamp floor. As the trees grow, they simply trap the debris in their network of roots.
It is the fallen individuals that expose the trees as trash collectors (not to mention how extensive the litter is). With their roots exposed, you can see all the items they picked up through the years. Beer cans, soda bottles, honey bun wrappers, potato chip bags, you name it.
More Garbage than a Backpacking Trip!
Through phytoremediation, trees can clean up some pretty dangerous metals and chemicals.
Apparently, they can tackle American junk food packages as well. : )
2 comments April 23, 2009
Weekly Winners – April 12 – April 18, 2009
I am posting this week’s Weekly Winners pretty late in the day, but with good cause! I had an eventful week. Easter Sunday, the dogs were treated to outings in Hertford, North Carolina. Then on Wednesday, Ryan Somma and I embarked on a group backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail near Montebello, Virginia. We started at Punchbowl Mountain and 30.2 miles and three days later we were taking in the views on Spy Rock! Enjoy!
Pink Bloom and Sky, Hertford Tree Memorial
Dogwood Blossoms, Hertford Tree Memorial
Henry’s First Slide Ride, Missing Mill Park (He didn’t like it)
Ryan and I on top of Cold Mountain, Appalachian Trail
Cold Mountain, Appalachian Trail
Sunbathers on Spy Rock, Appalachian Trail
Guy and Dog on Spy Rock, Appalachian Trail
Young Emil Shows Off his “Nerds” Tongue (which matches his bandana)
More pictures of the Hertford Tree Memorial, pictures of Missing Mill Park and pictures of our backpacking trip are on my Flickr site.
Also, be sure to check out more of this week’s Weekly Winners out at Sarcastic Mom!
3 comments April 19, 2009
Bald Eagle Web Cam
A few weeks ago, I got to see a real live pair of bald eagles in the wild! They were circling over Merchant’s Millpond State Park. Alas, even with 12x optical zoom and strategic cropping, this is as close as I was able to get:
Vicky’s Blurry Bald Eagle
Well, now I can get up close and personal with Bald Eagles… and BABIES! Baby Bald Eagles!
Since 1997, Xcel Energy has been installing cameras to promote conservation efforts and give the public a chance to see birds nesting. Currently they have cameras for Falcons, Kestrels, Ospreys, Owls and, of course, Bald Eagles. The Bald Eagle nest is hopping at the moment. It’s home to three adoreable and clumsy hatchlings.
Hat Tip, The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog
4 comments April 14, 2009
links for 2009-03-31
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More on the White House Garden. They are going to plant "55 varieties of vegetables"!!!
(Hat Tip, Katie)
1 comment March 31, 2009
Happy Birthday, William Kent!
William Kent, you have been dead for 81 years, but I still want to wish you a happy birthday.
Thank you for co-writing the act that created the National Park Service in 1916. And thank you for donating the land that would become Muir Woods National Monument.
But what impresses me most about you, William Kent, is how humble you were when it came to naming the new national monument. From CNN’s “Muir Woods celebrates a century of conservation“:
It was Kent who wanted the woods named for naturalist [John] Muir. In an exchange of letters, Roosevelt advocated for putting Kent’s name on the new monument, but Kent replied that he had “five good husky boys,” and if they couldn’t keep the name of Kent alive, “I am willing it should be forgotten.”
You may have put your faith in your husky boys, but I wanted to make extra sure that I didn’t forget you or your birthday. I wrote this post on April 9, 2008– more than 11 months in advance. 
2 comments March 29, 2009
links for 2009-03-26
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"In Defense of Food" author Michael Pollan is going to get his wish! Michelle Obama indicates there will be a White House garden:
"We want to use it as a point of education, to talk about health and how delicious it is to eat fresh food, and how you can take that food and make it part of a healthy diet. You know, the tomato that's from your garden tastes very different from one that isn't. And peas—what is it like to eat peas in season? So we want the White House to be a place of education and awareness. And hopefully kids will be interested because there are kids living here."
(Hat Tip, Ryan Somma)
5 comments March 26, 2009
links for 2009-03-17
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"After decades of selective breeding and countless hours of fieldwork, researchers believe they have developed an American chestnut tree that is ready to reclaim the Appalachian forests."
Tomorrow, in between birthday hikes, I'm be attending the planting of one of those threes at Philpott Lake!
Add comment March 17, 2009
links for 2009-03-14
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On March 28th, 1200 hardwood trees will be planted to reclaim old strip mines in Tennesse' Cumberland Mountains. 100 of those trees will be American Chestnuts.
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The benches along Blacksburg/Christiansburg's Huckleberry Trail have stories behind him. This article tells the tale behind two benches donated by Joseph Wang, an architecture professor at Virginia Tech.
Add comment March 14, 2009
