Hyperion run flooded: Heritage Trail under water


Above, photo by Sarah of Joanne and me on Fall Hill Drive, Fredericksburg, Virginia, midway through the regular Saturday 6-miler from Hyperion Espresso. (The trail is on the far side of that guard rail.) And below, a police officer’s photo from the opposite side of the river that day, on River Road at the entry to Falmouth Beach.

High Bridge Trail, Farmville, Virginia

Edwin, Randy, Bonnie, Trudy. We left Farmville about 10:30am, biked east about 15 miles at a leisurely pace to our picnic at the abrupt end of the trail in the woods near Burkeville. Then back, stopping here and there when we felt like it, including here at the bridge about 3:15pm.
Here’s a photo of the bridge displayed by FarmvilleVa.com:

From the wildlife camera, Jan-Apr, 2018

26 images, about 10 seconds apart. Click the image to skip the wait. By the way, we’re not actively trying to fence the critters out — only to keep the dog in. We’ve seen adult deer easily jumping that 5′ fence, but they hardly ever bother, and the squirrels squeeze through those 2″ x 4″ openings. I think the box turtles burrow underneath, but so far this dog hasn’t learned to do that. The vine climbing the fence is the notorious Japanese honeysuckle, branded by the state as a noxious weed. Its flowers are pretty, and they really do smell like honey later in the spring.

Redbud, and . . .


Went back to Willowmere Park after my run there this morning, thinking I could try one more time to get an ok photo of eastern redbud in blossom. It’s very noticeable in early spring in woods or hedgerows near us, but it doesn’t last long, and seems difficult to photograph. True, it’s purple not red. But this is:

This cardinal was continually singing loudly about 30 feet above me, despite my approach, but I had to look to find him, and zoom in.