Summer!

With the solstice days away the Valley and surrounding region is reaching the peak of the summer season.

Spring newborns are everywhere. A mother turkey has a brood of 6 or more in the woods near our home. Young ravens are screeching as they soar along the ridge tops. Young groundhogs are moving into their own burrows. Chipmunks and red squirrels are busy in the duff on the ground and in the branches above. Butterflies abound. Lighting bugs are beginning to light up the evening woods. Sparrows, wrens and finches are exploring the grasses that are just going to seed. Snapping turtles are on the move. And, although we have not seen any just yet, fawns should be venturing from the woods and into the fields.

Deb and I took the occasion of fantastic weather to take a walk on the Sods with Tucker. The mountain laurel are in full bloom. We were continuously accompanied by pink-edged sulfur butterflies. A small covey of pheasants or woodcocks spring out of the trail ahead of us. A young finch landed on in a bush along our path and its mother quickly responded by darting at us trying to distract our attention.

I managed a few photos in an attempt at capturing a bit of what we saw.

Deb resting on her laurels.

Aaron's Graduation

Deb and I traveled to Seattle this past week to attend Aaron's graduation from the Univ. of Washington. We stayed with our son Greg and daughter-in-law Brooke.

A day or so before the commencement ceremonies Deb and Brooke combined efforts to make a cake. I suppose a fitting caption to this image might be, 'A Bride's Worse Nightmare,' but Brooke took Deb's help in the kitchen right in stride. After raising 2 sons Deb loves having another female in the family. It's fun watching the two of them (although I worry what is discussed out of earshot of us guys).

Graduation Day was bright and sunny. In Seattle! Amazing, yes? The Computer Science ceremony was held inside with a pleasant reception afterwards. The official commencement was held in Husky Stadium with 5,000+ graduates (Ph.D., M.S., and B.S.) marching up to collect their 'memento.' Actually diplomas will be sent later.

Thanks to Brooke, we have this fine family photo of the happy graduate, Greg, and Deb & me.

Before leaving for home Aaron took us on a short hike in the hills outside of Seattle where I captured the following images.

Memorial Day Weekend

Summer has arrived complete with muggy afternoons and thundershowers, deer flies, and vacationers. Deb has planted her gardens and now is learning about fungus infections and evening slug-fests. What a difference a few months makes! Below are two pictures - one taken back in February and the other today.

It has been fascinating watching the grass grow. Okay, well fascinating is perhaps a bit too strong, but interesting none the less. The poverty grasses that cover the meadows have grown at a rate of up to an inch a day - some are already starting to go to seed. All this accomplished in about 6 weeks. With a growing season of about 90 days there is no time to waste. The milkweed plants are about 18 inches tall - on a par with their cousins in southern Canada. Various butterflies have been witnessed - but no Monarchs - these guys probably won't show until late July.

There are hummingbirds about, several varieties of sparrows and warblers, and the occasional hawk. Turkey Vultures float on the currents and ever so often one catches a glimpse of a falcon. The eagles still frequent the ponds below our house, but are seen less frequently now.

Frogs fill the quite pools and crawfish can be found in the larger, colder, faster moving streams. Snapping turtles cruise the ponds as do geese, beaver and muskrats.

As something of an experiment and learning experience I've begun to play with a variety of camera filters. The following two shots (compositionally not particularly interesting) were taken alongside the Blackwater River. The color one using a polarizing filter. The black & white one using an infrared filter. Interesting highlights can be seen in the infrared shot. I'm thinking this technique might prove worth exploring when the landscape is once again coated with white snow and I find it challenging to capture differentiation in the subtle highlights.

If I loaded them correctly, double-clicking the images above should expand them.

A Late Spring Stroll

It has been quite dry this spring, however more than sufficient rain has been received to allow for vegetation to emerge. Most trees have finally leafed-out over the past couple of weeks; the leaves on the ash last to emerge are just beginning to show.

Today's weather was spectacular - sufficient inducement for Tucker and me to take an extended stroll in the woods.

We started at the top of Cabin Mt. and followed a set of trails through woods, around bogs, and across streams out to a location known as Pointy Knob. A small selection of images follow...

Woodland Trail

Upper Stonecoal Bog

Upper Stonecoal Run

Stonecoal Waterfall

The View from Pointy Knob (other way Tuck!)

Sarvisberry

When we lived in Charleston I came to associate my birthday (today) with the blooming of dogwoods and redbuds. Here in Canaan Valley it is too cold and the growing season too short for dogwoods and redbuds (although if one takes a short 30 minute drive down off the mountain there is a relative abundance of them). Instead, we have sarvisberry (serviceberry) trees. Less showy than dogwoods, sarvisberries are none the less an attractive sight - standing out from the leafless trees that surround them.

Local folklore holds that the flowers signal the time when traveling preachers on horseback would return after the snow's retreat...and the ground would be soft enough to bury the winter's dead.

Glad tidings and birthday wishes, eh?

Regardless, like the Junco pictured below, I welcome the sarvisberry's bloom.

After the Snow

Tucker and I visited one of my favorite spots, Blackbird Knob and the Left Fork of Red Creek in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. I've visited this area numerous times over the years - used to camp here with the boys when they were little - and even brought a boy scout troop here once.

The walk in is down a rocky ridge through an extensive mountain laurel thicket.

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The creek .

Tucker and I explored around the north side of Blackbird Knob where a beaver pond is known to exist. I was curious how they made out after our long cold winter. Six weeks after our last serious snow, and even after several weeks of 70 degree weather, we still found some deep drifts of snow lying up against the hemlock and spruce stands.

The pond is in great shape. I'm sure they were quite warm all winter in their huge lodge.

Tucker explored the dam which extends for well over 150 yards and is 3 feet high.

We didn't see any of the beavers (perhaps if we go back and spend a night?), but we did see a mallard making use of their pond.

And noticed some future inhabitants (and mallard food) getting ready to hatch (frog eggs).

Retirement

In a most fitting coincidence my retirement date coincides with April Fools Day.  It was exactly one year ago today that I left my career as a chemist/researcher/manager behind and embarked on the next phase of my life.  A year later I still haven't quite figured out what this next phase is, but at least I'm having some enjoyment exploring a few of the options.  In recognition of today's significance (at least to me) I chose to spend some of it outside wandering.  

After breakfast I took the pups to the Sods so they could poke around the edges of the last of the melting snow.  They seem to find the edges of the retreating snow drifts most interesting - apparently this is where the best scents are located.

Tucker and I then headed over to the (closed) ski area where we could hike up the easiest trail (amazing how steep it is going up) and ski back down another.  I packed a lunch for us to enjoy while on top.

Tucker climbing Timberline

Lunch spot off the backside on top.

The bumps on Off The Wall are still in excellent shape.

The drop-in to Cherry Bowl Glades

Cherry Bowl Glades.  A favorite out-of-bounds (supposedly off-limits) skiing location purportedly going to be transformed into an official trail for next season.  Not sure if I like this idea or not.

The trail back down.