Road Trip in May 2012 - Goshen Pass

Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve in Virginia is a natural heritage area under the auspices of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. We followed the directions in the fact sheet to the parking area located 1.7 miles north of the VDOT rest area on State Road 39 West. There is a swinging bridge to take across the Maury River. It was a great way to start and end the hike!

We were there in the morning and noticed that the little bit of extra warmth from the sun peeking through the clouds made the birds and butterflies more active. It was a wonderful woodland walk. The mountain laurel was just beginning to open and there were other flowers that seemed to be a bit further along in their blooming than what we saw in Shenandoah.

After the hike, I noticed more flowers blooming near the parking lot and walked over to take a look at them. The big surprise was the first hummingbird moth I'd seen this year. These are fun insects to photograph because they are big enough to see easily - but also a bit of a challenge because of their speed. Even with the coolness of the morning, this specimen was extremely active!

Road Trip in May 2012 - Virginia

We just got back from a 3-day road trip to Shenandoah National Park. It was a little cool and wet but the wild flowers were wonderful. We started out referencing the park's wild flower weekend schedule (it's this weekend if you are in the area) then supplemented it. Now that I'm home I'm looking more at their wildflower web page to identify what is in my photographs! I'll post more of my photos of Shenandoah and Goshen Pass over the next few days. The ones today are just the intro!

First are some pictures from the Virginia rest stop. I took a similar picture of the 'welcome' sign back when I took my road trip in December. This one has a lot more green in it! It was also a little warmer and I enjoyed the iris that were beginning to bloom. I also noticed that the benches have the Virginia map shape on their backs - it was too wet to sit on though!

There were not many people at Shenandoah while we were there. It is early in the season and we were there on week days. The wet weather probably kept some people away as well. It didn't rain on us while we were out but there were plenty of muddy areas. It was good that the big panoramic views from the overlooks were not our primary objective for the trip because it was way too misty along Skyline Drive. The wildflowers actually are probably better in not-to-bright weather.

Just to give you a small sampling of what we saw - I've included azaleas and trillium photos in this post.

The cool weather is also great for roses and there were some at our hotel that looked so wonderful with their water droplets that I couldn't resist photographing them.

10 Years Ago – In May 2002

Many years ago I started collecting headlines/news blurbs as a way of honing my reading of news. Over the years, the headline collection has been warped by the sources of news I was reading…increasingly online. Reviewing the May 2002 headline gleanings - I forced myself to pick 10.    

1. The U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 6 percent in April, the highest in nearly eight years
2. The 165-pound titan arum, the rotten-smelling giant of the plant kingdom, unfurled its single stinky flower after beginning a dramatic growth spurt last week
3. An abandoned South Dakota gold mine may become a new inner sanctum for physicists working to unravel the inner workings of atoms by isolating subatomic particles.
4. The lifespans of people in developed nations are increasing at a remarkably constant rate, suggesting that there is no natural limit on life expectancy
5. Famed biologist, author Stephen Jay Gould dies at 60
6. China to Launch Moon Mission in 2010
7. Yosemite Falls restoration project set to begin in June
8. Chandra Levy's remains found in D.C. park
9. The discovery of 11 small moons orbiting Jupiter brings the number of that planet's moons to 39
10. British archaeologists think that a gold earring-clad archer, found in a 4,300-year-old burial site in Amesbury, England, may have been a king during the heyday of Stonehenge. 

My interests in science is reflected in the mix (botany in item 2, physics in item 3, physiology in item 4, space in item 9 and archaeology in item 10). The other fit into a people/places/politics category.

Gleanings of the Week Ending April 28, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week:

Red-Rock Splendors of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks (video)

Anti-depressants likely do more harm than good - How many other drugs would come out like this is reviewed from a whole system perspective?

A serving a day of dark chocolate might keep the doctor away - A study that showed 50 grams of 70% dark chocolate was good for you. I love having it for breakfast (although I usually have only eat 20 grams)!

Surging Seas - a site that gets specific about the expected impact of rising sea level by 2020.

Almost Seven Million Birds Perish at Communication Towers in North America Each Year - a study that documented the problem…and some possible solutions (for example - making the red lights blinking rather than solid would reduce mortality by 45%!)

Building Muscle Without Heavy Weights - more repetitions with lower intensity also works!

If the food’s in plastic, what’s in the food? - Maybe we need to know more about the packaging of the food we eat

NASA Landsat Satellites See Texas Crop Circles - An image and a bit of history about irrigation and Landsat

Psychologists use social networking behavior to predict personality type - Some research results that prompts more questions than it answers

Less invasive scoliosis treatment - A rod system that is manipulated with magnets - marketed by a California Company - being tested in Hong Kong because of the difficulty getting technology approved for testing in the US

Roosevelt Memorial

A few weeks ago when we went down to Washington DC to see the Cherry Blossoms, we walked through the Roosevelt Memorial as well. It is open to the air and has lots of cascading water that blocks out other sounds most of the time.

FDR’s stature is caped and Fala is nearby. Are Fala’s ears shiny because people like to pet him?

I like the statue of Eleanor Roosevelt; the pockets of her coat look used.

There are visuals of the times in textured tiles and a bread line of statues.

The memorial seems to invite interaction. It is set up for people to stand in the bread line with the statues or to stand beside the statues of the Roosevelts or Fala. The tiles invite more than looking…they are to be touched. 

National Arboretum on 4/21/2012 (continued)

After walking through the azalea garden, we walked toward the entrance and wandered through the bonsai display

And an exhibition of ikebana

Along the way we saw some poppies, children feeding the swam of fish in the pools, some cactus that appeared to be growing rapidly, and camellias that were about done for the year.

Next time I go I’ll to focus on the wildflower garden area.

Previous National Arboretum post: Azaleas

National Arboretum on 4/21/2012

We went to the National Arboretum (Washington DC) last Saturday. The weather was so wonderful that we parked in the overflow parking because there were so many people that had the same idea. The azalea walk was at or near its peak as you can see from the montage below.

Growing among the azaleas were May apples that all seemed to be blooming under their umbrella of leaves.

And an unusual jack-in-the-pulpit type plant.

I’ll post pictures of the bonsai display and the exhibition of ikebana from our trip to the Arboretum later this week.

Dogwoods

Dogwoods are a tree I associate with living in the Mid-Atlantic region of the East Coast. They existed in east Texas - near enough to where I grew up - but I must not have been there when they were blooming. So I really didn’t see dogwoods at all until I was in my 30s. Now they are one of my favorite trees.

The native dogwoods have creamy flowers that have a hint of pink; some popular hybrids have more than a hint.  This year those hybrids were the ones that caught my eye the most at the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden. Dogwood leaves have a gentle shape and branches are so flexible that they and the flowers seem to float in the understory of the forest trees. The pictures below are from this past week.

In the fall the seeds are reddish orange and the leaves turn early to a deep red. They are a standout tree in the fall although you have to be close enough to the forest to see them hiding under the tulip poplars and oaks.

There was a disease that killed off some of the dogwoods in the forests near us and all the way to Shenandoah. Enough survived that they now seem to be coming back. I see more healthy ones every year. They are relatively slow growing trees so it is unusual to see large ones. I tend to think of those large ones as being forest treasures tht are particularly visible in spring and fall.

Gleanings of the Week Ending April 21, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week:

Trekking Poles - A comparison of 3 hiking sticks. I am eventually buy a pair

Innovate or Evaporate commentary - from Norm Augustine - After a major study of the ever widening education gap, Management Consultant McKinsey and Co. concluded that "if U.S. youth could match the academic performance of students in Finland, our economy would be between 9 and 16 percent larger."

4 feet of hail near Amarillo TX on 4/11 - Wow…and then came flash flooding when it melted

Traveler’s Checklist: Petrified Forest National Park - Things to do and see

1000 Days of Infrared Wonders - 10 images from the Infrared Array Camera aboard NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope (there is a ‘tornado’ nebula!)

Magnifying the Universe - Click on the graphic…and start looking at the relative size of things…from the observable universe to a hydrogen atom

Space Shuttle Discovery Flies Over the National Mall - En route to its museum home on 4/17

Atul Gawande: How do we heal medicine (TED talk)

The Worrying Consequences of the Wikipedia Gender Gap - Almost half the readers of Wikipedia are women but they make up only 13% of those that contribute…and it appears to be impacting the content

State of Flux - NASA’s images of change…mining growth in Chile, Dead Sea, plus more…in time for Earth Day on 4/22 (look at the bottom to see more before and after images…there is a series of pictures of the Dallas-Fort Worth area from 1974 to 2003)

15 Earth Day Tips that Really Make a Difference

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is new enough that the first time I was down at the national mall since it opened was for the Cherry Blossom festival in March. The memorial is right on the tidal basin - the statue of Dr. King looks out over the water. Looking at it across the tidal basin, the Lincoln Memorial is behind and too the left of it.

We were there on a week day and there were buses of students on spring field trips. A large group of high school aged students all wearing the same T-shirts were at the memorial as we arrived. Many of them had their phones in their hands but they weren’t texting or talking on them. They were using them to take pictures. They were paying attention to what they were seeing. The tones of their voices were not loud or strident. The monument seems to encourage a reflective demeanor more than anything else.

We walked around reading the quotes at our own pace. Some that I photographed are below. They are etched in the low wall to either side of the statue itself.

Azaleas Are Blooming

The azaleas are blooming a bit early in Maryland this year but they aren’t past their peak…so you still have time to enjoy this aspect of spring if you live in the area. Brookside Gardens and the WSSC Brighton Dam Azalea Garden are my favorite places for azaleas. if you can't get there to see them for yourself --- enjoy the pictures below.

This first series of pictures is from Brookside Gardens on 4/7. There were still lots of bushes with buds still to open. I expect that there will be lots to see for at least another week. 

The pictures below are from 4/14 at the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden. They have even more bushes that are yet to reach peak bloom. The ones closest to the road are the ones most fully opened at present.

Also at Brighton Dam - there is a lovely dogwood on the path going left from the entrance. I’ll share dogwood pictures later this week.

Orchids

Orchids come is so many shapes and sizes. Aside from being interesting as flowers - they tend to remind me of other things.

My favorites are the slippers. See the pink one in the upper right - with the rounded toe and plush padding with long ties for around the ankle. And what about the green on the upper left with a more pointed toe. The lower left has the most pointed toe. And finally the white ones on the lower right - bridal slippers.

Next come the ruffles and frills…wrapped into shapes that can be trumpets or cornucopias. The edges of these petals remind us of party dresses and café curtains. It’s the edges that make the flower.

The last grouping reminds me of aliens…with full skirts and wild headdresses and appendages. Many of them grow in groups so the figures appear as if lined up for a parade (see the white ones in the middle left below).

The pictures were taken over the past six months at Brookside Gardens in Maryland and Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Enjoy!

Gleanings of the Week Ending April 14, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week:

The Amazing Trajectories of Life-Bearing Meteorites from Earth - What happens to the ejection of rocks/water from big impacts?

Ocean surface currents animation from NASA - using data from June 2005 to December 2007

A Apple Pie by Kate Greenaway - online version from the popular Victorian illustrator

What is a Vegan Diet? - Pointers to good references. “Even if you have no intention of going vegan yourself, anyone can benefit from enjoying a completely plant-based meal from time to time.”

Baking with Whole Grain Flours - A goof reference for if you’re in the mood to experiment with some of those exotic flours that are finding their way into your grocery store - amaranth…buckwheat…quinoa

Smart grids (info graphic) - lots of technology being integrated…coming soon (click on the graphic to enlarge it)

Top 25 US Cities for Energy Star Buildings - Los Angeles and Washington DC are the top 2; Dallas-Fort Worth is 8th

Obesity Accounts for 21% of US Health Care Costs - One more reason to achieve/sustain a normal weight

Birding in the National Parks - Spring time and bird migration

Paleo-Birding: What Birds Looked Like 125 Million Years Ago - Photos of bird fossils with commentary

Know where your food comes from - An interactive map…type the name of a food and see where it comes from in the US

Brookside Gardens Turtles

Back in mid-March we had some very warm days here in Maryland and the turtles were very active in the pond at Brookside Gardens. Some of them still had a layer of mud on their shell from being buried in the silt. One hauled herself out onto the rocky shore and surveyed the scene. Have you ever noticed that turtles have no chin and that their eyes protrude? It gives them an ancient look.

This turtle was one of the larger turtles in the pond and had an entourage following her as she swam near the surface. Was she climbing onto the shore for a few moments of solitude?

It was not to be. Soon there was another turtle headed for the same rock.

With great effort, he pulled himself out of the water.

Are they posing for a picture or sending us a message that they want us gone?

Do they look more annoyed here in profile - as they turned to get back in the water?

They slipped back into the water and, presumably, continued their spring-time games.

Brookside in Early April

There was a Camellia Show at Brookside Gardens this past Saturday. I enjoyed walking through it and taking pictures. There are a number of aspects to the flowers that I was trying to capture: many yellow stamens, vein patterns in their petals, varying colors of the petals, and the slight variations of the petals themselves.

Many of the ferns had already unfurled with the earlier warmth this spring but there were still a few fiddleheads.

The tulips are also most their prime so I found myself looking at the color variations in their petals - like the purple and white below. And then there are other springtime flowers - Jack-in-the-Pulpits, wisteria, dogwood, azaleas and other bulbs. Spring has sprung!

Jefferson Memorial

When we went down to the see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC back on March 23rd, we walked through the Jefferson Memorial as well. I like the classical shape of the portico and columns…the round dome…the marble.

In the center - there is the larger-than-life statue of Jefferson. His words are etched into the walls. I found myself marveling at how relevant they still are.  This memorial is not only about remembering the man; it is about renewing our understanding of the foundation for our country that is still vibrant and strong.

Around to the side of the memorial, there is an entrance to go under the memorial where there is a museum and gift shops. Jefferson’s words are etched in the walls here too.

The memorial is visible from most of the walk around the tidal basin. The last picture is from the other side of the tidal basin - just past the Martin Luther King Memorial - framed by cherry blossoms.

There always seem to be a lot of people around the Jefferson Memorial. It is a calm spot amid the bustle of city traffic. Somehow it seems to be above the fray and it helps everyone who comes here to be that way too for a few moments.

Frosty Tulips at Brookside Gardens - April 2012

We had a frosty morning yesterday (April 3rd) here in Maryland and the tulips at Brookside Gardens still held the misty crystals when we got there. Enjoy my collage of pictures below…along with a rather scruffy looking robin.

The azaleas are also beginning to bloom at Brookside although not quite at their peak just yet.

Gleanings of the Week Ending March 31, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week:

Wind map - a (nearly) current map of winds in the continental US. This is an artwork and quite a learning opportunity for how the winds change over time...I find myself looking at it several times a day. 

Step inside the millennium seed bank - a video that walks through the science facility that stores seeds from 10% of the world’s plants

The Beginnings of Dr. Seuss - An Informal Reminiscence - A short piece done for Dartmouth (where he went to college) and made available online recently.

13 Nature Photos with water reflection - Enjoy! My favorite is the spoonbills (the second one).

Nature and Wildlife Photography Tips Center - from National Wildlife Federation

The Psychological Effects of Global Warming in the US - More people will experience weather extremes than ever before…and many more will develop anxiety disorders

Wind Farm in San Gorgonio - A striking picture of wind turbines in a pass in the mountains east of Los Angeles

Regular Chocolate Eaters are Thinner, Evidence Suggests - Just more data that supports my 2 squares of dark chocolate for breakfast habit!

How Animals See the World (infographic)

First Day of Spring (40 pictures) - From around the world

New inverter design shrinks size/cost of connecting solar panels to the grid - Company that created them will start selling them in May. Could shave $0.15/watt from a solar panel installation. There is a lot happening in the solar energy field right now. It's very exciting.

Re-inventing the toilet (turning human waste into power) - A Gates Foundation project. Watch the video.

April Celebrations

April is just about here. What is there to celebrate? Here are some ideas:

Wild Flowers. This is the time of year that many wild plants bloom; hikes to photograph then are a beautiful way to celebration spring. Don’t forget the flowering trees as well - dogwoods and redbuds are my favorites. Information about the wild flower festival in Smokey Mountain National Park can be found here. The one in Shenandoah National Park is planned for early May but the program schedule is already published and could be used to plan your own hikes in the park in late April.

Kites. March is the month most associated with kites but many communities hold kite festivals into April and early May when it is a bit warmer and still breezy.

Palm Sunday on the 1st, Good Friday and Passover on the 6th, and Easter on the 8th.  Observe the days in April that sustain your spiritual health.

Gardens. Formal gardens are greening in April too. Depending on the area of the country - there could be rows and rows of tulips or iris just getting ready to bloom of camelias. This time of year orchards are quite beautiful as well - full of blooms. Just as with the wild flowers - noticing the unfurling of spring is a great way to celebrate spring time.

Spring Break. Some schools have already taken a spring break…others have it early in April. A mini-vacation before the sprint to the end of the spring semester is always welcome. Celebrations can be as simple in a picnic in a local park on a warm day. In many parts of the country, showers are frequent in the spring so have a backup plan for if the day turns rainy and cool (or cold!).

Earth Day on the 22nd. Some communities have celebrations or festivals associated with Earth Day. One in my area is at Brookside Gardens.

Tulip Library in Washington DC - March 2012

When we went down to see the cherry blossoms last week - the tulips were blooming as well. The beds arch in an areas near the tidal basin at Independence Avenue and Maine Avenue. There are so many different kinds and colors. The two slide shows below show some of my favorites: the classic tulips, the ruffled petals, the fringed petals, the double and triple petals, the multi-colored...they were all there. 

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My all time favorite color combination in tulips is green and pink - like the 6th one above - although I'll have to admit the sunrise/sunset colors in the 7th one below comes in a close second. I guess this year the ruffle petals appealed to me too.