Drink it in

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow".

Proverb

As spring takes hold, the natural world that surrounds my home comes alive. It's an ever present reminder of why we moved further out, and how much I enjoy country living.

Below is a small photo essay of spring around the house, it's all the time I have to post some of my recent photos, but plans are in the works to enjoy Virginia's scenery out of a backpack in the near future.

Spring is here, drink it in.

All pics taken on location in the sticks with a Canon G-11.

Walnut Creek

The idea was born early on in the week; we would go somewhere different, unique, a departure from the normal “Tri-Cities area” ebb and flow.

After the slug fest that was to be a Monday through Friday knockdown, drag out, kick in the ....well you get the idea, we stuck to our guns.

After dinner Friday night we loaded the 4-Runner with the bikes and come Saturday morning, we were pointed down 64 towards Charlottesville.

We rolled into Walnut Creek in Albemarle County about 50 minutes later...


View from one of the numerous "Frisbee" Golf holes


Map of the ride


Ash on the tilt


Short rock garden at the end of a fun down hill section


Bridge over murky water


Right after I took this photo a troll chased us up the hill throwing mushrooms and shouting obscenities


Back to your roots; I only have one wisdom tooth and it's trying to come in,(true story)


Single track flow


Echos of our Ancestors...

The river “James”

The current moved us steadily away from the bridge where we had first put in, and the dull drone of commuter traffic slowly faded into the back ground as it was replaced by the sounds of the river as it bid us good morning.

One of my close friends and I had made a pact earlier in the month to play “hooky” from work and replace the normal grind with a float down the James river.
A modest trip filled with long stretches of flat water was what we had envisioned, and the 13.5 mile stretch of river between Maiden’s and Watkins Landing fit the bill perfectly.



Surveying the glint that was already filtering onto the surface of the water I advised my friend that “the temperature was supposed to reach 99 degrees today”...

He responded with, “true, but it’s always a bit cooler on the water”, it’s the city that gets too hot, and it’s because there aren't enough trees”.

As I tried to wrap my mind around my friend’s assertion, I was only able to develop a single conclusion...

It’s true; the City doesn’t have enough trees...



That was the extent of our joint pontifications, as we were both comfortable with the idea that the river float was more about being quiet and drinking in the surroundings than ruining the trip with needless banter.


Great Blue Heron


Butterfly conference call

It took us about 8 hours to lazily paddle down river and explore some of the small islands that dot the James as it winds towards Richmond.





A few fish here and there, and as a thunderstorm rumbled in the distance, we loaded up our gear and headed down the road...

Ride...Eat...Repeat

Think of this as a recap of sorts, (some weeks are easier than others to sit down and post.)

My schedule at work can be “challenging” at times and we typically flex what we cook to accommodate those unforeseen changes. That being said, we were both feeling pizza about mid week.



Ash made the dough from scratch using white wheat, with turkey “pepperoni” to top it off.

Friday was another chance to get creative in the kitchen, and I came home from my evening ride to find six frosty soldiers in the fridge.


Stoudts American Pale Ale out of Adamstown PA. It has an 89 overall user rating over at “ratebeer” and is an excellent Pale.




Dinner started with an appetizer of clams in a Spanish style broth of roasted red peppers and paprika, with an entree of trout fillets and grilled sea scallops with a side of baked rutabaga fries.

I logged 3 rides for a total of around 25 miles staying well away from one of our premier trail systems which was host to the “Xterra” East Coast championships over the weekend.Some of the locals raced, and hats off to those guys because RVA weather was brutal this weekend.


As I was thrashing about at the farm a good sized barred owl swooped into view and glided down the trail coming to rest on a branch high above the single track. Predatory birds are amazing creatures to watch as you can almost see the confidence in their eyes as they sit comfortably at the top of their food chain.


Saturday morning saw me back on the lake with the same luck as previous weeks, but fishing will teach you patience if nothing else.




We’re going to round out the weekend with a “Father’s Day” lunch.
On the menu:
Grilled flank steak with corn, tomato and asparagus relish
Barbecue chicken wings
Country style pork ribs in an apple jelly barbecue glaze
With handmade oatmeal nut fruit tarts for dessert

The Sound of Distant Thunder

A heavy thunderstorm rolled through our area the other evening & I managed to snap a few photos of the light show as it moved across the sky.



The darkness was interrupted by brilliant flashes of white light and hues of deep purple and blue black as thunder rumbled in the distance.





Ash & I have a kind of history with thunderstorms, from being holed up in our MSR tent in Grayson Highlands while a mountain thunderstorm pummeled the area around Big Wilson Creek, to being driven out of our North Face tent during a trip to Portsmouth Island when a ridiculously strong storm hammered us at 3:00am. With no real cover from the dunes, we spent the rest of those early morning hours huddled in the 4-Runner watching lightning arc off of the Atlantic Ocean 30 yards away.