Sunrise with Super Stones and Squirrels

On Sunday morning I made a superhuman effort to get out of bed at 4:30am, even earlier than I get up for work. By 5:10am I was out of the door with my backpack, a thermos of tea and my flashlight. I was going to drive just 11 miles away to the Compton Peak hike and watch the dawn rise. I've been wanting to do this for years but a post from a friend on Facebook, showing her early morning climb, pushed me into action. I had no excuse since I lived so close, and could grab a nap later in the day if I was tired.
I arrived at the parking lot and was a little selfishly dismayed to see 3 other cars already parked. But how could I resent anyone who had likely traveled a lot further than me to watch a new day break. I hurriedly grabbed my backpack, turned on the flashlight and briskly set off up the mountain. It was chilly so I was glad to warm up with some exercise. Because it was so dark I couldn't really get an idea of how steep the trail was but because I was later than I'd hoped I was anxious that I didn't miss daybreak and pushed on as fast as possible, stopping regularly for just a few seconds, and then marching on again while huffing and puffing. I kept looking over my shoulder, noticing a thin pink band stretching across the horizon. The trees were still bare at this altitude so I could see the lights of Front Royal blinking below me. My flashlight kept causing dark shadows ahead, causing me to advance cautiously in case there was a bear. But unfortunately I didn't see a single one, even though I'd seen countless dark blobs in the grey light that had been possibilities. I was rushing now, desperate not to miss the dawn sky. I thought I heard voices but was then amazed when the path showed a rocky outcrop ahead of me, the first pale thin light of daybreak illuminating the way, and there was nobody there!

 I walked slowly ahead and then out onto the grey rocky ridge, a cool breeze against my face which quickly became cold, making me zip my jacket up all the way. A lone junco hopped across the rocks, checking crevices for tasty bugs, occasionally emitting a chirrup, as other birds began to announce the new day.

I sat on the rocks and drank my tea as I enjoyed Nature's Daily Morning Show. the lights in the town slowly receding as the golden rays of sun spread out long finger across the mountains, lighting the trees with their new leaves and the peaks of the distant ranges. The moon, which had been so bright just 10 minutes ago, seemed to gradually dim as the scenery below became bathed in gold and orange hues. Clouds appeared, first as dark purple and lilac wisps which gradually became lighter as the sky turned bluer. I sat only for about 15 minutes before the cold rock and breezes prompted me to move again. It was light now, the new spring growth visible, bright greens and white blossoms where only a short time before everything had been grey.

With the moon still shining defiantly in the sky as the sun hid behind a veil of clouds I trekked across the ridge and down a steep slope. Water ran down the hill like a small creek. Climbing down was treacherous, some of the rocks slippery as the water flowed over the tops of them like tiny waterfalls. I was making my way down to a rock formation that is a rare sight in these parts and one of the more interesting geological formations in the park.

I came across huge boulders, a deep rocky valley on one side with the trail dropping steeply in the form of rock steps on the other. I began to climb down, excited at what would be around the corner. I resisted the urge to keep looking up until I was at the very bottom and then lifted my gaze to look upon the most amazing rock formation I'd ever seen. What had been just a rock from above was a geological wonder from below. This is columnar metabasalt, part of the Catoctin Formation, commonly referred to as greenstone because of its hue.

Most of the columns are hexagonal but many have become rounded by weathering, known as spheroidal weathering. Huge lava flows caused by tectonic plates moving flooded the landscape and as it quickly dried it shrank, causing these hexagonal joints and columns. There's an excellent article here on the outcrop, and it also names the mountains in the panorama photo above that I took from Compton Peak. This rock face was incredibly impressive to see firsthand and quite intimidating to stand under. It was very humbling to hold a rock in my hand that was over 500 million years old, I felt quite insignificant. I actually spent more time just marveling at this gigantic relic from an age I could barely comprehend than I did on the peak watching the sunrise. It was staggeringly monumental.
I finally tore myself away and began the climb back up to the ridge, which was a lot easier than the climb down had been.

I was soon back on the trail walking down the mountain to the parking lot. On my return journey I looked out for the first growths of spring, the sun warming up the woodland while casting a golden glow on the path ahead.

There were more columnar basalt on the side of the trail. I'd been aware of a couple of rock faces as I'd made my way up the mountain in the dark but now I could see that they were part of the same lava flow as the rocks I'd just come from.

Driving back home I stopped at a couple of the view points on The Skyline Drive. It was still early morning, the now bright sun working with the clouds to create wonderful pockets of light and shadows on the mountains and Shenandoah Valley below. The new leaves were bursting out on trees all over, a fresh mantle of bright greens and yellows across the slopes, while vivid pink redbud bushes added splashes of vibrant color.
I noticed as I drove along slowly that there were a multitude of squirrels on the tarmac seeming to be licking the road. I must have passed over a hundred of them, sometimes almost having to come to a complete stop, as they were so engrossed and seemingly desperately licking the surface of the road. I looked this up when I got home and discovered that in spring squirrels crave sodium chloride, or salt. In spring the critters scarf vast amounts of fresh buds and shoots and less nuts, thus throwing their potassium to high levels. The salt balances it back out. And after winter there's still plenty of salt still in the nooks and cracks of the roads to satisfy the squirrels' cravings. In the photo below, beyond the young deer on the verge you can see a cluster of squirrels licking the road. It's a hilarious sight and everyone moved past them very slowly, respecting their strange addiction, while some of the furry fanatics barely moved, unable to stop their frantic licking. It was making me hungry watching them so I drove into town for a hearty breakfast at The Front Royal Diner. What a superb start to my day.

Vintage and Volunteering in the Valley

On Saturday Strasburg was holding their Vintage In The Valley event so since it's only 30 minutes away I drove over to investigate. Parking was easy to find on the back streets and soon I was strolling along Main Street. The warm sun was promising higher temperatures, encouraging hundreds of locals to come out and support this small town.

I nosed among the few vendors that were selling antiques and home made goods but after all the scavenging I've been doing the past few weeks I wasn't looking to buy anything. But I had a good laugh when I spotted this poster in a store window. Only a rural town would post something as comical and tongue in cheek as this, I couldn't imagine seeing it in northern Virginia. A small crowd laughed along with me. I bet this guy is a local celebrity now!

I walked down to where the vintage cars were showing and there were only 8 of them! I was finishing viewing within a few minutes but ended up stopping to chat with this lovely gentleman about his 1953 Ford Crestline Sunliner. It was in beautiful condition and he walked me around it slowly, explaining every detail. The interior had that wonderful old musty aroma that only old cars have and when I commented on the bench seat in the front, he quipped that when he was dating his wife, she used to shunt up close to him while he drove, but these days she sits away from him, close to the window. He sighed loudly and I laughed, knowing he'd recited this joke many times previously. His patient wife sat in her chair, her eyes rolling, obviously having heard his woes a hundred times before. I gave him a hug before walking away.

This wasn't for sale but I was most impressed with the elderly vendor who had made it. She told me all the pieces were found in her shed and she'd simply woven them through the wheel hub with copper wire. What a creative crafty idea!

Back at Front Royal I checked in on the flea market to see if there was anything I was missing and found myself staring at these incredibly garish door wreaths. They were so hideous I could barely tear my eyes away from them, the bright colors yelling from the nylon mesh and ribbon that had been formed into huge flowers. I didn't even dare ask the price but judging from the empty spaces on the wall and table I'm guessing there's a few homes in FroRo whose doors are now sporting these monstrosities. I'll be looking out for them.
On Sunday I was up early and out the door to rush to another local destination, Marriott Ranch in Hume. Some of my groups have been here for trail horse riding, something I plan on doing now I live closer, but today I was volunteering. Belonging to the largest international hotel chain in the world, the ranch is over 4000 acres and extremely eco-friendly. Today I was helping to plant 400 trees, but when I arrived I discovered that there were also other volunteers who were planting pollinators and some who were building roosts and stands for raptors.

Getting out of my car I had to just stand and drink in the views. The countryside is beautiful here in Rappahannock county, spectacular mountains as a backdrop for rolling farmland. I've driven past the ranch many times because I love the country roads that run by it but today I felt privileged to be standing on the actual farm. Everything around me was meticulously cared for. All the fences were sturdy, and in fact, local farmers come here to practice their fence building skills. The land was obviously well looked after. I also found out first hand that their organizational skills were also well honed. We were soon divided up into our groups, shuttled across grassy hillocks and down muddy or graveled tracks to the lower fields, and explained to precisely on what we'd be doing and how we'd be doing it. Buckets marked with ribbons stood in neat rows, with the necessary tools next to them. We were supplied with gloves, drinking water and even boots if needed.

Fiery Run and Rappahanock River flow through the Marriott land with over 1000 cattle pasturing on the grass fields. All the river banks have now been fenced off to keep the cows from contaminating the water. They had previously been aiding the erosion of the banks, along with the flooding, and affecting the water quality. Also a lot of elms along the banks have perished thanks to the Emerald Ash Borer insect so the farm wants to replant many trees along the banks. The trees will help against the river erosion and also eventually provide shade. This in turn will reduce the temperature of the water which means the oxygen will increase and therefore produce more life within the rivers.
I teamed up with a guy called Chris and we chose a bucket of  oak willow trees. There were 25 saplings to plant so we set off along the bank.

We soon got into a routine of me digging the hole, both of us replacing and tamping down the soil around the roots, and then Chris would push down the protective green tube over the tree and hammer in the stake to steady it, the stake facing upstream so it remains in place when flooding occurs.

Because of our excellent instruction we were soon planting these little budding branches like pros, while the staff kept close by, replenishing stakes or giving help where needed. We were done by noon and I got an enormous sense of satisfaction knowing we'd helped the land in this way. In return for our hard labor Marriott laid out a sumptuous feast of burgers, hotdogs and chicken cooked on multiple barbeques, fresh veggies, salad, coleslaw and rolls, with wines and beers. And also fresh Rappahannock oysters were shucked for us, to be eaten raw or grilled. These were outstanding. We were even told that finding a pearl was a possibility but it would be black. I ate mine raw with fresh lemon juice sprinkled over the top. Delicious!
As we ate, staff from Piedmont Environmental Council and John Marshall Soil and water Conservation spoke to us explaining their goals in working with Marriott.
Once we were done eating there was a hayride available for those who wanted a tour around the farm.

A few of us who had been chatting together made our way over and climbed aboard. No frills here, just a few bales of hay in the middle of the trailer to sit on and that was it. The farm manager drove the tractor and I noticed he had no rear view mirrors to check on his cargo. He didn't look back once either to check that we were still with him! The wooden trailer creaked and cracked as we trundled noisily over rough trails, up hills and down slopes to the open fields. The huge wheels threw up dust and oily fumes in our faces, along with gusty breezes from the hills. It was wonderful.

I noticed that accompanying the strong winds was a blanket of dark grey clouds skidding over the sky above us. I was glad we were on the first tour, not sure if the weather would accommodate the later one a couple of hours after ours. But the breeze was warm and welcomed as we slowly rocked down towards the river, but we stopped first on top of a hill where a small group awaited us to show us the cows' new water troughs. These are containers set in the ground with 4 openings which have blue plastic balls floating in them. The cows had to push the balls down to release the water, and they learned quickly. This system meant that the water didn't get contaminated by bugs and bacteria, it didn't freeze or evaporate and it actually came from the same water supply as the house. Farmers realized that the cows would be healthier with clean water which meant they put on weight more easily. It also meant that it was easier to catch the cattle in fenced fields rather than trying to herd them out of rivers.

We then stopped at the junction of Fiery Run and Rappahannock River where a young man was waiting for us with a table, upon which were ice box containers holding critters from the water. He'd captured these just before we arrived and explained they were macro invertebrates, including caddis flies and other bug names that I missed. But I did note that the long centipede looking critter was a hellgramite. I watched him closely as he battled against 2 little green worm things, which he overpowered and then attempted to eat. It's a cruel world in the river. But the gentleman informed us that the river water was looking very healthy and was above average quality.

There was another gentleman in waders who showed us how he 'shocked' fish using a long electric wand. There were stunned for only a few minutes, enough time for him to capture them and put them in a bucket.

Loved this photo of the little girl and her fish pal singing a duet!

We were shown a multitude of fishes, including catfishes, redbreast and yellow sunfish, torrid suckers, cutlip minnows, blue head chub, mottled sculpins, American eels, a frog and a crayfish. His bucket was pretty full, holding 15 different species, and all had been captured withing 30 minutes. I was amazed and very impressed how the little creeks were teaming with life. All helped by keeping the cows out of the water and planting trees to create shade and stop erosion. I had enjoyed this day immensely and will be back each year now to help, to plant pollinators or build the raptor roosts or plant trees again. Great work Marriott!

Outside Planting and Inside Views

Saturday morning I decided to treat myself to breakfast. We have 4 diners in Front Royal, all of which I want to have first hand knowledge of, and this will be my second. I'd heard that Mom's Kitchen served a superb breakfast and since I had a busy day of tree shopping and gardening ahead of me I decided to fuel myself for the hard work ahead.

They were extremely busy when I arrived about 10am. I had hoped the breakfast rush might be over but the restaurant was packed so I sat at the counter. I had to wait a good 15 minutes or so for my food but it was worth the wait. I enjoyed watching the staff at work, noting the teamwork in all departments, and my food was fabulous. I'd been hungrily eyeing the huge pile of bacon on the grill and requested a side be added to my sausage and cheese omelette. Unfortunately I have no photos of my meal. The thought of taking photos was instantly forgotten as my steaming plate arrived, and I became another happy customer chowing down on my fodder. The bacon was perfectly cooked, not too crispy, and the potatoes had a wonderful earthy taste. I barely had room for my rye toast but when I saw they had marmalade, which is a rarity at diners, I persevered in finishing the whole meal.
A short time later I staggered to my car and with both my belly and the fuel tank filled up, I set off on my mission to find a ginkgo tree to plant in memory of Kota Kat Supreme. I often marvel at how I had tried to find one last year so I could plant it opposite Meadow House and been unsuccessful at every garden center I'd visited. Somehow, someone must have been watching over me because I would have been distraught if I'd planted one only to find out that just a few months later I'd be buying my own house and having to leave Kota's memorial and ashes behind.
I stopped first at the garden center in Front Royal but they didn't have any ginkgos. But I did spot some beautiful, and cheap, forsythia shrubs. I'd be back for one of those. Unperturbed, I made my way to Woodstock. Bill had visited the Fort Valley Nursery the day before and sent me photos of the 2 gingkos they had there.

I passed this burned out house on the way to Woodstock. Offering a $5K reward, the owner was certain the blaze had been arson. The confederate flags I remembered from before, and today these were brand new. I wondered if these were partially to blame for the fire...

Arriving at the nursery I quickly walked among the numerous trees on sale, using the photo Bill sent me to try and find the exact placement of the ginkgo trees. I found one and was elated to discover that it was the taller one of the two trees that was left; the smaller one was sold. I held on to the trunk and refused to move. It was mine. The only problem was that I couldn't see a sales person and there was no way I could carry the tree, it was in a 10 gallon bucket. Eventually a saleslady walked over to me and wrapped a red strip of tape around the trunk with my name on it. I had my ginkgo!

This is a photo of a young version in autumn. It is a Shandri-La, a compact fast growing tree that will only grow to max 55ft with a spread of 30ft. It will be perfect on the corner of my front garden.
I walked about the garden center, picking up a hellebores, which had always been a favorite plant of mine in England. There were many garden sculptures and winter planting shrubs but they were also very expensive.

Inside was laid out very prettily, many plant and pottery arrangements with Easter bunnies and garden ornaments on sale, but I wasn't tempted. Bill had raved about the cafe yet obviously that was not on the cards for today, I was still stuffed from breakfast. I admired everything and then paid for my plants. 2 guys carried the tree for me, which had been trussed up, and miraculously fit in the back of Stanley.

I stopped at a flea market on the way home, another recommendation from Bill, and bought a couple of bits. But not the cookie caddy above, it scared the life out of me. No way would I want to walk bleary-eyed into the kitchen one morning and come face to face with that on the counter! But I did buy this wooden cat to hang on the house under the front porch and I had to have these figurines. They are old wedding cake toppers from England with magnetic heads which are drawn to each other. Hideous, but in a comical way, and I wondered if they really had stood on the top of an unfortunate couple's wedding cake.
I stopped again at the garden center in Front Royal. I had to have one of their beautiful forsythias, and after seeing how costly, and small, they had been at Woodstock, I knew this would be a bargain.
Back home, I grabbed my garden tools and set about digging holes. I started with the forsythia which I placed by the white picket fence leading up the steps to my front door. It was a beautiful warm day, sunny with a light breeze, perfect for garden work. and it felt good to be working in my own garden. Whenever I do anything around the house, even after 5 months, I still experience a thrill knowing that I don't need permission from a landlord to make changes, it's all for my own pleasure. The soil in my front garden is the standard red clay that's dominant in Virginia but I kept digging. The forsythia plopped into the hole and looked magnificent as I released the long branches from their string constraints, buds about to burst into flower any day.

 Next I planted my hellebores in front of the hydrangeas, hoping the squirrels wouldn't dig up the fresh earth, and then I started on Kota's tree. I couldn't lift it so had to dump it from the back of the car into my little red wagon and then haul it across to the corner of the garden. It would grow on the top of the bank in a prime position where it would be visible from the kitchen and also to anyone coming down the street. It took a while to dig down deep and wide enough to fit the huge root ball, but I wanted to ensure I got it right first time. I would have a hard time dropping the tree in and then having to pull it out again if I hadn't made a big enough hole. As I got close to finishing the kids across the street asked if I wanted any help. They are so incredibly polite and always greeting me with a wave and a 'hello'. I thanked them but declined their help. I wanted to do this all by myself since it would be a special memorial.

When the digging was done, I gently sprinkled Kota's ashes at the bottom, making sure none were blown away. I had a little quiet time thinking about my dear and very precious friend and then dragged the tree into the ground after loosening the roots. It fit perfectly, all I had to do was cover the base. It stood firm and erect, its branches barely moving in the spring breeze. I patted the trunk and set about watering in all of my new additions. Later I will make a little tag to hang from the tree. I'm really looking forward to seeing the leaves come out, tiny fans spreading across the branches. And I feel so relieved that I finally have a resting place for Kota.
On Sunday I went with Carmen to view an old potential property near Warrenton for 2 of her clients in CA. It's listed for just under $1,000,000 so I was curious to see what that would buy out here in the countryside.

I had no opportunity to make the bed before I left. Tricksie Treat and Rosie Lee decided they would sleep in and made themselves comfortable as soon as I headed to the shower. Rosie Lee is under the covers...

The house appeared a little smaller than I'd imagined, I think I was expecting to see a country mansion. But then I'm so used to seeing old properties in England, I was likely assuming it would be something similar. Although the sun was shining the winds had picked up and turned cold so we didn't linger for long outside. There was a lovely deep front porch with rockers but the wind howled through as if it was a tunnel so we rushed to get inside.

I'm afraid all I could think when I saw the dining room and kitchen was, 'blah'. There wasn't a welcoming feel to the place, it felt cold and unlived in despite the furniture and decor. That stone tile countertop would be hell to keep clean too...

The TV room looked to be more set up for a slumber party than watching movies, and the basement was a chilly dark room with another seating area and a treadmill which was difficult to access, wedged into a narrow stone hallway.

I did like this superb bath with its gorgeous view and no neighbors that could see in. I imagined it would be wonderful on a winter afternoon to sit there with the hot jets blasting while sipping a glass of red and watching rain or a snowstorm. I was amazed to discover that the house had only 2 bedrooms, both of which had annex rooms that were offices, but these were no ideal spaces for guests, and there were certainly no bathrooms that could be accessed by guests, unless they shared the ones attached to the existing bedrooms. The bath above was part of a 'jack and jill' bathroom shared by both bedrooms.

It was a disjointed layout and although some folks might be impressed by the old sturdy structure and wide wooden oak planks on the floors I was disappointed, and really didn't think Carmen's clients would be interested in moving from California for this. I was glad to leave. And once again I had looked at a house and thought my little home was better. I really did land on my feet with The Blue House. No mansions for me!