Floating on Frederick

On Sunday I met Janice at Lake Frederick for a paddle. My lucky streak was still following me because I stopped at a 7/11, craving a caramel Magnum, and reached into the freezer with a big grin to grab the last one at the bottom. I was just polishing it off when I arrived at the lake. I was a little alarmed at first when I drove into a parking lot that was filled with trucks, assuming the lake to be crowded, but actually many folks were fishing from the shore near the dock and aside from a few small fishing boats that we came across, we often found ourselves almost alone on the water.

I photographed these unusual insects. I've seen them before, always near water, and they barely move. I can't identify them so any help would be great.

Getting some practice in for the abstract show next year!

I enjoyed kayaking with Janice as we're very like minded regarding our paddling. We both like keeping close to the shores so we can explore and investigate anything growing or moving along the water's edge, both of us snapping photos as we go. This lake has a lot of beautiful flora growing and it was wonderful to see everything looking so healthy, although I was spotting more trash hidden in grass or among tree roots than on my previous trip here.

We disturbed a blue heron in the rushes. I think he was hoping we would pass a little further out than we did as he left it to the last minute to suddenly make a very noisy exit and take off immediately in front of us. We were also amused to find at the end of nearly every inlet a pair of twitching ears above the foliage, which as we got closer, discovered that they belonged to deer who had made themselves comfortable in the cool mud.
We also upset some huge fishes, about 2ft long or bigger and possibly carp, in the shallower inlets. They were sunbathing but keeping a very watchful eye, and more than once they caused me to jump as they suddenly made their escape with a huge splash.

We saw a lot of these around the lake, clinging to underwater branches in huge globs. They look like frogspawn but Janice sent me a link explaining they're called Bryozoans, single cell animals that can get as big as 2 feet across and contain 2 million individual creatures. They feed on algae, bacteria, anything that they catch with tiny tentacles,and their presence actually indicates good water.

There were many skimmers and damsel flies skitting across the water, hovering over our boats and sitting on reeds. I couldn't photograph any, they were so flighty and my boat was never still. I was also amazed at how I didn't get any bites. I had remembered my sunscreen for my face but had completely forgotten bug spray, and so had resigned myself to scratching later on. But somehow I eluded them, not a single itchy bump emerged on arms or legs that evening.

I spotted this tree stump and immediately thought it looked like a kingfisher, resulting in a photoshopped image.
We finished our paddle with a greeting from a green heron. We'd been looking for him throughout the afternoon but he'd kept hidden until the end, even then refusing to sit on a branch long enough for me to snatch a quick photo. But just seeing him had satisfied us, he was a very handsome bird, a shame he didn't want to sit still and show off his plumage. Maybe next time.
We finished our paddle as the sun was starting to dip, it had been a lovely lazy and relaxing afternoon, enjoying the beauty of nature with good company. And my good fortune had persevered, no sunburn whatsoever, no sore nose or red hot forehead. A simply marvelous weekend all round!

A Serendipitous Saturday

Early on Saturday I got up and attended to the cats' every needs before they let me relax again. Once they were satisfied, I curled back into bed with a cup of tea and read for a while, then surprised myself by nodding back off to sleep for an hour. I must have needed it! I then had to run errands, getting more plants for the patio, dropping my bike off for repairs, grocery shopping, just general running around.
I knew the day was going well when I bought some really cheap bedding plants including one of the sturdiest tomato plants I've ever seen, which was already flowering, an almost sure fire guarantee of fruit. I then got a great bargain with some summer clothing, and as I was driving back towards Marshall, I felt an urge to check my phone. Sure enough there was a message from the bike shop who had already repaired my bike very cheaply. I was also aware that Joanna's, the craft store, was urging me to step through their doors, and on doing so I found that they were having a plant pot sale with 70% off. And they had a couple left in just the sizes I needed. I got back to Marshall where my Food Lion was having a rare sale on gas canisters. This is my first canister change in nearly 4 years so fate was on my side again. And then to wrap up my lucky shopping spree I got some edamine plants reduced by the guy on the register at a local store and felt that on my way home I really should buy a lottery ticket. (Which failed to bring a windfall when I later checked it, but whatever.)
I then spent a happy afternoon pottering about on the patio, planting and arranging my plants. Despite having had such a late start this year, they're coming on great. Everything is growing well and I'm looking forward to eventually picking my crops.  My basil and cilantro have grown well and I've used them a lot, so much so that I've also bought seeds which I will plant soon to replace the plants once they're depleted. I also have thyme and chives and would like more herbs but simply don't have the time to do the cooking so they could all be used. But I have green beans, edamame, orange peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupe, white corn, potatoes and okra to look forward too, with more potatoes seeding in the laundry closet, to be planted in a week or so.
I was a very contented bunny as I sat later on the patio after grilling some fresh organic salmon which I ate with a huge pile of salad and a glass of red wine. Or maybe two....

McMillan Sand Filtration Plant, DC

On Sunday a few of us met up with a guide who was going to show us around the old McMillan San Filtration site in DC. In 2012 public tours were ceased after 20 years of running successfully and safely. The area is now in serious danger of being razed to the ground to build condominiums. But there are still many people who want to preserve the site, and return it to the park it once was, while creating an artistic use for the buildings and chambers below ground.

As you walk through the quiet residential streets to the site, all you can really see are tall grassy banks but then gradually a line of  tall cylindrical structures come into view, some covered with vines, and a courtyard area, with a few vehicles, tools and building materials from a construction company. At the other end of the park are another line of these structures, this time looking somehow abject with cranes towering above them. We walked through long grass, dodging the numerous manhole covers that were 20ft apart, and in places open holes where the covers had disappeared. When this was a park area, local folks used to come here to sleep on hot summer nights, rather than staying in their stuffy houses.
The plant was built in 1905 on a 25 acre site, the first large scale water purification facility in DC. A large reservoir was surrounded by parkland and the public enjoyed the paths and landscaping until WWII when the park was shut forever to the public. The plant continued operating until 1986 and has remained unused since then. Friends of McMillan Park are a group dedicated to preserving and restoring the site and it was one of their members that took us here on Sunday. Their website with photos and a full history is here.

We walked down into the cool dark chambers that were once filled with 3ft or more of sand through which the water would slowly filter, using a biological process to clean, and finishing up with an exceptionally good quality of water with a 90-99% bacterial reduction.

There was some sand left down here, still looking remarkably clean. Where a few of the man holes had been removed or broken, the bright sunshine entered the chamber as beams, throwing an almost ethereal light to the room. I added a water effect to he photo above, but of course, while this plant was in operation the water level would have been much higher.

Light coming down through a man hole into the chamber, and one seem from above looking down.

The sand storage bins and regulator house are still in good condition. It would be nice to see these turned into museum rooms showing how the plant used to work or even decorated shady seating areas showcasing local artists' work, with each bin giving out soft colored lights at dark.

The underground chambers are beautifully designed and still very sturdy. There is no water in them now. Some have sand still, giving some people ideas of transforming them into an urban beach with daylight bulbs. One we entered had no sand at all but had amazing acoustics. Our guide told us there were plans to bring an opera singer down here, maybe bands, and even a ballet company. The possibilities are endless. Some of us suggested an artists' workshop or studio area since others relatively local have immense success. Even an underground courtyard eating area with restaurants would be cool. Some of the chambers could become parking areas. Or a community garden area would be beautiful with little areas as parkland with rustic seats, arches, ponds, paved courtyards, and sculptures made by resident artists.

This horrendous rendering is what Vision McMillan Partners have in mind for the area, a mixed use plan for the site which Friends of McMillan are opposing. They hope the plant can become part of the Emerald Necklace which is a string of green park lands around DC, primarily on hill tops and high points of the city.None of us who walked about this wanted to see any new buildings on the site. Despite the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city, this green area perched up on a hill retained its peacefulness and had a calming influence. It would be a crime to allow greedy property developers to destroy this to line their own pockets.
A great video about the plant's destiny is here.
Here are some clips of local residents.
Interesting article, click here.