01Apr 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Spring Daffodils – Grim Hurricane Reminders

History
[caption id="attachment_6598" align="alignright" width="480"] Daffodils in Massies Mill, Virginia serve as a living testimonial. Image courtesy Sean Korte.[/caption] Hurricane reminders can be grim. Rather like Beauty and the Beast. In August of 1969, a terrible storm, downgraded from hurricane status, struck Nelson County in Virginia, killing more than 150 people – washing away and otherwise destroying many homes and other buildings. This tragedy is etched in the minds of survivors and is a hallmark of the county's history. It will not quickly be forgotten. To this day, newcomers can see evidence of the devastation. Green Acres is the Place to Be In the Green Acres area in Lovingston, a mountain cliff can be seen that is naked of soil and trees, though gradually it is filling in with small vegetation. But…
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12Apr 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Arrival of Spring: Pay Attention to Little Things

Plants
[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignright" width="380"] Pennsylvania Bittercress - Image: USGS[/caption] Will there ever be a spring? After a blistering summer comes fall. The fall often begins with a sharp break in temperature, while there remains a low level of precipitation. Then comes October and its beautiful colors. If temperatures are mild and the rains don't pick up too severely, those colors may last for sometime. November is blustery, gray, chilly, and morose. Yet, November has an upside. December follows, January, and finally February. Winter’s death draws near. March approaches. Actually, the tail end of February can be the earliest harbinger of spring, but certainly by March, one should be paying close attention for the tiny signs of spring. Look at your lawn. It will speak in little ways that you are…
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01Apr 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Early Signs of Virginia Spring Flora

Plants
[caption id="attachment_3603" align="alignright" width="440"] Dead Nettle - GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 by Daniel J. Layton[/caption] A special event - the appearance of the spring flora, is dear to my heart. I’m not one of those thrill-seeking lovers of wintertime sports. Although I love to be outside in the fresh air in a good, deep, dry snow in wintertime, nearly inhaling the tiny crystals as they fall, I rue the time that must follow when the white turns gray, and the snow becomes ice and slush. I hate the shoveling and the power outages. I hate the indoor cold and the outside damp. Here in Virginia, as soon as all of that is over, and the last of the snows melt in late February or early March, I look…
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