Tag Archives: nature

Cypress Park Nature Trail

11 Thursday Apr 2019

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While watching the local news for Delmarva, a segment came on asking for volunteers to help with a small park near Pocomoke City, adjacent to the Pocomoke River. We decided to head down and check it out. It was a short 30+ minute drive to get there. Here is the map. The park is right off of Rte. 13.

There was no one there except for Kathy, Molly and myself. And as will be seen in later photographs, the park/trail is in need of some TLC from volunteers! The path is made up of woods and boardwalks.

Kathy and Molly checking out the boards. The overall length of the hike is about 1/2 mile. Nice day for a walk, but beware – Ticks are out in full force!

After a walk along the water, the trail heads into the woods. This is looking back towards the pond.

Then lo and behold what do we see?

A bridge. A foot bridge.

And there we go.

The feed to the pond is from the Pocomoke River. Up river a ways, at Snow Hill, Kathy and I kayaked. Deep dark waters.

This next section of the trail could really use some help.

The cypress off-spring (Cypress knee) are covered with all sorts of growth.

And take many shapes.

Freshly gnawed beaver tree, toppled over.

Kathy getting a close-up view…

…of beautiful tree markings. Do you think it is a dogwood? No. How can you tell? By its bark! woof-woof. Molly thought it was funny.

Across another little stream to the opposite side of the pond. This puts you right next to Rte. 13, headed towards a cemetery.

Stay to the left to remain on the trail.

Bird holes or a screaming tree? It is your imagination to do with as you please.

Kind of early for this to be blooming out here in the woods don’t you think? It’s an artificial flower, probably blown over here from the cemetery. Oh! duh!

Well, this one is real!

Heading back to the parking lot.

Looking over at the foot bridge, two of four geese on the pond. Not much wildlife around.The silence was actually nice.

i won’t even go there, about mustache rides!

Mushroom condo.

Not a long hike so from here we headed to Ocean City for some Thrasher Fries.

The Beauty of Assateague, other than the ponies

05 Friday Apr 2019

Posted by in Eastern Shore, Hiking, National Parks

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Off to Assateague we go. First the National Park side on the bay and then the State Park. Glad we got passes when we did.

Boardwalk to the bay side. 

Molly always enjoys the beach.

Except when she heads onto the grasses. The seaweed wasn’t bad but behind where Kathy is sitting is all sand-burs. Played hell getting them out of her paws.

Crushed shells.

The beauty of drift wood.

The shoreline at one time was full of cacti. It is slowly eroding away.

Like pulling mussels from a shell…

A petrified snapping turtle eating a thorn stem…well, that’s what it looks like to me!

We will always miss our little house at #Cromwellvalleypark, but we now have the Naturalist Shack!

Egret off in the distance. A couple seagulls landed on his/her little island. Hope they don’t try snatching any eggs!

No prompting from us – I think it helped soothe her sore feet.

Oh jeez Molly!! Glad we brought a lot of poop bags!!

Love retirement!!

Ocean side of the parks, before the crowds.

Ocean City in the far off distance.

Another day doing what we love. Did see some ponies but we enjoy ALL that nature and life has to offer!!

Thanks God.

Early March Hike

03 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Eastern Shore, Hiking, nature, Photography

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Retirement has been hard work and it seems like forever since we have been able to find the time to enjoy a really nice hike. It was really cold and windy when we hiked Chincoteague a couple of weeks ago. Today did not seem like a good day to hike with the impending storm on the way, but we said the hell with it. We need to get out!

So off we went. We decided on somewhere local in case the weather took a turn for the worse. Pemberton Historical Park is just southwest of Salisbury and just a few minute drive from home. Here is the historical marker as you enter the park.

Sme more history can be found on their website. Very interesting. The trail map below. We hiked the Bell Island, Osprey and History trails, along with part of the Handy Hall Trail.

Entering the park is a nice fence…

A man-made fence vs. a fence Mother Nature is making…

The trail head consists of various older buildings. Including this restroom.

This looks to be an old bunker/storage building of some sorts.

A nice theater.

And a rounded dam. I can almost picture years ago this being made of wood and then maybe stone. 

A little island picnic area.

Kathy taking a photo of me…

taking one of her.

 

Dreary yet some nice colors.

Boardwalks 

and bird boxes.

Molly hears it…

I see it.

And kathy sees it.

An eagle on the top of the lone tree dead center

Hard to get a good shot this far away. (I do not carry a bunch of lenses and stuff with me when hiking)

More colors.

This was in the path. nicely strange. Kathy took this one.

When one tree fell, I guess it took the other one with it.

Dead center and this thing was humming.

Lone growth up in the trees.

A beaver house.

As I walk away…

A penny for your thoughts (I’m thinking – Don’t touch it! It looks like a booby-trap!)

A wonderful adventure in our new neck of the woods!!

Thanks God.

https://www.pembertonpark.org/pemberton-park/index.htm

Chincoteague

15 Friday Feb 2019

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We haven’t hiked here since May 2017. It is nice living close by. Less than an hour away. Kathy and I needed a nice little road trip. Selling homes, moving, moving again and retiring is a lot of work!

It was chilly and very windy on both the ocean and bay sides of the island. One large sand dune blocks the ocean from the parking lot, for the whole length of the lot. Kathy and Molly climbing over the dunes.

Glad I didn’t take my good camera – I’ve ruined two of them over the years from sand getting into them. The sand was stinging our faces. Looking up the beach.

After getting sandblasted on the ocean beach, we headed to bay side – Tom’s cove.

Windy still but nice. The snow geese were hanging out.

Including I believe, the Adult Blue Morph.

Seagulls were plentiful and a delight to watch (Always better watching them on the beach than at Thrasher’s!) 

This guy, below, kept picking this object up, dropping it to crack it open and then taking it to the pool to wash it off. He discovered that it wasn’t edible.

Heading away from the ocean and driving to the mainland we saw this guy.

And this guy off in the distance, standing away from the rest of the herd.

Seeing the lighthouse off in the distance we headed that way.

Belongs to the Coast Guard. Last time we were here, there were way too many people to get a half way decent shot.

Historic info.

Nice day for a much needed hike. The park police did stop us to inform us that it is illegal to bring a pet onto a National Wildlife Refuge. Never would have guessed that Molly doesn’t count as wildlife!

First Hike 2019

02 Wednesday Jan 2019

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A couple weeks ago, Kathy signed us up for a State Park First Hike at Calvert Cliffs. Although overcast, the weather was great for hiking. 

Here is the State Roads Commission historical marker.

The one thing about organized hikes, there are usually a lot of people. One of the rangers giving the tour said there were about 200 hikers here and about 50 dogs.

Heading down the path (like lemmings headed towards a cliff) it was somewhat congested.

But then, because of the different rates that people hike and how much a dog pulls you along, it started to thin out.

Trail was muddy but it was a really nice hike. About 3.6 miles. Many small streams that fed a lagoon. Geese frolicking in the water.

Nice boardwalk along the water.

An unnatural naturalist looking for wildlife.

Signs of beaver activity.

 

Looks like lightning struck this beaver feeding tree.

Not sure if the lagoon was man made or beaver made. 

A lone turtle trying to catch some sun.

The road to nowhere.

Actually, on the other side of the water is a natural gas company. We made it to the cliffs, beach, along with everyone else. Too many people for me.

But that didn’t stop Kathy from kicking off her hiking boots and going into the bay.

Out in the bay is this monster. A natural gas loading/unloading structure.

And off in the far distance there is a light house. Pretty bad shot, but got me curious.

A nice hike but disappointed that the cliffs were blocked off. 

I guess I was thinking they were more like the White Cliffs of Dover or something like that. Kind of small. 

When Kathy was finished playing in the water, we took a casual stroll back, enjoying the colors on a less crowded path. Then we came upon this guy. sitting alone, so we stopped to keep him company.

For a couple years we have been looking for natural letters from the alphabet. Kathy found a small r – 

And then an o – 

I told her she now needs to find an n! (she wanted to find a g also, because that is what I am – (W)rong!) Anyway, personal humor aside, we found this little bridge.

Then back out, beyond the ranger’s station, Kathy saw this metal hoop.

Looking closely about, we found an old structure. 

Another shot of the area.

Some purple/blue/black berries.

Then finally, a Bee Hotel and Kathy very happy at the end of our First Hike of 2019.

Leaving Calvert Cliffs we went in search of the light house. And here it is.

Locked up behind a fence!

All in all, a super nice day!

Thanks God.

 

Last Hike Before First Hike

31 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Hiking, nature

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Saturday was a nice day for a hike, so we thought we would end our year hiking somewhere new. This will be our last hike of the year. We decided to hike the Gunpowder Falls, in a section neither of us have been to. Loch Raven Blue Trail off of Merryman’s Mill Road. We hiked to the Overshot Point and back. A little over two miles, but we spent a couple hours enjoying the sun and trail. AllTrails says we walked further, but I doubt it! This would be pretty damn good if it was true! 

Not a lot of parking at the trail, so get there early. By the time we left, the lot was full.

Some spots were wet. Mostly a rocky, rain-runoff-ditches terrain.

Not sure who R.C. Dye is but they have their own sign.

Other than some debris in the reservoir, the trail was clean. We never take in more than we can carry out – leaving only our foot prints and our love of nature.

The Blue Trail goes all the way up the hillside then cuts over to the power lines. We like hiking along the river, so we found a log and crossed over one of the many streams. Molly not too happy about that.

I always liked these alien writings on the logs.

And I am so glad we went off the trail like we did! Otherwise we may have missed this! 

Another view:

While at work I will try to find an old property map to tell me who this structure belonged to. It appears to be a nice size house.

I think someone lost a Christmas wreath.

Taking the Blue Trail, we probably would have missed the Overshot Point. Nice view of the upper reservoir.

Windy, causing the waves to lap at the shore.

The geese, hanging on a rock.

Kathy and Molly, hanging on the shore.

My turn to enjoy and reflect on my upcoming retirement. (If you could only see the grin on my face!!)

Time to head back. Our contribution to Art in the Park – acorn tops placed like fairy houses on the tree shrooms.

Nice roots.

I like walking in the winter because you get to see things that were hidden by all the growth of summer. We probably would have not seen the remains of that house in the summer. Sometimes in winter hiking, everything looks so desolate, but then you come across a burst of color and get to enjoy the beauty of the moment.

This was our last hike of 2018. I look forward to our first hike of 2019 – Calvert Cliffs!

Thanks God for another year of hiking!

One Last Hike Through Cromwell Park

20 Tuesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Baltimore, Hiking

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A lot has been going on here lately. Took two days to settle on my house, moved my daughter to Virginia, moved in with Kathy, working on the house in Salisbury and signed my retirement papers today. My last day working for the City of Baltimore will be January 4, 2019.

Thinking about the things I will miss when I retire and move away from Baltimore…not really a lot. With my job I will miss some of the historical research I do and some of the people I work with – some. I really won’t miss my house too much. It was too big and lonely for me and I only bought it to be closer to work and save on rent and gas. My neighbors were a pain in the ass.

One thing I will really miss is our walks at Cromwell Valley Park. They have always held a special place in my heart. Not just because I volunteered there for a year and made new friends, but also because it is where I met Kathy. So, here is what may very well be our last walk…

Something you don’t see every day up at Loch Raven. A guy playing a bagpipe! I did take a video but like me, it is a little shaky!

Always enjoyed our little house. The first time Kathy and I exchanged photographs with each other, it was of the little house.

Time to pose…

One of my favorite spots is the Balancing Reservoir Shaft.

With its corresponding spillway.

Heading now to the sycamore tree. I have taken a lot of photographs of this tree – it just oozes with majesty and yet some…

…loneliness.

Being a favorite spot, another selfie.

Kathy and her sister Gail have this thing about the #26 – lucky #.

Heading for the car, another look at the kilns.

Yes, we will miss our hikes in Cromwell, but look forward to the new adventures that await us. God is good!

A September Walk on the Little Gunpowder Falls

10 Wednesday Oct 2018

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A nice little hike we took last month. A little over a mile and a half. The green highlight is our path; from Belair Rd. to Harford Rd. and back. Use caution once you get to Harford Rd. to cross over the bridge. People are flying down that road and approach a curve. It is hard to be seen.

map2

From the parking lot on Belair Rd. we head under the bridge.003

Additional graffiti is added every year. And yes we do – 005

A nice pattern for the walkway under the bridge.006

Looking towards Harford Rd.008

The trail. I have nothing against Mountain Bikers, as long as they are on a trail that I am not on, but quite a few act like they have the right of way on these narrow spots – you don’t! Common courtesy is the rule of the day.014

Across the Falls.018

A sandbar up ahead.019

Time to look for some river glass.023

Not much glass but Kathy found this. Possible arrowhead?028

Lots of debris in the Falls – lots of rain all summer. Molly looking for a way around it.045

A pond off to the side of the Falls, before Harford Rd.052

A foot bridge over the stream that feeds the pond.054

After crossing over the bridge at Harford Rd. we head back. This path is pretty narrow. In all the years I have hiked the Gunpowder Falls, I have never taken this path for some reason? Kathy practicing her dance moves.064

Rot inducing pathogens or fungus, whichever you prefer.074

Looking thru a leaf to see what I can see…081

Heading to Belair Rd. the path swerves north along the road a few hundred yards before you can climb up and over. Belair Rd. is a 4 lane highway at this point. Speed limit, well doesn’t matter, people again are flying by…082

 

Mariner Point Evening Kayak

28 Tuesday Aug 2018

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Beautiful weather and time to go for an evening kayaking trip at Mariner Point Park up in Joppatowne. We were hoping to see a lot of birds, but only saw a few. Lots of boats and noise going on in the park. Here is our path. (The green dot to the black dot is me forgetting to turn off AllTrails when leaving!)

Heck of a time parking anywhere. The lots were full with boat trailers and there was a party going on at the pavillion. I wrote the park service and the county executive last year about this problem and was more or less told – oh well. Into the kayaks and headed out. 

Kathy took a bunch of these photos. Only a couple flowers along the shoreline. 

Leaving the boat ramp, heading south then a right turn and back north. We actually went further up than the map shows. It also doesn’t show us cutting thru a waterway to the other side. It has us going across land. Lots of sea grass makes paddling a little more work.

Kathy doing the double paddle reflective stroke!

Me trying to avoid eye contact with that heron watching me.

After some paddling in the little waterways (The Gunpowder Rivers/Falls), we headed to open water. Towards the railroad bridge. Watch out for boats!

I always like going under this thing, and hearing the trains go whizzing by overhead.

Kathy should wear a hardhat under here.

Time for some leisurely paddling back to the ramp, waiting for the sun to go down. Up in the trees we see these guys.

Looking close you can see a dragonfly photobomb this pic! Not sure if we scared the eagles off or the dragonfly, but the one eagle almost knocked the other eagle off its perch.

Back in the boat lane, Kathy took a photo of me using her iphone. Strange green glow coming from somewhere.

And another green glow.

The sunset side of the river was dark, yet on the other side it was still fairly light. Caught a glimpse of him up in the trees. As fat as he is, I thought it was a parrot at first.

Kathy enjoying the peacefulness of the sunset. It is hard to get a good shot with a point and shoot camera, especially when boats are going by, causing wakes. Only one boater slowed down as they approached our location.

One thing about my P&S camera, in auto, it compensates for the low light and pretty much does its own thing. Like this water shot.

And this lone osprey shot.

Time to head back. Too many boats at the launch so we pulled up and out at a smaller launch area in the woods. The party was just winding down near the launch site.

All in all, a very nice kayaking adventure!

Random

09 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by in concerts, Eastern Shore, Family

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Here lately i have been so busy working on multiple houses, I lose track of time, to work on my blogs. Here are some random photos from over the last month or so.

At Kathy’s parents house, a bunch of turkeys were in the field.

I decided to go over to the deer blind (sniper tower), to see if I could get a better view. This guy was watching me.

Stopped at Terrapin Park one weekend. Spotted this guy along the path to the Bay.

On shore were some guys and dolls.

Molly not too happy about going swimming with me. Kathy asked if I have ever swam in the Chesapeake Bay before? I don’t think I have?

Went to Merriweather to see David Byrne. On stage, the opening act.

Walked around a bit. It has been about 32 years since I was last here. Saw Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love tour. Place looks different. Various sculptures around.

From a distance, I thought this was a statue of a football player.

Sun going down and time to head to our seats.

These next photos Kathy took of the band. I gave up long ago with my camera. I couldn’t get focused.

Another shot. Another song.

And the house that will soon be our home, thanks to the Culver’s.