Nelson County Rocks

First, a new discovery near Holly’s place at Lake Monticello: the Scheier Natural Area, bequeathed to the public by a couple who established a homestead to “live off the land” on this one-hundred acre property, now managed by the Rivanna Conservation Society.  The place is a gem, with nine interconnected ponds and lovely trails through the forests.  While sitting on a bench by Cunningham Creek, Holly (see if you can find her in the middle picture above) wondered why a branch of a nearby beech tree looked white, almost as if it were covered by snow (right picture above).  We subsequently claimed in a Facebook posting: “Twerking’s origins were discovered yesterday by Holly and me in a walk in the Scheier Natural Area in Fluvanna County, Virginia! See for yourselves in the video below of Beech Blight Aphids, which, according to Wikipedia, have “a defensive behaviour in that it raises the posterior end of its body and sways from side to side when disturbed.” No kidding! 🙂

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Second, a familiar route with a new face: we walked a section of the Blue Ridge Railway Trail, just down the road from my place, with Holly’s son John, who was visiting for the first time.  A nice, peaceful afternoon, graced by a great blue heron by the river and a flock of wild turkeys that crossed the trail.