Praying Mantids – Ambush Predators Recently, I was lucky enough to see a couple praying mantids. I am always excited when I see a wild animal or an interesting insect. Of course, I love fungi too. In Virginia, mature praying mantids are big insects. The ones in these photos were about 3.5” long. They are […]
Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area in Front Royal Virginia is a great place to visit! One reward is the views at Signal Knob. However there is much more. I’ve been going there for years, and it never gets old. You can hike, backpack, camp, fish, or picnic. I usually hike or backpack. Read more to find […]
There are vines everywhere in the woods. Like everything else, there are good vines and bad vines. Poison Ivy would be considered a bad vine. If you touch it, you are likely to get a rash. Wild grape vines are common in the United States. They are pretty easy to identify. Although they are technically […]
I finally got out to do some hiking! I decided to hike the Little Devils Stairs Trail and the Piney Branch Trail. The trailhead is off Route 211 near Sperryville. I hadn’t been there in several years. The last time I hiked it was in the winter. I decided to go on a Thursday, to […]
We are finally getting some rain. After the rain, the fungi and mushrooms emerge. I love forest fungi. They are an amazing part of nature. Certainly I am not an expert on fungi. However, I think I found some Amanita muscaria var. flavivolvata. These are also called a fairy tail toadstool or Fly Agaric. They […]
Most Virginians know that the Flowering Dogwood is the state tree of Virginia. Coincidentally, the flower is the state flower of Virginia. However, Virginia is not the only state that honors this tree. It is the state tree of Missouri and New Jersey. It is also the state flower on North Carolina. And guess what? […]