Lightening Strikes Lightning is one of the most spectacular and dangerous forces in nature. It kills more people than tornadoes and hurricanes. Depending on the source, about 2000 people are killed worldwide each year by lightning. This tragedy just happened in Poland. Lightening strikes killed several people at a popular hiking destination. Ninety percent of […]
When & Where The U.Sl National Park service manages Great Falls Park. It is an eight hundred acre park located at 9200 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22102. You can also access it by walking in from the pull off area on Old Dominion Drive east of Riverbend Road or from Riverbend Park. The park […]
Crepe myrtle is the common name for the genus Lagerstroemia. It has around 50 species of shrubs, evergreen, and deciduous trees. They are found across the world in a variety of countries and locations. We are lucky to have them in the United States. In the spring and summer, they add lovely flowers and variety […]
Sycamore trees are versatile trees that grow in the eastern United States through parts of the south and into Texas. They grow in urban areas, but they prefer riverbanks, streams, and rich lowlands. Along riverbanks is where you will find the most magnificent examples of mature Sycamores. They are abundant in Great Falls park on […]
Fish Creek Falls in Steamboat Springs, CO This is a spectacular 283 foot waterfall located just a few miles outside of the city. The photo above is the first falls. It is easily accessible for almost anyone via overlooks and wide easily traveled paths. Accessibility to outside adventures is sometimes difficult for the elderly and […]
The subject of pine cones, line everything else that I write about, is not as simple as it seems. Pine cones are the reproductive structures of conifer plants. Cedars, firs, cypresses, redwoods, and pine trees are all conifers or “cone bearing”. Pine cones come in all shapes and sizes, but their function is always the […]