Author Archives: John M

Kits and Colvin

Posted on September 7, 2013 by John M

Took a beautiful walk with friends along the Colvin Run Trail, starting from Colvin Mill, at 10017 Colvin Run Road in Great Falls, Virginia. The mill is nicely situated as a trailhead, providing plenty of free parking, restrooms and drinking fountains and, during … Continue reading →

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North Marshall Mountain

Posted on August 21, 2013 by John M

Went snooping on North Marshall Mountain in the Shenandoah Mountains on Tuesday. A nice out-and-back 6.2-mile hike, easy to moderate difficulty except for the 1,000-foot elevation gain, and lots of solitude. (Except black bears – two adults and two cubs!) Unfortunately, there’s … Continue reading →

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Startled

Posted on August 7, 2013 by John M

A barred owl at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, Virginia. It was apparently sleeping under a little footbridge in the woods and when I crossed, it came piling out of there in a flurry and perched only a few feet … Continue reading →

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Resistance to Change

Posted on August 5, 2013 by John M

Here’s a timely article from the August edition of Token Publishing’s Coin News about the seeming inability of the US to migrate from the dollar bill to the dollar coin: US CONGRESS has reopened the debate yet again on the future of the much-loved one … Continue reading →

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Scott’s Run

Posted on August 4, 2013 by John M

On Saturday some friends and I went on a pleasant hike at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, a small park in along the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia. The park features the closest waterfall to Washington DC and a beautiful … Continue reading →

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Unscripted

Posted on July 29, 2013 by John M

Some photos from a few walks during the last 2 weeks. I love the fun of a group hike, but it’s always when I’m blundering around on an unscripted hike, not worried about (and often) getting lost, that I run across the interesting subjects.

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Two rivers

Posted on July 15, 2013 by John M

Quite a busy weekend hiking at sites along two rivers in two different directions: south to the Occoquan River on Saturday, and then across the Potomac River to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on the Anacostia River on Sunday. Occoquan Regional Park sits … Continue reading →

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Scarecrow

Posted on July 6, 2013 by John M

A scarecrow standing silent in a fallow field. A shed collapsing under creeping growth, a rusting visor over its empty eyes. The fence pulled down by persistent vines, despite its rotting rubber rails. Let’s come back tonight.  

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Fort C.F. Smith hike

Posted on July 3, 2013 by John M

Fort C.F. Smith is actually a deceptive name for the 6-mile hike we took on June 24, because the old Civil War fort in Arlington, Virginia, was not really the focus of the hike. It was simply a convenient assembly point because of its central location, parking, and the amenities … Continue reading →

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Brookside Gardens

Posted on June 24, 2013 by John M

Yesterday I was up in Silver Springs, Maryland, checking out Brookside Botanical Gardens for a walk this coming Saturday. Sure hope it doesn’t rain! (Click on the photo to see more photos on Flickr.)

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