Author Archives: John M

Keep moving

Posted on February 18, 2016 by John M

One of the downsides to winter is that you just have to get out there and keep moving, but you often spend more time getting dressed for and getting to a hike than you do actually hiking. (Actually, this applies … Continue reading →

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Escape from the cabin

Posted on February 1, 2016 by John M

This past weekend I was getting really anxious to escape from the confines of my “cabin” after the blizzard of the weekend before. While the streets were cleared off fairly quickly, in Virginia at least, most of the sidewalks weren’t … Continue reading →

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Frozen fun

Posted on January 19, 2016 by John M

Billy Goat Trail Section A There’s just nothing like a cold morning to bring out the determined hikers, and this Monday was no exception: the temperature never got about 21o F (-6o C ), and the 10-20 mph WNW winds … Continue reading →

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Splashin’ around in Old Town

Posted on January 11, 2016 by John M

Over the past couple of months I’ve been sadly negligent in writing posts about our walking and hiking outings — the last post was last September, about plans for a hike to a pair of historic plantations in Maryland. But … Continue reading →

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Unicorn futures

Posted on December 28, 2015 by John M

It’s almost that time again — 2016 $50 1-ounce US Gold Buffalo coins go on sale on January 20, 2016. Or at least, that’s when most precious metals dealers will start shipping them. The spot price of gold as I … Continue reading →

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Numismatics in a 3D future

Posted on November 17, 2015 by John M

A recent article appearing in Coin World alerted readers to the appearance of a counterfeit 2005 Proof gold ¼ Krugerrand (KM# 160). A genuine 2005 Proof gold ¼ Kruggerand has a retail value of about $475,1 so the potential to … Continue reading →

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Two Plantations

Posted on September 29, 2015 by John M

A hike I’m cooking up to be scheduled sometime during the next few weeks will be a twofer, visiting the sites of two historic plantations in southern Maryland: Mount Aventine and Habre de Venture. The two plantations are preserved today … Continue reading →

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Piscataway Park

Posted on September 3, 2015 by John M

Wednesday afternoon I was out snooping around Piscataway Park and the National Colonial Farm to prepare for a hike I scheduled for this coming Sunday. Piscataway Park is named for Piscataway Creek, which in turn is named for the Piscataway … Continue reading →

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Pimmit Run

Posted on August 7, 2015 by John M

Tomorrow we’re hiking the upstream section of Pimmit Run, a tributary of the Potomac that starts in Idylwood, near the I-66/I-495 interchange in Fairfax County, Virginia, and meanders its way north and east through the county before emptying into the … Continue reading →

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Waterfront

Posted on August 3, 2015 by John M

Poking around Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront is always interesting, and I just don’t get down there enough. Maybe because it’s so close and easy to do, scheduling a walk there seems like a bit of a cop-out as opposed to … Continue reading →

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