The post-Hurricane Irene weather has been beautiful, and we spent some time yesterday exploring the Salamander Loop of the Ni River Trail in Spotsylvania. This 1.75 mile trail was completed last summer, the first project of the Spotsylvania Greenways…

The post-Hurricane Irene weather has been beautiful, and we spent some time yesterday exploring the Salamander Loop of the Ni River Trail in Spotsylvania. This 1.75 mile trail was completed last summer, the first project of the Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative, an organization devoted to creating a system of trails throughout the county. The trailhead is at the rear of the River Run Business Park, just off Rt. 1 across from Massaponax High School. It’s an easy trail through the woods, no huffing and puffing required, suitable for kids and dogs. Nice and shady for a summer walk. And we even saw a salamander.

Below: Shady trail, Farm Pond, wild morning glories.

We’ve also been taking walks on the paths created behind the Lick Run Community Center on Rt. 3 West, on the Mullins Farm property just past Chancellor Elementary. These paths wind through land on which the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought, and there are exhibits and signs along the way that describe how the battle unfolded. The rolling hills are dotted with mature trees, and hundreds of young trees have been planted. Save this walk for a cool day, since it’s mostly open land with little shade.

Below: Lick Run Community Center, history display, rolling farmland.

The post-Hurricane Irene weather has been beautiful, and we spent some time yesterday exploring the Salamander Loop of the Ni River Trail in Spotsylvania. This 1.75 mile trail was completed last summer, the first project of the Spotsylvania Greenways…

The post-Hurricane Irene weather has been beautiful, and we spent some time yesterday exploring the Salamander Loop of the Ni River Trail in Spotsylvania. This 1.75 mile trail was completed last summer, the first project of the Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative, an organization devoted to creating a system of trails throughout the county. The trailhead is at the rear of the River Run Business Park, just off Rt. 1 across from Massaponax High School. It’s an easy trail through the woods, no huffing and puffing required, suitable for kids and dogs. Nice and shady for a summer walk. And we even saw a salamander.

Below: Shady trail, Farm Pond, wild morning glories.

We’ve also been taking walks on the paths created behind the Lick Run Community Center on Rt. 3 West, on the Mullins Farm property just past Chancellor Elementary. These paths wind through land on which the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought, and there are exhibits and signs along the way that describe how the battle unfolded. The rolling hills are dotted with mature trees, and hundreds of young trees have been planted. Save this walk for a cool day, since it’s mostly open land with little shade.

Below: Lick Run Community Center, history display, rolling farmland.

On the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, we attended the fifteenth annual luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, honoring fallen American soldiers. A luminary bag with candle is lit for every soldier interred in the cemetery, for a total of 15,300 flickering lights. The idea for this memorial event started with area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and it’s the scouts who set up the bags, place the small American flags, and light the thousands of candles before dusk. I remember the days when my kids were scouts and we helped set up the site, and I’ve driven past the cemetery on the night of the luminaria before. But this was our first time walking the grounds as darkness fell. Taps are played every half hour, and despite the crowds, a respectful quiet was maintained throughout the cemetery. We avoided the large group tours that were being conducted, and found quieter areas to walk. After the usual cookouts and start-of-summer activities, the luminaria is a moving, peaceful way to commemmorate the day.

Scouts keep the candles lit:

Darkness starts to fall:

A lone Marine bugler plays Taps:

On the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, we attended the fifteenth annual luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, honoring fallen American soldiers. A luminary bag with candle is lit for every soldier interred in the cemetery, for a total of…

On the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, we attended the fifteenth annual luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, honoring fallen American soldiers. A luminary bag with candle is lit for every soldier interred in the cemetery, for a total of 15,300 flickering lights. The idea for this memorial event started with area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and it’s the scouts who set up the bags, place the small American flags, and light the thousands of candles before dusk. I remember the days when my kids were scouts and we helped set up the site, and I’ve driven past the cemetery on the night of the luminaria before. But this was our first time walking the grounds as darkness fell. Taps are played every half hour, and despite the crowds, a respectful quiet was maintained throughout the cemetery. We avoided the large group tours that were being conducted, and found quieter areas to walk. After the usual cookouts and start-of-summer activities, the luminaria is a moving, peaceful way to commemmorate the day.

Scouts keep the candles lit:

Darkness starts to fall:

A lone Marine bugler plays Taps:

On the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, we attended the fifteenth annual luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, honoring fallen American soldiers. A luminary bag with candle is lit for every soldier interred in the cemetery, for a total of…

On Saturday, in search of a driving destination on a nice day, we settled on what was billed as the “Mt. Olympus Farm Earth Day Festival.” Now, we really weren’t expecting much in the way of a festival, but a drive in rural Caroline County seemed like a good bet. The farm is right off of Rt. 1, near Ruther Glen, and turned out to be very picturesque, with rolling hills and a sizeable lake.

Mt. Olympus Farm is similar to Miller Farms in Spotsylvania County. There are pick-your-own berries, plus a variety of veggies available in season. They also have two large greenhouses with annual and perennial plants for landscaping, herbs and vegetable plants for the garden. Plus, there’s a farm market with fresh produce, preserves, local dairy products, eggs and meats. The farm is family-friendly, with picnic tables and a small play area set up for the kiddies.

Strawberry plants for sale:

The earliest of the farm-grown berries:

The Earth Day Festival featured some local vendors, a few animals, face-painting for the kids, and food for sale. There was nothing particularly Earth Day-ish about the event. Next year, Cub Scouts, you might want to serve your Earth Day burgers in something other than styrofoam containers. And how about recycling bins for the cans and bottles? We sampled a few local treats, and brought home some excellent biscotti made by the Biscotti Fairy.

Biscotti Fairy goodies:

Mama minding her newborn lamb:

Alpacas…

and their wool:

Harbinger of things to come:

After strolling around the grounds a bit, we checked out the produce in the market. I was surprised to see so many vegetables displayed with the “Virginia Grown” sign. I’m not naive enough to think that tomatoes and cucumbers were harvested from Virginia fields in April. But I am trusting enough to believe that if the sign says “Virginia Grown,” then somewhere in the state, there’s a greenhouse turning out tomatoes and cukes. When I asked where the veggies came from, it turns out they were trucked up from Florida. When I suggested that the Virginia Grown signs were misleading, I was told that “those are just the signs we use” and that the farm-grown produce would be coming soon. A lovely farm, but they need to get their labeling right.

On Saturday, in search of a driving destination on a nice day, we settled on what was billed as the “Mt. Olympus Farm Earth Day Festival.” Now, we really weren’t expecting much in the way of a festival, but a drive in rural Caroline County seemed like …