Most recent snow

We've had a few so far this winter although none have been severe. The latest came last Friday, and this is what it looked like in the park on Saturday.

By Tuesday it had mostly melted. A group of deer came around while I walked.

Winter Wildlife

While walking along the Paint Branch Trail earlier this month I had these two sightings on the same day. First, I saw a few people staring at something a few feet from the trail, and when I got to the spot there was this heron standing still as they often do while stalking fish. Neither I nor the other on-lookers had an explanation for tis sight since herons normally flee when humans get too near. We speculated that the bird may have been injured although there were no visible wounds. Maybe he was just too cold to fly away.

Further along the trail, I found this young-looking racoon hunging a tree which again was just off the trail:

Christmas Visit to Washington, DC

After viewing an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, we walked down to the Mall. Here I am with Honor, Sean, and Rebecca:

And with Honor and Pam:

Christmas Visit: inside the house

Honor and our Christmas tree:

Sean, Honor, and Greg

Honor and Rebecca

Honor and Pam

Visits are tiring, so Rebecca and her family relax:

Christmas Eve 2021

Rebecca, Sean, and Honor came down for a visit. Here I am with Honor in the front yard, and apparently it was a mild day.

Walking around my old neighborhood

While one of the cars was being serviced last week I walked around my old neighborhood which was nearby. I had believed that the neighborhood name, Daniel's Park, in north College Park had long lapsed into disuse until it popped up on my phone as a location identification. This was the house I lived in from about age one, when my parents moved to Maryland from upstate New York, to about age ten when the family moved into the Hollywood area of College Park. I think my father said he paid $5,000 for it in 1948.

Below is the first house Pam and I bought which is just up the street from the house above. We bought it from a woman who remembered me when I lived in the neighborhood and still called me "Dougie."

This is a side view of that house. The garage has been enlarged since we lived there and the structure to the left of it was originally a chicken coop. We lived there from 1978 to 1986 and have fond memories of that house.

Paint Branch in mid-November

The autumn color was still present at that time, but now the land looks very wintry.

Brooklyn in November: fifth post

Sunday, our last full day on the visit, in front of the apartment building we planted daffodils which is a New York custom in remembrance of 9/11.

That afternoon we took a walk in Greenwood Cemetary which is just across the street:

Brooklyn in November: fourth post

Honor with her Mom and Dad:

Just Honor and Mom:

Brooklyn in November: third post

Grandma and Honor in the apartment in Windsor Terrace:

Grandpa and Honor in the apartment:

Brooklyn in November: second post

Later, Pam, Rebecca, and Honor joined me in Prospect Park.

Honor likes the playground there:

Brooklyn in November: first post

I took a walk into Prospect Park. I saw geese, mallards, and coots. Later I also saw swans:

Foliage was nice:

Geese families

This past spring I posted a picture of a Canada goose male and female along with their four goslings that were just born in the park. As usual, I watched the young geese grow up over the summer. Normally, when the geese are fully mature they become undistingushable from the rest that this year numbered about 25-30 by the fall. However, I began noticing that within the larger flock, there was often a subgroup of six, and I wondered if this was the same family that I had been observing as the young grew into adulthood. Although I'll never know for certain, this is certainly possible since I have read that the young geese often stay with their parents for up to a year after being born. I took this picture of what I think was the same goose family three weeks ago:

This second photo shows the flock one morning a week or two later:

November 3, 8:20 AM

November 3, 8:15 AM

Heron in the morning light

Autumn colors coming in

More trees ahve changed since I took this picture a week or so ago.

Autumn fog

Taken a few weeks ago. I don't know why that fall seems to be the foggiest season.

Where did the beavers go?

The picture below shows the area of the beaver dam in late September when Paint Branch was flooded:

Contrast that photo with this one which I posted on July 22 from about the same spot:

The beaver dams were damaged by floods a couple of times over the summer, but the beavers always rebuilt. After that September flood, however, they apparently left. I've looked both upstream and downstream for signs of them but haven't spotted any, and I wonder where they went.

August 29 at Bethany Beach

On the last day of a great week, Pam took this photo of the rest of us. She took almost all the photos in this series except a few by Sean:

Pam packing up our valuables:

Honor keeping herself occupied while the rest of got ready to leave:

August 28 at Bethany Beach (beach house #1)

Ourr daughter and son-in-law and the parents of Honor:

August 28 at Bethany Beach (beach house #2)

Pam, Honor, and I on the front porch:

Honor with unidentified white object which may be a tiny flying saucer:

Honor in her pool with her mother while grandparents look on:

August 28 at Bethany Beach (on the beach)

Honor in her swimming pool with her grandma:

Becka and Honor leaving the beach:

August 27 at Bethany Beach (on the beach)

Honor with parent, Sean and Rebecca:

August 27 at Bethany Beach House

Honor and I on the back porch of the beach house:

First is just Honor (but that's more than enough) and next is Honor with a present from Aunt Kathy: