US Botanic Garden Orchids

Perhaps it is for the holidays - or just to brighten up the short winter days.  Whatever the reason, the US Botanic Garden's orchid room is a treat to behold.  Here are some of the lovelies on display

Hiking with friends

I have a lot of friends in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Association, and within that association are a group who like to hike together.  There's the annual Douglas Hike in springtime, commemorating the famous 1954 hike by Supreme Ct. Justice William O. Douglas that persuaded newspaper editors to support keeping the old decrepit and abandoned C & O Canal intact rather than creating a parkway.  And an annual Heritage Hike in the autumn just to celebrate the historical heritage of the old canal.

A smaller group who are recently retired have decided to hike more often, and this year it's become almost a weekly tradition.  My email exchanges seem to show the first - or one of the first - planned hikes was to have been March 15, 2011 at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia.  For one reason or other I didn't participate in that.

I've listed hikes I participate in and those I missed.  These are not overwhelming hikes in spectacular or breathtaking places.  Mostly 4 to 7 miles, within an hour's drive of DC.

March 15 - - Prince William Forest Park - - missed it.
March 27  - - PawPaw Tunnel Hill Trail, MD - - missed this one
April 12  - - Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, MD  - - ditto
April 19  - - Ford Mine and Gold Mine trails, Great Falls, MD
April 25  - - Great Falls, VA (along the river trail)
May 2  - - Greenbelt Park, perimeter trail, MD
     May 9 to 12 - - hike the AT from Lewis Mountain to [where??], staying in an apt. at Massanutten.
May 31  - - Carderock area, C & O Canal HNP, MD
June 4  - - Greenbriar State Park, MD - - missed that one
June 16  - - Seneca Greenway, MD
July 5  - - Black Hills Park, MD
July 11 - - Lake Needwood, MD
July 19  - - Difficult Run Trail, VA
July 26  - - Cabin John Trail to C & O Canal NHP towpath, MD
Aug. 3  - - Cedarville State Forest, MD - - missed this one
Aug. 9  - - Turkey Run Trail (downstream), VA
Aug. 15  - - Fort Washington National Park, perimeter trail MD
Aug. 23  - - Turkey Run & Potomac Heritage Trails (upstream - did not notice earthquake), VA
Sept. 6 - - Scott's Run Nature Preserve, VA
       [Sept 11 to 28 - - World Canals Conference, etc. in Netherlands - very little hiking]
Oct. 4  - - Sugarloaf Mountain, MD - - missed that one (sick)
Oct. 11  - - AT, Harpers Ferry to Loudoun Heights, VA - - missed that one (still sick)
Oct. 18  - - Rosaryville Perimeter Trail, MD
Oct. 25  - - Turkey Run Trail (again!), VA
Nov. 1  - - AT, Gathland to Weverton, MD
Nov. 8  - - Rock Creek Park (central), DC
Nov. 15  - - Bull Run Mountain, VA
Nov. 22  - - Rock Creek Park (northern), DC
Nov. 29  - - Lake Needwood, MD - - missed it
Dec. 6  - - Great Falls Park, VA
Dec. 13  - - Piscataway Park, many short trails, MD

For the rest of the year the group will be dealing with family members and so we will hike again in the New Year - - maybe even on New Year's Day??