Nature's Scenic View: July 2012

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Shenandoah Mountains

This summer my daughter and I had the much needed chance to get away for a week to Virginia and take in some of the beauty of the state.

Sawmill Run Overlook
The Shenandoah Mountain range is so beautiful. While we were there it was hot and steamy so the mountain range is hazy in some of the pictures.

Turk Cap Overlook

Moormans River

The Mountains were beautiful with many native plants and bushes in bloom. Some of them were new to me and interesting.

Mountain Laurels dotted the hillsides with there beauty.

Butterflies of all kinds were in abundance flitting from flower to flower.

With some of the plants I had to get help in their identifications from some nice friends on Garden Chat.

Like this Bowmans Root. The white fan like blooms show brightly along the roadway.

Patches of Cow Parsnip or Indian Celery were so fabulous to see.
I would love a stand of these along my woodland bed.

Indian Celery-Cow Parsnip

Elderberry bushes were a live with bees of all sizes.

Along the shady roadsides Goats Beard lighted up the shade.

This fuzzy plant is Wineberry Rubus phoenicolasius. I found it sticky and fascinating.

This one I think may be a Ragwort but I am certain someone can correct me if I am in error.

Native Columbines or Aquileia

Plenty of Milkweed were growing and blooming for the Monarchs that would be showing up.

Golden Shamrock Trifolium dubium

And I loved this giant puff ball that reminded me of giant Dandelion seeds.

Yellow Salsify or Oyster Plant.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Historical Meems Bottom Covered Bridge

Not many of the old covered bridges are in use today but my daughter and I ran across this one near Mount Jackson in the Shenandoah area Virginia. I discovered that is had been rebuilt.

One of the best-known covered bridges is the 204-foot single-span Burr arch truss known as Meem's Bottom Covered Bridge in Mount Jackson. The Meem's Bottom Bridge was constructed in 1892-93 from materials cut and quarried nearby for the massive arch supports and stone abutments, which extended 10 feet below the riverbed. It was deeded to the Highway Department in the 1930's in return for assuming its maintenance.
This long span over the North Fork of the river carried traffic for more than 80 years before being burned by vandals on Halloween 1976. After salvaging the original timbers, the bridge was reconstructed and eventually undergirded with steel beams and concrete piers. The bridge was reopened to traffic in 1979 and is still in operation to date.

Below the bridge in the creek is where all of the fun was going on.
One was inner tubing and the other was fishing. I do not think both works well together but it was probably just the being in the water on a hot day that mattered.