Kayaking Adventures- New River

Over the weekend we decided to kayak on the New River in Radford, VA.  Despite it's name,  the New River is one of the five oldest rivers in the world. The New River flows backwards, from south to north. Only a handful of rivers in the world have this unique feature, including the Nile.  It is thought to be older than the mountains.

The New River is a very calm and slow float. It's more relaxing than some of the other rivers we've kayaked on. There are really no rapids or rough areas on the section we kayaked. It is almost all extremely shallow here too. 

i really enjoy the wildlife we see on the New River.  There are Great Blue Herons every where. 

We cross under a few bridges. i found it interesting that this tree was growing on the side of the pillar, out of a tiny crack. The water is calm enough that we can kayak in either direction, with very little work involved. Trying to paddle upstream on some of the other rivers we've kayaked is pretty much impossible. 

The river is really wide, and we passed a lot of other folks kayaking or tubing down it. Radford is a college town, so tubing down the river is very popular in the summer. 

i took so many pictures of Blue Herons. We saw so many of them, and they were not especially skittish being used to so many people always on the river. When we float the Little River or Big Reed island, we usually see at least one Heron, but they fly off before i even get my camera out. So it was really cool to see them and get pictures.

We several of these Cormorants up in the trees. i've seen these in Florida, but didn't realize they were also in Virginia. They are common around water, but i'm not sure how far north they go. 

i was thrilled to get a picture of this Green Heron. It's really hard to take a good picture from a moving kayak, and this guy was pretty skittish. i didn't know what he was and had to look him up when i got home. We also saw Kingfishers but it didn't get a photo. 

When we got to our ending place, we parked the kayaks and the kids went swimming while Kenan went back for his truck.  There is a little island here, and the water was less than 2 feet deep all the way across.

This Heron seemed to be following us, and he flew over to the island across from where i was standing and just watched us.  i'm really not sure how many herons we saw, or if it was just the same one following us down the River. The New River isn't as secluded as some of the other Rivers we've kayaked, but it's still a really nice float. i love all the unique birds and wildlife. We also saw a turtle, a snake, lots of fish, dragonflies and damselflies.  We did about a 3 hour float, but there are different places to put in and get out. Kenan wanted to do a 5 hour float, and i'm glad we didn't we were all pretty tired by the end of this one. Already looking forward to next weeks adventures!

Spring at Panther Creek

Ever spring we visit Panther Creek, which is just a few miles from us in Dugspur, VA.  

The creek here is actually Big Reed Island Creek, and the road is called Panther Creek rd. Panther Creek is a smaller creek, that parallels the road for a while then connects up with the Greasy creek, which then connects to Big Reed Island.  The 'thinking rock' is a popular spot among locals. It's easy to climb up on it, it's relatively flat on top and the views of the creek are amazing. 

The area is always pretty, but in early spring Wild Phlox blooms on the rock faces. It's a pretty spectacular drive.  

It's hard to capture it in a photo, but the phlox is different shades of pink and sometimes white and covers the rocks. 

There is a place to pull over and trails that follow another small creek and cascading falls up into the mountain.  It's a really wonderful place to hike, but it's not uncommon to come across rattlesnakes here.  There are lots of native wildflowers that come up in this area, which is why it is one of my favorite places to hike.  This is wild columbine.

Wild Bleeding heart is a favorite that i rarely come across. So it's always a pleasure to see it growing here wild. 

Photographed my first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail of the season here. They were loving the wild Phlox. This is such an beautiful area to drive and hike, but when the phlox is blooming it's truly spectacular. We make point of coming here every spring to see it.

We have lived in Virginia for 17 years now, and we still feel so blessed to be here. i'm still completely fascinated by all the different fauna and flora of the area and never take any of it for granted.  In my humble opinion, there is just no place better than the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Kayaking on the Little River

This weekend we finally got ourselves back out on the water for some kayaking fun.  We decided to float the Little River which is the main river that flows through Floyd County.  We found a good access area not too far from our house and spent the afternoon exploring the river.

Much of the area we kayaked is very shallow. You can look down and see the bottom, and occasionally even scraps a few rocks.  The section that we kayaked is very calm, with one little rapid. So it was a fun little expedition that lasted about 3 hours.

Although the river is quite calm, there are still dangers lurking around every corner.  You must be able to navigate around large rocks, downed trees and cows. ;) 

We saw quite a bit a wildlife while we were floating the river. We saw lots of  Blue Herons, a couple of  King Fishers, fish, turtles, a snake and even a beaver. :)  i was most amused by the cows though. 

Kenan took us to a special hidden spot the locals just call Blue Spring.  It's right off the Little River, on private land. There is a natural spring that comes up from the rocks and is a beautiful clear blue.  It is really deep, looks almost bottomless.  This is where we saw the beaver swimming.  It disappeared under the rocks.

This was a really place.  It's hard to capture the color in the photo, but it was a pretty crazy blue. 

We found an area of the river that was deep enough to swim, so we parked our kayaks and played in the water for a bit.

Near the end of our float, there was one little rapid.  It's actually bigger than it looks in the photo and my boy was the only one to flip his kayak on it. 

i really love getting outside and hiking or kayaking on the weekends.  We had a few busy weekends over the summer, and didn't get out as much as i would have liked. Now the weather is starting to cool off and we are really trying to go out and do something active every weekend before winter comes.  

The autumn always depresses me a bit, it feels like the beginning of the end. Every year i enter it kicking and screaming, holding on to summertime as long as i can. i will eventually submit and even embrace the change of season.  That's won't be any time soon though. 

“Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey

Summertime fun.

Yesterday i spent almost all day in the garden. We finally had a couple days of rain, so i was really trying to finish up my transplanting and get a handle on the weeds.  Early in the afternoon Kenan asked if i wanted to go kayaking on the New River right then (instead of on Sunday) like we were planning.  i told him i really needed to work in the garden while the soil was still damp, but maybe in the evening we could just head down to our creek and practice kayaking before going out on the new river tomorrow. i had never kayaked before and though it would be fun on our creek where the water is only knee deep.

We only took one kayak to share and also took an inter-tube to float on and Kenan took his hammock so he could relax.  We each took turns paddling around the creek. It's a little tricky because we have to go upstream to avoid the rocks.  i had no idea i would get so wet. i took my waterproof fanny pack with me, so i could take the camera and i'm glad i did. Not only did i get completely soaked just from the paddling, but while trying to get out of the kayak i slipped on the rocks and completely fell in!!  My fannypack and camera completely submerged. Thank goodness i had closed it up, my camera was completely dry inside. Pheeew!! 

We took turns paddling around. It did take a little practice to keep from running into the trees and rocks. The creek isn't always so murky looking, but we'd had two days of rain so it was up a little more than usual and very muddy.  We are really looking forward to kayaking on the weekends. It's so important to unplug,  get all of us outside and to work on being more active, after of a winter of sitting around like slugs. 

Kenan seemed to enjoy his time relaxing in the hammock. Sage found this heart shaped rock and asked me to snap a picture. i thought it was the perfect image for Father day weekend, with Kenan relaxing in the background.

After a day of working outside, we spend a couple hours playing in the water, floating, kayaking and chilling in the hammock. It was a much needed break and time together as a family. As the kids get older, they are wanting more and more independence and are no longer as eager to hang out with mom and dad. So finding an activity were we can all enjoy our time together is very special.

Today we are planning to kayak on the New River in Radford. This will be a new experience for my girl and i, but we are very excited!  Already the summer seems to be going to fast, June is almost over and the kids go back to school early August. We are hoping to really enjoy every moment we can!

Hiking the Cascades- May

Every spring we try to visit the Cascades, in the Jefferson National forest in Pembroke, VA.  It's a scenic two mile hike to a 66 foot cascading waterfall. This is one my all time favorite places to hike.

We normally visit the cascades in early spring when the wildflowers are in full bloom. This year we were a little later, and the usual wildflowers had already finished blooming. The Jack-in-the-pulpit, White Clintonia and wild Geranium were blooming, but the Trillium (my favorite) was done.

When we left the house to go hiking it was a beautiful sunny day. Perfect hiking weather, but when we got to Pembroke there was a huge gray cloud over us and it began to sprinkle. Then it began to rain. We did the entire hike in the pouring rain. It was cold and wet, but there was so much water coming out of the mountains that there were small waterfalls everywhere. It made for a very different hiking experience.

Despite the parking lot being completely filled, the trail was pretty empty. Folks must have left and taken the upper trail as soon as the rain started.   We took the lower trail, and only came across a few people. 

The the actual falls were very intense. There was much more water pouring over them and it was powerful and intense. We typically walk out to the falls, but it felt very dangerous this time. The whole creek was moving rapidly with much more force and energy than i've ever felt there. 

We stayed on the observation deck and didn't anywhere near the water. This is the first time we have been there where no else was here. Typically the pool and rocks in front of the falls is full of people.

The hike is always so invigorating. The sound of the crashing water on the rocks, the energy in the air, the sounds and smells of the forest make one feel very alive.  This is a very magical healing place. 

Every step of this hike is beautiful. We took the lower trail to the falls, and the upper trail back. The upper trail is easier, but not as scenic. 

i love everything about this hike, and look forward to it every year. It seems to wash away all the negative energy from the winter, and leave us feeling cleansed and healed.  Despite it being a somewhat strenuous hike, i always leave with more energy than i came with.  

i was a little disappointed that we missed the wildflowers this year (i think we missed them last year too). We left wet and covered in mud, but still had a wonderful time.  

We are really hoping to do a lot more hiking and camping this summer, something Kenan and i did often before we had kids.  We do take the kids on day hikes almost every weekend, but haven't been camping in a long time.  We are really hoping to change that this summer and would like to start canoeing and/or kayaking as well.  

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves . ~John Muir, Our National Parks

Milkweed and Pinecone Bunnies

These simple little bunnies are a perfect  spring crafts for kids. Made from natural materials that can be gathered outside, and a few extras like craft pom-poms and googly eyes. 

We collect natural materials all year, and always have jars of dried milkweed pods, pinecones, acorn caps, seeds, flower pods etc.  Perfect for crafting on rainy days. 

For this project you'll need

 a pinecone

 two milkweed pods,

 4 acorn caps, 

pine needles. 

seeds or googly eyes for the eyes. 

craft pom poms or natural materials for the nose and tail. 

tacky glue 

Start with a medium size pinecone and 4 acorn caps.

Put a dot of glue on the tops of the acorn caps and set the pinecone in place.   Give it a few minutes to dry before attaching the ears. 

Decide where you want the ears, and then tuck the milkweed pods into the pinecone and add a bit of glue to hold them in place. 

Decide what type of face you want your bunny to have, and then attach them to the pinecone with a dot of glue.

We used googly eyes and a pom pom nose for this one.

Don't forget to add your tail. :)

This one was made using all natural materials. i used dried black beans for eyes, a small acorn cap for the nose and a flower seed head as the tail. My daughter prefers them with the googly eyes and pompoms, but i like them all natural too. 

These are very easy to make, and a great project for any age. 

First Signs of Spring in the Blue Ridge 2014

This winter is really starting to feel like it will never end.  We've had a few nice days in between the snow, ice and polar vortex cold and i took advantage of them and went out looking for signs of spring.

Coltsfood is always one of the first wildflowers to come up.  It lines the sides of road in the spring along with dandelions, chicory, and touch-me-nots. These two little blossoms were just beginning to open. Once they fully open they are often mistaken for dandelions.

Spotting the first butterfly of spring is always a beautiful moment! This little Eastern comma seemed as curious of me as i was of her.  i was following her, but the way she kept circling around i think she may have been following me.

She would stop just a few feet away, and open and close her wings.  She sat perfectly until i got my picture and then she disappeared into the woods.

Catnip is coming up all over the garden! i've already transferred a couple into pot (yes, i actually got to play in the dirt!) and i'll have to dig the rest before the garden gets tilled. Catnip makes the most fabulous tea. It's in the mint family and is a natural sedative.

One of the biggest sign that spring is coming! My hens have started laying again! Most of my hens,are new and were not laying yet last summer.  None of my birds laid over the winter, so we've been waiting for the new birds to begin laying.  In just the last couple weeks they have begun to lay regularly. 

So this isn't really a sign of spring, it is more a sign that winter isn't done quite yet.  It's a black swallowtail chrysalis.  We raised the little black swallowtail caterpillar in our carrot bed, and watched it transform into this chrysalis. It has spent the winter snug inside, and is waiting for the perfect spring day to emerge. Hopefully we'll get to witness it, and i'll share a picture on my next signs of spring post. 

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.  ~Anne Bradstreet

Grayson Highlands Fall Festival

Several years ago we came out and hiked at the Grayson Highlands.  It is a beautiful place to hike and connects up with Appalachian Trail. Besides being a fabulous place to hike it is known for its wild ponies, which graze all over the highlands.

This was our first year attending the Fall festival.  It was small, but nice. We purchased several handmade items from the local vendors. The kids both got these awesome natural hiking sticks.  They had been cut and sanded at each end, and had a cord though the top. 

We also purchased some eat hand carved mushrooms and a vase from a couple of the vendors. The festival was small but it had a handful of vendors, live music and food booths. We wandered around a bit and then headed up the trails to hike.

The trails are at a higher elevation and there is a noticeable temperature drop as soon as you begin hiking up to the highlands. So even though it was a warm day, we all brought sweat shirts.  We started of on the Grayson highlands main trail and then switched over to the Appalachian trail which crossed through the Grayson Highlands. We followed it for a bit, and then connected back to our original trail. 

The landscapes and scenery at this altitude is breath taking!  It is a beautiful hike. We passed many folks hiking, riding horseback and others who had set up their camps. There were bear warnings posted, and we hiked for several miles without seeing any of the ponies we were hoping to see.

We were quite surprised to see a few cows grazing along the trail.  

More views of the blue ridge.  It really is a fabulous hike. It's only a couple hours drive, we really should be hiking here more often.  After hiking pretty far up the trail we were feeling a bit disappointed that we hadn't seen any ponies.  We began to head back, and although we thought we were retracing our original path, we somehow ended up on a different trail.

We came around a corner and found the ponies!!  The ponies are considered wild, but they are very use to all the hikers.  Folks tend to feed them and so the ponies are actually very tame.

As soon as they saw us they began to come over too see if we'd brought them any treats.

This pony has the most magnificent hairstyle i've ever seen. :)   He was absolutely gorgeous and very sweet!  The ponies even followed us for a while until some other folks stopped and pulled out carrots.

We really had a wonderful time hiking and seeing the beautiful ponies. i actually wish that we'd come earlier and had more time to hike. There are many other trails that are worth hiking, but we didn't have enough time to explore them.  We look forward to coming back again and may make the Fall festival and annual activity.

You can find out more about the Grayson Highlands here.