Bicycling along the C&O Canal

We just finished riding the C&O Canal and the Great
Allegheny Passage. Together they create a motor-free corridor
between Washington, DC and near Pittsburgh, PA.

Someone was kind enough to take our picture at Great Falls.
Behind us is the Potomac River.

A typical navigation lock that allowed the canal to rise in elevation.
The canal was abandoned in 1924 and much of it has been reclaimed by the woods.

This is typical of most of the towpath, a two track path through the woods.

We took White's Ferry across to a Bed & Breakfast in Leesburg, VA.

An aquaduct that allowed the canal to cross over creeks.

This is a typical lock-keeper's house.

For twenty miles or so we were able to take advantage of the
Western Maryland Rail Trail that parallels the C&O. The asphalt pavement
was a welcome change of pace.

Inside the Paw Paw Tunnel. It's 3119 feet long and chilly inside.

Exiting the Paw Paw Tunnel.

Next installment... The Great Allegheny Passage.

Today is the day

It's as if they are on cue.

All at once, on the same day, they have an appointment to keep.

It is a party of large magnitude, affecting a distinct geographic area.

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THEY'RE HERE

For those of you not from the midwest or areas where you experience this phenomenom, they are cyclical cicadas




They spend most of their lives underground.
Toward the end of their lives, they emerge and buzz around for a couple weeks. They find mates, lay eggs, and expire. Kind of like Salmon

When they emerge, they leave their old skin clinging to the tree trunk (or whatever's available). We would collect the skin shells when we were kids...it was fun to cling them on other people.





They predominate in older established neighborhoods. In suburban areas where the soil has been largely disturbed, they are less common. Where I live, there are several overlapping "broods." You got yer 17-year, yer 12- or 13-year, and others with shorter terms. Different batches/broods spend different amounts of time under ground. A few years back we had a convergence of broods and HUGE emergence that seemed to go on and on. Hopefully, this one will be brief.




They buzz loudly to attract mates. They also fly at folks pushing lawnmowers, folks using leaf blowers. They cling to peoples backs. They make bike riding interesting.

This brood is predominately red-eyed. Withing this brood, there will probably be the occassional blue-eyed one.

I recall in the past when there was a large emergence, some women tethered them and wore live cicadas as jewelry. Not for me.



These photos are of newly emerged cicadas, all taken at the same time. How do they do that? How do they all crawl out of the ground on the same day? These just broke out of their shells and are just acclimating and drying out. Soon they will be buzzing and flying around. They don't hang out on plants like this after they are fully awakened.

The sound of cicadas is the welcome sound of summer. They can be disconcerting when they land on you or fly into you but they are harmless. They eat nothing when they are above ground. Nonetheless, I may not be spending too much time in the back yard during the next 2 weeks. Should have mowed yesterday.

PROM

So I had a job as a driver....
I drove Kyle and his girlfriend Kayla to Harrison High School Prom. Yes that's right, prom! (and Kyle has a girlfriend)
I managed to borrow a 1958 Jaguar MK IX from a friend at work. It made for a very elegant evening and turned quite a few heads even when there was a car show in Harrison.
I am very proud of Kyle and how he has grown up and it was quite an honor for me to be able to do this for him. Kayla is a very sweet, beautiful girl and Kyle seems quite smitten.

I am still smiling.

More Springtime Fun

What can we do with one of these?
We can fish!
Ohio has a day each year when you can fish without a license. We spent two hours on the river bank and caught two sticks, saw three snakes and found several shells. That enough to get us through to next year.

I received this today from Esther. She is on the left next to her brother Arthur.