Archive for the ‘articles-Virginia hiking trails, etc.’ Category

Deer / Automobile Collisions

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Deer

Deer

A few weeks ago, I hit a deer while driving during the early morning.

I didn’t take any photos, but the body shop did take some pictures to send to the insurance company. Therefore, it is not advisable to remove any deer fur from your car if you are involved in a car-deer collision.

Do Deer Whistles Work?

These are whistles available for purchase that you attach to your car that emit a sound that deer can hear, but humans cannot hear.

I do not have a deer whistle and I hit a deer. I was skeptical of the whistles because I don’t really think hearing a car is the problem. After all, my car is not silent. I think the cause is more likely that, unlike humans, deer are not taught to stop, look, and listen before crossing the street.

When I took my car for repairs at the body shop, I asked them if deer whistles work. The body shop was also skeptical of the whistles, saying that they get plenty of cars in with the whistles after they’ve hit deer… including from one woman with multiple whistles and multiple collisions.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that deer whistles don’t reduce the chance of an accident though. It would be very interested if there was a statistically significant study comparing drivers with the whistles vs those without. I am not aware of such a study.

Do you have any data/opinions about deer whistles?

Fairfax County Sees Increase in Copperheads

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Monica Norton reports for the Washington Post:

Fairfax County government reports that there have been an “unusually high number of copperhead snakes” in the area…

Showy Orchis Photographs

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

As I mentioned earlier, I was excited to find showy orchis wildflowers in the yard this spring for the first time. I have since discovered even more showy orchis and took some additional pictures:

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis


Where to See Showy Orchis

In addition to the showy orchis in the backyard, I also found a couple showy orchis flowers along the Appalachian Trail just south of the Mosby Camp (south of Linden between Rte 55 and 522). You have to look carefully… it may not be obvious from the photos, but showy orchis wildflowers are relatively small and close to the ground. In fact, some folks may not be that impressed. My brother remarked, “If that’s the showy orchis, then I’d hate to see the non-showy orchis!”

Yellow Lady’s Slippers Photographs

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Here are a couple pictures from our yard of yellow lady’s slippers. Lady Slippers are one of my favorite flowers. We did not know they were there when we bought our property and were very pleased when we discovered them.

Yellow Ladys Slippers

Yellow Ladys Slippers

Yellow Ladys Slippers

Yellow Ladys Slippers

Ladys Slipper Closeup

Ladys Slipper Closeup



Where To See Yellow Lady’s Slippers

The yellow lady’s slippers in our yard are now past peak, but early May is the time of year to see them. In the May 2010 Potomac Appalachian newsletter, Lee Scheaffer describes where you can find them along the Appalachian Trail near Linden, VA in the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area. The article starts on the first page and is entitled “It’s A Flower Thing.”

Dandelion Control

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

How to Kill Dandelions

Dandelion Going to Seed

Dandelion Going to Seed

Dandelions can be controlled using a product like weed-b-gone. Using a less discriminating killer like Round-up is not recommended as it will also kill grass. I find that two applications of weed-b-gone or brush b gone kills dandelions.

Another tactic to keep them from spreading is to pull off the flowers before they go to seed. The problem with this method is that it makes dandelions much more difficult to spot, unless you mark them for chemical treatment.