Beech trees hold their leaves during winter and rime ice formed on the leaves.

Beech Tree Leaves with Rime Ice Formations

Rime Ice Formed on Beech Tree Leaves

Last night, we got 5/8ths of an inch of snow and sleet followed by freezing moisture that created some neat rime ice formations. We were below freezing all day. This photo was taken along the Appalachian Trail.

White Blaze of the AT and White Rime Ice

Recommended Mountain Lion Books

Last year, I read a couple of cougar (aka mountain lion) books that I highly recommend by Chris Bolgiano.

First, Mountain Lion covers a history of mountain lions in the U.S. detailing their behaviors. The subtitle is An unnatural history of pumas and people. Of special interest to Virginians and other Easterners, is the last chapter The Spiritual Challenge of the Eastern Panther.

Second, Eastern Cougar: Historic Accounts, Scientific Investigations, New Evidence compiles evidence of the mountain lion’s existence in the Eastern U.S. While the Florida Panther is the only acknowledged population, after reading the book there is no question of mountain lions elsewhere in the East. The only outstanding question is whether there are breeding populations in the East. Naysayers claim that the substantiated evidence might only be rare migrants from the West or escaped pet lions.

Having seen a mountain lion, I am in the believer camp. I believe the instance of a mountain lion with cubs being hit by a vehicle in Georgia is evidence enough of a small population of eastern cougars (Puma concolor cougar). While the cubs escaped, the sighting (detailed in the book) is highly credible and the physical evidence of the adult female is indisputable.

I highly recommend these books, especially the Eastern Cougar book, for anyone interested in learning more.

I was surprised to look down in a grass field on a recent trip through Buchanan, Virginia and see tiny blue flowers blooming in early January.

I believe they are an invasive species from Eurasia known as bird’s eye speedwell or winter speedwell (Veronica persica).

Flower Blooming in January

The Capital Weather Gang looks back at this tragic day:

The snowstorm of January 13, 1982 will always be remembered for the terrible crash of Air Florida Flight 90.

The death toll was 78, making it Washington’s second worst weather-related disaster; the 1922 Knickerbocker Snowstorm’s death toll of 98 ranks it number one for weather-related disasters…

Do you remember?