As long as you can stay six feet apart, outdoor activities are allowed and even encouraged when you are practicing social distancing. With that in mind, we met several neighbors and their dogs this afternoon to walk the section of the Potomac River Heritage Trail that runs through River Bend Regional Park.
Lots of folks must have had the same idea, because every park on the way up there, Scott's Run, Difficult Run, and Great Falls NP, was packed with lines of cars waiting to get into their parking lots. The wait to get into River Bend was only about 10 minutes, but the place was more crowded than I have ever seen it.
As the six of us and our six dogs hit the trail, the throng thinned out, all of us spreading ourselves over 400 acres and more than 10 miles of trails. What a glorious afternoon! The bluebells were about to burst into bloom, tight blue blossoms topped luminous spring green foliage that practically glowed in the March sunshine. A bald eagle posed on a bare branch beside its nest just on the other side of the river. Spring peepers raised a froggy fracas at the pond, and we even passed two people hiking with their cats. Yep! Their cats.
It was just the kind of day that reminds you to embrace this wild world and hold on for as long as you can.
Lots of folks must have had the same idea, because every park on the way up there, Scott's Run, Difficult Run, and Great Falls NP, was packed with lines of cars waiting to get into their parking lots. The wait to get into River Bend was only about 10 minutes, but the place was more crowded than I have ever seen it.
As the six of us and our six dogs hit the trail, the throng thinned out, all of us spreading ourselves over 400 acres and more than 10 miles of trails. What a glorious afternoon! The bluebells were about to burst into bloom, tight blue blossoms topped luminous spring green foliage that practically glowed in the March sunshine. A bald eagle posed on a bare branch beside its nest just on the other side of the river. Spring peepers raised a froggy fracas at the pond, and we even passed two people hiking with their cats. Yep! Their cats.
It was just the kind of day that reminds you to embrace this wild world and hold on for as long as you can.
Lovely - I wish I had gotten outside for longer. Your description makes me want to head that way. This line, "tight blue blossoms topped luminous spring green foliage..." was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI love how you described the setting in this post. Glad you got out with the pups. We gotta seize everyday, now.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, we need to find the beauty in this crazy world.
ReplyDeleteWow, I was worried the 6 ft rule would be too easily broken, but with "over 400 acres and more than 10 miles of trails" I'm reminded that there's enough outdoors to go around. It was a beautiful day to take advantage of its generosity.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding what I am missing by not getting outside. I bet it would make me feel better during these crazy times. It sounds like it was a wonderful afternoon.
ReplyDeleteA great reminder and people hiking with their CATS OMG!
ReplyDeleteA good reminder to make the most of the hand that we are dealt. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou even found a froggy fracas?!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful. The spring peepers was my favorite part -I could hear those little guys peeping in my ear.
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