Saturday 11/3/18 Fall Beach Report

Fall is well underway here. We're probably at "peak" color, such as it is. Our trees tend to go at different times, with dogwoods, some maples, and gum trees (black and sweet) going early, beeches, poplars and hickories in the middle, and our various oaks last (if ever). This is a Black Gum (Tupelo) just behind the house. It was a wee thing when we built the house thirty or so years ago.

 An American Hophornbeam (also called Ironwood) tree that we moved into the yard from the woods behind the house as a sapling in front of a large Hickory (yellow) behind and a still green maple to the right.

Unfortunately, the price of colored leaves is leaves, and in our case this year, acorns, falling. We're having an incredible year for the production of acorns from our oaks in the front. This represents what fell in 1 day.

We cleaned the deck and driveway yesterday (and the day before)

Acorns accumulated on the low spot at the French drain. It's too bad it's so much trouble to make them edible.

Skye and I set off for the beach right after lunch, and I was lucky to have this Eastern Comma sun itself on the walk down.

A big LNG tanker either approaches or leaves the Dominion Cove Point LNG terminal.

And a Great Blue Heron uses the posing post. He flew off to the north, and actually had to move again several more times as we walked up.

It was cool (55) and breezy (15-20 NNW) after a storm blew through last night, with minor rain and a lot of wind. Fossil collecting was minimal due to high tides, sand, and leaf chunks.

Georgia and Skye head for the car.