Ghost Car
It was foggy last Tuesday morning, but the fog burned off later in the morning. On Wednesday morning, though, the fog was even thicker and I enjoyed sitting on a fallen log, savoring my last hours in Floyd in the … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Property
Hurricane Hugo
When I first looked at my property, I was surprised to see how many downed trees were scattered all over the property. Since I am from Florida and have been through more than one hurricane, I immediately suspected that a … Continue reading →
Private Friend No. 2
Another prolific vine on the property, summer grape, is also a valuable source of wildlife food. From the West Virginia University Extension Service website: “The ripe grapes are a favorite food of raccoon, rabbit, red squirrel, opossum, foxes, ruffed grouse, … Continue reading →
Private Friend No. 1
While there are more than a few invasive exotics on my property, including Japanese Honeysuckle, a vine pointed out to me by my friend Fred First, of the Fragments from Floyd blog, I also have a few friends. Or, perhaps … Continue reading →
Private Enemy No. 2
Close behind the oriental bittersweet on my list of unwanted plants is the multiflora rose bush (rosa multiflora). It was introduced in 1886 from China, Korea, and Japan as a rootstock for ornamental roses and then promoted by the federal … Continue reading →
Private Enemy No. 1
When I was in Floyd last summer for the first time, I was astonished at how lush and green the woods were. At the time, I had no idea how much of that lushness had been contributed by an invasive … Continue reading →
Healing Forests
Last summer, when I hired John Sutherland and his Bull Hog, I was thankful that the machine didn’t scar the landscape any more than it did. The work he did was immensely helpful, because, for the first time, I could … Continue reading →
The Woods in Winter
I returned last week from my latest trip to Floyd, VA, filled with excitement that my plans are jelling and that I am making progress towards my goals. Tropical Storm Ida had posed no threat to Florida several days before … Continue reading →
‘Shrooms
On prior visits, I had seen a few mushrooms here and there, scattered about the property. They must have been pretty hardy, since my prior visits were in early Spring and late Fall, judging by the number of mushrooms I … Continue reading →
Passive Solar Building
I’ve long been interested in “alternative” building and one of the primary requirements when I started looking for property in Floyd County was a southern slope to take advantage of passive solar heating. I talked to one Realtor who told … Continue reading →