Blue ridged mountains appliqued to skies Billowing white clouds   Sunbeams streamed down to fields Booming with grapes, apples, peaches, and muscadines   Sweet fruits ripened to perfection Offering nectars of goodness   Meads, wines, and spirits Tastings in the blue ridged mountains   This poem was inspired by a summer 2024 Harvest Host visit to the Peaks of Otter Winery. The tastings were sweet, the views excellent, and the family welcoming. 

It's August in Virginia, and the coneflowers are blooming! They make me jubilant enough to sketch a fun picture and head to our family's favorite ice cream parlor. Upon returning home, I began researching a summer blog post about the coneflower, Echinacea purpurea. A member of the daisy family would make this flower a friendly addition to sunny gardens. It likes to have 6 hours or more of sun but may survive along the sunny edge of a gently wooded garden. These flowers add color and texture to a border or as an accent within the garden. These hardy perennials are drought-resistant and withstand heat and humidity. It is easy to grow and may be divided in fall or spring. This plant has beauty and magic. The coneflower has medicinal properties, cultural significance, and spiritual symbolism. Some refer to the Coneflower as America’s favorite wildflower. The American Indians considered the Coneflower a sacred plant because of its healing powers. It is symbolic of strength and healt

         Go native        Support eco-services                  T rees shade         Canopy and understory                  Leaves cleanse         Breathe deep         Soils nourish         N atural nutrients                  Waters pure         Gulp - swallow                  Blooms galore        S upport pollinators                  Birds & wildlife flourish         Year-round           Spring blooms         S ummer shade         Fall color         Winter fruits          Welcome home, natives               Go nowhere             Go native

The question is whether a zoo can be considered a park. The term "zoo" is short for zoological park. According to National Geographic , a zoo is a place where animals live in captivity. Zoos typically focus on exhibiting a variety of species for educational and conservation purposes. Zoos have been around since 1793, when the first modern zoo opened in Paris, France. However, it wasn't until 1874 that the first zoo opened in the United States in Philadelphia.   Parks are public green areas used for outdoor recreation, linear trails, and corridors with recreational amenities or open spaces providing wildlife habitat and preserving scenic assets. Parks also play a role in preserving natural habitats, promoting environmental awareness, and providing cultural and recreational activities. Boston Common , established in 1634, is called the first public park. It was not until the mid-1800s that parks were planned in the United States. Designed by visionaries Frederick Law Olms

  Squashapenny Junction as described by Visit RichmondVA.com is “no ordinary antiques store”. It is located next to the railroad track in the Doswell area of Hanover County. For generations, this spot has been a place where people could use passing trains to flatten pennies. Is Squashapenny Junction just a place of business, or does it embody the essence of a true ‘place’? Expanding this concept to rural communities, under the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge,   Innovation Challenge, the USDA has allocated $4 million in cooperative agreement funds to support planning in rural communities. These funds aim to promote infrastructure and access. While these funds may not be a good fit for Hanover’s “Squashapenny” directly, they could be evaluated as a funding source promoting rural tourism.       Squashapenny provides a unique visual destination and antiques attraction. The increasing influx of I-95 tourists and visitors to the nearby Kings Dominion theme park presents an opportunit

  Synchronized movements in the water are artfully accomplished to music, where each swimmer depends on the others and plays a specific part in the choreographed routine. The long underwater chains of swimmers break apart and then simultaneously pop to the surface to gasp for breath – all while maintaining radiant smiles. The audience marvels at how these elegant, dolphin-like swimmers move together, making their dance appear effortless as they emerge to the surface with cheerful expressions to breathe. A synchronized swimming performance comprises two essential parts – underwater and on the surface. Teamwork is paramount: every synchronized swimmer leaves the pool with a heightened understanding of the phrase, “I really could not have done that without you.” What's visible to the audience above water is the team’s seamless coordination, flow, and collaborative effort. Synchronized swimming simply cannot succeed without a fully functioning team. How does this resonate with your own