Blue Herons

 

At Great Falls today we were lucky enough to see several Blue Herons fishing at the edge of the river.

 

These are very large birds, taller and bigger than the Herons that we are used to seeing in the UK.   

 

They are not year-round residents of Virginia but return to build nests and breed close to rivers like the Potomac which have quiet banks and provide plenty of fishing opportunities.

 

The scale of the rocks and rushing water at Great Falls makes it hard to realize just how large they are.

 

 

They stand very close to the edge of the water and it is amazing that they can even see the fish, let alone catch any.

 

There are obvious hazards to being so close to the spray and dipping for fish.. you can end up looking rather bedraggled.

 

They are obviously nesting close by - I would have assumed on the ground, but we did see one heron land in a tree..

 

Longwood Gardens

 

Our last port of call for our long weekend away was Longwood Gardens in the Brandywine Valley.  Just a little further up the valley, these gardens are just over the state border in Pennsylvania.

 

When we arrived, in contrast to Sunday's bright sunshine, there was a steady drizzle - a tonic for the garden but not for us!  Fortunately this extraordinary garden includes a five acre conservatory complex, so there was plenty to see while we waited for the rain to stop!

 

We entered the main conservatory (built by Pierre du Pont in the 1920's to house his growing collection of exotic trees and plants) via the main entrance.  

Above us were  huge hanging baskets of hydrangeas and ahead a large water feature surrounded by white lilies, clivia and some impressive echeum plants towering above the rest.

 

From here we wandered through the complex of conservatories and glasshouse tunnels, marveling at the range and quality of the plants and photographing some of our favourites or flowers that caught our eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This particular flower was a favourite for a much smaller visitor..

 

 

A kind passing photographer took a photograph for us in the orchid house.  There were some beautiful plants there - the Longwood Spring Orchid Festival had only finished a week or two ago.

 

Longwood is said to be one of the ten great gardens of the US.  We were able to venture outside once the rain stopped and visit a fraction of the more than 1,000 acres of the estate..

 

More about that another day..

 

 

Easter Sunday at Winterthur

Winterthur Museum was originally the home of members of the DuPont Family and the place where they amassed a large collection of antique furniture, ceramics and other works of art.
 

 

Many of the 'show' rooms in the mansion are recreations of rooms from historic houses of the US with authentic antique furniture, paneling and fireplaces.

 

The rooms are so rich with Antiques that it is difficult to take everything in on one visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mansion has 115 rooms of which only a few were lived in - others were show rooms and porcelain rooms which were shown to visitors.

 

 

 

 

Out tour visited just a small number of rooms but there was plenty to see and enjoy.  Also in the galleries and gardens, but I will save that for another day!

Annapolis

 

On our way from home to Wilmington this morning we called in to the port of Annapolis, a seaside town on Chesapeake Bay - state capital of Maryland and home to the US Marine Corps Training Academy.

 

It is a historic town, originally settled in the 17th century and with many original or restored buildings.

 

The State Capitol presides over the town from its position on the hill.

 

The streets leading down to the waterfront are lined with historic houses.

 

Some are built in red brick.

 

Others are built of shiplap wood and colourfully painted.

 

The waterfront would have benefitted from a little more sunshine.

 

Leaving Annapolis we headed over the Bay Bridge - 5 miles of suspension bridge - well two really, one in each direction - crossing the Chesapeake Bay.

 

 

 

Tonight we are staying in Wilmington, ready to visit the Brandywine Valley tomorrow.