Owls and Other Wildlife - Nokesville

I woke this morning at 5 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. While I was reading an article that I hoped would lull me back into oblivion for my last hour of sleep, I heard an owl hooting outside. It was dawn, but still dark. It was so pleasant listening, that I decided to put the article aside, close my eyes, and listen. It worked like a charm and before I knew it, my alarm was going off. 

Laurie and I are going crazy riding in circles and circles around NoVa, and our VA Capital Trail ride keeps getting postponed by weather. So we decided to do one of many rides I got from Potomac Pedelars for signing up for the Back Yard Centure (their Covid version of the Back Roads Century where we paid for a bunch of routes to do in our own time.)

This one was called "Through Church Parking" and just this 51-mile ride alone made purchasing all the cue sheets worth it. We started out in Brentsville at the courthouse. There was someone in a strange fancy dress doing a photo shoot in the distance.

The courthouse was pretty. I wanted to pop in after the ride and am only just realizing I forgot!

A bit of history. Apparently, Brentsville didn't do very well during the Civil War - lots of destruction.

As we were leaving, there was a scuffle in the tree over our head. I assumed squirrels, but Laurie noticed a hawk attacking the squirrel! And even after that, the hawk didn't fly away with us there making a lot of noise. He posed and let me take this pic. I think it was a Cooper's hawk. He was small.

After that little show by live animals, there was a lot of dead wildlife at the beginning of this ride.  A couple of deer, an opossum, a chipmunk, a couple of snakes, and a raccoon were all obstacles on the shoulder. Does this have something to do with fall? Everything's out taking chances looking for food before winter? Don't know, but it was a relief to see these cute kitties lined up in someone's yard.

The fields were golden with their crops harvested and their grasses turning brown.

I took this pic of a huge Mcmansion on an old farm property. The original outbuildings were still there, standing at odds with the brick home with pillars and suburban looking flower pots. Pretty field though.

Hello Mr. Cow.

This impressive guy was sitting on the hilltop looking relaxed until we stopped. Then he was up guarding the herd (?). 

And then this beautiful horse in the barn. Laurie wanted to call him Mr. Ed.

At mile 20 we stopped at Neavil's Mill for a snack. It was interesting to see in this countryside the evidence of old villages. The mill appeared to be one and later we saw the remnants of a whistle stop town. Parts of old walls, houses close together at an intersection, maybe a dilapidated general store, a mill or a train depot all indicate a previously bustling place. 

We rested our bikes here, which turned out to be a poor choice. It was wet, muggy, and buggy. Felt like we were standing in a bog.

And then the sun finally started poking through and burning off some of the wet. It was a robin's egg blue breaking through.

We stopped again at mile 35 for snack #2. We'd made our one wrong turn by now, so the 51-mile ride would be 55. Woops. Except, not woops. I just remembered it was an error in the cue sheet. (For the record, the error was at step 18 where it says continue straight onto Green Road. There was a slight left onto Green that I assumed was the left onto Beach, so then I missed the left onto Beach). Maybe it was my fault?

The hay had been harvested and rolled. The fields were beautiful.

So, about the owls. After being lulled back to sleep by an owl this morning (which is unusual. I haven't heard an owl near our house in more than a year), one of our early turns on the ride was Owl's Nest Road. Then later, we passed Owl's Ridge Farm. And here, I was compelled to stop to take a picture: Owl Run Nursery. What's up with the owls? I googled it, but couldn't find anything online associated with owls in Nokesville. 

Pretty cows. 

When we finished, we stopped at the Badwolf Brewery for a beer and some crab potato chips. Yum.

I thought this ride was awesome. Lots of long stretches of open road that often felt like we were always going down or had the wind behind us. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if it was the BadOwl Brewery. :)

Distance: 56

Speed: 14.7

Middleburg - A Change of Scene

Deb Lane has been working hard on her bike fitness after rehabbing her shoulder, so we headed out to Middleburg to stretch our legs. We usually get to this ride about once a year and it never disappoints with how beautiful it is.

We had a spectacular clear day.

There was more traffic than usual because we went out on a Friday, but we still had plenty of long stretches like this - no lights, no cross streets, no cars.

We have to revisit the map at some point to figure out how to cut out this stretch of gravel. Cutting through and riding on gravel is fine, but this one goes one forever. 

Deb and I stopped at the bridge for a self just before the big (and only) hill at the end.

Deb in the distance riding through the scenic final miles.

At the top of the one big hill is a nice place to pull off and rest. 

We didn't get a friendly vibe at the library when a fussy acting employee parked near us, so we decided to park elsewhere in Middleburg and found spots near The Pink Box on Madison Street, which is the information center and museum in Middleburg. When the pandemic is over, we should go in there! 

And that was it. Deb and I agreed that after all these years, next year we should try going around the route in the other direction. 

Distance: 25 miles

Speed: 11.9

Route:

West on 50

L of Zulla

R on Smitten Farm Ln

L Backer Dr.

R Old Carter's Mill

L Old Carter's Mill Rd

R Atoka

R route 50

L St. Louis Rd.

R Snake Hill Rd.

L Pot House Rd (Next time, to avoid gravel on Snake Hill and Pot House, go straight on St. Louis until R on Foxcroft)

R Foxcroft

Follow Foxcroft into Middleburg. It will turn into N. Madison. 

In Middleburg, do a jig right onto E. Marshall then L on N. Madison where the cars are).

  

Kent Island Round About

Well, it's been so long since I had my bike on the car to actually go somewhere besides to a nearby neighborhood, I figured it was worth taking a pic to savor the moment. I'm ready to drive to meet laurie just over an hour to Kent Island (just over the Bay Bridge) to do a ride mapped out by Jessica in WWO. It's 6:30 a.m. and darker out than it looks here. 

We don't expect stores so PB&J, protein bar, pretzels, extra waters, and a Gatorade are all packed. I'm just so excited to go somewhere--anywhere.

We met at Batts Neck Park. The drive was easy - 1 hour and 6 minutes. 

Of course, we always need a few minutes to let Laurie fiddle with her paraphernalia and technology. 

The morning was beautiful. I didn't mention we were supposed to be riding the VA Capital Trail and camping this weekend. But Saturday was rainy and humid with Hurricane Laura sweeping through from the West after circling up from Louisiana. So we canceled the camping and came for this ride on Sunday. The storm sucked all the bad weather out with it and we had a beautiful, mid-80s day with low humidity. 

We set out for a ride that followed a big circle while exploring every side street, with a lot of little loops and a lot of retracing. I found that part frustrating, but it was really beautiful. 

This side street was worth it - we got a nice view of the Bay Bridge in the distance.

Goats!

We stopped at this cute marina but ended up hanging out across the way at a private club with a little beach.

The club was closed so we walked around the side to a really nice little beach. And if you come at the right time (which we didn't), there's a bathroom.

Laurie enjoying the Adirondack chairs. 

While we were there, this guy came walking up with a strange parachute and surf boardy looking thing. I'm sure he wanted a quiet morning to himself to get set up, but he was stuck with an audience. 

Me watching the show.

So, I have a video of the guy getting his chute into the air. It was pretty cool - never seen anything like it before. But the video is too big, so can't upload it. Have to learn how to edit and make it smaller.

Route 8 eventually ends on the East coast at Romancoke where there is a cluster of houses and a fishing pier. 

We found a bench at the end and ate our PB&Js--a little mushy but not worse for the wear. There were chicken necks EVERYWHERE looking all soggy and grey from the water and sun. Yuck.

One thing about the area, all the cute little fishing villages appear to be giving way to golf communities. Big ugly houses. Pesticide- and herbicide-laden lawns.

The houses and the holes were all intermixed. 

This was one of the holes in the distance, the flag flying right on the water. 

We thought this was funny since we were supposed to be riding along the coast of Maine this summer. We didn't get there because of COVID-19, so Lighthouse Lane on the West coast of Kent Island. Here, Lighthouse Lane was filled with big mcmansions with no personality.

Around the corner from Lighthouse Lane was another cute marina. This one had a few pleasure boats but also quite a few working boats. 

To the right of the marina was another private beach. Just a little brick rambler set in the trees with this stretch of beach all to itself.

And here was the lighthouse. We don't quite have the picturesque thing going they way they do in Maine! 

In the back of the marina were these shallows where there were minnows hanging out in the sun and many crabs scampering around in the mud. Wouldn't want to go wading!

We had found this last marina because we went off the beaten trail (Jessica's route) and turned left off Route 8 on Kent Point Road and took it all the way to the end of the island. It was nice to get to stretch our legs on these straight-aways with little traffic and no maps to worry about.

Passed this sign - had to stop and take a picture. Good old North Lake.

There were expansive fields of soy, with a breeze blowing gently through. It was so peaceful I took a video.

 

Then it was time to head back - straight up the trail we'd be weaving around all morning. A "delicious" trail as Jessica said.

This farm was surrounded by suburban looking homes - looked as if they had sold off their property. Kinda sad, especially because the new houses all had the better view of the water.

Somebody's fancy driveway. Such a mix of regular and rich folks in these parts.

And then we were back. Great day!

Distance: 49 miles

Speed: 13.6