When you mention The Trail in this part of Virginia, most folks assume you’re talking about The New River Trail State Park, and not the Appalachian Trail which also passes thru here. The New River Trail is a 57 mile linear park (the only one in Virginia) than runs from Galax to Pulaski with a […]

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This year, I’ve allowed Galena Creek to become overgrown, partly because I wanted to see what would happen with no human intervention, and partly because I’ve been concentrating on other things around here. Recently I took my trusty brush cutter down to clear a path thru the wildflower meadow to the Creek, and found this:

I’m […]

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That funny looking insect you may have seen in your garden recently that resembles a bumblebee on steriods or a dwarf hummingbird is neither. It’s Hemaris Diffinis, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee moth.

This day-flying moth is a member of the family Sphigidae, the same as the tomato hornworm. It hovers over flowers, in full sunlight, […]

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Just outside the entrance to our humble little cottage is a game trail that runs from Galena Creek up Chestnut Ridge. I’ve seen all manner of wildlife make the trek up and down the trail. The other morning, some of our more vocal neighbors passed by….

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