Preparation time

The summer has been going quickly. It is already August and, although I thought quite a bit about my next walk early on, the daily routine has taken over.  I have taken many, many walks with my two dogs.  We have, of course,  taken frequent walks to my neighborhood park, the Maryvale Park in Rockville, because it is just minutes away.  

Jacques on a park bench at Maryvale Park

 

we once saw this little guy hiding under one of the benches

red winged black bird

there were many wildflowers there

planted expressly to attract local butterflies

  

and I saw many tiger and black swallowtails but few monarchs

The dogs and I have walked from Lake Needwood, the 14.5 mile stretch along upper Rock Creek Park, until we reached the DC border.  We did this over a several day period, of course, in small doable chunks.  

Zoë walks along a path near Lake Frank

Zoë checks out the wildflowers along Upper Rock Creek

 

Lake Frank

My favorite paths were those with a place to rest

the dogs were happy when there was a dog-friendly fountain

Here's the where we finally ended

We have walked the paths around the Rio Washingtonian, Montgomery Village's Lake Whetstone, the Monocacy Battlefield in Frederick, explored the sunflowers in the McKee Besher's Wildlife Area near Poolesville, and walked the trails around the Maryland Agricultural History Farm Park.  

the Rio Washingtonian--a most urban walk

Rio Washingtonian

and Lake Whetstone with its many wildflowers

more wildflowers

Lake Whetstone

Lake Whetstone

Lake Whetstone

 

exploring the Monocacy Battlefield with a friend 

 

 

more Monocacy Battlefield

 

and even more Monocacy

and the sunflower fields

who knew there were fields of sunflowers in Montgomery County, MD!

 

Maryland Agricultural History Farm Park

 
We discovered the nearby Croydon Nature Center had trails, and that the former Red Gate Golf Course has now been turned into a park.  It has been a summer of walks!

trails at the Croydon Nature Center

And then there were additional preparatory walks without dogs--I walked the local Matthew Henson Trail, Greenbelt Park, and Savage Mill with the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group, I trekked around Sandy Spring with its history of the Underground Railroad, and walked the Greenbury Point trails in Annapolis with the Silver Spring Outdoors group.

the Greenbelt Park group

Learning about the Underground Railroad

the Matthew Henson trail was quite urban

Scenes from Greenbury Point in Annapolis where we could see the Bay Bridge

My walks have not been super strenuous as the terrain has been flat but I am getting good exercise most days, which is good.