Seen around the neighborhood

Since the storm that blew up from the outer banks made some minor inroads into Northern Virginia, the air has cooled considerably and it is a particularly fine day, with plenty of sunshine and a light breeze.I decided that it would be a good day to begin a regimen of exercise; and high time, inasmuch as my job has recently left me little opportunity for taking care of the outer man.

We live in a lovely little neighborhood called Mantua, and it is an ideal place for strolling, especially due to the trails that wind through and about the area. I proposed to Mrs. Paco that we take a brisk walk. She was delighted with the suggestion, but, because of her long practice of daily perambulations, she evinced more ambition than I, and the brisk walk turned into the Mantua death march. Endless miles of trudging through the leafy wilderness...What's that, dear? It was only a little over a mile and a half? Ah. Well, I suppose I may be slightly exaggerating the strenuousness of our little hike, but there's no denying that a goodish part of the walk was uphill.

Here are a few scenes captured at random from our walk (click to enlarge).

A neighbor apparently has (or had) something of an itinerant cat:



The forest primeval:



The trail:



All that's missing is the commemorative plaque: "Al Gore Sat Here".