Fall In The Northern Neck

By mid-September, we were starting to feel like locals. We had our preferred grocery store and could get there without using GPS. Even Michael was starting to be able to identify all the invasive plants because I pointed them out along the roadside everywhere we went. The weather was more enjoyable and there was an explosion of yellow with all the Tickseed, Crownbeard, and Golden Rod blooming.

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On the Refuge, my main tasks were new ones – mowing (not just mowing, but also driving the mower around) and water sealing a massive amount of woodwork at the most visited tract with John and Ivy.

Lauren and I also started doing forestry surveys. The protocol had 6 SOPs in 33 pages – and holds the record of longest (words not time) of any protocol I ever followed in 16 years of lab work! This work involved locating points chosen at random and generating a nested plot of data on the trees, regeneration, vegetation profile, and woody debris. Knowing this kind of information is important for habitat management – e.g. thinning or prescribed burns. We also did forestry surveys at James River NWR to gather data for the possibility of reintroducing a species of woodpeckers to the area.

We checked out some of the significant historical landmarks of the area. It is not uncommon to see signs dating to the 1600s. The Northern Neck calls itself the birthplace of our nation because it is home to the birthplaces of 3 of our first 5 presidents. The GW birthplace is a National Monument and living history farm and had all sorts of livestock. The horses are actually retired Park Police horses living out their golden years. The other two sites are only worth drivebys unless you are staying at Madison’s which is currently a B&B.

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We also ventured out a little further to Fredericksburg to visit Chatham Manor. Chatham is now managed by the NPS and has witnessed 250 years of Virginia history, hosting many important events and visitors when it was privately owned. During the Civil War, it served as a hospital for Union soldiers, some nursed by Clara Barton, who would later form the American Red Cross.

We also visited Colonial National Historical Park, which includes Jamestown and Yorktown. If you need a refresher on American history (we did), Jamestown is the site of the first permanent English settlement in 1607. Yorktown is where the last battle of the Revolutionary War was fought in 1781. Americans, aided by the French, defeated Cornwallis’s Army here ultimately leading to American independence (yes, we listened to the Hamilton soundtrack while driving around).

Even though we know oysters can be enjoyed year-round there is something about the tradition of eating them in months that end with R. Rappahannock River oysters are prized for their sweet buttery flavor due to the lower salt content of the tidal river where they live.

October was a busy month. We left the Refuge for a week and stayed at Westmoreland State Park while “The Dry Campers” Mike and Leanna installed solar panels, lithium batteries, and an inverter in our travel trailer. A game-changer. This will allow us to live normally and Michael to work normally, in peace with no generator noise, while we camp off the grid. They did an amazing job and you can watch their install video here!

Then, Michael’s parents came to visit! On Saturday morning we went out on the Rappahannock River with a traditional Virginia waterman to harvest oysters and got to taste them straight out of the water. He showed us how he rakes farmed ones and how he locates and dredges wild ones. He was full of entertaining stories about the history of the Virginia oyster industry and current conservation efforts of the rivers and bay.

We also went Bald Eagle watching at our private spot in Belle Mount, visited a couple of wineries, and to Fredericksburg to visit Chatham and the historic downtown area.

Towards the end of the month, we finally went to see Fones Cliffs. This area was recently saved from development by the Conservation Fund and is now part of the RRV NWR and not yet open to the public. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of Bald Eagles on the east coast. One of the best parts of volunteering on the Refuge was getting to spend time in the special places that we wouldn’t have been allowed otherwise.

At the end of October, we packed up and started traveling again. We will miss our new friends but were excited to see new sights and to finally test out our solar. And of course, just like when we first arrived in the Northern Neck, we spent our last night there with another hurricane, Zeta!