Month: November 2020

Telephoto trial on the Piankatank River

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We took the family to spend a couple of days on the Piankatank River. The water was calm and the wildlife was out and about. I was able to get a shot of the bald eagles that have been hunting our segment of the river for years. I’ve been breaking in the Sigma 100-400mm telephoto lens. I still have it attached to the trusty old Sony a6000 that’s been pulling it’s weight for the past 5 years now. Hard to believe it’s been that long. I still have much to learn about telephoto lenses, but it’s been a lot of fun. Happy Holidays to everyone. Stay safe and healthy out there…and keep those masks on! Cheers.

Shenandoah National Park – Black Rock Summit

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October 18, 2020 –  It seems like the only normal thing in 2020 has been the autumn season. By late September, we had already experienced our fair share of chilly days in Virginia. This welcoming drop in the temperatures seemed to trigger the leaves to change color on time. Although tired from the busy work week, we needed to escape to the mountains, specifically to our backyard national park, Shenandoah National Park. We were going to take on what seemed to be a family favorite of late: the Black Rock Summit Trail. This easy 1.0 mile loop was where we took our son for his first hike, and now we were going to take our daughter there for her first hike.

We arrived at the park entrance to find a short line of cars. I think this was the first time I’ve ever had to wait in line to get into Shenandoah. It seemed like everyone wanted to escape quarantine madness and get outside. I don’t blame them. All along the way, people were pulling off at scenic outlooks to take photos of the fall foliage. The parking lot for Black Rock Summit was full when we arrived but we had no trouble finding parking on the side of the road. Our 3 year old son was able to hike the entire trail on his own this time which certainly helped! The paths on this trail are well marked and it is a short hike to get some amazing views, highly recommended if you have young kids in tow. 

 

Minh’s first hike in Shenandoah, Black Rock Summit. 3/31/2018
Our first hike up Black Rock Summit. Shenandoah National Park. 7/23/2016

Camping on the Chesapeake Bay

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On the south shores of the piankatank where it opens up onto the Chesapeake Bay, we pitched our tent and settled in for my sons first overnight in a tent away from home.

All of Mathews County was draped in a thin layer of fog. The ground was damp the from morning dew and a chill was in the air reminding us that autumn was here. Such things did nothing to damper the spirits of a 3 year old boy. He galloped through the large field and marveled at the vastness of the bay. He stared at the migrating ducks as the made their way down south. He watched the sailboats from afar as they came in and out of view through the fog.

He had been raving about this camping trip for weeks and it was finally here. He would get to spend a night in a tent away from home and under the stars. We got to work setting up our gear and started a fire with the damp wood around us.

As we setup our site, the unmistakable call of a loon filled the air. I was surprised to see several loons in the bay fishing. They must be on their way south, because I have never seen them in this area before.

We spent the day chopping wood, catching crabs and fishing. Minh was familiarizing himself with a lot of the camping gear. We were joined by my parents and brother in the late afternoon at which point we added more wood to the fire as the night skies surrounded us. I could sense my sons excitement as the darkness surrounded us and only the glow of the fire would illuminate the campsite. He had no trouble sleeping in the tent and slept like a rock.

The next morning we were greeted with the sun! He was eager to get back out and fish. We also took a stroll down the road to see some of the neighbors cows. This trip was also a great opportunity for me to play around with the my new telephoto lens, a sigma 100-400mm for Sony alpha cameras. So far it’s been a blast to shoot with. After I took some photos of the cows, we went on some walks around the area and then packed up and headed home. He did not want to leave. He fell asleep in car immediately, and upon awakening, he asked me with eyes barely open….”when are we going canoe camping?”