Mushrooms popping up!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

September hasn't been all that rainy, but there's been some nice heavy rains as well as lots of steady rains.

The rain and the steady temperatures have brought out the mushrooms that grow all around. Here's a really nice example growing on the grounds of Colonial Village III (off off of N. Rhodes St.

Of course, the wet weather isn't so nice when it starts to come into the buildings!

Here's another:

Invasion of locusts?

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

No, not a locust, just an annual cicada. The annual cicada, to be distinguished from the periodic cicada (Magicicada) appears in the summer months (hence it's nickname, the "dog-day" cicada). The periodic cicada is even more amazing, appearing on a cycle of 13 or 17 years.

Here in Colonial Village we have lots of cicadas. One way you'll know they're around is by the ear-splitting sounds they make. The constant buzz can at times drown out the sounds of planes from nearby National Airport (DCA).

Because of the large number of trees in the Villages, we make a perfect home for the cicadas (generally cicadas are harmless to humans, pets and vegetation).

In the mid-Atlantic, we're home to the 17 year cycle cicadas (Magicicada cassini). Known as Brood X (or the Great Eastern Brood; Brood XIX, The Great Southern Brood is slated to appear in Maryland and Virginia in 2011, though the largest of the 13 year broods, it's not as common in Colonial Village), the last visit was in 2004, so we have a wait til they appear again. Well, actually they haven't left. They're under your feet! After the adults lay eggs, the young drop to the ground, burrow a few inches down, and stay there, waiting for whatever the signal is, seventeen years later for them to start the cycle over again.

FYI, some people do call the cicadas "locusts". Generally speaking locust refers to varieties of grasshoppers. However, when early settlers to the mid-Atlantic first came upon the cicadas, they were termed "locusts", hence the ongoing confusion.

Power lines burn out!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

On September 10th, had a little incident with the overhead lines on N. Rhodes St., lines burned and crashed, knocking out power on a portion of the street. Didn't hit my building, but all the areas around were knocked out.

The burned grass and remnants of the line and glass insulators made for some interesting "site specific art."

This is at least the second time in the past few years the lines in this area have come down.

Trees down! Colonial Village

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

It's been a bad season for the trees here in Colonial Village. The sight of the former Army-Navy Golf course, Colonial Village is blessed with wonderful heritage trees.

We lost a number during the earlier wet and windy weather. In the past few days, we lost another around Colonial Village Run (that's creek or stream for you non-Virginians).

These downed trees knocked out power for some residents of North Rhodes Street.

Another great Magnolia season

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

I'm afraid I've let the Colonial Village blog lag a bit these past few years. Once again, the wonderful magnolia trees in the Village had a spectacular season. To kick off the blog again, I thought I'd start with this picture from earlier this year (June 2009).

We've had some changes around the Village in the past two years. But some things stay the same.