by Marlene Berlin We started this week with a story of water’s power. It can fell a tree, and turn a gentle stream into a torrent. We end the week with a meditation on water in quieter forms. On January 25th, the day before DC-area temps reached toward (and to) a record 80 degrees, winter […]
Photos: Rock Creek after the rain, and a driver’s close call with a falling tree
by Marlene Berlin I hiked Rock Creek Park on Sunday to see the creek swollen by rain, but my first encounter was with a driver on Ridge Road who had stopped just short of a falling tree. The driver, whose name was Damon, told me he had also come to see the creek after the […]
Photos: A long-awaited snowy day
by Marlene Berlin We just got our most substantial snowfall in two years. I wouldn’t have missed walking in it for anything. I set out for Van Ness via Rock Creek Park trails, during a period that the Capital Weather Gang described as “light and polite.” A thin veneer of snow was mostly melting on […]
Photos: The holiday light show (and bonus Santa flamingos)
Consider this an appreciation post for all those who have adorn their homes and balconies with holiday lights. The first displays show up right around Thanksgiving (and sometimes before), and provide warmth and cheer amid the growing dark of winter. David Luria sent this lovely photo from the neighborhood: And here are a few more: […]
Backyard Nature: January provided a warm welcome to the area’s early bloomers
by Marlene Berlin January was DC’s warmest in 73 years, and the third warmest on record, according to the Post’s Capital Weather Gang. This might have coaxed some early bloomers to emerge even earlier than usual. I usually see the snow drops first, then the winter jasmine, in February. Both emerged fairly early in January. […]
Photos: Nature’s icy holiday ornaments
by Marlene Berlin Some of our neighbors go all out when decorating for Christmas. But the most spectacular decorations I saw over the holidays were completely natural. After celebrating the last night of Hannukah, I set out on Christmas Day to see the gift of the icy ornamentation the cold snap left along Rock Creek […]
Photos: Art All Night 2022 draws a crowd
Art and music draw a crowd. So do cider and donuts… and fire dancers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Van Ness Main Street (@vannessmainst) Van Ness Main Street says more than 4,600 people came out to enjoy performances including Villanueva Fire & Flow (above), the pop-up market, and other attractions at […]
Photos: A winter (but sometimes less-than-wondrous) wonderland
by Marlene Berlin I’m recovering from a knee injury. But on Tuesday, the sunny skies and fresh snow beckoned me. After removing snow from my yard trees and bushes, and getting many snow showers in the process, I headed out into the neighborhood to take photos. 30th Street (below) provided a passable place to walk. […]
Photos: Keeping our eyes on the skies
As you may already know, we are on Twitter. The @ForestHillsNews Twitter feed is embedded in the ForestHillsConnection.com sidebar (and on mobile, near the bottom of each page. Sorry to make you do all that scrolling.). And we hope it’s helpful in putting out information that is useful and interesting, and in a more timely […]
Friday’s windstorm was unusually intense
Friday was more than a little windy. The Post’s Capital Weather Gang reports on some of the factors that made this windstorm unusual, including its late April appearance, its hours-long length, and its intensity. The National Weather Service station at Reagan National recorded one 62 mile-per-hour gust, the strongest since at least 1998. Windstorms are […]