LakeAnnaLiving

You Should've Seen the One that Got Away

2007-08-21T11:50:00.001-04:00

While the drought hasn't been great for lake levels...especially for those of us in small coves...it certainly made for some fun fishing for the kids last weekend.

The catfish were literally visible from the deck and pier which allowed our newbie fisherkids to actually watch them swim around and nibble their hooks...pretty cool actually.

While this one is our son's biggest catch yet...he's already telling "fish stories" about the huge catfish (double this size) which snapped his fishing line and got away.

We'll remember that one as our "Walter" (from On Golden Pond fame, of course).

8 or 9 Beers and Driving a Boat?

2007-08-21T11:50:00.000-04:00

It makes me insane when I think about the risks some people take not only with their own lives but with all of those around them. Consider this story of a Lake Anna boater (and let's get serious, there are many just like him on every waterway in America) arrested this weekend in Operation SWEEP patrols by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The Freelance-Star described one stop this way:

"The boat, which carried several adults and children, had been on the water since 11 a.m. Dedrick said he suspected the driver was operating under the influence. The man told officers he'd had eight or nine beers throughout the day. He refused to take a test to determine whether there was alcohol in his system."
Would this same guy load up his crew in the family minivan and drink 9 beers on his way to Kings Dominion? Maybe so, but it's clear that far too many people treat drinking and boating differently than drinking and driving because they know they won't get caught. Sad, huh?

WWBT in Richmond also did a story on the weekend's patrols and you can link to their video here.

The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail

2007-08-16T09:33:00.000-04:00

So many local wineries...so little time.

It's hard to believe that summer is already winding down and we haven't made a single trip to the Lake Anna Winery yet.

But it's not too late. This article in the Richmond Times Dispatch inspired me to hit the road before the summer's over and stop by a number of our local vineyards. Reporter Jack Berninger talked to a number of local winemakers about their favorite wines, including Lake Anna's Graham Bell.

Graham Bell has been the winemaker at Lake Anna since 2001 after staining his fingers first at Montdomaine Cellars, then at Horton Vineyards, both in Virginia."Seyval Blanc [$12]. It's a nice, fruity wine [with aromas of] pear, a little apple. It's fermented and aged six months in stainless-steel tanks and is off-dry, light and refreshing."

A little bit of research also led me to the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail (have you noticed the signs alongside the roads?).

Their last event was a few weeks ago but the season isn't over yet and they've got at least one more event planned for 2007.

Safety Patrols a Welcome Sight

2007-07-05T09:44:00.000-04:00

Did you notice the increased patrol presence on the lake this July 4th? We certainly did and have to say "thank you" to the Coast Guard auxiliary and the Louisa County Sheriff's Department for being out there in a visible way.

This is new for the Sheriff's deparment thanks to addition of three jet-ski's to their patrol, one donated by Anna Point Marina. For the first time in a long time, we didn't go a day without seeing someone having a "chat" with local water patrols.

As much as that might be a pain for the jet-skier without his vest or the boat operator who's clearly had a few too many beers, this noticeable water presence will make Lake Anna safer for all of us and for that we again say "thanks".

WCAV did a story on the holiday patrols and you can watch it here.

When A Picture Tells the Story

2007-07-02T14:16:00.000-04:00

Why waste words?

This is what summer on the lake feels like whether your 6 or 96!

(...OK, maybe with less bone-jarring tubing on the higher end of those numbers)

Hey Lake Anna...Lend a Hand!

2007-06-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

The Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity chapter has put out an all-call for volunteers to help work on a house in our neighborhood this weekend. The Freelance Star says:

Tomorrow and next Saturday, the group needs people to work on a house near Lake Anna. Volunteers will clear brush and level the ground to get the site ready for construction. Work will start at 9 a.m.

The group will also host an orientation June 21 at 7 p.m. for anyone interested in helping the group build homes for needy area residents.

What A Bummer

2007-05-29T14:55:00.000-04:00

I suppose it's just more evidence that Lake Anna has hit the map for many people living well beyond the Louisa County and Fredericksburg area. I'm not sure how else to explain such huge crowds over the weekend at the Lake Anna State Park beach. So many, in fact that the beach was closed! WVIR in Charlottesvilles described it this way:

"Unexpectedly large crowds forced park rangers to turn people away by the carload. For the second time in two days, they had to ask people to leave. Getting turned away on Memorial Day can make for some seriously unhappy campers."
Talk about an understatement. Given the state's budget picture and the General Assembly's unwillingness to pay for even desperately needed programs like highway construction, I can't help but wonder what, if any relief , would even be considered for something like state park overcrowding.
It's especially disconcerting in the case of Lake Anna State Park since the construction of the cabins and other improvements have been such a terrific addition to Lake Anna. That impact is certainly diminished if the crowds you're trying to draw can't even enter the park once they arrive.

Finally Some Rules for the Road...oops..Water

2007-05-24T14:07:00.000-04:00

I've never understood why any knucklehead is allowed to get behind the steering wheel of a boat and hit the water with literally no boating safety or driving courses. It makes no sense. And it only takes one near-miss with a careless boater to realize just how dangerous this lack of safety regulations is for all of us on the water.

Even so, there were plenty of people opposed to even the basic boating safety regs passed by the VA assembly this year. Here's a good summary of the new law from the Roanoke Times.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries also has a Boat Virginia safety course highlighted on its website.

The good news is eventually Virginia boaters will have to meet some basic safety guidelines and actually learn to drive before hitting the water. The bad news is none of this takes affect any time soon.

Summer's Almost Here!

2007-05-17T12:53:00.000-04:00

But it can't come soon enough. There are alot of wonderful lake events coming up to help us all get back on the water and into the summer swing of things. Here are just a few highlights:

The Virginia Renaissance Festival begins this weekend at the Lake Anna Winery and runs until June 17th. 10am-6pm.

On Memorial Day weekend (Saturday May 26) the Lake Anna Coast Guard Auxiliary will hold an Open House from 10 am to 2 pm. This is a great chance to get a tour of the Lake Anna Station and ask any questions you might have about boating safety on the lake. The best thing is they're also offering free boat safety checks so that you can begin the season fully prepared for a safe summer on the water.

Later that day the Lake Anna Beach Marina will provide live music courtesy of the The Key West Band. The fun kicks off at 4pm. Whether by boat or car these events provide a nice opportunity for the community to come together for a picnic and tunes too.

I know there is alot more going on out there and will follow up soon with more events happening this month.

More Nuke News

2007-05-02T13:54:00.000-04:00

OK...I refuse to become the blogging version of Paul Revere..."the nukes are coming, the nukes are coming" but this article in the Freelance Star was pretty interesting.

I still don't understand why they're being so coy about construction plans though...

"Dominion has notified the NRC that, if the early site permit is
approved, it will apply for a combined license to construct and operate Unit 3. The company says it has made no decision on whether to actually build a new,third unit, and that will depend upon electricity demand and market forces."

You buy supplies, get approval, apply for a license but you haven't decided to build? Yea, right. Why not say what everybody already knows. All that uneccesary evasiveness does make even a non-cynic say "Hummm..."

The Bear Essentials...

2007-04-26T15:21:00.000-04:00

I think I've found the true test of whether you're cut out for lake living or just a pretender. Here it is:

When you wake up one morning to find a bear on your patio do you...?

1. Shake in your boots too freaked out to move

2. Call the kids to look, get on the phone to let your neighbors know and notify your local game warden

3. Whip out your gun and start shooting

Pretty obvious, right? Well, you'd be surprised. Seems we have a new visitor this month to our Lake Anna development (won't tell you which one, you'll understand why in a minute) and he/she's furry, big and black with a passion for trash cans and bird feeders.

The community reacted just as it should. Emails started circulating and the homeowner's association spread the official word from our local game warden about what we need to do to keep ourselves safe and to encourage our visiting black bear to move on.

Here is a link to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries on the Virginia black bear. This really isn't anything new for Lake Anna and Louisa county, we have bears here. Truth is, they've been here a lot longer than we have.

But based on the reaction in our development, you'd think this was some menacing beast just prowling around waiting for the opportunity to eat our children and pets. In fact, one of our residents promised he'd take care of the bloodthirsty "vicious wild animal" himself and he was well-armed enough to do it. What nonsense.

Ultimately, I think the outrage from our community and a repeated recitation of the law forbidding the killing of this bear may have finally sunk in for this vigilante bear hunter. Alerting the game warden probably didn't hurt deliver that message either. But this is a lesson for everyone living and loving the limited wild Lake Anna can still offer. The wildlife (big and small) which we share this space with deserve our respect. A little common sense goes a long way ensuring we can coexist happily.

As one neighbor put it...if you can't live with that then you should stick to the suburbs.

So Much Lake News...So Little Time

2007-04-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

OK...I have to make a full confession. I have violated one of the most important rules about blogging, DO IT. Between Spring Break, work and all of this really awful weather limiting our lake time , writing on the blog has been certainly been ignored in recent weeks. So, consider this a massive catch-up alright?

The Central Virginian reported this week on the lake's newest commercial development, Lake Anna Island. I personally was very excited about the original plans to bring another (desperately needed) lakefront restaurant to Lake Anna and the other commercial proposed for the building. But the developers were really run through the zoning/public 'outrage' gauntlet and I give them credit for coming up with this final incarnation. Apparently, the first phase is ready to begin...

"According to B.J. Blount, a partner in the development company BBCR, the necessary permits are in hand and the group is ready to begin leasing the first of 100 permanent covered docks that will be part of the project. Once the first 50 have been purchased, Blount said, construction on the piers will start, a process he hopes will occur within the next couple of months."

The North Anna power plant received it's annual safety review from the NRC. The Freelance Star reported:

"The NRC concluded that North Anna operated safely with all inspection findings in the green category. That means there was very low safety significance, and at levels requiring no additional NRC oversight. As a result, the NRC plans to conduct only routine baseline inspections at the plant for the rest of this year. Safety is an issue at North Anna because Dominion has applied for an NRC permit that could lead to the construction of up to two more reactors at the site."

And we've got to talk about the passage of new boating safety rules by the Virginia Assembly. As a boater, I say bring them on. I'm tired of sharing the water with people who haven't got the faintest idea about the rules of the 'road' or how to share the waves.

But that's a conversation for another day.

It's Tourney Time...Not Just for Hoops Fans

2007-03-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

While they may not have brackets and rankings, it's tourney time too for Lake Anna's anglers. The Lake Anna and Potomac River Bass Anglers Tournament is one event underway here at the lake.

I gotta hand it to these guys and gals...I see them out in rain, cold and wind each and every day working our cove and surrounding environs. They've got far more patience than I do!

If you're coming to the lake anytime soon checkout any of our local marinas and you'll find more information about local tourneys and fishing events.

Lake Anna Hodge-Podge

2007-03-19T11:19:00.000-04:00

What the heck!!?? From sunny and 75 to snowing and 30. To say it's been a weird week would certainly be an understatement. I'm so thankful we didn't fully de-winterize last weekend. As it is the water levels on the lake were so high on Saturday that someone walking on one of our neighbors piers it looked like he was walking on water.

In spite of the cold and windy weather there were a couple of interesting lake tidbits I found this weekend...both from bloggers. One is a post from a woman walking and biking to Florida and took a side trip for her first visit here and the other from a wine afficianado who made his first visit to Lake Anna Winery and provided a very nice profile.

Tap-Tap-Tap...It's 6:30 AM...or is it 5:30?!?!?

2007-03-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

Now, I'm not a fan of this whole seasonal "spring ahead, fall behind" nonsense (especially "Spring ahead", anyway) but it was especially unwelcome this weekend when we woke up to rapping on our door at the ungodly hour of 5:30am on Sunday(like 6:30a isn't bad enough on a weekend). Who could possible be tapping at our door this early?

Imagine our suprise to find it was a beautiful male cardinal. And he was incredibly persistent. His first round of wakeup calls began from our main level deck. Once he saw us shuffling around inside dazed and confused, he quickly flew away. Within minutes he was back again, this time from the patio below the deck.

He tapped away at our sliding glass doors for hours. The kids were really worried he was going to knock himself silly...I personally can't imagine how he didn't end up with a doozey of a headache (he'd certainly given us one, by the second consecutive hour).

Later that morning we found signs that he's also been tapping away at a window at the front of the lake house. What in the world could he be after? Given the beautiful lake weekend we finally had my advice to him is "stick outside buddy...Spring will be here soon!"

Highways and Bi-ways

2007-02-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

Construction has begun on a bypass that should make it alot easier for folks traveling to and from the lake in Spotsylvania County. The Fredericksburg Freelance Star says:

"The new road will provide traffic relief at the T-intersection at Spotsylvania Courthouse, which handles about 20,000 vehicles a day. In 2029, the bypass is projected to carry 48,000 vehicles a day. The first segment is a three-mile, four-lane road that will peel off Courthouse Road (State Route 208) near the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park and Plantation Forest subdivision. It will go west of the courthouse, crossing Brock Road. It will end 1.5 miles south of Robert E. Lee Drive. The second phase will continue around Post Oak, cross the Ta River and reconnect with Route 208."
But this is a big project that won't see the first phase done until the end of 2008. So, it will probably mean construction headaches for travelers in the short term...good news for Lake Anna travelers in the long term.

So what's in that water anyway?

2007-02-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

One of the joys of lake living are the constant reminders that we are merely sharing the space we call home. The woods, the water and the air at Lake Anna are constantly filled with all kinds of fish, fowl and other animals which we love watching each and every time we may cross paths. There have been a number of bear sightings at the Lake in recent years and months...but more on that later. First, I wanted to share one of the best descriptions of Lake Anna's creation and the fish which now populate the lake.

C.C. McCotter has been a fishing guide on Lake Anna since 1992. His website details biological surveys done on the local fish populations and lists an impressive array:

"Here are the original 40 species according to family group; American eel,gizzard shad,threadfin shad,blueback herring,eastern mudminnow,mosquitocfish,white sucker,creek chubsucker,shorthead redhorse,northern hog sucker, chain pickerel,Northern pike, common carp, bluehead chub, river chub, goldenshiner, satinfin shiner, swallowtail shiner, spottail shiner, pirate perch,white catfish, brown catfish, yellow bullhead, channel catfish, margined madtom,bluespotted sunfish, redbreast sunfish, pumpkinseed, warmouth, bluegill, redearsunfish, mud sunfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch,walleye,tessellated darter, white perch and striped bass. There are rare,unsubstantiated reports of a smallmouth or two but they are not established in the lake."

And the biggest surprise for me (as an acknowledged and admitted fishing neophyte)...eels?!! In lakes? Apparently it's not all that unusual. Even so, I don't think I'll share that one with the kids.

Can you Say Cabin Fever!!!

2007-02-09T15:10:00.000-05:00

Enough of the cold...enough of the single digit temps and wind chills! I can't help but dream of warm breezes and sunny spring days on Lake Anna. Unfortunately, regardless of the groundhog's predictions it seems we have nothing but cold temps ahead for the long-term forecast anyway. But I've found something that might help...

The Fredericksburg Outdoor Show is this weekend at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center. I've never been before but it sounds like a great way to plan for another Lake Anna summer. There's also coverage of the event in the Freelance-Star if you're looking for something fun to do this weekend.

Up for a 55 Mile Bike Ride?

2007-01-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

OK...in the name of full disclosure I have to admit that running a triathlon would never rank up there on my list of fun things to do; however, I do find it fascinating that so many people out there are not only running marathons successfuly but also expanding into the world of triathlons.

Lake Anna continues to host athletes participating in the Virginia Triathlon. Last Fall one of the competitors from the race pictured here spent the weekend in our Rental Condo and he was one of our best guests ever. Of course, he was probably so beat after the race I bet he just vegged the whole next day! Do triathletes veg?

Already, preparations are underway for Lake Anna's next event in April. Athletes will gather at Lake Anna State Park on Saturday, April 21, 2007 where they'll Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 55 miles, Run 13.1 miles. Really, I'm not kidding.

There's more on the Virginia Triathlon website. It might be fun just to come watch.

Ye Olde England Comes to Lake Anna

2007-01-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

The Virginia Renaissance Festival will come to Lake Anna for a couple months beginning in May. If you've never been to one of these kind of events it's definitely worth your time. Afterall, it's not every day that you can imagine being in the English countryside with a collection of characters straight out of Robin Hood. From wenches to royalty, jugglers to artisans Renaissance Festivals can be alot of fun for both young and old.

The Staunton News-Leader has an article detailing the search for actors in this years event, running May 19-June 17 at Lake Anna Winery. These are the kind of events with statewide appeal that I hope Lake Anna continues to draw.

OK...so, it's not the kind of holiday lights I imagined

2006-12-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to write about spending the holidays at Lake Anna for weeks now but time has gotten away from me. So, while I thought I'd give a quick guide on finding the best holiday lights around the lake or Lake Anna holiday events for this weekend here's a strange twist...I found this article in my mailbox this morning instead. Let's just say this isn't the holiday post I envisioned.

Looks like Dominion Power has gotten an early Christmas present from the feds. The Richmond Times Dispatch reports:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a final environmental-impact statement on Dominion Virginia Power's request for a site permit for one or two new reactors at its North Anna Power Station. Regulators concluded that no environmental impacts would prevent the permit from being issued and no superior sites were available. Any adverse environmental impacts from preparing the site and preliminary construction could be dealt with, they said.

Of course, there are always many steps in these approval processes. No one expects the permitting to be completed until late next year at the earliest.

Ho-Ho-Ho. Not quite the traditional Holiday post but I'm off to wrap some more presents and bake some more goodies.

One of the "Joys" of Lake Living...Not!

2006-12-14T14:57:00.000-05:00

As urbanites, the transition to lake living was a true learning experience for us. Septic systems, wells, wild critters eating everything we plant and winterizing boats are just a few of the topics that presented a real challenge at first!

Thankfully, this year the cold winter weather has really been delayed so all of our procrastinating wasn't quite as painful as it could have been...although my husband would disagree (since he had to get into the water one last time in November)...b-r-r-r. I was thinking about how daunting all of this was to us in those first winters. So, I thought I'd share the best winterizing information and resources I have found over the years.

Boat Safe's Nautical Know-How is a great website for a variety of water- related topics. They have a basic take on winterizing your boat that is helpful for novices. Boat USA also is a good resource and even has a winterizing check-list.

OK, now it's confession time. After doing all this research...we decided to leave it to the professionals. Many local marinas and/or boat dealers will come to you and winterize your boat or jet-ski right in your boat house. Can't beat that.

photo © Michael Jastremski for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

The Wild Women of Lake Anna

2006-12-12T12:47:00.000-05:00

Isn't it great when you get a "two-fer"?

For me, that's chocolate chip pancakes (two guilty pleasures rolled into one) and for my daughter it was finding a wonderful book called The Wild Women of Lake Anna. As a book lover (coming from a family of book lovers) finding an enjoyable story set in our favorite place was just too good to pass up.

Author, Linda Salisbury, is a Lake Anna local and has peppered this first in the Baily Fish Adventure series with lots of references that any Lake Anna resident or visitor will recognize. My daughter loved looking up places on the maps and tracking Baily's narrative with her own personal memories of favorite lake locales, like Contrary Creek.

Mrs. Salisbury has been signing copies of the latest in the series (already up to Book 4) throughout the Lake Anna area. Her next signing is Saturday, December 16th at Marshall's Corner in Unionville from 10a-2p.

Now if only I can cram one more thing onto my already ridiculous holiday "to do" list!

Technorati Profile

It's cold and rainy...let's go to the lake!

2006-11-16T12:42:00.000-05:00

I'm looking out my office window and all I see is gray.

Gray skies on gray buildings obscured only slightly by splatters of raindrops on my window pane. Why is it that this same exact rain would be "interesting" if I was watching it fall just outside our lake house windows instead? I need to get to Lake Anna...and soon. The weather will clear this weekend and maybe we can get in a couple of Lake Anna's famously beautiful sunsets...

If you're looking for something to do there are a few holiday type events scheduled over the next few weeks, mostly at local wineries. Lake Anna Buzz is a good place to start if you're looking for something fun.

There's also a popular Bass tournament starting this weekend. The Big Bucks Bass Series: Lake Anna Open Team/Individual Bass Tournaments run Nov. 19 and 26, and Dec. 2. Call 840-6772 for details.

Also in the Lake Anna News category, there is a new commercial development in the planning stages at the junction of Route 3, U.S. 522 and Lover's Lane. Coming from Northern Virginia, we call that the "back way" used frequently to avoid the dreaded I-95. The Freelance Star described the plans this way:

The Planning Commission also gave its blessing to Guinn's Crossing, an eight-acre project at the junction of Route 3, U.S. 522 and Lover's Lane. Part of the old Claude Guinn homeplace, the land being developed by Dr. Khurram Rashid will include a motel, a gas station/convenience store, a bank, a restaurant and an office building when completed.

"This location is a natural for commercial use," attorney Butch
Davies told the commission. He pointed out that Commonwealth Park (a horse show facility) is but a few miles down U.S. 522, which is also much used by LakeAnna traffic. Davies said that, as part of the proffers, the roofs of all the buildings, even the gas pump canopies, will be either hip or gabled so as to be aesthetically pleasing when viewed from the new Library of Congress Audio Visual Center located atop Mount Pony just to the east. Rezoning from residential to commercial is being requested.

Could be interesting...

One of those moments...

2006-11-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

All of the rain last week reminded me of one of my favorite Lake Anna memories. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that was incredible in its simplicity yet something I'll never forget.

We were playing in the lake just outside our boathouse late one afternoon when the wind suddenly started shifting and swirling. You could hear the tree branches starting to rub together in movement and the leaves rustling overhead. Literally within minutes we could seen sheets of rain coming down in the distance, bouncing off the water and moving quickly toward us...all the while we were still swimming in sunlit water.

The clouds came and went so quickly, the whole thing could've been missed so easily. I've often thought just how lucky we were to be in the right place at the right time (isn't that so often true in life?). It was such an incredible experience that it even moved my daughter (8 at the time) to write a poem.

Around the Corner…

In the water we play

We hear the musical sound of water touching water

We hear the wind in the trees

It is raining just around the corner

It is not hard rain but soft

The rain is not on us…but coming closer

Now it is not around the corner but it is moving toward us

We go under the dock while the rain passes over us

To the woods

We still hear it

It’s no longer a musical sound on water but now

A swirling wind on the leaves and trees

We come out…

The rain isn’t around the corner any longer!

Will they or Won't They?

2006-11-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

Just a quick follow up to Dominion Power's plans for a third reactor at North Anna. Greg Edwards at the Richmond Times Dispatch wrote two articles over the weekend.

Saturday's piece is a good overview of the environmental concerns already mentioned here in this blog. Specifically, by Friends of Lake Anna. Here is an excerpt and link:

Photo by Richmond Times Dispatch

Harry Ruth of Friends of Lake Anna says something is just not right at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in Richmond. A department spokesman disagrees. Ruth cited a DEQ superior's recall of a letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency by a lower-level state official. The Oct. 2 letter from Ellie Irons, a DEQ program manager, had sought answers to residents' questions. Ruth said his 2,650-member group is neither anti-nuclear nor against an additional reactor but has health and safety concerns about expansion plans at the North Anna Power Station. The group's questions involve the application of the Clean Water Act to three lagoons used to cool reactor water before it is released back into Lake Anna. They also deal with the extent of discretion allowed the state under federal law in regulating the lagoons.

The second piece highlights the fact that even though Dominion will spend millions on the permitting process, it still hasn't officially said it really plans to build a third reactor. Some say why be so coy?

The company has repeatedly said it is going through the expensive permitting process for a new reactor without a commitment to building it because it wants to keep alive its option to build the reactor. The cost of permitting,though in the millions, is only a fraction of what a mistaken decision to build the plant could cost, company officials say.

Michael Town is the state director for the Sierra Club:

If they definitely think there is a good possibility they will [build], they need to be talking about it in those terms," he said. Considering the time and money already spent, Dominion Virginia Power obviously has some plans for a new reactor at North Anna despite the company's repeated protestations that it has not yet decided to build a reactor, Town said. Town fears that if the public thinks the company is not going to build a plant, people will not get involved.For that reason, he said, the utility needs to be very frank about its true intentions.

Again, I've already confessed to being conflicted on this one. But in this world of saying one thing when you actually mean the opposite, it would be nice to know that if Dominion plans to build a third reactor they'd just say so.

Maybe that's just too naive.

Where Have they Gone?

2006-11-03T13:48:00.000-05:00

One of the great joys of living on Lake Anna has been seeing up close all of the wildlife which live in our Cove. The birdwatching is terrific, especially as we've watched a pair of eagles fish, fly and raise an eglet in the same waters where we fish and swim. The eglet is now almost full size, has his full compliment of black and white feathers and is almost as big as his mother. But that begs the question...where are his parents? We haven't seen them in months and truth be told, we miss them.

We've done some basic sleuthing hoping to solve the mystery. The first stop was the eagles' nests. They have two and could often be found in either of them. On this visit we discovered one of the two massive nests has been destroyed The smaller of the two still remains and we believe the eglet now lives there.

Would the loss of a nest drive the parents to live elsewhere? Not necessarily, according to a number of different sources including Eagles.org.

Still, it appears for now anyway that "Mommy and Daddy" Eagle...as my kids know them (certainly not as creative named as Martha and George, I know) are gone.

We really do hope they come back.

NYTimes Bestseller it's not...but still worth a read

2006-11-01T12:11:00.000-05:00

At the risk of outing myself as a bit of a policy-geek, I stumbled on an interesting work in progress called the "Virginia Outdoors Plan". It's the Department of Conservation and Recreation's 5 year look at our state's wonderful natural resources...the whole shebang...parks, trails, beaches, forests, wildlife habitats, lakes, streams, etc. The 2002 report was about 440 pages long so it's not a light read but for those of us who treasure our woods, water and open spaces there are some interesting tidbits. If you're interested in the Lake Anna area our information will be listed under Region 10-Thomas Jefferson Planning District.

The DCR is currently hearing from Virginians in a series of public hearings before sending the 2007 Outdoors Plan to print. Some of the "fun facts" already included in the draft version include results from a statewide survey on Virginians' most popular outdoor activities.

1st Walking for Pleasure
2nd Visiting Historic Sites
3rd Driving for Pleasure (is that really an outdoors activity?)
4th Swimming
Sunbathing ranks 6th, Fishing 7th and Boating 10th.
Draft VOP, Chapter II. Page 11.

On a more serious note, DCR highlights a number of statewide problems we Lake Anna residents can certainly relate to including; increased runoff/degraded water quality, loss of tree canopy and loss of land for outdoor activities. The Outdoors Plan also recommends more launching and water access for Lake Anna.

Following up on an earlier post, it appears the state is now delaying its decision on a key review of Dominion power's plans for new nuclear reactors at its North Anna plant. The Free-Lance Star has coverage today.

Virginia Wines...they've come a long way, baby

2006-10-30T13:31:00.000-05:00

It's Fall harvest and that means it's the perfect time to take a vineyard or winery tour. Even if you've never visited a winery before (some people worry the tours are too "pretentious" and they'd be uncomfortable with their lack of wine expertise) I highly recommend you take the time. The smaller Virginia vineyards are often mom and pop operations and very visitor friendly. Trust me, you don't have to be a wine-snob to enjoy them! Here are several local events happening this weekend.

November 4-5, 2006 – Horton Vineyards Fall Barrel Tasting gives visitors a chance to taste the ’05 and ’06 wines from the barrel. Of course the fall colors are also peaking in Orange County. $5/person includes glass. Info: 540-832-7440.

November 4-5, 2006 11am to 5pm--Heart of Virginia Wine Trail – Harvest Passport Weekend. Four of Central Virginia's premier wineries, including Cooper Vineyards and Lake Anna Winery will greet visitors. Fee includes glass and tasting. $10.00 per person, member discounts.

Lake Anna winery is celebrating a "Best in Show" award received earlier this month. More proof that Virginia wines may be coming of age.

Call me a cynic...

2006-10-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO, now Dominion Power) began construction of a nuclear power plant near the North Anna River. In 1971, the river was dammed, forming a 9,600-acre lake to provide cooling water for the plant. That's how Lake Anna was created. Now, Dominion Power wants to add two new reactors.

My guess is if you asked most Lake Anna residents their views on nuclear power, you'd get a real mixed bag. I personally have to admit to being a bit conflicted. I have covered, as a journalist, more Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearings over two decades then I care to remember. Being assigned to an NRC hearing was always the assignment from hell. Boring, complicated and the deck always seemed stacked in the utilities favor. In fact, the commissioners seldom had detailed questions and clearly just wanted to move the utilities' request to the next stage (most often, approval). However, that doesn't by definition mean nuclear power is evil, in my opinion. But certainly, not everyone agrees. The Blue Ridge Environment Defense League and Friends of Lake Anna have made impassioned arguments against approval of Dominion's request.

Now there's news this weekend about potential shenigans on the state level (Virginia must make its own review of the Dominion request before the feds ultimately rule). The Virginian-Pilot reports on a letter written by a state environmental quality officer and alleged attempts to squelch it:

The group Friends of Lake Anna has asked Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, Attorney General Bob McDonnell and the inspector general of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to look into how the letter was received, scrapped and now apparently revived.

This is the kind of thing that certainly makes people suspicious. I for one would just like to believe that if we as a nation decide (as we have) that nuclear power is an important part of our national energy mix then everything that can and should be done to make it safe is happening. The cynic in me can't help but wonder if we're meeting even that bare minimum expectation.

Fall at the Lake

2006-10-27T09:13:00.000-04:00

My friends always ask..."Do you get to the Lake much once summer's over?" Unfortunately, the answer is usually "not enough".
But Fall is our favorite time of the year at Lake Anna. The weather isn't so cold that you can't take the boat or the canoe out. Some are still hard-core enough to ski (although, you can't count me in that category).

The colors are absolutely gorgeous reflecting off the calm waters of autumn. Fewer boats, fewer people and the crisp cool nights are to die for. We've taken our past 4 family Christmas pictures at the lake in the fall because it's truly the perfect setting. The kids especially love to hike in the woods this time of the year.

There have been alot of anglers working our Cove lately and the fishing is apparently good. Glenn Briggs is just one of the Lake Anna fishing guides and by the look of his "recent catches" photos there are fish still to be caught!

2006-10-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

Long before I had ever heard of Lake Anna, Virginia, my screensaver was a peaceful lake scene. You've probably seen one just like it...setting sun, reflective waters and trees blowing in the breeze. Never in my wildest dreams (well, OK maybe in my "what would I do if I won the lottery" daydreams) did I believe that some day I would have a view just like my screensaver outside my own window.

In 2000, my husband and I loaded up our young daughter and hit the road on a daytrip from Washington, D.C. We found several "surprises" along the way, Lake Anna being the largest. A few trips later and we took a walk on a lakefront lot (not planning to buy, mind you) and a few hours later we were land owners. Land owners?!?! We didn't know a drainfield from cornfield. We'd never even built a house and certainly didn't know diddly about the unique challenges of building on the waterfront.

That now seems like a long time ago. We can tell you all about septic systems, building on lakeside slopes, wells and beavers (and their fondness for young weeping willows). We've been in our lakefront home for several years and now have an investment condo on Lake Anna, too. We're hooked. Chances are if you've ever visited then you are too.

I suppose that's why I'm blogging. It seems a crime that so many of us in the D.C. and Richmond area who are overscheduled, overstressed and overworked don't even know Virginia's biggest "hidden treasure" is just down the road.