If you're reading this, well, thanks for coming over, even though I have been posting infrequently. My own back-to-school resolution is to maintain 3-5 posts/week. Wish me luck, things have been piling up lately!
Speaking of being of "piling up" (cheesy segueway alert!), here are some shots I took on a run yesterday near the Air Force Memorial in Arlington.
Locals probably recognize the memorial immediately, as it's visible from DC and the Potomac. It's also within the first and last mile of most of my runs. It's also - as you can see, at the crest of a very large hill. A great spot for firework viewing, it's also a little brutal to climb after a long run, and there's a good chance I end up walking some of it. In any case, I know this stretch of land quite well.
Which was why I was so fascinated with the recent storm damage that occurred there. You see the way the ground sheared off in the top photo? I'd say the ground dropped about 24-30" -- a very small landslide. From there, the soil, beneath the turf, slowly migrated downhill, rippling the turf like a buckled carpet.
In the shot above, you can see how the guardrail bows out a little from the pressure of the soil. It also reaches the top of the guardrail, piling up to a height of around 30". We've all seen evidence of the power of water lately (I was on a site in Vermont last week doing damage assessment -- I wish I could share those pics), but I thought I'd share this small example.
Extremes like too much heat and heavy rainfall can damage the integrity of the turf and grass. This is the reason why I have a synthetic grass installed on my front yard as a main material for my landscape.
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