Gordonsville

On our trip to Skyline Drive we had driven through a quaint looking town called Gordonsville. So, for a day out alone, Francine and I thought we’d go and investigate. Our return route could take us by Lake Anna which, though very large being a dammed lake, had many smallish sidearms that could prove interesting.

IMG-20241103-WA0003PXL_20241101_161531665We found street parking and abandoned ship to wander up and down the main street; there really was just one street which suits me fine. At the end was a BBQ shack which could have been interesting but our attention was drawn to the Well Hung Vineyard restaurant. We had passed this establishment on the way up the main drag. It was:

Founded in 2008 by three women who recognized the value of a good joke and a great glass of wine …

It hadn’t looked very active at first but now we saw that there was a small marquee on the side which clearly was active. We couldn’t resist and went in.

IMG-20241103-WA0002The menu presented us with a relatively easy choice; Blackened Shrimp Cobb Salad was on offer and we both chose the same thing. The glass of wine was similarly easy since their list contained a Viognier, which is our favourite white grape. The “cobb salad” wasn’t quite what we expected, being composed of mixed leaves but, with the addition of egg, tomatoes, guacamole, bacon and cucumber as well, of course, the spicy blackened shrimp, it hit the spot.

While we digested our lunch we drove off towards Lake Anna. We found a boat ramp with parking which had some vegetation at the margins so we pulled in to investigate.

Ischnura posita (Fragile Forktail)Ischnura verticalis (Eastern Forktail)Bingo! We soon spotted some dragonfly activity in the sunshine. The dragonfly was the same that we’d found a few days earlier but, as a couple turned up to launch a boat also intent on enjoying the sunshine, we found a couple of damselflies both of which were new to me. Both were cousins of our own Common Blue Damselfy (Ischnura elegans). With the help of iNaturalist, I later managed to identify these as the Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) and, with the broken antehumeral stripes, the delightful Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita). The Ischnura genus damselflies are known as Forktails in the States.

Happy camper again.

Posted in 2024 USA