Thoughts on "Peaks of Otter" Visit

By D. J. Mathews

In honor of a milestone anniversary in August, we decided to try out "Peaks of Otter," along the renown Blueridge Parkway in Virginia.

It was about 90 minutes from our home in Virginia, so not a bad drive. It has a lodge there, scenic Abbott Lake, and behind it, scenic Sharp Top peak, which "does" come to a point. And, of course, wildlife.

We arrived before our room was ready at the Peaks of Otter Lodge, so we took up residence in these wooden Adirondack chairs. While resting there, gazing out on the lake, a couple sitting nearby who said they were from Lexington pointed out a hawk flying over the water. It was brownish, yet I couldn't tell which kind exactly. It wasn't exactly a great vantage point in which to look for fish in the murky green water. Maybe it was looking for a nearby rodent to scoop up, or a fish splashing in the lake.

I actually read online a hawk can see clearly 100 feet away, with 20/4 or 20/5 vision (compared to our 20/20 eyesight). They have many cone photo receptors and a great field of vision. Again, it's gotta be hard to see something in murky water.

Perhaps it was looking for that beaver the spouse spied in the lake. I understand beavers can't see that well far away, but actually do better underwater with their clear "third" eye. And that flat, rubbery looking tail is NOT for building lodges and dams but for splashing in the water, supposedly to warn others if a predator is neaby. And it helps with swimming around, as a rudder. This one wasn't necessarily building anything, so maybe it "also" was on vacation.

While sitting in my Adirondack chair that seemed to lean backwards, I felt a big "buzz" by my right leg. Was this some bee after me? I stood up and then I saw on the ground two cicadas, the noisy bugs that go "whirrrr-rearrrr" in the summer, together, end to end, doing bug sex.

I only heard a little bit of buzzing after that. I think each one had broken a wing. Sorry -- I thought you could be a hornet! My hope was that maybe the female was not badly injured and could crawl to a nearby tree to deposit her eggs on a tree shoot or in a crevice. You know, for the "next" generation of cicadas.

While there we had a few generous meals at the lodge (the prices were a bit more than you'd expect), walked around Abbott Lake, hiked to the nearby falls (not so easy), and took a bus trip partly up a special road close to the top of Sharp Top Peak. But we only went far enough to get a shot of "Flat Top," across from Sharp Top, then the bus driver generously drove us back down after a few pics.

The Lodge also had musical entertainment near the bar, a family rec room, gift shop, and snacks you could buy. But no cell phone service, no private internet, entertainment on TV from satellites. Well, it "is" out of the way on this almost private state parkway, you know?