So I have been super busy the last two weeks and have so much to update you on, so this will be the first of three blog updates in the next few days as I am trying to catch up writing everything that I have been doing!
Hike to the River
Recently I found a River on Google maps about 5 miles away from where I live so I decided to hike there and have a look at it. It is amazing because every time I decide I want to go somewhere over here I always suspect that what I fine won't be that exciting and it won't be worth my while but in actual fact what I have found has always been breathtakingly beautiful. The hike was very enjoyable - 10 miles is a nice comfortable distance to walk at a steady pace and the countryside is stunning so it never gets boring. When I arrived at the bridge over the river I was really surprised by the size of the river - it didn't look more than a stream on the map. The water was clear, full of fish and I even saw a fresh water crab, although he hid under a rock before I could take a photo..... I climbed down onto the river bank and was able to sit and eat a picnic on a rock whilst I listened to the gentle bubbling of the river and watched as fish darted around in the water - so tranquil.
Although Middleburg is a tiny town, it is home to a fantastic library that holds one of the largest (if not the largest) collection of historic equine literature and art in the world - you can find out more by following the link below!
The day after the tour of the library, we went to visit Hilltop farm - one of the leading dressage studs in the country, who produce elite horses on a regular basis. All of the interns were excited to go and see their facilities and experience the American Hanoverian Society inspection which was taking place on that day.
After we left Hilltop, we took a short detour into 'downtown' Baltimore. We past through a very industrial area which was interesting to see after being enveloped in rolling hills and forests for several weeks - I had almost forgotten that America was an industrial country! When we arrived in Baltimore, we visited the spectacularly colourful inner harbor, buzzing with life and atmosphere.
Once again I have seen an overwhelming amount of wildlife, some of which I have managed to capture. There are so many butterflies here and I have been trying so hard to get photographs of them but they do not tend to settle very long. However, I caught a few photos of fluttering friends as well as some species without wings....
I will soon be uploading another blog update very soon so keep your eyes peeled! Hope you are all well and enjoying the not-so-typical English summer!
Missing you all,
Charlotte XXXX