Walking in the Shadow of DeKalb

Baron Johann DeKalb was a Bavarian born French Officer who was killed led Maryland and Delaware troops during the Battle of Camden during the American Revolutionary War. He was a well regarded officer, and due to the nature of that regard he has a number of cities, towns, roads, and municipal buildings named after him. Today I walked in his shadow.

The Shadow of DeKalb

DeKalb has a monument to his leadership erected on the grounds of the State House in Annapolis, MD, and today as I was walking through in the afternoon, I noticed for the first time the shadow of the monument silhouetted on the Maryland Statehouse wall.

Today was a really good day for noticing my surroundings in spite of (or because of perhaps) the brittle coldness that lasted throughout the day. The sky was clear and the sun was out, but it didn't really make a dent in the arm of the arctic vortex which has reached south to envelop the countryside for the first time this winter. Ice has begun to form in the creeks, and I suspect that the severn river is not too far behind.

Severn River

It's a bit tough to tell in this photo, but this morning, ice cicles were beginning to form on the pilings and lower deck structure of these piers at the mouth of College Creek on the Severn River.

Severn River Ice

Throughout the day, the north wind continued to zephyr down the river, and the ice that started earlier can be clearly seen making some headway on the bottom of the pier extending into the river.

Another thing that I've never noted before but was perfectly clear today was the the "heat" waves shimmering over the Chesapeake Bay.

Heat Waves over the Chesapeake

At first blush, I did not expect to see "heat" waves on a day like today, but on further reflection I'm forced to admit that the relatively warm air rising up from the water in the bitterly cold morning air will move in the same manner as the superheated air coming off the road in a summer desert.  It's the upward thermal that causes the shimmering view of the horizon at a distance, and the same effect was certainly prevalent across the reach of the Chesapeake today.

I find all of these small things that I see during these walks quite fascinating compared to spending a perfectly good, if cold, afternoon watching television.  I'm grateful for my health and my initial escape fantasy that's led me down this tangible and real path of discovery.