July 16, 2014 - Government Island Park

This is only tangentially related to fishing.  I visited Government Island Park in Stafford County.  Government Island is so named because it was the source of sandstone used for construction of the White House and other government buildings in the nation's capital.  It also happens to be an island, although according to one of the information placards, it's actually a peninsula with marsh/wetlands between the "island" proper, and the mainland.  Given seemingly inevitable global warming and resulting sea level change that we might one day expect, they might have to revise this at some point.

Launch of watercraft is forbidden at this park, according to a signpost, so even though the trail abuts Austin Run, a tributary to Aquia creek, no go on putting my canoe in here.

Of course, some tattooed probable-felons were fishing in the creek with bobbers and worms, another prohibited activity.  Maybe I shouldn't concern myself so much with the legalities of launching a boat and just do it.  Although now I can't feign ignorance if I did launch watercraft here because of this post.  So much for my promising future as a hardened criminal mastermind.  

Alright, enough with the bullshit/insight.

After you walk across the boardwalk, there is a trail that approximately circumnavigates the island.  One of the first notable things you see is an area where slabs of stone were cut.  There is a sign that describes the stone cutting process.

 I'm assuming that this is a 20" trench:

 Here is a boundary marker for some property, as evidenced by the "RS" chiseled into the stone.  There was a information placard for this as well, but the picture didn't turn out.

 A picture of Aquia Creek:

As I made my way around the loop, I saw a turtle in the distance that looked strange.  What's this crazy turtle doing?  What's wrong with him?

Evidently, what's wrong with him is that he's a female laying a clutch of eggs.

As discreetly as possible, I filmed the turtle.  The film is pretty anti-climactic.  In retrospect, I should have watched until the end, but at the time I felt like I was imposing as it was and wanted to leave the turtle alone.



Too bad I only had my phone, which, as I've remarked before, makes a shitty camera.

Anyway, no putting a boat in here.