Recent Ponderings
West Virginia Summer: A fleeting evening in Photos
I’m not so sure what’s special about these photos on their own. What I am sure about is that, together, they capture the essence of a late West Virginia summer. Something that starts with plucking the embellishments for dinner from the garden. That ends with the sky on fire. But not until after its softly…
Keep reading
Playlist: Asheville, NC (A week long interlude)
If life goes in cycles, every September my entire being finds its way making a stretch to North Carolina. A stone throw of comfort away from my homeland; just far enough to feel lofty and new in my brain all week and put on a playlist that gets me there. Enjoy.
Keep reading
Beginner Bikepacking: The C&O Canal, harpers Ferry to D.C.
Once you get a gravel bike — and a whole world of routes and good fun enters your world — it’s a quick and slippery slope into exploring bikepacking. Lucky for me, I currently call D.C. home, and one of the most confident-inspiring bikepacking routes ends (or begins) right in my theoretical backyard: The C&O…
Keep reading
National Association of State Foresters’s 2023 Photo Fellow (D.C. Forestry)
Had some great fun learning about beetles, urban wood waste uses to improve communities, and some other forestry projects as National Association of State Foresters Photo Fellow last month (a very big thank you for the opportunity)! I followed foresters in the Washington, D.C. Urban Forestry Division capturing some pretty darn cool things (for someone who…
Keep reading
Playlist: Cycling #1
Hop on the bike and ride. Sometimes I like to listen to what’s around me on the cycle, most of the time I like to have a go-to playlist or two. If you’re the latter description check out Cycling #1.
Keep reading
The Southeast’s Protected Cave Network
I know a thing or two about caves growing up in southern West Virginia. We used to walk high between the river bank and rock ledges when we played in the woods growing up, spelunking for coal fossils. Any trip to any good state park included some nice rocks to squeeze between or climb up.…
Keep readingSomething went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
About Sara Lea
I’ve spent some time a moving river across the Atlantic, above the Mason-Dixon, and beyond the Mississippi, but my Appalachian roots always bring me perspective and peace.
I started seeing a river as less of needing to keep moving and more of being able to shape what’s around it. I used to have a Southern chip on my shoulder until I realized it did way more good to embrace it and share it in the right ways.
Subscribe to My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Sara L. Cottle 