2017 LakeTalk October 2017 | Page 13

 With an abundant amount of rainfall this spring and summer, and warm sunny days with cool nights in late summer/early fall we may experience brilliant autumn foliage here in Lake Linganore. According to a USDA Forest Service publication “…certain colors are characteristic of particular species. Oaks turn red, brown or russet; hickories, golden bronze; yellow poplar, golden yellow; dogwood, purplish red; and beech, light tan. Maples differ species by species— red maple turn brilliant scarlet; sugar maple, orange-red; and black maple, glowing yellow. Leaves of some species such as the elms simply shrivel up and fall, exhibiting little color other than drab brown.” All of these trees can be found in the Lake Linganore woods or along the lake shoreline, as well as sweet gum (deep crimson), sassafras (bright yellow or orange), sycamore (drab grey-brown), ash (drab grey) and others. Get out on any of the trails in the community and treat yourself to a delightful display of autumn colors. The Trailblazers Committee meets once a month (on the 2nd Saturday at 9:00 am) to perform light maintenance work on many of the trails. Throughout the month several members walk the trails, monitoring their conditions and noting any maintenance or repair issues that need to be addressed. If the needed repair work is beyond the scope of work the committee is comfortable performing it is reported/turned over to the LLA maintenance staff. When you are out on the trails if you notice any repair/maintenance issues (fallen trees, etc.) or damage to trail structures (bridges, signs, etc.) please report them either to the Trailblazers Committee (LLATrailblazers@g.mail) or the LLA office. We do not monitor/check the various community Facebook or Nextdoor social network accounts so it is better to contact us through the Trailblazers gmail account (it is usually checked on a daily basis), or to contact the LLA office to ensure that the issue is known about and can then be resolved. Thank you. ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SWIM SEASON The Lake Linganore Dolphins Swim Team would like to send out a big thank you to the community for allowing us to host our summer swim team at Summerfield Pool for yet another fun-filled season. Our 160 swimmers improved their skills and times while having fun and making friends and memories in the process. Thank you also to all of the coaches, coaches-in-training, and parent volunteers who helped make this possible. It is the support and understanding of many that keeps us afloat. The 2017 Dolphins were 0-3 in the regular season but came on strong at the end, finishing in second place at the division championship meet at Hood College on July 22. Furthermore, nearly 50 Dolphins went on to qualify for the FSSL All Star Meet—the fourth most in a league of 14 teams. We hope to see you at the pool next season—planning for the 2018 team is already underway! For more information on the Dolphins, please visit www.lakelinganoredolphins.com. LakeTalk October 2017 13