Mason Neck, VA (USA)

[I had a chance to do some errands today (things I've been putting off) - as much as I cringe to think about heading to the store on Christmas Eve, I didn't know when I'd get another chance... - Mollie came with me to Walmart, the drycleaners and gas station (free cookies after our fill-up!) and the Base Class Six (for adult concoctions to celebrate the holidays) - after all my errands were complete, I took Mollie over towards Mason Neck, where I hoped we could tour Gunston Hall (decorated for Christmas) - unfortunately, we arrived five minutes before they closed for the day (earlier than usual, but understandable) - decided to drive to the nearby National Wildlife Refuge - we took a hike, looking for evidence of eagles and ospreys - we didn't see those, but we did find a marsh with TONS of tundra swans and various other waterfowl - what a sight! - we had a great hike (complete with some "off-roading") and got the bonus of snow flurries as we were finishing! - since it got too cold to do much else, we drove into the State Park and took a look at their offerings (planning for the Spring!) - after that, we headed home and joined the rest of the family in preparations for Christmas!]