Community Corner

Weird Virginia: Principal Kisses Pig, Goose Starts Brush Fire, Baby Born on Road and Feeling Strongly About Fish

Plus, a car on the W&OD trail and weirdness abounds in Virginia this week.

Editor's Note: In case you missed it Saturday, here's our most recent Weird Virginia. Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and D.C., and not a day goes by that something weird isn't happening in at least one of them. Here's a look back at some weird goings on last week.

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A goose, a pig, drinking games and a baby born in an unusual place top this week's weird Virginia news.

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A brush fire shut down Route 7 in Vienna/Tysons Corner. It was later determined the culprit was.... a goose!

A goose flew into an electrical wire near Leesburg Pike and Gallows Road on Thursday, causing it to fall across Route 7 and start the small brush fire that shut down eastbound lanes near Gallows Road.

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Over in Chantilly, a pig was the star of the day at Poplar Tree Elementary.

Principal Sharon Smith Williams will do anything it takes to get her students to read more — including kiss a pig.

As part of a program called "Pig Out on Reading," Williams promised the students that if they read 5,000 books in just over a month, she would kiss a pig. Inspired by the popular children's book, "Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig," Williams enlisted the help of Farmer Minor, who travels with his pig Daisy and two pug dogs to schools around the country for similar events.

Baby Noelle was not due until April 4, but she decided to make a surprise entrance on Monday — on the Dulles Toll Road in morning rush hour traffic.

A Leesburg couple was heading to Reston Hospital Center about 7 a.m. Monday but baby could wait no more. She showed up on the shoulder near Route 28, just in time for an ambulance to take mom and baby to the hospital. Everyone is fine — and they apologize if they made you late for work.

Speaking of cars, a motorist in Vienna apparently thought the W&OD Trail is also a highway.

In a YouTube video, reposted by Vienna's Spokes Etc., a local bicyclist with a handlebar camera comes upon a black sedan, idling in the middle of a trail also being used by bicyclists and runners.

In Georgetown, people apparently feel very strongly about their Whole Foods.

There are 37 — and counting — posts on a neighborhood listserv about the the new floor plan at the Glover Park Whole Foods.

Whole Foods recently added express lane check out, similar to what you would find at the Foggy Bottom and P Street locations.

The original poster wrote:

"There is a large dead space in the middle of the check outs and now one must go down to the 'cafe' and stand in line to go towards checkouts in either direction. So now we have two way traffic in a narrow space and its a mess and a safety hazard. A little girl got mowed down by a cart and was screaming her head off the other day."

Also, they are not crazy about the staff, either. Said one poster: "On Monday night, the new guy was super surly and gruff when I asked him if Arctic char was related to salmon. He huffed at me and practically threw the fish packet at me."

In Alexandria, a mom has started a new business — the Cozywoggle.

What is the Cozywogggle, you ask? 

Cherlyn Jenkins has invented a new car seat cover that acts like a puffy winter jacket but does not interfere with car seat straps.

She says some parents don’t realize the danger in putting children in car seats while wearing their big, puffy winter coats. When in a car crash, air can be forced out of winter jackets and children can slip out of their car seat and be ejected

St. Patrick's Day was done up in style over in Herndon, where bartenders at Carpool Set Up a 50-Shot Trick.

Drinks fell like dominoes. And don't try this at home.

Weird Virginia Rewind:


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