White Tail, Green Tie

Deer at Dickey Ridge, Skyline Drive

We saw a herd of deer yesterday in Shenandoah National Park. Some of the deer were wearing iPhones! Okay, not really. 

The green tag has a number and the deer wears a small transmitter. She's part of a tracking program designed to reveal the travel habits of the park's deer so that strategies can be put in place to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease. So far this serious illness has not reached the park, but it has been reported in a nearby state.

This isn't the first time I've seen one of the tagged deer. I saw one last summer while walking on a trail not far from this location on Dickey Ridge.

"Nice collar! Where'd you get it?"

Linking to: Nature Notes

and Camera Critters

Lavender Sunday Sky

Massanutten Mountains Viewed from the Blue Ridge

Yesterday we drove to Sperryville and came back via Skyline Drive. Even though the trees are still bare, we got some nice photos. The sky cooperated by showing off some pretty clouds.

Linking to: Sunlit Sunday

and Catching the Light

Potted Flowers Profusion

We saw these colorful plants at a craft show. Student were selling them to raise money for a trip.

Linking to: Today's Flowers

The Largest Woodpecker to Visit Our Yard

A pileated woodpecker stayed on the suet feeder long enough for me to get a picture. I used the zoom feature from inside a window. These handsome birds tend to be shy.

The striped background is the product of shadows cast on the snow by a fence.

See a previous post about the pileated woodpecker.

Linking to: Saturday Critters

and Bird D'Pot

Abstract with Orange and Yellow

I was attracted by the colors and texture in a "found" object so I took a photo of it. When I enlarged it in Photoshop, I saw an eye so I cropped it to show you. But I also saved a copy of the full frame, below.

Still can't tell what it is? That's the fun of it!

Linking to: Orange You Glad It's Friday

Winter View Near Bentonville

Daughter of the Stars Drive

We're in the Shenandoah Valley here with the Blue Ridge Mountains in front of us. Skyline Drive is up there, in Shenandoah National Park.

Linking to: Skywatch Friday

Elephant Appreciation?

Seen in Harrisonburg, VA

Linking to: Signs, Signs

and Little Things Thursday

Valley View in Winter

Here we are looking down from Valley View Drive on the outskirts of Front Royal. The South Fork of the Shenandoah is masked by trees just past the snow-covered floodplain.

Linking to: Look Up, Look Down

Winter Landscape with Horses

Winter Landscape, Shenandoah Valley

There's a church northwest of Woodstock that offers some great views. Here we see some horses grazing in a snowy field.

Related Posts:

• Views at Mt. Zion Church
• Hill on Fairview Road

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Linking to: Rurality Blog Hop

and Outdoor Wednesday

 

Little Chickadee

Linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday

and Black and White Wednesday

and Wordless Wednesday

The Most Welcome Sights in a Snowstorm

I feel a little anxious when the roads are blocked by snow or ice. What if there's an emergency?

So I welcome the sight of a snowplow. I'm grateful to these workers who put in long hours clearing our roads.

Linking to: Our World Tuesday

It's Still Winter!

We had snow again today, around 6 inches. It followed a night of rain which turned to sleet, so the roads were treacherous this morning. We did not attempt to go anywhere.

It's pretty though! I spent part of the day watching birds from the comfort of our living room. I'm very fortunate to have a lake view so I can watch the ducks and geese float past.

Linking to: Nature Notes

Artz Mill

Along Artz Road, Woodstock, VA

I took these pictures in November when the grass was still green. (Soon it will be again!)

These ruins remain of a grist mill built in 1830. Some call it Artz Mill but I've seen it called Stonewall Mill. It's inside one of the deep U-shaped bends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah.

Linking to: Catching the Light

Church in the Dale

Dry Run Christian Church, 8398 Fort Valley Road

This charming church is in "the Fort," a narrow valley in the Massanutten Mountains, which in turn are within the Shenandoah Valley. We took this picture about a week ago.

I knew I'd shared photos of this church before so just now I used the search button and found that I posted Dry Run Church a year ago to the day!

Linking to: InSPIREd Sunday

and Sunlit Sunday

Lone Crow

I took these pictures while the snow was still on the ground. Now that it's finally gone, some more is supposed to come on Sunday night. I'm tired of it.

I have to admit that another crow had been nearby but flew off before I composed these photos, so this fellow wasn't really alone.

Since these images were almost black and white, I took out the color in Photoshop, except for the third one. I cropped it instead.

Linking to: Camera Critters

and The Bird D'pot

and Black and White Weekend

One Foot Up

Geese in Sepia Tones

Like many birds, a goose often stand on one foot while resting. Some people say this allows them to rest one leg, but others say they do it to conserve body heat.

Linking to: Saturday Critters
and Sepia Saturday