A Box Turtle from Our Yard

Here we see Justin holding a box turtle. As you can see, it's much smaller than the snapping turtle that Austin showed us. Frank painted a yellow spot on it's shell so that he will see it when he mows the grass and not run over it.

People Pics from Labor Day Weekend

Although our weekend guests left on Monday, I still have some photos left to post. Here are a few of them, starting with a "sisters" snapshot of Kate and Allison. You can click on a picture to see a larger version. Feel free to download it if you're a family member.

Iron Artifacts

Frank's grandsons brought a metal detector with them so he could look for treasures in the yard with them. Their finds appear to be old hardware from a building. Perhaps there was a barn on the property at one time. When we first moved in, we found part of a large wooden door, and Frank's sister found some bricks in the yard.

Dogs in their Beds

In the first photo we see Flash in the bed he inherited from Guppy. I put a new mattress on it and he liked it immediately. Next we see Benny napping. He got a short haircut when we were in Pennsylvania last month and I think it looks good.

New Table at our Window

The peace lily looked pretty in front of our window but I wanted a small table and chair there so I could sip tea and look at the lake. We finally found a set at Rose's — nothing fancy but I think it's cute. [See below.]

Frank and Kate

Previous Peace Lily Pictures

Before and After Fishing

It was great that Frank's grandsons could fish in the lake. Unfortunately, the bank is slippery with muck! Austin wound up muddy but his step-dad cleaned him off with a garden hose.

Pool Play

Justin Reaches for the Beach Ball

Boys in a Boat

Justin and Austin Fishing

Turtle by the Tail

Frank's grandsons arrived late this morning and by mid-afternoon they had caught some fish, played in the pool, and rescued this snapping turtle from a neighbor boy who was poking it with a stick. Austin brought the turtle to show us and then released it at the lake.

Bird Haven Featured

Doorway to Old Workshop

Funny how things happen together. Just four days ago I posted Bird Haven Revisited and got a response from a reader saying that the property had been purchased by some people who were fixing it up to run as a tourist farm. Then today I picked up the September edition of the Mountain Courier and saw the lead article is Bird Haven Revitalized and a photo of a young family who are managing a new farm on the property.

Bird Haven was purchased by Tom and Leslie Carr of the D.C. area. They hired local farmer Jordan Green to manage the farm in a way that replicates his own environmentally sustainable farm.

The article also gives some of Bird Haven's history and has a picture of some of the crafts made there. A sidebar features an excerpt from Paul Hannah's 1929 article about the crafts center entitled "The Shenandoah Community Workers." If you are interested in reading Hannah's article in it's entirety, you can find it reproduced in "Shenandoah County Geography Supplement" which is sold at the Mt. Jackson Museum. That booklet was originally published by the Shenandoah County School Board in 1931 and was reprinted in 2007 by the museum.

Links: Living in Mt. Jackson, VA

Mountain Courier email

Cape Henlopen 2000

This pictures are from 12 years ago when we visited Cape Henlopen in Delaware. We were younger then (of course).

I came across these photos as JPEGs but unfortunately they are small. Still, I think you can see that Cape Henlopen is a lovely place.

Link: Cape Henlopen State Park

FCW on Picnic Table

Sandy Beach Plus...

We haven't been to the beach this year but I've been thinking about it lately. After all, summer will be over very soon and I'd like to visit Chincoteague and Assateague again.

I don't know who Angie is, but her design in the sand reminds us that all our works are temporary. No doubt the tide washed this away within a few hours.

I liked the determined way this bird was marching across the beach at Assateague.

See all my Assateague Island posts.

The Docent

In Winchester, VA

Right after I took this picture I was told that photography is not allowed inside this building. With that in mind, I have cropped out the furnishings.

Bird Haven Revisited

I came across pictures I took at Bird Haven two years ago. Back then we had a connection with the owners of the property so we were able to look at the old buildings, although this house was the only one we could safely enter. The others could only be photographed from the outside.
From time to time I get an email about Bird Haven because I mentioned it on my blog before. I don't know if it was ever sold; it was in foreclosure at one point. Anyway, I want to put these out there for posterity.
	Taken through the windshield

Once an Arts and Crafts Center

Seen through the Door

Bird Haven is near Bryce Resort in western Shenandoah County.

Previous Posts: Historic Bird Haven for Sale, 2010

Timberville, Bird Haven and the WPA

Ben Sleeping

Our cocker spaniel looks sleek with his short haircut. He doesn't like being groomed so we let him go a long time between haircuts, but it does make housekeeping easier. When his coat is long, I find dog hair in dust-bunny clumps all over the place.

Battlefield Under Construction

Fisher's Hill Battlefield

Fisher's Hill is just south of Strasburg, Virginia. Right now the park is closed but I could not find any information on the web about what is going on. I assume that some improvements are being made to prepare for the 150th anniversary of the battle in 2014. I have read that a new trail will be built to connect this battlefield to the one at Cedar Creek.

My 1996 pictures of a tour of this site are posted on Civil War Field Trips - Fisher's Hill.

Small Clouds Floating

Mt. Jackson, VA

Peggy at the Pool

My sister came over Saturday and we enjoyed the swimming pool. Fortunately it was a sunny day.

Another View of the Lake

Seen from Our Yard

The fountain adds oxygen to the lake. That's the Massanutten Range on the horizon.

Path Through High Grass

Frank found it impossible to keep our spare lot mowed so he just cuts paths through it.