New LOVE Sign in Edinburg

Along Stoney Creek Blvd.

“Virginia is for Lovers”

It’s traditional for localities in the state to spotlight local attractions on their LOVE sign. I think the first letter represents a field, the second is obviously the historic mill, followed by birds and ducks. Stoney Creek is known for its ducks, and visitors to the mill enjoy watching them.

Ruby Throated Hummingbirds

My birdfeeder camera captured some hummingbird images this week. These are ruby-throated hummingbirds, but only the male has the brilliant red throat. The female, however, is slightly larger.

The male appears to beat his wings constantly, and even on the videos, he is usually blurred.

Dayton Sunflowers

Along West Mosby Road

Yesterday morning I had an appointment in Harrisonburg, and afterward I drove out to see a sunflower field in nearby Dayton. It’s not the biggest one I’ve seen, but it’s bright and cheerful, as flowers tend to be.

Silver Lake Farm Mural

Dayton, VA

When I saw a picture of this mural, I made a note to find it. The address was not listed, but I was able to figure it out using a search engine and online map.

Mosaic Monday / Murals

The artist is Laura Thompson, and she also painted the mural at White Oak Lavender Farm.  

Across Silver Lake Road is a LOVE sign.

I have shown Silver Lake before, but here are some more views.

Small Things on a Quiet Sunday

In Our Front Yard

I noticed the shadows that the weigela made on the brick wall and started to take a picture of it when my dog moved into the frame. I wonder if he’s going to try to get into all my posts now that I let him take over Saturday posts. Perhaps he thinks he’s an influencer now!

We didn’t go anywhere off our block today. I tried to get a picture of a fancy butterfly, but all I got was this little skipper.

Saturday Critters with Charlie

Ahroo! Charlie here, bringing you a beagle report. We’ll start off with a filtered picture of me at the state park

Picsart Haze Effect

We cross the Shenandoah River to get to the park.

I checked under the picnic table to see if anything was dropped there. You never know what you might find.

Let’s see, what else did I do this week? I spent some time at the daycare. Mom brought me a new toy. It’s name is Marty and she said it’s a robot. 

Do you like horses? My mom likes to take pictures of them. She said these have masks to keep bugs out of their eyes.

She also takes pictures of butterflies. She takes a lot of pictures.

I spent some time at Sadie's house. Here she is with Mom. 

And that’s enough. I’m going to bed.

Ranger with a Fiddle

 Middletown, VA

Today I went to a talk on “Music and the Civil War” at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. In addition to the discussion, there was music so the audience could hear actual songs that the soldiers sang. This ranger’s fiddle playing and singing was accompanied by Ranger Chris playing rhythm on”bones,” which were two pieces of hickory. He was skilled at clacking them like castanets. 

Coming soon: The 110th Birthday of our National Park Service on August 25. Admission is free on that day. Actually, admission to the Cedar Creek Battlefield is always free, except for tours of the Belle Grove Manor House. Nearby Shenandoah National Park usually charges per vehicle, so a free day is a great benefit for visitors who don’t have an annual pass.

Dark Clouds, Silver Lake

Dayton, VA

This afternoon, dark clouds signaled that rain was coming, but it didn’t start until tonight. So far, it hasn’t amounted to much.

Birds and Alternate Versions

When I was leaving the place that I showed in yesterday’s post, I noticed this tall tree with crows perched on the upper branches. I snapped a few pictures, so below is an alternate shot, which I cropped for a closer look.

Next we see a bird that I noticed when I was walking Charlie. It was singing, and was shaped like a robin, but I wasn’t positive until I cropped and lightened an alternate picture. I usually try to take two pictures of a subject in case one of them is blurred. This also gives me an extra shot for experimenting.

Views and Flowers at Purple Fox Vineyard

Near Harrisonburg

Yesterday I had an appointment near Rockingham Memorial Hospital, and afterwards I stopped here to decompress, eat a protein bar, and take a few pictures.

Oops! I wrote Purple Fox and it’s actually Purple Wolf!