A View of Mount Carmel Cemetery

This cemetery stands on a hill overlooking Middletown, VA.

It was the site of Civil War clash in October 1864, during the Battle of Cedar Creek. At that time, this was the Middletown Cemetery. It became Mount Carmel Cemetery in 1896. An interpretive sign provides a summary of the action here:

The Middletown Cemetery, on a knoll west of the village, was the only point where Union officers believed they could establish a strong position and attempt to slow the Confederate advance. They hoped to halt the momentum that had propelled the Southern troops since the beginning of their surprise attack. From this high ground General George Getty's division, approximately 2,500 strong, repulsed two Confederate assaults. Frustrated, General Jubal Early massed nearly 30 cannon near the Heater House and along Valley Pike (ahead of you and to the left). 

The 30-minute cannonade, along with a third Confederate attack that threatened to turn the Union right, finally forced Getty to order a withdrawal.

Link: National Park Service page with illustrations.

Second Look

 Weekend Reflection 

I just took a second look at this snapshot I took a month ago and realized it almost looks like the dog is taking a picture! 

Woodbine Market at 20 Years

Near Lebanon Church, VA

This farm market sits along Route 55 (John Marshall Highway) north of Strasburg. When I stopped there today, I saw a sign saying they are celebrating their 20 year anniversary. 

It’s on one of the main roads that connects the Shenandoah Valley with West Virginia. Years ago, West Virginia decided to replace Route 55 with a superhighway known as Corridor H, and a significant part of it has been completed in West Virginia. Connecting it with interstate 81 in Virginia would benefit some businesses in West Virginia, but it would not particularly benefit commerce in Virginia. So the superhighway still ends across the mountain in Wardensville, WV.

The mountain, by the way, is a rugged one that separates the two states. Here’s a view as seen from Perry, West Virginia. I suspect the rock formation is Big Schloss. This outcropping of quartzite and sandstone along the crest of Great North Mountain is a popular hiking destination. I’ve seen a lot of these formations along the mountains of West Virginia. (Geology buffs have probably figured out that these rocks did not erode like softer rocks that were once around them.)

I hear the views are great from up there. I regret that I did not make that hike when I was younger and more able, but that was a long time ago.

Red Cardinal Plus a Butterfly

My bird camera doesn’t capture many birds in the summer because I don’t feed them. I do furnish water though, and sometimes they visit the birdbath for it.

This is a male northern cardinal. It was captured on video, but I prefer to publish still shots. I tried a couple of apps that are supposed to grab stills from video, but found them complicated. I went back to pausing the action to capture screenshots on my iPad. Then I cropped them in the Photos app. 

 

The cardinal happened to visit in the rain, which makes the images even less sharp than video images usually are. To make up for this, I’m republishing a favorite picture of a cardinal from several years ago. This was taken in early spring after a late snowfall.

This butterfly visited my garden on Friday. I think it is a silvery checkerspot. It is considered rare in the northeastern states, but not uncommon in Virginia. 

Lake Shenandoah on a Sunny August day.

Yesterday, Rockingham County

Originally I had two medical appointments near Harrisonburg, but yesterday morning I got a call saying one of them had to be rescheduled. Unfortunately, the first availability is in October. We have a real shortage of medical providers right now, and often I have to wait several months for an appointment.

After my morning appointment, I drove to nearby Lake Shenandoah. Water level is down due to storm damage near the dam.

I took a few pictures of water lilies, and then crossed the parking lot to the Pollinator Trail. It was too hot to walk very far, and the sun was so bright that I couldn’t see the image on the screen of my phone, so I snapped pictures and straightened the crooked ones later.

Mural No Longer There

This mural used to be on South Street in Front Royal. Painted in 2019, it disappeared a few years ago and is now a plain wall.

Monday Murals

I don’t why it was replaced, but the building was for sale or rent at the time. Perhaps the seller felt that a blank slate would attract more buyers. 

The street is busy route that carries tourist traffic to Shenandoah National Park. Frankly, South Street is not very attractive, with the sort of unplanned commercial sprawl that we see so often along heavily traveled routes. It’s a shame because there are some very charming streets a few blocks away, but tourists don’t see them unless they seek them out. Merchants in the historic part of town have expressed concern that visitors don’t know their shops exist. Not long ago, news videos showed King Charles and Camilla  visiting the historic Main Street, and many viewers were surprised at how nice it looked! 

So here’s a tip: When you travel through an old town, check out the historic district. It has more personality than a row of service stations and drive-in restaurants!

More Pictures from a Busy Week

Over the past week, I took a lot of pictures because my sister was visiting. We went to Shenandoah National Park twice, once from the Thornton Gap entrance and the next day from the Front Royal entrance. Then on Thursday, we had a picnic with Lynn before going to the Quilt Museum. 

These are various pictures, mostly from SNP. 

In the visitor center at Dickey Ridge, I found the plaque from King Charles’ visit.

Sharing with Mosaics

A Busy Beagle Week

A Report from Charlie

My week started out rainy. We need the rain, but I don’t like getting wet. On Sunday, we went to Seven Bends State Park when the rain went away for a little while. We did not stay long because the rain was coming back again.

On Monday, we went outside and I saw my friend Tripod. 

Late that afternoon, my Aunt Peggy came to visit! The next day, we went to the National Forest for a walk, and then we went to the mountains. 

I got to walk on the Appalachian Trail! 

I could smell some animals. We saw deer along Skyline Drive.

That reminds me, Mom wants me to show critters for Eileen’s blog hop. Here’s a bug on a leaf.

Aunt Peggy left on Friday. I miss her because we had good times. 

Today Mom took me to the dog park in Mount Jackson. We saw cows along a back road.

There were no other dogs playing. I did meet a white dog when we first got out of the car, but he was leaving to go home, so we had to say goodbye. 

So long!

Boat Landing with Bicycle

 Front Royal

This is next to Eastham Park on the South Fork of the Shenandoah. 

New Market Picnic and Silver Lake Mill

Today Peggy and I met Lynn for a picnic lunch. There’s a sign about the Civil War Battle of New Market because this was the place where Confederate General Breckinridge launched the first attack of the battle.

After a leisurely lunch and conversation, I drove Peggy to Silver Lake in Dayton.

The Virginia Quilt Museum is there, and I wanted to see the exhibit, "250 Quilts Commemorating the Commonwealth of Virginia." These are contemporary quilts, and they are fabulous!