Wildflowers along the Drive.

Shenandoah National Park.

Gimlet Ridge Overlook.

Today's photos are from a recent visit to Shenandoah National Park.

Sharing with: 

• Friday Flowers
• Skywatch
• Garden Affair
• Friday Bliss

Things I Saw Near Woodstock

Shenandoah County, Virginia

Signs crowned with honeysuckle, Lupton Road.

I went there last week for the first outdoor meeting of Friends of Seven Bends State Park. I took this group photo using the panorama feature on my cell phone. If you look closely, you may notice that the camera gave Ranger Megan an extra arm! 

The river is the North Fork of the Shenandoah, which is adjacent to the park.

Here are some wild daisies to rest your eyes before you look at the next picture. 

I certainly did a double take the first time I saw that falling ladder. I wonder if someone made that display for April Fools Day and decided to leave it up. The sign on the building is for a lawn care business. 

The final photo is a bright stuffed animal in a second-hand store. 

Sharing with Little Things Thursday and Signs 2.

Goldfinch in June

• Wild Bird Wednesday
• My Corner of the World
• Wordless Wednesday

Westmoreland Courthouse

Montross is a small town but it is the county seat of Westmoreland County, Virginia. Nearby is George Washington's birthplace and Stratford Hall, once home to the Lee family.  Let's view the courthouse and a historical marker in front of it. 

A courthouse was first built in the town in 1667. The town was simply called Westmoreland Courthouse until 1752. An Irish merchant had opened a store near the courthouse and the town got the name Montross after his native town in Ireland.

"At a public meeting here, on June 22, 1774, resolutions of Richard Henry Lee offering aid to Boston, whose port had been closed by the British government, were adopted. Here, on May 23, 1775, the Westmoreland Committee on Safety passed resolutions denouncing the Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, for seizing the colony’s powder supply at Williamsburg."

Tuesday Treasures / Our World Tuesday

Mount Holly Post Office

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

And not far from there...

Mural with Deer and Turkeys

 The town of Montross is now known for murals. While Frank was conducting business there last week, I walked through town and took pictures of these large paintings, which I will share in a series of Monday posts, starting with this one. I could not get a straight-on shot because a tree would have blocked half the painting.

Here is a collage of wild animals in the mural.  Deer and wild turkeys are plentiful in Virginia and have learned to live near people. 

Mosaic Monday / Murals 

St. John's Church in King George, Virginia

King George is the name of a town as well as a county in eastern Virginia. They were named in colonial times for George I of England. 

Inspired Sunday

This church was built in 1843. It is situated along King's Highway, State Route 3.

A detailed history of St. John's Church is on the Hanover Parish website. During the Civil War, the church closed in 1862 when the pastor resigned. He was from the North and did not choose to serve after the "Protestant Episcopal Church of the Confederate States" was formed.

 

Our Lake and Our National Park.

Today's birds are residents of our community lake. 

Weekend Reflection / Bird D'Pot / Saturday's Critters

I saw ducks on my way home yesterday. The late afternoon light was pretty. 

The great blue heron was standing in the water when I went out a few hours earlier. 

The goslings are growing up. They don't look like their parents yet but they aren't babies anymore. 

After I did my errands in Front Royal yesterday, I drove up into Shenandoah National Park because it is right there, calling me to go up on the mountain. It did not disappoint.

I saw a bear but by the time I got my camera turned on, he had turned to disappear into the woods. 

I saw several deer and one of them stood still and posed nicely. I also saw a beautiful fawn but he ran away quickly.

A Quick Trip to the Northern Neck

We spent Monday night at the Holiday Inn in Tappahannock. The hotel was okay but the beds were too tall. I actually had to request a step stool!

Black and White Weekend

We were in that area to go to settlement on a house that Frank bought about 20 years ago. We rented it out, then lived there briefly, and rented it out again.

The community there has a nice beach on the lower Potomac River. When we went back to the beach on Tuesday, we found that the old boardwalk and pier were gone except for the supports. I imagine a storm took away the rest. 

Skywatch Friday

The tenant purchased the house. She loves the view, the birds, and the quiet.

While Frank signed papers in the settlement office, I walked around Montross. There are some great murals, which I'll share starting Monday. The day was pretty but warm and I got a bit overheated.

Friday Bliss / Flowers / Garden Affair

A Glimpse of Caledon State Park

On Monday we drove to Virginia's Northern Neck, a region between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. Frank had a real estate settlement there on Tuesday and I felt the least stressful plan was to spend the night.

On the way back, I made a detour to visit Caledon State Park. I'd never visited this park and wanted to take a look. It is known as bald eagle habitat, but we did not see any eagles. 

Caledon Plantation was established in 1659. 

I drove to the picnic area where I ate my protein-bar lunch and walked around. Frank had a doughnut left from breakfast.

 Next to the flag pole is a monument to the memory of Percy "Buddy" Fines, one of the founders of an event for disabled veteran hunters. Note the carving of a wild turkey.

Near there is the entrance to the Natural Play Area for children. I walked down the steps to document the features since a play space is being developed at our local park and ideas are welcome. 

Signs 2 / My Corner of the World.

I liked the simplicity of a game on a tree stump. I saw two music-makers: bamboo poles suspended from a rope for percussion, and cowbells on ropes. 
 

There is a free library but it is closed for the pandemic. 

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Wordless / Wild Bird Wednesday

Traveling Again.

 The June theme for City Daily Photo is “When I can travel again.” 

We have actually taken two road trips since Covid restrictions were eased here. We are fully vaccinated so it didn’t feel risky. Our first trip was to visit family members in Pittsburgh and the second trip was a brief business trip, which was early this week. That was an overnight trip to complete a sale of property that Frank has owned for a long time. I’ll post more pictures in the coming days.

 We ate carry-out food and the people we were in contact with were either fully vaccinated or masked. This is a picture of the hotel lobby.