A Sparrow and a Meme

It's been a slow week for taking bird photos. By the time I raise the camera or phone, the bird is gone. I did take some pictures of a cardinal through the window, but they were blurry. My birdcam took a video of a squirrel and a few of the lawn guy and the handyman, plus way too many of me and Charlie. 

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago.

 Here’s a meme from the Internet.

Blandy’s Golden Grove

Boyce, VA

Ginkgo leaves have turned yellow at Blandy Experimental Farm, a research station for the University of Virginia. Blandy is also home to the State Arboretum.

When I first started coming to see this golden wonder in 2014, it was uncrowded and practically unknown. In recent years, it has become locally famous, probably due to glorious photos on social media. Even on a weekday, it’s crowded. Most people park a quarter mile away and walk through the Arboretum, but there is adjacent parking for people with mobility challenges, or even pushing baby strollers.

These photos are from yesterday. I picked up Frank, leaving Charlie with Deborah since she had things to do and seemed quite willing to exchange her brother for my dog, at least for the afternoon. We found that the leaves were almost totally yellow, but there are still small traces of green. Many people were there and most were taking pictures. Some folks were dressed up to have their pictures taken in this little patch of paradise.

These children are picking up leaves in order to toss them in the air, just as their dad clicked the shutter. It took a couple of tries, but they finally followed the script perfectly!

Mural Celebrates Reading and Imagination

This beautiful mural overlooks the children’s splash pad on the Winchester Walking Mall. It was completed in June 2026.

 If we look closely at the lower left corner, we see the names of the artists: Annelise [Vuono] and Jill Savory. They call it Igniting Imagination, and it’s 2,020 square feet on a concrete wall.  

 

A two-block section of Loudoun Street became Virginia’s first pedestrian mall in 1974. The idea was to bring shoppers back to the downtown area by blocking off traffic. The mall is popular with pedestrians and tourists, and supports a number of restaurants. I don’t know how well the other shops have done, as even enclosed shopping malls have lost business to discount superstores and Internet shopping. 

Views of the Walking Mall

Mosaic Monday / Murals

Theme Day: Happy

City Daily Photo Monthly Theme Day

The word “Happy” sounded like an easy theme, and my first thought was a smile. But a smile is not always a sign of happiness, and personally, I can fake a smile easily. So I thought I’d take a deeper look at what makes me happy.

I wouldn’t describe myself as a “happy person,” but rather as optimistic and resilient. I’m not unhappy, and I enjoy many things, so I can’t complain.

One thing that makes me happy is being with family. Here’s a picture of my daughters (with Charlie) from last November. It would be nice if I had a recent picture that included my sister and brother, but it’s been years since we all got together. I see my sister several times a year, and I talk to my brother, but we haven’t all been together in a really long time. 

I believe in bringing joy into my life, while at the same time living in accordance with my values. In a way that’s my definition of success. Well, at first you have to survive, so that’s the first rule of success. But western society has accepted an unfortunate definition of success as having material wealth or fame. Yet we all know money cannot buy happiness. 

Indulge in music or art, or whatever brings you joy as long as it’s harmless. Life is short.

A Beagle’s Halloween

It’s Charlie with your weekly critter report, but most of the critters are strange, except for me and one of my friends. There are pumpkins everywhere because it’s Halloween.

This is me in a pretend bat costume drawn by a chatbot.

I was hoping we would go to the park today, but instead we went downtown so Mom could take Halloween pictures.

We went in a store that allows dogs to come in.

My friend Stella was there. Miss Tillie gave us treats.

Then we drove to Eagle Street to look at decorations.

After we got home and I ate my dinner, strange people started coming to the door. I howled until I saw they were mostly children who wanted candy.

Late October in Basye

We used to live in Basye, specifically in Bryce Resort. It’s beautiful there in the mountains, but not convenient if you have doctor appointments in winter weather. I remember wondering if we were going to make it home on the icy roads!

On a nice day like today, it’s a pleasant drive. The golf course looked green, as usual.

I saw this character at a shop called Smiley’s, and used portrait mode to take his picture. (More below.)

I drove to the other side of Lake Laura to take pictures from the boat ramp.

Here’s a regular snapshot of the pirate character at Smiley’s. I think he sailed in for Halloween.

Leafing in Shenandoah National Park

Dickey Ridge to Pass Mountain

Today I had a one o’clock appointment in Front Royal, so afterward I checked out the fall colors in Shenandoah National Park. (It is literally within walking distance of the town, but it’s mountainous so I drove.) I knew I barely had time to drive the length of the northern section and still get back on time to pick up Charlie from daycare, so I didn’t stop at many overlooks. I know that section fairly well because I go there often. I enjoyed the drive.

I ate my lunch at Dickey Ridge and made it a point to stop at Low Gap to photograph the tall golden trees.

Time was passing quickly, so I only made brief stops after that. The weather was mild, and the sunshine was glorious.

The yellow leaves are at their peak of color. Many of the reds are muted this year, probably because of the drought.

The park is extremely popular in autumn, so it’s best to go on a weekday. If you must go on a weekend, get there early because the traffic gets heavy in the northern section before noon. Today was Thursday so I only had to sit in line about 15 minutes to get in. On Saturday, it could take hours. I hear the southern entrances are not as busy. 

Oh, and get your pass ahead of time. Expect lines at the restrooms and parking problems at the overlooks and visitor centers. Pack a picnic and snacks including water. Don’t expect an internet connection up there. 

Blue jay and Vultures

The newest update to my iPad features the ability to make a still photo from a video. Unfortunately, I need two right hands to do it! It’s actually simpler for me to use my old method of pausing the video and saying, “Siri, make a screenshot.” 

But here’s an image I got using the new method. The bird cam filmed the blue jay taking a drink.

In other news, I posted some photos of vultures on a Facebook group. They are shots from my archives.

Some people considered vultures to be creepy but I appreciate them for the cleanup work that they do and their ability to soar on the winds.