Ghostly Storefront

Winchester, VA

Halloween seems to get bigger each year. People start decorating early and elaborately. 

These ghosts look pretty friendly.

Skywatch, Cedar Creek Battlefield

Middletown, VA

This is one of the first sections of Cedar Creek Battlefield that was preserved, and the core area where the annual reenactment will take place this weekend. The Heater House is on the far right. 

Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s…

Prelude to Autumn’s Symphony

We're seeing traces of autumn colors here in Virginia, but we haven’t had a frost yet and flowers are still blooming.

Yesterday I stopped at a farm stand and noticed how pretty the scenery looked.

Today I ran errands and couldn’t resist checking out the color in Shenandoah National Park. Leaves are starting to change, but it’s not enough to get excited about. I’ve heard that it’s a different story in West Virginia, where autumn foliage is at its peak in the high mountains. 

A Community Mural in Harrisonburg

On Hill Street

Although this is not the format that I usually associate with a mural, the people who created it call it a community mural. It has two sides and is framed like a sign. 

A year ago, members of the Northeast Harrisonburg community were invited to participate in creating the mural. The swimming scene is a reminder that the predominantly Black community had a segregated pool back before public facilities were integrated in Virginia.

Monday Murals

On the other side we see references to neighborhood history. I looked up the Ebony Players, and found that they were a musical group in the mid-20th century. Their individual names were not mentioned in articles that have been found so far, so that must be why the faces are left blank.  

The mural is located next to the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project building. 

In Honor of America’s Indigenous People

Indigenous Peoples Day was created in response to the Columbus Day Holiday, partly in protest against the European treatment of Native Americans, and also in recognition of the history and cultures of those tribes that were here long before 1492.

Today’s photos are from old posts, starting with an event called The Gathering in Berryville. 

Growing up in Virginia, I heard a lot about the native people who lived here long before colonial settlements. My community was named Tauxemont after a Doeg village on John Smith’s 1608 map. He spelled it Tauxenent. 

Many descendants of these first Americans still live in Virginia, some on reservations, but most are fully integrated into American life. My daughters have Native American blood through their father’s great-grandmother. 

The next picture is from living history at Jamestown, and the collage below it is from a Monacan exhibit at Natural Bridge.

Mosaic Monday

Charlie’s Ordinary Week

Hi, it's Charlie! I don't have any big news this week, But still, I had a pretty good time.

Here I am at Edinburg Town Park. They have lots of tall trees to sniff. Here’s an artsy picture of me.

(Asked ChatGPT to do this.)

We saw some sheep outside of town. 

There were cows too.

There was a bug on my window, but it went away.

Today I visited Sadie. We had a good time, but I got tired.

Nap time!

Not Wind Chimes

 I’m not sure what this thing is, but I’ve seen it at a couple of gas stations.

It occurred to me that I could ask Google Lens. It responded with this nonsense: “Black metal cylindrical wind chimes with deep resonant tubes.” 

My guess is that it’s some kind of pressure release system for the underground tanks. Judges?

I took that picture on the way to Harrisonburg for a medical appointment. As I mentioned the other day, I had nerve conduction testing. The doctor told me the results would be posted on “My Chart,” their online portal. I checked several times, but I was looking at the “Test Results” tab. Finally, I found a report under “Notes.”  It’s technical, but apparently I have peripheral neuropathy, at least on the right leg. I’ll talk to my doctor about it next week. 

I don’t have the tingling that I associate with neuropathy. My main symptoms are balance problems and occasional dizziness. The step tracker on my phone keeps telling me that my walking steadiness is low. Since I know my doctor is going to ask again if I am using a cane, I practiced using it today. It feels awkward to me, but I know she will remind me that I need to minimize the danger of falling.

The second photo is from the reception area in a medical office. There are glass windows separating  patients from the receptionists. This has become standard since the Covid pandemic. Windows and mountains are reflected on the glass.

Speaking of Covid, I got the latest vaccine yesterday. My shoulder is sore from it, but that’s okay. 

Key Observation Post

Signal Knob

This Civil War Trails interpretive sign overlooks the North Fork in Strasburg Town Park. It describes the significance of Signal Knob during campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley, and even tells you where to go if you want to hike up to the peak (knob). 

I find it interesting that they could communicate with distant signal stations using signal flags, lanterns, and telescopes. A Confederate General described the view in 1864: “What a splendid sight was before me....The vision was limited by the Blue Ridge on the right, the Alleghenies on the left...like a narrow ditch the Shenandoah wound its way through the plain at the foot of the mountain toward the Blue Ridge....The Valley Pike like a white ribbon lay along the center, the country roads looked like foot-paths, the woods looked like little parks, and the fields looked like little gardens....”

You can read the rest of the sign on Historical Marker Database. I have posted pictures of Signal Knob many times, especially when I lived where I had a view of it from the other side. 

Here’s how it looks from the entrance to the Town Park. 

Signal Knob is at the northern end of the Massanutten Range. 

Unreal Birding

Wild Bird Wednesday

I didn't photograph any birds this week, except for an undistinguished one on a wire, plus this metal bird on top of my feeder pole. I like to think it's a bluebird because of its shape.

I did see a good-looking hawk on a tree branch, but I was driving and could not safely pull over. I found a similar scene in my files, but the hawk looked blurred. I used an app to sharpen it, but I don’t know if it’s totally true to reality. Therefore, I added a label to show that it’s modified.