Taking Peggy to the Mountains

My sister said she misses the mountains, so of course we went to Shenandoah National Park. 

Here she is at Dickey Ridge. I liked the pose so much I switched to “Portrait mode” and stepped closer.

We went in the Visitor Center so she could buy a postcard and were lucky enough to catch a screening of a film about the CCC. Then we looked at the exhibits, plus we caught part of a ranger talk.

Models of birds include a ruffed grouse, a screech owl, and a falcon.

I did not get pictures of real birds except for one flying in the distance. I think it was a crow.

I was delighted to see a monarch butterfly.

As usual, I took too many pictures for one post, so I’ll close with a trio of wildflowers. 

Sharing with Mosaic and Bird Linkups

With Peggy in the National Forest

My sister arrived for a visit yesterday. This morning we took Charlie to the Lion's Tale Trail.

Sharing with Wordless / Travel Tuesday

Journey to Freedom Mural

Leesburg, VA 

This mural is on the side of the Loudoun Museum. It honors unsung African American heroes of Loudoun County.

The adjacent sign starts out: "The Journey to Freedom mural vividly dramatizes the self-emancipation of enslaved individuals and the bravery of those who risked everything to help them. It highlights the courage and compassion of those involved in the Underground Railroad, transcending history to represent broader humanitarian themes of freedom, justice and allyship. While Harriet Tubman remains the iconic face of the Underground Railroad and and Freedom Seekers Movement, this masterful mural of remembrance highlights local Leesburg heroes like Bazil Newman and rev. Leonard Grimes, who played key roles in aiding the escape of African Americans from slavery in Loudoun County. This mural also commemorates the daring 1855 Christmas Eve escape of Frank Wanzer and five other enslaved individuals who escaped slavery from neighboring plantations, risking their lives for a chance for freedom."

You can read the entire text on the Historical Marker Database. 

Sharing with Monday Murals.

New and Old in Middletown

 Frederick County, VA

After I read that the replica train station in Middletown is now under roof, I decided to drive by and see it. The building is new construction, not a restoration, but it will look like the town’s old train station

on the outside. The interior has been redesigned.

The station will be both a tourist attraction and home to a model railroad. A local model railroad club once had an extensive setup in a former train depot in Winchester, but they lost their lease when that building was sold in 2018. They began looking for a new location, and eventually struck a deal with nearby Middletown. The town owned the land and the club raised funds to build the station.

After pausing to take pictures, I followed the road out of town and wound up on Minebank Road, where I saw this old building with a new barn quilt and new door.

Grumpy Beagle and More

Hi, Charlie here! Sometimes I wake up grumpy. I don’t stay that way; it’s just a waking up thing.

 I like taking walks, especially when Miss Deborah brings Sadie. But I don’t like leaving my mom. She should come with us! 
 

I don’t have pictures of a lot of different animals to show you today. Here’s a robin. We hear birds all the time, but most of them are hiding up in the trees.

I saw Tripod a couple times, but he didn’t come close enough for a picture. One time he was under our deck in the shade and he wouldn’t come out at all. Another time he was sitting on his own porch and didn’t want to come play. Mom made a pretend picture of a yellow cat like him.

On Monday, I had to stay at day boarding. Here’s a friend bringing me out when Mom came to take me home. Usually I walk out, but I like being picked up.

We went to Riley Park twice this week. The first time we just went to the picnic area and we didn’t stay long because a storm was coming. The next time we went to the playground area.

I visited Sadie a couple of times this week.

Today Mom put up a new garden flag. The squirrel is different from the squirrels in our yard. They are gray.

I will close with a picture of me in my mom’s hat.

Purple Blooms

For CDP Theme: Purple

The butterfly bush is native to China, but widely planted here for the bright blossoms that attract butterflies. The only butterflies I’ve been able to photograph this summer are skippers. I did see a pretty swallowtail yesterday, but it flew away before I could get close to it.

The August theme for City Daily Photo is “Purple,” and I did not have to go far to find purple flowers, because they are blooming in my neighbor’s yard. I had some purple petunias a month ago, but they faded away in the heat. 

Another neighbor has lavender contrasting beautifully with yellow coneflowers.

Moms at the Playground

 Riley Park

Shortly after I took this picture, they were joined by a couple of children, and they all left together.

I think this pair may be mother and daughter.

Storm Front

The weather reporters were warning that a violent storm was coming. I could see it in the distance.

We had wind and could hear thunder. Then we got a few minutes of rain, and that was it.

This was on Tuesday. We had a similar brush with a storm a few days before that. We could use more rain.
 

Cardinal and Lanternfly

This Northern Cardinal appeared in my yard and I grabbed a picture with my cell phone. I hoped to get a clearer shot but it flew away.

I’m pleased that I accidentally caught it in flight.

There’s a connection between the cardinal and the spotted lanternfly. Cardinals are among the birds that have been seen eating spotted lanternflies, an invasive insect that is considered a pest. 

Links: Birds eat Spotted Lanternflies

Wild Bird Wednesday

Pretty Dog, Fuzzy Bee

When I went to the ophthalmologist earlier this month, I was greeted by his dog, Annie. She’s a gracious hostess who will share her toys with you.

My left eye has recovered from cataract surgery. It took almost two years, and the doctor agrees that I don’t need to have the other cataract removed from the right eye yet.  I think my left eye reacted to the surgery because it is odd anyway, for it is “tonic,” that is, the pupil stays large, even in bright light. The term for this is Holmes-Adies syndrome, and it showed up in my fifth decade. The doctor said I could start using pilocarpine eye drops again to shrink the pupil when I’m going to be in bright sunlight. They give me a temporary headache, but it’s preferable to the pain of light in an enlarged pupil. 

While I was waiting for my appointment, I took a picture of this toy bee that’s on top of a partition. My guess is that one of Dr. Viti’s patients gave it to him because he is also a beekeeper who raises honey.

University Mural in Walmart

Harrisonburg, VA

Today I walked into the Walmart in Harrisonburg and saw this mural at the entrance. It features the “diverse community of students“ of James Madison University and Duke Dog, the mascot. The artist is Cris Clapp Logan.

Walmart has a Community Murals Program and I’ve documented some of them before, including one in the store in the west side of Harrisonburg. 

There are actually two dogs in this mural, so let’s take a closer look.

Monday Murals