Small Wonders of Summer.

Yesterday I posted pictures of Shenandoah National Park and here's one more. I love seeing fawns; they are so cute! 

Saturday's Critters / I'd Rather Be Birdin'

The brown thrasher and the dragonfly were both in my back yard by the lake.

Next we have some pollinators, a small butterfly and then some wasp-type insects on some flowers. 

The final photo shows a house sparrow perched on our deck.

Great American Outdoors

This week the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law. It will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and bring much need maintenance to our national parks. 

So let's visit Shenandoah National Park, since it is near to my home and close to my heart. 

Sharing with Friday Bliss and Black and White Weekend.

I love this park for its beautiful mountain scenery, the wonderfully engineered Skyline Drive, the wildlife, the trails, and the smiling people.

Weekend Reflections. Three young men were posing for a girl taking a picture. They are doing the classic "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" poses. I just discovered that the three monkeys meme dates back to a Shinto shrine in 17th century Japan!

Skywatch Friday. The views of the sky from the overlooks are often spectacular. I like driving up there on half-rainy days to watch the clouds change. 

A Little Inspiration.

When I saw Lynn last week, she not only modeled the cute mask I showed on Monday but she also wore this one: Stronger Everyday. It has the pink ribbon supporting the fight against breast cancer.

And her shirt says, "Not Today!" Rosa Parks, 1955. 

Next we see a fence with a hand-lettered sign on it: "Every next level of your life will demand a different you!!!" 

Here's a license plate that I liked. No doubt the owner is pleased to be out of debt. 

In closing, I hope that you're taking time for some recreation. This young man is fishing in a park near Stephens City.

I'm not a fishing enthusiast, but I certainly enjoy getting outdoors. 

A Bird in a Tree

Wild Bird Wednesday in My Corner of the World. 

I think the first two are blackbirds. The third is a crow and the last one is a cardinal.

Outdoor Sculpture in Leesburg.

Tuesday Treasures / Wordless.
 

Charm Random-osity

The Good, the Random, and the Fun.

The Good: We were in Leesburg yesterday so I searched out a mural. "Discover Charm" turned out to be facing a parking lot on Liberty Street. It was created by graphic design agency Sagetopia in 2017.

The Random: Some cute birds are nesting in a little house on our deck. They are shy little wrens but if I sit still I can get a picture.

Mosaic Monday.

The Fun: Lynn has a cute mask that made me laugh! We met for lunch on Friday, staying the recommended six feet apart.

It feels odd having to stay that far from my daughter but at least I got to see her. My other daughter is too far away right now, and so is my sister. I wonder when travel will feel safe again.

Providence Baptist Church

Orlean, Virginia

Inspired Sunday. This pretty white church is on Leeds Manor Road. I noticed some coneflowers by the entrance.

Theme: City People

Themes for the monthly City Daily Photo linkup are decided a long time in advance and “City People” did not seem like a difficult theme at the time. But then the pandemic hit and people are discouraged from gathering in groups. Businesses closed their doors.  We find ourselves in a different and  rather lonely world.

Since I didn't have any current photos on this topic,  I went into Front Royal to take some pictures. The main street is now blocked off on weekends so that restaurants can use the sidewalks as café space. Indoor seating is allowed but only at limited capacity. Unfortunately rain was approaching so only a few people were dining outdoors.

I took a number of pictures using my cell phone, having left my camera in the car because it might make people uncomfortable. I decided to use the image of the woman on a bench as my theme picture because is represents the behavior of many of us during this time of social distancing: she is using her phone to stay connected and her pet is her companion.

Barricade keeps traffic off Main Street.

A band attracted a small audience.

On another street, I stopped behind a cyclist at a traffic light. His vest reads "Lone Wolf. No Club." 

The Final Willy Nilly Friday

Tom is discontinuing the Willy Nilly linkup, so I'm not sure what my Fridays will look like here. Well, let's get started with today's post.

1. Skywatch and Fences: This scene was this afternoon shortly after the rain left. The location is New Market along the Valley Pike. In the distance we see the 54th Pennsylvania Monument. 

Civil War monuments have become controversial lately, and some of them are clearly out-of-place or inappropriate for various reasons. This one is correctly placed in regards to an actual event, and does not represent an enslaver, so it is not a symbol of racism. The only criticism I can see is that it is elevated on a high pedestal as though it might be an object of worship. There are still churches that teach that "graven images" are forbidden in the Ten Commandments, which is technically correct. Still, I'm fond of this one, although if this battlefield were as littered with statues as are Gettysburg and Antietam, I would not like it much. 

2. Black and White: Same place, different view. I was attracted to the angles and rhythms of the split rail fence.

3. Floral Friday / Friday Bliss: Many of our plants are looking wilted but we watered the potted plants on the deck so they are mostly surviving. 

July was hotter than usual but I read that it was 125° F  in Baghdad this week, so I cannot complain. Now a hurricane is threatening eastern Florida so we could get a storm in a few days.

4. The red daylilies aren't in my yard. I saw them in Winchester a few weeks ago. 

5. Weekend Reflection: These people had just launched their boat at Sleeter Lake near Round Hill. 

6. I learned that I can search a webpage for a word on my iPad, since CTRL+F isn't available there. A search option is under the Share choices. Apparently this works on iPhones too, but I rarely use my phone for research that’s any heavier than asking Siri a question.

Have a good weekend! 

Signs: Love, Food, and Beliefs.

In Front Royal

 

A Dubious Offer.

Signs 2.
 

The natural foods store tells us masks are required and it's not political. They want to stay in business. In Virginia, stores are supposed to offer masks to customers and deny service to people who refuse to wear one. 

I still see people stubbornly shopping without masks. This is especially prevalent in cheaper stores. 
 
Meanwhile, a church in Opequon comments on the heat wave.

 

Bumper Sticker.

  

We haven't eaten in a steak house since before the pandemic, so we decided to order take-away from Outback. We scouted out a place to eat it before we picked it up, a picnic shelter in Stephens City. It was nice to have a carry-out meal that wasn't fast food.