Snowy Views from Skyline Drive

 Shenandoah National Park

Yesterday I had a dental appointment in Front Royal. Afterwards, I checked to see if Skyline Drive was open. The National Park website said it was still closed due to snow and ice. I went to several stores and then had lunch. As I was leaving Wendy's, a text came through saying that Skyline Drive had just reopened from Front Royal to Swift Run. All right! Fifteen minutes later I was at the entrance station.

Two other cars arrived at the same time. The park ranger commented that it looked like we all got the message. He checked my pass and handed me the winter newsletter.

It was already 3 o’clock, so not many other people showed up. I didn’t have much time because I needed to get back to Woodstock by five to pick up Charlie from day boarding. I set my phone to remind me to leave at four.

The visitors center at Dickey Ridge is closed for winter. I noticed that the roof replacement has not been finished. No doubt there have been many days that workers could not even get there due to the weather. Skyline Drive is mostly a recreational road, so it does not get plowed as quickly as commuter routes, plus storms tend be severe up there in the mountains. There are usually branches and trees down on the road after a storm. 

Skywatch

View Toward High Knob and Remount Road

I only drove as far as Gooney Manor Overlook, but I felt satisfied. 

I turned around and headed back toward Front  Royal. I passed deer on Dickey Ridge and took quite a few pictures. I’ll share more of them later, probably on Saturday. 

Geese at Chapman Landing

Yesterday I posted views from Chapman Landing Road. Today’s pictures are from the point where that road crosses the North Fork of the Shenandoah.

I saw some Canada geese swimming in the channel near the bridge, one of the places that was not covered with ice. 

Snowy Views from Chapman Landing Road

 Edinburg, VA

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday 

Dancers Mural

 Berkeley Springs, WV

Monday Murals

This mural is in the Ice House Gallery. I saw it back in the fall.  

It reminds me of a painting by Picasso. 

Oh, someone pointed out that it looks like a Matisse and I agree!

Theme: Double

Two Trees on Chestnut Ridge

Today’s theme for City Daily Photo is “Double.” These trees stand above the parking lot on Turner Ashby Lane, Harrisonburg  I stopped there for a few minutes after an appointment on Friday. 

There is a small park there, a forested memorial to Turner Ashby, a confederate general who was killed there in 1862.

Shadow Shot / Mosaic

Snowy Week with Charlie

Hi! Charlie the Beagle here! It’s been cold here all week. Our walks outside have been very short because it’s cold and snowy and slippery. All the good smells are gone out there. 

We didn’t go anywhere on Sunday. On Monday, we waited for a man to clear our driveway and then we went to a store and bought some pet-safe melting stuff. The store had some good smells because they allow dogs to go there and they sell dog food. 

A few times this week I got to go to Sadie’s house to play with her and eat her dog biscuits.
 

One day we went into town. As soon as we got out of the car, I could tell that there was a place where dogs went. I showed Mom where to go. The lady who lives across the street was there! Her little dogs were there too. One of them doesn’t like me and barks every time she sees me.

They had all sorts of stuff and the money they get helps other pets. We didn’t stay very long, but it was nice to see Miss Tillie. She says I am sweet.

I don’t really have other animals to show you because they are all staying out of the cold somewhere. There were some birds on our deck, though.

A Cold Saturday at Court Square

 Street Scenes this Morning

Like many American towns, Woodstock has seen frequent political demonstrations over the past year. Protests have been held every Saturday and many Wednesdays. Today the event moved from the bridge over the interstate to Court Square because the sidewalks on the bridge are still covered with the icy snow that the highway department calls “snowcrete” because it is so hard to break. 

On a third corner, the Democrats were joined by Lincoln Republicans, which I assume refers to Lincoln Project beliefs, a group that defends Republican values from pre-Trump times. 

Love Letters On the Snow

 Seven Bends State Park

The park’s LOVE sign was made from timbers that came from a barn that stood here when the property was a farm. The shadows are well defined on the ice-covered snow. 

I shared a photo of the barn in 2018. Two years later, the new park was open to the public, although the ribbon cutting ceremony came later due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19 at public events.

Crossing the North Fork on a Snowy Day

Today was the first day this week that I took Charlie to a park. It’s been cold and some of the back roads still have icy patches. The road down to the river was even narrower than usual because the plows had piled snow along the edges. 

Fortunately, we didn’t meet another vehicle on Lupton Road. There was no room to pull over to pass.

There is ice on the North Fork of the Shenandoah, but the main channel is flowing. 

Seven Bends State Park was almost deserted, although there were staff members working around the barn. The parking lots had been cleared, but trails were still covered with icy hard snow. Temperatures have remained below freezing. We did not attempt to take a walk. 

I turned around and drove back across the low water bridge. I was glad to have gotten some pictures of the river, and I think we were both glad to get out of the house.

Snow Day Sparrow and Cardinals

 While snow was coming down on Sunday, these birds braved the weather to visit my feeder.

Song Sparrow

Cardinals

The female cardinal appeared many more times than the male, and probably more than all the other birds put together. Here we see her with her mouth full.

There’s Ice and there’s Snow…

And it's too darn cold!

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday