White Goslings

The baby white geese have lost their yellow color and are now white.  They still don't venture too far from their parents and their aunts continue to keep an eye on them.

The geese do not belong to anyone; in fact, they think they own the entire neighborhood. They visit various yards in search of food and spend plenty of time enjoying the lake at the community's entrance.  Apparently they eat grass but there is so much grass around here that they don't make a dent in it.

Linking to: The Bird D'Pot

and Catching the Light

A Rainbow in Riverton

Riverton UMC

 This is the same rainbow I shared the other day seen from a different location. We had just passed through a heavy storm and crossed a bridge out of Front Royal. The construction trailer on the left is being used in a huge bridge-rebuilding project.

Both of these churches are in Riverton, a small community located between the two forks of the Shenandoah River just before they join together.

Linking to: Inspired Sunday

Sleeping Dog

Linking to:

 

Balloons Over Woodstock

There's a hot air balloon tour company which regularly lands the balloons near Woodstock (Virginia).   I've taken pictures of them before but didn't get around to posting them. 

Linking to: Skywatch Friday

and Weekend No Rules

Window Iris

Linking to: Orange You Glad It's Friday

Beyond the Wire Fence

These rural scenes are near Woodstock, Virginia. I thank fellow Shenandoah photographer Nancy Shrum for letting me know about this peaceful location on Moose Road.

Linking to: Good Fences

and Rurality Blog Hop

Sign of the Arches

Yellow Arches, Rainbow Arches

Linking to: Signs, Signs

and Wednesday Around the World

and Almost Wordless Wednesday

Coming Ashore

Geese at Shenandoah River Lakes

The goslings and their parents are Canada Geese, descended from wild geese who now live at the lake year-round. They are accompanied by Gray Geese, who are descended from domestic geese but now live away from the farm on the community lake. 

Linking to: Nature Notes

and Our World Tuesday

and The Bird D'Pot

Macro With Red Background

Macro photography used to mean that images were photographed with a special macro lens that enabled you to keep the subject in focus at close distances. With all the advances in digital photography, many lenses are all-in-one and you can shoot close-up with your regular camera. So now we call just about any close-up picture a macro shot.

The first picture here may not make much sense but I think the next one can be deciphered because it show the edge of the bowl.

Linking to: I Heart Macro
and Macro Monday 2

A Few Family Pictures

Since Sunday is a great time to get together with loved ones, I thought I'd post a few recent snapshots of family members, starting with one of me and Lynn and ending with one of my spouse.

Linking to: Sunday in My City

and No Rules Weekend

Allison and Dave on Father's Day

Peggy, Me, and Bill

Frank

Daylilies with White Garage

I saw these while waiting for Frank at a bank in Front Royal.  (Yes, he still does some banking in person. So old-fashioned!)

Daylilies thrive in Virginia, although sometimes deer eat the flowers.

Linking to: Today's Flowers

Sepia Shelby

My Sister's Dog

Linking to: 

 

Serenity at Dusk

Evening at the lake can be a beautiful time. Sometimes I get to see the geese land or take off.  And once in a while, the clouds and setting sun put on a brilliant show.

Linking to: Skywatch Friday

and Scenic Weekends

and Weekend Reflections

Waving Blue, Red and Orange

The blue hand is not real

Yet it waves in the breeze.

---

Linking to: Six Word Friday [Topic: Wave]

And Orange You Glad It's Friday

Farm Fence and Birdhouse

We've had a rainy spring but the Shenandoah Valley is still pretty to drive through. These scenes are near Woodstock, Virginia.

Linking to: Good Fences

Weed or Herb?

Plantain is a weed that pops up all over our yard, even in our gravel driveway. I was surprised to see some for sale at a local herb festival. Also called plantago, it has healing properties and a poultice made from the leaves is soothing for insect stings.

Linking to: Signs, Signs

and Little Things Thursday

Lovely Lady Mallard

Linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday

and Wordless Wednesday

Black and White: Belle Grove

I've posted photos of Belle Grove Plantation many times so I'm just adding a couple of detail shots this time. I think the limestone walls and chimneys have enough contrast to show off the texture nicely in black and white pictures.

The limestone was quarried on the property, which is in the Shenandoah Valley. Even today limestone is quarried nearby. The manor house (first photo) was built in the 1790's. 

Linking to: Black and White Wednesday

and Wednesday Around the World

Ducks in the Road

Like the geese in our neighborhood, the ducks sometimes block the road. These refused to move until I got out of the car and told them to waddle off.

Finally they joined their friends on the grass by the lake. The tall black duck, by the way, is an Indian Runner Duck. A neighbor says that a youngster on a nearby farm got some runner ducks a few years ago for a 4-H project. This one escaped and his lived on our lake ever since.

Linking to: Nature Notes

and Our World Tuesday

Flash at the Dog Wash

I've posted pictures of the dog wash before but it was when we took Ben, first to the dog wash in Woodstock and later to the one in Front Royal. Ben, after all, has long hair that gets dirtier than Flash's short coat.

But everyone needs a bath sooner or later, so Flash found himself at the place in Woodstock. He did not mind the shampoo and rinse, but when the blowdryer came on, he got very worried. It was a gentle dryer, not loud or even warm, so he survived in good shape.

Can We Go Home Now?

Flash in Sepia

Linking to:

 

Black and White: From My Parents' First Album

It's Father's Day so I scanned in some photos of my dad. These are from 1943 and 1944, before I was born. It was during World War II and my dad was in the U.S. Navy.

The first picture shows my parents at Christmas 1942. This was just before my older brother was born. Rick is the baby in the second picture. That shot is nostalgic to me, reminding me of how my dad was a warm and loving parent back when we were little kids. Now he's been gone for over a dozen years.

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

John Suiter and Son, 1944

Linking to: Black and White Weekend