December 31, 2014

Squirrel of the Year?


I'm still trying to pick a Photo of the Year. I thought it was only fair to consider some squirrel photographs so here are some of my 2014 posts.

Your comments are helpful! I thank all of you who have left comments this year! And best wishes for an enjoyable 2015!

Sharing with: Camera Critters






Monochrome Favorites from 2014

swans on lake
















December 30, 2014

Most Popular Posts of 2014


I'm trying to choose a "Photo of the Year" (POTY) for City Daily Photo's upcoming theme day. Some bloggers are using the photo that got the most hits. Let's see what I come up with if I use that method.

Mission Style Lamp got the most hits. I'm not going to select this as POTY because it's not typical of my blog and I think people are getting there accidentally while shopping for a lamp.

Also popular but not typical posts are Shadow Shot in Black and White and Macro with Red Background. Both are abstracts; I like them but I don't know why they drew viewers to the blog.



Next we have Artifacts from the Battle of Cool Spring. This post reflects my interest in Civil War history but the photos aren't that great. I assume viewers found this post by searching for information on this battle.

Finally we come to a couple of posts that are aligned with the "Shenandoah" theme of this blog and have pretty scenes. The View from Stony Man Overlook has several photos taken from Skyline Drive. (Click on them to see larger versions.)

Also from the mountains we have Skyline Drive on a Cold Evening.  I'm leaning toward one of these for my picture of the year.  What do you think?




Your comments are appreciated!

Late December Random Photos

Blog Post #4745: Good, Random and Fun

The Good

sign at service stationIt's been a long time since we saw gas selling for under $2 a gallon in Virginia. Affordable gas is good news for consumers. (I realize it's not good for some business interests, but for families on a budget, it's very helpful.)

Our car actually requires medium grade gas, but I had "bonus points" that earned us a discount so our price was under $2 a gallon. I was delighted!

The Random

mounted deer head

Don't worry! This isn't really Rudolph! That red nose is held on with a string.

The Fun

Marie and Me

Susan and her Dad
Bouncy Bridge in Bridgewater, VA

December 29, 2014

Zoo Mural in Front Royal

wall mural with elephant
"The Not So National Zoo"
Artist Patricia Windrow painted this mural in Front Royal, Virginia.  I believe she was making a reference to the nearby research facility that is associated with the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Sharing with: Monday Murals

December 28, 2014

Odd Duck in Bridgewater

bird

This bird has pretty feathers but his beak looks almost blistered. We believe he is a Muscovy duck, which is native to Central and South America. We don't see them often but they do live in the U.S., even in winter time. This one found a place to sit in the North River above the dam.

Sharing with: Weekend Reflections

A Dam in December

Bridgewater, Virginia
We've visited Wildwood Park in Bridgewater a number of times. The sound of the North River tumbling over the dam is impressive and the park offers a pleasant place to walk and watch birds.


December 27, 2014

Holiday Sepia Snapshots

Here are three more pictures from Christmas, starting with one of Marie.

The next two were taken inside a restaurant using available light that cast a yellow glow. I decided they would look as good or better in monochrome. Now they qualify for Sepia Saturday.




December 26, 2014

Family is the Highlight of my Christmas

three peopleAllison and Dave visited on the afternoon of December 24th and Marie showed up that evening. We all went to dinner at IHOP since almost every other place was closed.

In the first picture we see Frank seated with Allison (his middle daughter) and her husband behind him.

two womenLynn was planning to join us on Christmas Day but high winds forced her to delay driving her tiny car until the wind settled down late in the day. Marie and I decided to meet her for dinner. Again, not many places were open so we met her at a buffet in Harrisonburg called Aroma. We had a decent meal and exchanged gifts.

It's always fun to see my daughters together!

Fence, Shadow, Barn, Cattle

fence and farm

These scenes are from last month at Frying Pan Farm, Herndon, Virginia. Through the fence you can see some cattle.

I walked a bit closer to take a look at the livestock.

Sharing with: Good Fences