Blog Post #6800: The View at Tunnel Overlook

Sharing with Image-in-ing

and Wordless Wednesday.

Earlier Posts:
Mary's Rock Tunnel, Oct. 2014.
A Hike to Mary's Rock.

Letting Go of the House on Strudel Court

Normally I write about some historic site or cultural center for Tuesday Treasures. But today we said goodbye to a great house that we once called home and I grieve this loss, even though we sold it willingly. Settlement is tomorrow.

We moved out of our house in Bryce Resort in April, 2012. Since then we've rented it out to a disabled veteran, to a family, and to two men who had just gotten out of the army. One of them left after a year and the other moved out early this month. It was time to sell. We are getting too old to spruce up a property and find new tenants every two years or so.

We moved to that house in 2006. In 2007, we had the kitchen enlarged and modernized, and Frank installed laminate flooring in the great room.

Today we went up for a final check. Frank put tags on the plumbing turn-offs and I swept floors one last time.

Even though we left this house seven years ago, I felt sad that we will never call it ours again. It was a place of dreams and mountain views, and walks in the woods with our dogs.  Living in a resort was nice. It was a beautiful place.

Good Vibrations Random-osity

The Good, The Random, The Fun.

The Good: Bill and Peggy were in town for a high school reunion this weekend. We met them for breakfast this morning in Winchester. 

Bill and My Sister Peggy.

 The Random: The mural-size spider web on this van caught my eye. I see that they are the "Official Pest Control Partner" of the Washington Football Team. Money buys strange alliances.

Monday Mural.

Fun, Fun, Fun... 🎶 Lynn won free tickets to the Beach Boys Concert in Orkney Springs. We met in Mt. Jackson late Friday afternoon so we could travel in one car. Parking is often a challenge there, and this time it involved a shuttle bus, but we were there and seated in lawn chairs before the show started.

The Beach Boys formed in 1961, which is before Lynn was born. They were teens, but it is impressive that they are still touring, including original member Mike Love. The instruments were strong and rocking, and audience members clapped and sang along with the vocals.

Mosaic Monday.

P.S. I posted pictures of Lynn and me at another concert at this venue two years ago. (Lynn is my older daughter and we've been to quite a few concerts over the years.)

This Afternoon, Middletown and Oranda.

This afternoon I went to a talk at Belle Grove Plantation on the findings of an archaeological study of the slave quarters site. Excavations have been going on for a few summers and are now winding down. I visited the site two years ago.

Matt Greer explained what they have found, including a cabin site, a fire pit, and a trash pit. Enslaved people at Belle Grove were able to have gardens and sell the extra vegetables.

Link: Enslaved at Belle Grove.

After I left Middletown, I still had a trunk load of recycling to take to one of the "convenience sites." I decided to avoid the highway and drove down a couple of back roads. I stopped in Oranda to take pictures of this little chapel at "Millersville."

This little village is not a real town, but rather a reconstructed assemblage of old buildings. The chapel has been added since I photographed the little store in 2015.  I don't know where it is from.

Sharing with InSpired Sunday and The Barn Collective.

I also passed some nice farms, but could only stop safely to photograph this one because there was a lane where I could pull over. 

Meanwhile, In my Back Yard...

 Sometimes I forget to look in my back yard to see what's going on. Often there is something worth photographing.

The first picture is just shadows on the deck. I made this black and white because it was almost monochromatic anyway.

We have a view of the community lake and there are always some ducks and geese out there. Sometimes I see other birds, including an occasional hummingbird.

Today I saw a couple of butterflies in our bird bath. Here's one of them. There was only a small amount of water in there.

Often I look out and see a robin or two.

I'd 'Rather B' Birdin' 

and Saturday Critters.

Boats at Karo Landing

Weekend Reflections and Skywatch Friday

 These are from the boat launch at the end of Chapman Farm Road. I watched a small bus from Front Royal Outdoors unload kayaks and canoes and passengers to fill them. Looks like fun!

The View from Chapman Farm Road

Gooney Creek meets the South Fork of the Shenandoah at a place called Karo Landing. It is a popular place for launching canoes and kayaks. I believe I was here many years ago but did not recall where it was until I went there on a field trip in 2017.

You can reach this spot via a rough-looking lane called Chapman Farm Road. Just before the boat landing there's a swimming hole, practically hidden from the road.

If you hang out there a while, you may see a train go over the overpass. 

Fences.

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Along the Back Roads on Saturday

The Barn Collective.

After attending an event near Berryville, I drove through the State Arboretum and then came home via Red Gate Road toward Rockland. I've done this before but still I used GPS to help me make the correct turns.

My pictures of the event itself were not very clear because I used a cell phone and the light was dim for the slide presentations. The talks were interesting. One was on dreams of Civil War soldiers, based on their letters. The other was on Sheridan's Valley Campaign of 1864. 

Chain Saw Sculptures in Linden

Sharing with: 

Tuesday Treasures and

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday.

Wildflowers and Restaurant Random-osity

The Good, the Random, the Fun.
 

The Good: There are plenty of wildflowers in Shenandoah National Park this month. The Park Service has made a nationwide effort to help the monarch butterfly by letting milkweed patches grow. Therefore I've been able to get butterfly pictures there, even with my cell phone.

Mosaic Monday. (Made with PhotoCollage.)

The Random: I spotted this mural in a restaurant in Manassas yesterday. The map is made of actual license plates from various states.

Monday Murals.

The Fun: We were at the restaurant to meet Allison for lunch. When she showed up, it was obvious that we were accidentally color coordinated!

The Forward Church

Blog Post #6790

InSpired Sunday and Shadow Shot Sunday.

The Forward for Christ Baptist Church is near Luray. I took these photos last year on a pretty summer day. 

You've probably been told to not face the sun when you take a picture. but that's a rule you can break if you shade your lens. The first photo is facing the sun but it's a more dramatic image, with long shadows coming toward you, and that beautiful sky. The sun is behind the clouds and high enough to not glare on the lens.

Deer Family

Boyce, Virginia.

I went to a lecture at Cool Spring today and made a slight detour through the State Arboretum on the way home. I was not planning to get out of the car but when I spotted fawns, I pulled over and walked to the fence to get pictures.

They are on the grounds of Tuleyries next to the arboretum. Both properties were once part of the estate owned by Joseph Tuley, Jr., who built a mansion here around 1830.

Allow me to show you how hot it was this afternoon. I took a photo of the indicator on my dash.

That's 40.5° C.

Saturday's Critters.

July at Shenandoah River State Park

Willy Nilly Friday

1. It was hot today (100° F) but I went to the store in the late afternoon. Then I made a stop at Shenandoah River State Park, where the temperature didn't seem as high. The view from Cullers Overlook is always a treat.

Skywatch Friday.

2. I found the park rather quiet, partly because it was late in the day, but also because the oppressive temperatures kept many folks inside. I took a short walk down to the canoe launch and took a few pictures. No one was there.

Weekend Reflections.

3. The trees along the riverbank tend to show exposed roots. The water has washed away the soil on the side facing the water.

There wasn't much color in the image so I made it Black and White.

4. Wildflowers are doing well this summer. I guess native plants are hardy in our hot weather.

Floral Friday and Friday Bliss.

Have a nice weekend. Stay hydrated.