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.

Finch, Flicker, Cardinal.

Wild Bird Wednesday, 

Wordless Wednesday,

My Corner of the World. 

Giant Cootie

Shenandoah Caverns, Virginia

Sharing with Tuesday Treasures and Wordless on Tuesday.

Late July Random-osity

Good, Random, Fun.

The Good: I found another mural with the help of the Page Valley Arts Council website. The store they mentioned has closed but I had an idea of where it used to be. This is View of the Valley from a Backyard Flower Garden by Merle Hilscher.  This is the artist who also painted Picnic Time at Ruffner Plaza.

The picket fence is painted on. I was not able to get a less-angled view without trespassing.

Monday Murals / Mosaic Monday.

The Random: Here are some flowers and trees at the Shenandoah County Park. I was looking for butterflies but only found a white one to pose for me.

The Fun:  We had a socially distanced picnic on Friday with the same folks we met with on Thursday. Susan and family were only in town for a few days. Allison and David drove in from Manassas. We met at the same park in Front Royal because it has picnic shelters to shade us from the sun. This was fortunate because it rained both times we were there, although only briefly.

Note: Don't hesitate to pose family or friends for a photo. You'll be glad later!

See also 2011 post of Frank with Ryley and Josie. They have grown up since then!

By the way, happy birthday to Dave!

Capon Springs Rurality

When we were in Capon Springs recently, I followed a sign to the post office and found this nicely landscaped church, Willow Chapel UMC.

Inspired Sunday

The post office itself turned out to be a no-nonsense brick building.

This part of West Virginia is hilly and rural. I'll show you a few more buildings.

I see on the Barn linkup that Tom is going to discontinue it as a blog hop although he will still post barn photos. I remember posting barn pictures in the Rurality Blog Hop back when it was hosted by Madge Bloom. Around five years ago she stopped offering it, and I started sharing rural scenes with Tom's Barn Collective.  But participation has fallen off,  partly because photographers are sharing on other platforms instead of blogs.

I continue to stubbornly blog and I will continue to share rural scenes on a regular basis.

Deer Seeking Picnic, Hummingbird Drinking Nectar.

These deer are in Shenandoah National Park. Even though I've seen deer countless times, I still feel a thrill at spotting them. Such pretty animals! 

Meanwhile at home, I'm trying out a purple hummingbird feeder and so far it is very successful.

These tiny birds move very quickly. They don't seem interested in using the perches on the feeder but they do like the sugary nectar.

Sharing with Saturday Critters, I'd Rather Be Birdin' and My Corner of the World. 

Skies, Mountains, Wildflowers.

Willy Nilly Friday.

1. Black and White: A hay truck was ahead of us on I-81.

2. Skywatch. A sun dog (parhelion) is a bright spot to the side of the sun caused by light that is refracted by ice crystals in clouds.

3. Friday Bliss. There are plenty of wildflowers blooming along Skyline Drive this month.

4. Weekend Reflection: I debated whether to share this confusing photo but wound up cropping it to cut out parts of the parking lot. My car mirror is reflected in a side window along with part of the view. A reflection of a sign on a raised part of the wall looks to me like Porky Pig!

5. Overlook, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park.

6. Floral Friday:  I took this picture of mountain laurel last month along Skyline Drive.

~*~*~*~*~*

Have a good weekend and stay safe!

A Gathering plus Other Green Scenes.

Frank's youngest daughter and her family were in town so we met them at a local park for a socially distanced gathering. The kids are pretty much grown up now. 

An ice cream truck happened to come by and Susan waved it down.

I have three other pictures to share tonight. I spotted this nicely landscaped fence the other day and thought of Gosia's Fence linkup.

And then there's a nice gate post along 522 next to a marker. I decided to stop and see what it says. Oh, Albert Willis is a name I've heard before. I've seen his gravesite in Flint Hill.

Pvt. Albert G. Willis, Co. C, Col. John S. Mosby's Partisan Rangers (43d Battalion, Virginia Cavalry) and at least one other Ranger were captured about 13 Oct. 1864 near Gaines Crossroads by Union Brig. Gen. William H. Powell's U.S. 2d Cavalry Division. During the Civil War, many Federals considered partisans civilian bushwhackers, not regular soldiers. Powell, in reprisal for what he called the "murder" of a U.S. soldier by alleged partisans, ordered a Ranger executed. According to some postwar sources, Willis, a ministerial student, offered his life in place of a married cohort. He was hanged nearby on 14 Oct. and buried at a Baptist church in Flint Hill.

Geese, We have a Few.

Wild Bird Wednesday / 

Wordless Wednesday. 

Two Views of a Memorial

Mt. Jackson, VA.
 

Sharing with Tuesday Treasures and
Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday.