In a Mirror, Staring.

It's only been a week since I wrote a little rant, but I'm going to complain again anyway. But before I do, here's a picture of Charlie in the side mirror. I've noticed that I've used a mirror as a framing technique several times.  Ha, I’ll probably do it again!

Poor Charlie. He likes to take walks more often than I’m able to. I don’t understand why he needs to go out six times a day. He should have a fenced yard and a buddy to play with, but my yard is so small that I don’t think it would be a sufficient space for him to play. I’m worried that I’m not going to be able to give him enough walks much longer.

I went to the orthopedic doctor on Tuesday. He gave me an injection in my left knee. It’s been in pain for over three months, and now the other leg is giving me trouble. The injection helped a lot, but I’m concerned about the way my other leg sometimes feels unsteady, like it’s giving out. I’ve almost lost my balance a number of times. 

The doctor give me a form for a temporary handicapped tag for my car. I don’t need it all the time because I can walk short distances, but if I arrive at the grocery store and the parking lot is very busy, I may need a handicapped spot. I hate needing special treatment, and I don’t like feeling old, yet here I am. 

As I drove home today, I listened to a radio program on the economy. Usually I enjoy it and learn something. Today it was really depressing. If you are reading this in April 2025, you know what I’m talking about. It’s almost surreal.

I’m retired. My savings are at risk. My Social Security is at risk. The cost of living is going up. I did prepare for a small downturn, but not a catastrophe, and it looks like there’s a strong chance we’re facing one. 

Also on the news are more weather-related disasters. No doubt many of the disasters are the result of human-caused climate change. And environmental changes can cause social changes, as people try to move to a more livable place. They’re not always welcome. (Deliberate understatement.) 

I am not a pessimist by nature, but I am not an optimist either. I try not to let cynicism make me bitter. But sometimes I just want to scream, “Stop it! You’re ruining everything!”

Well, Mr. Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.” I see they’re out there. I just hope they can rally enough of the complacent folks and the scared folks, so they can join the strong and the caring people and put us back on track. God help us!

Friendly Finches

House finches often come to my feeders in pairs. The more colorful one is the male.

Goldfinches sometimes feed together too, and also tolerate other small birds at the feeders

This week I ran out of nyjer seed and I’m not buying more because I stop feeding birds in the spring. They’ll be able to find their own food, and bird feeders carry a risk of spreading illness among birds. The seed can also attract other animals, including rodents and bears. I haven’t heard of any bears in my neighborhood, but the last two places that I lived had them visit now and then. They don’t just snack on bird food; they pull the feeders down and destroy them.

I still have some wild bird seed that contains a mixture of seed, corn, and nuts. I added some to the feeder that has the camera, and of course squirrels came to visit. This one got close to the camera so it looks like a giant.

Today I Looked for Stripes for Theme Day

CDP Theme Day / Wordless

New Mural at the Ice Cream Depot

 Strasburg, VA

This ice cream shop has opened for the season in a new building with a brand new mural. When I stopped by there last week, the artist was still at work, painting the flower planters. Her name is Ennedi, and her business name is Studio Sasquatch.

She also painted the murals at the Edinburg pool. This new one features a train because the shop is, after all, named the Ice Cream Depot. It is only a short block away from the former train depot, which is now the Strasburg Museum.

The nearby Strasburg Museum celebrates its history as a railroad station, Civil War site, and pottery.

Mosaic Monday / Murals

End of March Blossoms

The number of pictures I take with my cell phone is ridiculous. Many will be forgotten or deleted. But now it’s spring, and flowers come and go quickly, so I want to share some that are blooming before they become irrelevant.

I’ve been noticing blossoms wherever I go. The first three photos are from Woodstock, Aldie, and Maurertown. Next are two from my own neighborhood.

The final picture is from Strasburg, and the flowering tree is only a minor part of it, but I decided to include it because it’s different.

Saturday Critters, Late March

A bird keeps tapping on the glass of my back door. At first, I thought that it did not know that there was glass there so I placed window clings on the panes. Not only did that fail to help, but the bird was perching on the wooden dividers and deliberately tapping with its beak. Was it telling me to come out and fill the feeders? That’s possible! I’ve seen birds peer in the windows before when the feeders were empty, although typically they just sit on the railing and stare at the door, as if watching for me to appear with some food. Squirrel sometimes do this too.

The bird was a Carolina wren. They are pretty easy to identify.  This one is perched on the feeder cam.

I have a few horse pictures to show you. I took these a few months ago and then didn’t get around to sharing them. I know my fellow photobloggers will understand that sometimes we go out of our way to get pictures for the blog. In this case, I spotted the horses from the car and had to turn around and find a place to pull off so that I could take pictures. 

I imagine Charlie’s fans want to know how he’s doing. He’s fine! He had a decent week in spite of me having knee problems. We took our daily walks, but without any extra steps. We went to the dog park in Strasburg twice. I chose that one because it’s not far from the parking lot so I don’t have to limp very far. Yesterday we went to see his friend Sadie and they played in her house. He also spent two afternoons in daycare. 

I used software to imagine an ideal girlfriend for him.

Unrelated Pictures for Friday

Both pictures show something with a reflective surface, but their subjects are not from the same place or day. I’m just grouping them together because I have two miscellaneous pictures that happen to fit two weekend blog hops. The artificial flowers in front of a mirror are for Weekend Reflections.

The second picture is for Black and White Weekend. Did you recognize it as a lightbulb in a box?

It’s helpful to me to have topics for today because I’m feeling distracted. The pain in my knees feels like burning, and the events in my country have my mind spinning.

This Morning at 7

Sunrise

Charlie woke me up early this morning. He wanted to go outside for his morning walk, and I got him to wait for a short time so it wouldn’t be dark outside. We went out when I could see light in the sky, and I was rewarded with a pretty sunrise.

I’ve been trying to train him to wait until daybreak before waking me. Sometimes he does but not today. Not yesterday either, but that was probably because the garbage truck came down the street before dawn, rumbling and thumping.

Late this morning, I dropped him off at day boarding so that I could make a long shopping trip. I do this about once a month, driving almost 90 minutes to get groceries that I can’t find around here. I went to Sprouts and Mom’s in Herndon. The drive back is tedious because there’s always traffic and I’m tired. I don’t know how much longer I can do that much driving. There was a while when I couldn’t because my eyesight was impaired after the cataract surgery. It’s still not back to normal for comfortable reading, but at least I can drive again.

And don’t let me get started on the problems I’m having with my knees. I’ll finally get to see the orthopedic doctor next week. That reminds me, I’m supposed to have an ice pack on my left knee. I keep forgetting, probably because I really hate being cold. 

That left knee has been painful since before Christmas. Now the right leg is hurting too. I still have to walk the dog multiple times a day. That makes it hard to rest enough to know if it makes a difference. I’m starting to feel like a little old lady, and I guess that makes sense at my age. I just thought that somehow (magically?) it wouldn’t happen to me.

Wild Bird Wednesday, from the Birdfy Camera

One of the birds that the automatic camera recorded was a song sparrow. I’m always glad to see it because it doesn’t visit very often.

The tufted titmouse came back, and once again his peaceful meal was interrupted by another bird. There was no victor this time, for they both flew off.

Also, I have some pictures of a grackle from a week ago. I enjoy seeing them, although they can be greedy, eating much more than smaller birds eat.

Salvation Army Chapel

 Cloud Street, Front Royal

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

Salvation Bears

Front Royal, VA

This mural is on the front of the Salvation Army thrift store. I assume the bears are a reference to the wildlife in nearby Shenandoah National Park, and also to the fact that bears sometimes wander through town seeking food. 

Between the parking lot and the street are several huge planters which may be concrete pipes. They are painted with colorful flowers.

Part of the proceeds from the thrift stores helps support the charitable programs that the Salvation Army is famous for. It is one of the largest non-governmental providers of services in the world. 

Links:

Salvation Army on Wikipedia / Monday Murals  / Mosaics

Blooming Colors

I always get excited when the first flowers of spring appear. I'm compelled to take pictures of them, although in a few weeks, I'll start taking them for granted.

All of these pictures are from my neighborhood.

The creeping fox that Lynn helped me plant has spread out nicely. I had to replace one bunch and tried to match the color, but they turned out more pink.

Hyacinths are also blooming.

Charlie, Alone and With Friend

Hi, Charlie the Beagle here! In the picture, I’m at a dog park looking for another dog to come play with me. I got lonesome, so after chasing the ball a little while, I let Mom know I wanted to go home.

Yesterday a gray cat was hiding right outside our front door. This cat lives with Tripod, but isn’t friendly or is still scared of me.

Mom took a couple of pictures and changed one to make it brighter.

I went to Sadie’s house twice this week! We have fun. In the picture, she looks like she’s frowning, but she wasn’t. We were playing.

After a while I got tired, but Sadie would not leave me alone. She kept licking me and chasing me. Finally I sat down in front of the door to let Mom know it was time to leave. I was ready for a nap.

Speaking of naps, I am ready for another one.

100 Years of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

When I read that this month is the centennial of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, I knew I should take some pictures for this blog. I headed for the trail crossing on Remount Road (522) near Front Royal. 

A sign provides general information about the trail along with information about the town of Front Royal, which invites hikers to spend time and money. I’ve seen long-distance hikers in town buying supplies including replacement footwear. By the time a through-hiker reaches this point from the trailhead in Georgia, they have walked 965 miles (1553 km)! If they make it to the northern terminus in Maine, that’s about another 1216 miles. A surprising number of people hike the entire length, Many more just hike some section of it. When I was younger, I did a number of short hikes on the trail in Shenandoah National Park. My parents enjoyed doing day hikes there and would take us kids, with canteens of water and some sandwiches and snacks.

The first section of the Appalachian Trail was completed in 1923 in New York State. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy was formed in 1925 to advocate for and protect the trail. The trail was completed in 1937 and has been modified since then. 

Most of it is a lot more rugged than this boardwalk suggests. Here it crosses a small creek within sight of Remount Road. This area can get quite swampy, so the boardwalk keeps it passable.