A Halloween House in Winchester

People Decorate More these Days

New Market in Letters

This postcard-style mural was recently completed in the town of New Market. The letters show local scenes, beginning with the golf course and ending with Endless Caverns 

The artist is Brooke Barrick-Helsley. She was mentored by Studio Sasquatch.

 I photographed it on a rainy day. Here are a few scenes nearby.

New Market Battlefield looked dreary in the rain, which is appropriate because the 1864 Battle took place on a day so wet that some soldiers lost their shoes in the mud.

Mosaics / Murals

Restoring the Fort Loudoun Well

 Winchester, VA

Ten days ago I saw an announcement that the old well that’s associated with George Washington was open and could be seen for a brief time. I happened to be in Front Royal and decided to drive to Winchester to take a look. 

I have been to the location before. The fort itself is gone but the well remains. It was built during the French and Indian War to supply the fort with water. 

George Washington supervised the building of the fort between 1756 and 1758. This was long before he was president, and even before he became nationally famous during the American Revolution. We were still under British rule in 1756, and Washington served as an officer in the war against the French. 

By the way, there are other forts named Fort Loudoun, so that can be confusing. This one was disassembled after the war ended, and the huge logs from the walls were reused in other buildings in Winchester. The well remained in use for over 200 years. Here we see a Union soldier at the well as sketched by James E. Taylor, Civil War artist.

Now the well is being restored. Workers have built a scaffold so they can stabilize the rock walls on the upper portion of the well. The lower portion is solid rock. When the well was built, black powder was used to blast through the rock.

Fort Loudoun was a large structure with four bastions, based on European designs. It did not see battle, but it was used at a supply point and staging area.

Saturday Critters Including a Petting Zoo

Charlie is already asleep so he's not going to write a report tonight. Sometimes he's grumpy if I wake him up from a nap.

Lynn came to my rescue on Thursday when I found a leak under the kitchen sink. Here is Charlie watching her get out of the car. She was able to replace the connector that was leaking. I raised a couple of clever girls!

Today did not feel like Saturday because it rained all day. I managed to take my recycling to the bins when the rain let up, and I took Charlie for a walk under the tall pine trees in Edinburg Park. We were back in the car before a downpour hit. 

Last weekend was much nicer. Edinburg had their annual festival. I took some pictures at the petting zoo.

Well, I just checked the weather report and it looks like tomorrow may be sunny after all. When I checked earlier, there was rain in the forecast for four days in a row. One day is good, but after that, I’m ready for sunshine. And so is Charlie because he likes to take walks and have adventures.

Millrace

Clarke County, VA

I was attracted to the reflections in the millrace at Burwell-Morgan Mill. I’ve posted numerous pictures of this mill in the past, partly because an art show draws me here twice a year. 

By the time this grist mill was constructed in the 18th century, the technology for water-powered mills had been refined over hundreds of years. The stream that powered the mill wheel was channeled into a millrace that narrowed the flow of water to increase its power. 

This mill has an interior water wheel. On certain Saturdays, they still grind corn here.

Spillway

Summer’s End

Summer is officially over. I hate to see it go. I didn’t take a vacation because it’s just too difficult and not enjoyable when I have to deal with back pain and other health issues. But I did get outdoors to enjoy the flowers and signs of summer.

These pictures are left over from August.

“Summer's end's around the bend just flying
The swimming suits are on the line just drying
I'll meet you there per our conversation
I hope I didn't ruin your vacation...” 🎵 

“Come on home, Come on home.
No you don't have to be alone,
Just come on home.”

(© John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)

Repeated Birds

 I saw those birds on a wire on a foggy morning. Most of them are facing the same direction.

The other day, I discovered that I can crop pictures in the Photos app to a uniform size by tapping the crop button twice and selecting the dimensions I want.

The birdfeeder camera is still getting pictures of hummingbirds. I haven’t put any seed in the feeder yet, but I do have a small hummingbird feeder there. These little birds will be heading south soon.

To make up for not having any close-ups of other birds, here’s a collage of pairs that I have shared previously.

By the North Fork, September

Two Weeks Ago

Last Week

Mosaics / Wordless

Red Fox Mural

This fox must be shy because it’s hiding behind some chairs. The mural takes up an entire wall in a children’s waiting room in the rehab and physical therapy facility.

For murals around the world, visit Monday Murals. 

Shadows and Flowers

Isn’t it nice when a restaurant has fresh flowers on the tables? I took these pictures at Spelunkers in Front Royal.

Shadow Shot Sunday / Garden Affair

And here’s a little display on the windowsill.
 

Birdcam Photos and a Report from Charlie

My Birdfy camera is built into a bird feeder and it takes pictures when it detects motion. I removed the seed for the summer and placed a small hummingbird feeder in the tray. I’ve been pleased when it captures images like these.

I’ve had to scroll through hundreds of captures because it also takes pictures when the wind blows foliage back-and-forth. No doubt I’ve missed seeing some good pictures. But I’m glad I kept scrolling and saw this surprise visitor.

The deer came through at 6:55 in the morning. I lightened the images and cropped them and also tried to sharpen them, but without much success because there was a light rain coming down and the lens was damp.

Now, a Brief Report from the Beagle.

Hi, I’m Charlie. I’ll tell you a little about what I did this week. Mom took me to the town park in Edinburg and also to the State Park. We always cross the river to go to Seven Bends State Park.

I like going to different parks so I can smell interesting things, like places where animals have walked. We also went to the dog park in Mount Jackson. Oh, one day I stayed at Sadie‘s house while Mom went somewhere. And another time we went there for a short visit to see Allison. Here’s Sadie, and then there’s a picture of me after we played and calmed down. 

One day I stayed at daycare. This barn is across the street. It was very foggy that. morning but it got sunny later on.

Yesterday Lynn came and she stayed with me while Mom went to get a vaccination. Today Mom was tired so we stayed home except for going for walks and sitting in the yard.

I hope we get to go on adventures tomorrow. I’d better rest up.

Glass Door with Reflection

New Market, VA

Thrift Store on a Corner

"We Except Donations"

Overhang

Hospital Entrance

On Monday, I was there for a lab test. I also went to a different part of the complex for a physical therapy evaluation. Earlier this year, I had physical therapy at a different place, but eventually I got the feeling that it wasn’t helping and was actually increasing my pain. This time we will be focusing on easing the stiffness in my lower back and hopefully also improving my balance.

Getting old is hard work.

Seen from Lupton Road on Sunday

Woodstock, VA

Sunday was the day of a major fundraising event for the Friends Of Seven Bends State Park. I felt guilty that I had not volunteered to help this year, but every position required walking around more than I could handle, plus I’ve been dealing with too much fatigue and dizziness to do a four-hour shift. I’m on the committee that planned the event and I did help with proofreading and publicity.

On the afternoon of the event, I decided to drive by and snap a picture, and maybe walk Charlie in the park for a short distance. I got a picture from the car, and fortunately someone else took better ones that they posted online. I parked in a lot near the river, but only walked Charlie a very short distance because I felt exhausted and unsteady, partly because I had been active the day before. It seems like I just can’t be on the go for more than one day at a time. The good news is that a lab test that I took on Monday showed that my sodium level has come up to low normal, which is certainly better than below normal. (I’ve been taking salt tablets for a week.) 

It was a beautiful day, although it got hot. Charlie always likes sniffing around in the park. The North Fork looked pretty, as usual.

Skywatch / H2O