Along the North River in Mount Crawford

Near Harrisonburg

The remains of an old flour mill still stand beside the river. The mill burned in 1962. It had been five stories high and had three water wheels and dated to the 1870s.

The  miller’s house has been restored and is used as a vacation rental.

 

The North River

Waiting for Hummingbirds

My hummingbird feeders are set up, but I haven't seen any hummingbirds yet. Part of the reason is that we’ve had several rainy days. I’m not concerned because I have a garden in both the backyard and the front yard to attract them if they feel like visiting.

Meanwhile, I have a pretty hummingbird on a suncatcher.

It rained yesterday and then last night it poured. All the low water bridges were flooded and even some main roads were flooded. I couldn’t take Charlie to the state park today because both entrance roads were under water at the river.

I took him to Riverview Park during a break in the rain and we walked around and also sat in the gazebo.

The Metal Chicken Trio

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

New Mural at Massanutten Library

Harrisonburg

A mural celebrating books and reading was recently completed outside the Massanutten Regional Library. The artist is Tyler Kauffman.

I drove past there a month ago when it was not quite finished, but it is now completed as you can see in the first photo.

I have posted pictures of this library before. There are flowers and artwork in front of it.

Previously Shared Murals by Tyler Kauffman:

Mosaic Monday / Murals

It’s Mother’s Day 2025

My mother has been gone for over 20 years now. I still miss her. 

Here's a picture that was taken on a trip before my parents got too old to travel. I took them to visit Lynn, and she had arranged for a group photo. I believe it was at a fire department fundraiser. Mom is seated with me, Lynn, and my dad standing behind her. 

Today Lynn came to visit me and we had a pleasant afternoon. I got her to pose for a picture before she left. 

A tip for casual portraits: You can use the hood of a car as a reflector to bounce light onto the subject’s face, brightening the area around the eyes.

Beagle Briefing

Hi, it's Charlie! My report is going to be short because I had a busy day and I'm tired. I went to the dog park in Strasburg and then we took a ride. After that, we visited my friend Sadie. Here I am at the park.

We saw some geese from the car. Perhaps you noticed that I wore a green harness. It’s an old one that has a broken handle because I chewed it. I don’t like it as much as the one that I’ve been wearing, but unfortunately, I chewed the strap on that one a few days ago so Mom threw it away. I like to chew when I’m in the car, and I don’t like wearing a harness anyway

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Yesterday we saw Tripod and he came over to say hi. 

Also we went to the recycling center and went for a walk in a park. 

Okay, now it's time for bed. Good night!

Is She Leading Him On?

I don't know. I was just trying to capture a street scene while I was in Harrisonburg. It’s a college town and young people are often outside going somewhere.

Along the River with Charlie

On Tuesday, I took Charlie to Seven Bends State Park for a short walk. One of the nice things about taking him there is that there are picnic tables and benches where I can rest if I'm feeling tired, like I have been all week. He can continue to sniff the ground around the bench while I’m resting. Beagles like to sniff a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s necessary for their mental health.

I wondered about a small building under construction next to the parking lot. Then I remembered that Ranger Tom said they are going to offer canoe — or was it kayak? — rentals this summer. This structure is near the ramp where you bring your boat out of the water, so logically it could be the designated return point for rented gear.

North Fork, Shenandoah River 

On the way home, I saw this sign in someone’s yard.

Strolling Dove, Watchful Swallow

Many birds have found ways to deal with human environments. Mourning doves seem to thrive around our homes and gardens.

A tree swallow appeared to be monitoring the handicapped parking space. I don’t know what it does if somebody breaks the rule.

Gardens in Bloom at the MSV

Winchester, VA

Wordless / Mosaic

Glen Burnie Gardens at the MSV

Mural Above the Aisles

Winchester, VA

This image looks like it could be two long photos, but it’s really just one photo. A mural is mounted high on a wall and you can see goods for sale underneath it.

Monday Murals

This is in a store that caters to gardeners, farmers, pet owners, and folks who just like rural decor.

Friedens Church in Mount Crawford

Friedens Church was organized in the mid-1700s. The older section of the current church dates to the early 1800s.

There are Revolutionary War soldiers buried in the cemetery, but I did not locate them.

The church is located on Friedens Church Road east of Mount Crawford, not far from Interstate 81.

Charlie and Art at the Mill

Let’s start with a problem that Charlie had. I ran out out of his new favorite dog food, and went back to giving him a kind that he ate before. He was not happy and gave me very sad looks before finally eating some of it several hours later.

Sharing with Critters and Caturday.

So yesterday I stopped at Petco to get a bag of that lamb-flavored kibble before driving to Millwood to see the art show. Deborah and Frank went with me and we took turns taking care of Charlie. The rest of the pictures are from Art at the Mill.