Street Garden

Leesburg, VA

Monday Murals

This large painting show pretty flowers and butterflies. To the left is a small park with hydrangea bushes and the painted piano that I featured in mid-June.

Dream Come True Playground

Neff Avenue, Harrisonburg

This playground on Chestnut Ridge was built to be fully accessible so that children of all abilities can play together. 

A garden next to the parking area was bright with Black-eyed Susans.

Mosaic Monday

Long Mural and Flowers

When I saw a local news picture of some officials in Front Royal standing by a new mural, I decided to find it.

It was next to Happy Creek at Lions Park.

This is the entrance to the footbridge that leads to Bing Crosby Stadium. There’s a rock that says “Together, Growing through Service.” Flowers have been planted around it.

Sharing with and Mosaic Monday and Murals.

Petting Zoo and Charlie’s Report

1. At a Festival in Stephens City.

2. Charlie’s Report

Hi! Here I am the dog park in Strasburg. No dog friends came to play, so I ran around a while and then we left.

On the way home, Mom drove on a small road and look what we saw!

Mom said a man carved that face in a dead tree. It looks strange to me.

In Toms Brook

Other than that, I didn’t go far from home. I did get to see Sadie a few times. We like to walk together.

One evening, Mom and I were walking, and we saw a deer in our neighbor’s yard!

Sometimes when we are on our deck, we hear buzzy things. Mom calls them hummingbirds. They are small, and they buzz away as soon as they see me.

Well, that’s all I can think of. The weather has been nice.

New LOVE Sign in Edinburg

Along Stoney Creek Blvd.

“Virginia is for Lovers”

It’s traditional for localities in the state to spotlight local attractions on their LOVE sign. I think the first letter represents a field, the second is obviously the historic mill, followed by birds and ducks. Stoney Creek is known for its ducks, and visitors to the mill enjoy watching them.

Silver Lake Farm Mural

Dayton, VA

When I saw a picture of this mural, I made a note to find it. The address was not listed, but I was able to figure it out using a search engine and online map.

Mosaic Monday / Murals

The artist is Laura Thompson, and she also painted the mural at White Oak Lavender Farm.  

Across Silver Lake Road is a LOVE sign.

I have shown Silver Lake before, but here are some more views.

Mural on South Branch Inn

Moorefield, WV

This huge painting is by artist Kelson Thorne. He calls it “Through the Trough,” referring to a gorge on the South Branch of the Potomac. The Trough was documented in 1748 in the writings of a young surveyor named George Washington!

The artist has painted a number of murals in West Virginia. I hope to see some of them during Heritage Weekend in September.

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Across the street is a shop in a white barn decorated with a painted barn quilt.

Mural No Longer There

This mural used to be on South Street in Front Royal. Painted in 2019, it disappeared a few years ago and is now a plain wall.

Monday Murals

I don’t why it was replaced, but the building was for sale or rent at the time. Perhaps the seller felt that a blank slate would attract more buyers. 

The street is busy route that carries tourist traffic to Shenandoah National Park. Frankly, South Street is not very attractive, with the sort of unplanned commercial sprawl that we see so often along heavily traveled routes. It’s a shame because there are some very charming streets a few blocks away, but tourists don’t see them unless they seek them out. Merchants in the historic part of town have expressed concern that visitors don’t know their shops exist. Not long ago, news videos showed King Charles and Camilla  visiting the historic Main Street, and many viewers were surprised at how nice it looked! 

So here’s a tip: When you travel through an old town, check out the historic district. It has more personality than a row of service stations and drive-in restaurants!

New Market Picnic and Silver Lake Mill

Today Peggy and I met Lynn for a picnic lunch. There’s a sign about the Civil War Battle of New Market because this was the place where Confederate General Breckinridge launched the first attack of the battle.

After a leisurely lunch and conversation, I drove Peggy to Silver Lake in Dayton.

The Virginia Quilt Museum is there, and I wanted to see the exhibit, "250 Quilts Commemorating the Commonwealth of Virginia." These are contemporary quilts, and they are fabulous!

Journey to Freedom Mural

Leesburg, VA 

This mural is on the side of the Loudoun Museum. It honors unsung African American heroes of Loudoun County.

The adjacent sign starts out: "The Journey to Freedom mural vividly dramatizes the self-emancipation of enslaved individuals and the bravery of those who risked everything to help them. It highlights the courage and compassion of those involved in the Underground Railroad, transcending history to represent broader humanitarian themes of freedom, justice and allyship. While Harriet Tubman remains the iconic face of the Underground Railroad and and Freedom Seekers Movement, this masterful mural of remembrance highlights local Leesburg heroes like Bazil Newman and rev. Leonard Grimes, who played key roles in aiding the escape of African Americans from slavery in Loudoun County. This mural also commemorates the daring 1855 Christmas Eve escape of Frank Wanzer and five other enslaved individuals who escaped slavery from neighboring plantations, risking their lives for a chance for freedom."

You can read the entire text on the Historical Marker Database. 

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