A few words from Charlie

Hi, it’s me! I’ll give you a quick update on what is going on

I saw my friend Tripod a couple of times.

Such a friendly cat deserves a special portrait.

Mom took me to the state park a couple of times. As you can see, I am alert in the car and ready to drive.

I also got to play with Sadie. She likes to show me her toys, and then pretends to be mad when I play with them.

Yesterday, Mom and I picked up Mr. Frank and Miss Deborah and we all went up to to Skyline Drive. I did not see any deer or bear, but I could smell them.

I saw farms and cows like I do all the time.

Here I am at Riley Park today. I sniff everything. That’s how I explore. You should try it!

October Days with Charlie

Hi, it’s Charlie! One day it rained and I was bored.

 Mom took me to a big store where dogs are allowed. Uh-oh! The scary things are back.

We got away and went to the back of the store.

On another day the weather was nice. We went to Shenandoah National Park because Mom wanted to see if the trees had changed color. Some of them have. 

We saw some deer, but they left in a hurry.

Yesterday we went to a pumpkin patch so I could help find a good pumpkin. 

We got a big orange one and some little ones and some flowers. 

Today the weather got cold so I’m glad I have a warm place to stay.

Prelude to Autumn’s Symphony

We're seeing traces of autumn colors here in Virginia, but we haven’t had a frost yet and flowers are still blooming.

Yesterday I stopped at a farm stand and noticed how pretty the scenery looked.

Today I ran errands and couldn’t resist checking out the color in Shenandoah National Park. Leaves are starting to change, but it’s not enough to get excited about. I’ve heard that it’s a different story in West Virginia, where autumn foliage is at its peak in the high mountains. 

Two Photos from Friday

Friday afternoon was stressful because I had two medical appointments and not much got resolved. Progress is very slow when you have to wait months for appointments, and then you have to wait again to get test results or for the follow-up appointment. Fortunately, both appointments were at Rockingham Medical Center, but I had to wait an hour in between. So I drove a short distance to view country scenery and decompress. It’s pretty out there, but there’s a lot more traffic than there used to be.

One of the appointments was for a nerve conduction study, which involved shocks on multiple nerves! I wasn’t expecting something so painful, but at least it didn’t last long. I don’t have results yet.

Earlier that day, I stopped at my county center to vote. We have early voting here in Virginia, and I take advantage of it. That way I don’t have to wait in line, and I don’t have to worry about my ballot getting lost in the mail. 

Three Pictures from Front Royal

E. Wilson Morrison School

This elementary school opened for the season on August 12, and closed 10 days later. On August 22, a notice went out that the school had to be closed due to "structural damage to the building that requires immediate assessment and remediation." School was closed for two days so an inspection could be completed and plans made for students to go to a different school. The school is 91 years old, and apparently age and moisture caused weakening of the facade.

I took this picture when I went to Front Royal on Tuesday for a dental appointment. I had a small filling done, but it wasn’t very painful. (I decline Novocaine for fillings because it makes me nauseous, and the shot hurts worse than the drilling.)

After my appointment, I had lunch at Spelunkers. I’m not a fan of showing food photos, and all I had was lettuce-wrapped burger and fries. In spite of being a burger place, they have fresh flowers on the tables. 

After that, I made a brief trip on Skyline Drive, which is right next to the town and has fantastic views.

More Pictures from a Busy Week

Over the past week, I took a lot of pictures because my sister was visiting. We went to Shenandoah National Park twice, once from the Thornton Gap entrance and the next day from the Front Royal entrance. Then on Thursday, we had a picnic with Lynn before going to the Quilt Museum. 

These are various pictures, mostly from SNP. 

In the visitor center at Dickey Ridge, I found the plaque from King Charles’ visit.

Sharing with Mosaics

Taking Peggy to the Mountains

My sister said she misses the mountains, so of course we went to Shenandoah National Park. 

Here she is at Dickey Ridge. I liked the pose so much I switched to “Portrait mode” and stepped closer.

We went in the Visitor Center so she could buy a postcard and were lucky enough to catch a screening of a film about the CCC. Then we looked at the exhibits, plus we caught part of a ranger talk.

Models of birds include a ruffed grouse, a screech owl, and a falcon.

I did not get pictures of real birds except for one flying in the distance. I think it was a crow.

I was delighted to see a monarch butterfly.

As usual, I took too many pictures for one post, so I’ll close with a trio of wildflowers. 

Sharing with Mosaic and Bird Linkups