A Flag of Peace

Front Royal

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

From Gobblers to Gold Stars

Yesterday I drove to the town of Broadway to a temporary exhibit honoring soldiers lost in recent wars. it was at the high school there, which turned out to be a huge complex.

Murals

The school's athletic teams are called The Gobblers. It's not the most heroic name, but it refers to Rockingham County's status as a major turkey producing county. The mural is not realistic, and I've never seen a turkey in those colors.

I found the exhibit, which was only there through today. It’s the Gold Star Tribute Wall, which is made to be deconstructed and shown around the country. It honors fallen soldiers and their families from the wars in the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Each gold star has the name of a soldier. It was sad to see. Standing there with the sun in my eyes, I did not notice the background of gravestones. It's just as well. All these people died too young, and in some cases, for no lasting benefit.

Charlie’s September Sixth Update

Hi, it's Charlie! Here I am smiling because one of my friends is petting me.

And here’s a reminder to “stay pawsitive.” It’s not from my animal hospital though.

My animal hospital is near my house. I think this cat may be the manager. Sometimes it stands on the front desk.

Dogs come to the animal hospital. The black and white one was friendly, but the other one was shy. 

What else did I do this week? I took walks with Miss Deborah. I took naps. I went for rides with Mom and went to parks to sniff and have fun. I even went to Sadie‘s house to play with her.

I saw some cows.

Yesterday Mom took me to Woodstock and we walked down the street. I met some people who liked me. Mom left her phone in the car. Here I am in the car ready to go home.

I hope you had a good week. If you did not get a chance to have fun, do something tomorrow.

Jukebox Not Available

New Market, VA

(Weekend Reflection: A neon sign on the right side.)

I remember when the jukebox still worked at the Southern Kitchen. The wall-mounted boxes are still there beside each table. For many years, you could choose the song you wanted to hear from the flip cards, insert a quarter, and punch in the number. The music would play from the jukebox at the end of the room. 

The restaurant kept theses boxes as part of a nostalgic look. They still serve home-cooked food. 

Trent’s Skatepark is Now Open

In Strasburg Town Park

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

Bringing Fire Back to the Mountains

George Washington National Forest

This sign is across the parking lot from the Lion’s Tale Trail. It explains about intentional fires conducted by the Forest Service.

"Fire has been an essential natural process in Appalachian oak and pine forests for thousands of years. Lightning caused some fires, and Native Americans intentionally set fires. Fires opened the forest understory, which increased plant diversity, improved browse for wildlife and made traveling easier. Early European settlers continued to use fire as a tool to shape their surroundings. 

Teams of skilled fire experts are using controlled burns to safely reintroduce fire to these forests. Burns take place only when the weather conditions are best to control smoke, manage fire behavior, and ensure the safety of the fire team, nearby residents, and private property."

Nearby I saw scorched trees that are recovering from a fire in late 2024 that burned a significant portion of this forest in the Massanutten mountains. It was a wildfire, not a controlled burn, but fortunately firefighters were able to keep it away from homes and businesses, although some of them suffered smoke damage. The forest is already recovering.

A short drive away, I pulled over to admire a pretty creek that  passes through the forest.

More Changes in Mt. Jackson

Yesterday Charlie told you about going to the new dog park in Mount Jackson. There’s a LOVE sign there, which is actually how I learned about the park, when an artist posted that she painted the letters on the sign at the dog park.

Mosaics  / Murals

There are pictures of cute dogs on the letters.

Also, the old mill in Mount Jackson has finally been renovated. A mural now decorates the side that faces Mill Creek.

We returned to the dog park today so that we could share it with Sadie.

Belgravia Road.

Seeing Things

This afternoon I dropped off two boxes of unwanted things at Goodwill and then took Charlie for a brief visit to the state park. Here are three pictures and I'll publish a couple more tomorrow.

“Beareidolia”

The tendency to see faces in inanimate objects is called pareidolia. It’s actually an ability to find patterns. Here I saw a bear’s face on a picnic bench. Do you?

The weather was quite hot so we did not stay long. I paused on the bridge to take a picture of reflections in the water.

I also stopped along a residential street to take a picture of a sign.

Boardwalk at Indian Spring

Thunderstorms arrived this afternoon ahead of the predicted time. I had recycling to take to the containers near the landfill. Much of it was cardboard from large cartons, and it was getting in my way. I checked the forecast and loaded the recycling in the car. There was a time when the rain let up so I put Charlie in the car and we headed for the landfill.

It was barely sprinkling when we got there so I quickly did the recycling. Charlie, of course, was hoping for a walk in the park. I took him to Indian Springs Wetland for a short walk. The boardwalk leads out to a viewing area.

The little creek was full of water. I could hear birds singing, but they were hidden from view. I took pictures of the interpretive signs.

I would have liked to photograph a great blue heron such as the one on the sign, but I didn’t even see a duck. To make up for it, I'll show you a pretty painting of a heron that I saw recently. It is the work of Loudoun County artist, Anne Marshall Block. 

Value Freedom

Tomorrow is Independence Day so I thought I’d show an image with a flag in it.

These are activists on a bridge that goes over the interstate. Someone is holding a sign that says “Cruelty is Wrong.” 

Protesting is a protected right under our constitution. So far.

Saturday at Camp Roosevelt, the First CCC Camp

Visiting the Pump House Site

O

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Pets and Art in Luray

Yesterday in Page County

Charlie’s friend Sadie is checking out a mural in Ruffner Plaza. I’ve actually shared this mural before, but it was in 2017. Let’s look at some other things.

Monday Mosaics /  Murals

We saw a small sign explaining that a cat that wandered around was not a stray. We did not have the privilege of meeting the cat, though.

There were some plaques telling the early history of the town, which was established in 1812 on land owned by the Ruffner family. Another plaque said that the first bluegrass festival was held at in Luray in 1961.

We also stopped at an art gallery that is west of town. It’s run by the folks who used to have the Warehouse Gallery.