Mid-September with Charlie

 A Beagle’s Report

Hello! I had some good times this week and I’ll show you pictures, but first, here’s my portrait with a filter called Black-and-white Drawing. It makes me look like a wolf!

This week I went to Seven Bends State Park two times. I saw some turtles. Do you see them?

Yesterday there was a new sign in the park.

It looks like there’s a goat race! I bet I can run faster than a goat!

Ranger Megan invited us to a talk that a lady was giving about the CCC. They planted a lot of trees a long time ago, and built some parks, but not this one. 

I was very good and made friends with a woman who was sitting behind us. When we left, it was already time for dinner.

Every week I spend an afternoon with my friends at the veterinary day care.

Today I did something exciting. We picked up Miss Deborah, and we went to a horse ranch!

Fort Valley Campground and Ranch

I met some people and dogs.

Guess what? I’m not afraid of horses, even though they are big.

Some girls were feeding them.

It was really interesting. I would like to have a horse as a pet!

The Fall of Turner Ashby

This memorial to Confederate officer Turner Ashby is on Chestnut Ridge in Harrisonburg, where Ashby was mortally wounded in 1862. The site is currently monitored by security cameras because the monument was defaced a few years ago. 

This monument was dedicated in 1898 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, long after the war was over. 

Although I have posted photos of this site in the past, I recently learned something about Turner Ashby that lowers my opinion of him, which wasn’t particularly positive in the first place. (He not only fought against his country, he also had flawed judgment as an officer. Stonewall Jackson had strongly criticized him for poor performance at the first Battle of Kernstown. But the most shameful story about him comes from before the Civil War.)

In 1856, Ashby led a vigilante mob in an attack on attorney John C. Underwood, after Underwood spoke against slavery at the Republican convention! Wow!

Turner Ashby’s name has been back in Virginia news lately because Ashby-Lee Elementary School is a subject of a controversial court case brought by the NAACP and a few students in Shenandoah County. The case and the backlash has really brought out a divide between citizens who believe that public  facilities should not be named for Confederate “heroes” and people who oppose progressive changes. I find the defense of racism to be disturbing, but I also remember when Virginia textbooks taught older generations a fake version of history, painting the Old South in a positive light. 

Back to Chestnut Ridge, there are several plaques and markers in this small park, and the sign erected by Civil War Trails provides the most detail. Even that one is open to question, because it may not have been “a Union bullet” that felled him. Forensics indicated that he was hit by friendly fire coming from his own troops. Keep in mind that a battle is full of dust as well as smoke, so vision can be obscured.

The Life of Turner Ashby

Marker for Jon C. Underwood

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

Harrisonburg Rectangles

Lines, rectangles, and right angles catch my eye. Not as much as triangles, but still… Shapes are interesting.

The first photo shows a reflection of a sign that happens to be suspended from an overhang. The second picture shows the entrance to a parking garage.

Festival Snapshots

Yesterday I showed animals at the festival in Stephens City. I did snap a few pictures to record the scenes at the craft sale, so here they are. As you can see, it was a beautiful day!

There was a parade earlier, but I did not go to see it. I’ve seen a previous one, plus numerous other small town parades. 

Shadow Shot Sunday

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.

Woodbine Market at 20 Years

Near Lebanon Church, VA

This farm market sits along Route 55 (John Marshall Highway) north of Strasburg. When I stopped there today, I saw a sign saying they are celebrating their 20 year anniversary. 

It’s on one of the main roads that connects the Shenandoah Valley with West Virginia. Years ago, West Virginia decided to replace Route 55 with a superhighway known as Corridor H, and a significant part of it has been completed in West Virginia. Connecting it with interstate 81 in Virginia would benefit some businesses in West Virginia, but it would not particularly benefit commerce in Virginia. So the superhighway still ends across the mountain in Wardensville, WV.

The mountain, by the way, is a rugged one that separates the two states. Here’s a view as seen from Perry, West Virginia. I suspect the rock formation is Big Schloss. This outcropping of quartzite and sandstone along the crest of Great North Mountain is a popular hiking destination. I’ve seen a lot of these formations along the mountains of West Virginia. (Geology buffs have probably figured out that these rocks did not erode like softer rocks that were once around them.)

I hear the views are great from up there. I regret that I did not make that hike when I was younger and more able, but that was a long time ago.

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

More Camp Roosevelt Pics

Camp Roosevelt was the first Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the nation. It opened in April 1933, providing housing and work for young men as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s program to ease the Great Depression. 

Yesterday I took Charlie for a short walk there, and remembered that I needed some close-up shots for a photography project. My iPhone did pretty well considering its size.

Made into a collage for Mosaic Monday.

We followed a short path and paused at the marker where the CCC wash house was located.

A funny thing is it that as I was planning this post, I thought maybe I shared a picture of this feature before. It turns out that exactly three years ago on this very same day, I posted this sign and a similar picture!

Is that a coincidence or am I drawn to the same places at a particular time of year? This sort of thing has happened before, but Camp Roosevelt is in the forest away from my regular routes, although it is only about a half hour from home.

Sadly, this camp and many other historic sites in the National Forests are not well maintained, although someone cleans up trash and fallen trees. I wonder if this will get fixed up before the hundred-year anniversary of the CCC, which is only six years away. I should probably call my congressman. Our Forest Service is not very well funded right now.

I have a photo to share just to answer the question, “Why do so many photographers wear black?” I took a picture of a plaque on a bench and immediately wished that I had worn a black shirt instead of a red one.

Arts and Flowers

Crape myrtle is blooming! These blossoming trees are not native to Virginia, but have been widely planted, often along roads and parking areas. 

I noticed them in Harrisonburg yesterday. I actually arrived in the town early because I allowed time for traffic and a long detour around the Route 33 overpass, which is a construction zone. I decided to stop at a cemetery to look for interesting memorials. I found a lovely version of a traditional mourning sculpture. 

This is part of the Floros family memorial group. I learned that they owned a popular lunch spot.

Also in Harrisonburg is this sign, displayed in the food co-op and numerous other places. 

“No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.”

Available as a yard sign, it was co-created by Pastor Matthew Bucher and members of the Immanuel Mennonite Church community in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It became popular locally in 2016, and then nationally. The creators were glad to share the design and it is available online.

Back at home, I found some flowers blòoming, and some weeds too.

Garden Affair / Mosaics

Today I took some close-up shots with my iPhone. The spotted lanternflies are starting to morph into adults. They are colorful but invasive, and not only eat leaves of the tree-of-heaven, but also feast on grape leaves and Virginia creeper.