The View from the Second Squirrel Ridge

This is the view from the second house we owned in Bryce Resort. We still own the house and our tenant moved out so we've been doing some work on it.

It's actually on Supinlick Ridge. The first home we owned in the resort was on a smaller ridge with no name as far as I could tell so I called it Squirrel Ridge. I used that name for this blog back in 2005. When we moved to Supinlick Ridge the following year, I kept the Squirrel Ridge name on the blog, and by the time we moved again in 2012, the name seemed to belong here even though we no longer live on a ridge.

Linking to: Catching the Light

Purple Crocus

The crocuses bloomed a bit late this year, alongside the daffodils instead of before them.

Linking to: Today's Flowers

Outdoor Cathedral

Yesterday we were in Orkney Springs so I stopped at the lovely shrine. I was not expecting to find that a service was in progress on a Saturday afternoon.

Shrine Mont

Linking to: Inspired Sunday

The Quarters at Blandy Farm

When you enter the State Arboretum at Blandy Farm and you see this imposing old building, you are reminded that this was once a fine estate.  

I replaced the color in these images with a sepia tone in Photoshop. This time I used HDR Options and selected one of the sepia methods. I haven't done much with HDR Options before so this was an interesting experiment.

See other sepia pictures at Sepia Saturday hosted by Ruckus.

Joggers at Blandy

Young people in yellow and orange

Run along the path so effortlessly.

I admire (and envy) their energy,

Too much a stretch for me!

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Linking to: Six Word Friday

and Orange You Glad It's Friday

A View from Bishop Meade Highway

Landscape at Carter Hall

Route 255, Millwood, Virginia

Linking to: Scenic Weekends

and Skywatch Friday

A Gate at Carter Hall

This historic estate is across from the Christ Episcopal Church in Millwood, Virginia. A nearby sign stated that this is private property so we did not enter the gate or see the manor house. A few steps away there's a state historical marker.

Col. Nathaniel Burwell, great-grandson of Robert "King" Carter, constructed Carter Hall in the mid-1790s after moving here from Tidewater Virginia. Edmund Randolph Governor of Virginia, U.S. Attorney General, and U.S. Secretary of State, died here in 1813 and was buried two miles north at Old Chapel. In Oct. 1862, Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson used Carter Hall as his headquarters. Pharmaceutical magnet Gerard Lambert purchased the estate in 1930 and hired New York architect Harry T. Lindeberg to remodel the house in the Georgian Revival style. Since 1977, Carter Hall has been the headquarters of Project HOPE, a worldwide health foundation.

Linking to: Good Fences

and Signs, Signs

Birds in the Act of Eating

Linking to: Wordless Wednesday

and Wild Bird Wednesday

Birds Soft and Small

Linking to: Nature Notes

and Our World Tuesday

Finally It's Spring!

Spring was late coming to Virginia this year but finally we are seeing buds and flowers. I took these pictures yesterday. Today is cold and rainy, but at least we're not shivering in the snow.

At Blandy in Clarke County, VA

Linking to: Catching the Light

A Stone Church in Millwood

Christ Episcopal Church, Millwood, Virginia 

This charming church dates from 1832. It's in Clarke County in the northeastern part of the Shenandoah Valley.

Linking to: 

Staring Sculpture in Sepia

Garden Grotesque

Serene Canada Goose

I marvel at at effortlessly the geese glide across the water!

This weekend there are two blog linkups devoted to Reflections: Weekend Reflections and Photo Friday. This goose also qualifies for Saturday Critters and Camera Critters.  Visit any of these sites to enjoy photos from bloggers around the world.

Dusk at Roy's

Riverton / Front Royal, VA

Is it mysterious that we repeatedly end up at Roy Rogers around sunset? Not really, since Frank loves fast-food hamburgers!

Compare this image to Clouds and Awning, taken a few steps forward and to the left, or to Winter Evening, Front Royal, taken downtown but facing the same direction.

Linking to: Skywatch Friday

and Orange You Glad It's Friday

Good Fences for Good Trails

Carson Trail along the Shenandoah, Front Royal, VA

Since blogger extraordinaire TexWisGirl is now hosting a linkup featuring fences, I looked through my unpublished pictures and picked out a couple that feature fences. These happen to be trailside fences, which is not surprising since I like to explore walking trails.

Looking Down on the Hawksbill Greenway, Luray, VA

Linking to: Good Fences (#2)

and Look Up Look Down

Robin Red-Breast

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Linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday

and Wordless Wednesday

Rainy Day at Belle Grove

Near Middletown, Northern Shenandoah Valley

We stopped by Belle Grove on Saturday to see the photos of graffiti that they found in the attic. It was a rainy day so I did not take many pictures of the pretty grounds of the old plantation, but I've taken many shots there before. I did duck under the roof of the blacksmith shop and look for photo ops of triangles for the City Daily Photo theme for April.

Icehouse, circa 1815

Forged Triangle, Typically Used as a Dinner Bell

Wagon Wheel

Linking to: Our World Tuesday

and Rurality Blog Hop

More Triangles

I'm still deciding which photo containing triangles I should post to the City Daily Photo monthly challenge. Once I started looking for triangles to photograph I realized they are easy to find.

I took this picture at a Fauquier County Park near Marshall. Here we see part of a walking trail.

Art at a Winery

There are now so many wineries in Virginia, I couldn't count them if I tried. We rarely visit them though, since I am allergic to yeast so I'm allergic to wine.  Recently a winery in Fauquier County hosted an art show so that gave us a reason to go there. It was an interesting venue for an exhibit, although a bit on the chilly side.

Note the shapes in the first photo. It's one of several I'm considering for my entry into City Daily Photo's Theme Day Gallery. The topic for April is "Triangle."

A Road Trip for Susan

Frank's youngest daughter (far right) was in town before embarking on a cross-country road trip so we met her for lunch today. Her sister and brother-in-law joined us. 

Our meeting place was the Cracker Barrel in Front Royal because it's conveniently located near I-66.

Allison, Dave, Sue, and Frank