A Short Post for Wild Bird Wednesday

This will be a brief post because my eyes are tired plus they feel irritated from traces of wildfire smoke. The fires are not close enough to be a threat at this time, but there are several in my county and even more across the mountains. 

It was a very windy day today. Lynn came to help fix a window screen and just before she arrived, the power went out. It turned out that a tall tree had taken down wires on Main Street. Lynn and Barb were able to fix the screen anyhow because we had enough light from the windows. 

I hadn't seen red-winged blackbirds in a while, but I saw several today. I like their song and the male's flashy wings. 

The usual birds have been coming to my feeders. Here we have a black-capped chickadee.

 

“Civil War Superhighway”

Woodstock, VA

This Civil War Trails sign was installed recently in front of the parking lot for the Woodstock Town Offices. I’ll provide the first part of the text and a closer look at the pictures.

“The road behind you is US Route 11. Today it looks very ordinary, but in the 19th century it was an engineering marvel.

During that time, travelers were often hampered by poor roads that were narrow, difficult to traverse, and plagued by choking clouds of dust when they were dry and muddy morasses when it rained.

The Valley Pike, as Route 11 was originally known, was a well-designed, relatively straight and wide highway. The road’s surface was graded for drainage and “macadamized,” or paved with layers of stone.

Construction of this 19th-century superhighway by the Valley Turnpike Company began in 1834. It eventually ran 93 miles from Winchester to Staunton.

When the Civil War began, the turnpike brought repeated military campaigns, bloodshed, and destruction to the Shenandoah Valley.”

 

The final picture dates from before 1911, which is when the turnpike gates were removed. Note the diagonally raised pole, or pike, and  the woman leaning toward the car, likely collecting the toll. A sign on the tree to the rightt says, “STOP, Pay Toll.” Except for the car, the road looked much as it did during the Civil War. 

Tuesday Treasures

Blue Falcon

There were chairs stacked in front of this mural, and there wasn’t much I could do about them. I was at the local high school to vote in the primary election and I saw this on the wall. It looks like a fantastic rendering! I imagine those chairs are stacked there unless needed for an event.

There is a more visible falcon on an exterior wall, but it is not nearly as fancy. At first glance I thought it was an eagle, but the name of the school team is the Falcons, so logically that is what it is.

Monday Murals

John Wesley UMC

Harrisonburg, VA

Founded in 1865 at a different location, the church then served freedmen and other African-Americans, including business owners. The current church is on Sterling Street.
 

In front of the church is a state historical marker for Edgar Amos Love. He co-founded the first fraternity at a historically black college, served as an army chaplain during World War I, and worked for civil rights.

Across the street is Newtown Cemetery.. 

Mosaic Monday

St. Patrick’s Silliness and Other Critters

Today we begin and end with some St. Patrick's Day stickers. I found them on Picsart when I was adding a filter to a picture of Charlie.

 I don’t usually do much for St. Patrick’s Day. My DNA shows that my ancestry is 68% British and Irish, I don’t put much stock in that because those reports can change over time as more data is collected from people in different countries, and let’s face it, humans have always migrated around from one place to another.

Speaking of Charlie, here he is with a new friend at the dog park. His name is Cotton and his breed is Coton de Tulear. I recognized the breed because they have recently become popular, and Charlie has three friends who look like that: Coco, Chuck, and Beth’s dog. Sorry I don’t remember her dog’s name, but he lives across the street. I suspect that Coco was acquired because the little neighbor boy wanted one that looked like Beth’s dog. They are really cute and sweet! The third dog, Chuck, sometimes walks down our street with his mom when she visits her mom. He’s friendly, and Charlie is always thrilled to see him.

We also saw Sadie at the dog park, so Charlie was quite happy. Another thing we did today was make a brief stop at a winery where there was a event called “Festival of Wool.” I saw a fine-looking sheep.

There was a contest going on to try to break the record for how many sweaters a person could put on at one time. When I passed by, she had about 40 sweaters on.

As promised, I have one more picture that I created using Picsart. This is a new critter to me. 😉 

Yesterday ay Amy’s

Strasburg, VA

Amy’s shop is where Janet’s shop used to be. I parked in front of it because I was returning a book to the library next door.  

I also noticed a shadow from a fence. Perhaps I should disclose that I made adjustments to this picture in my Photos app. 

Actually, I’m being facetious because there was a big news story about a royal family photo that Princess Kate altered digitally. I don’t know why this rates as a scandal. Doesn’t everybody alter their photos? I realize that news publications need to have policies against altered photos, but good grief! 

Skywatch, After the Time Change

Daylight Saving Time began on Sunday here. So even though Charlie is still waking up at the crack of dawn, at least the clock says it is later.

View from Morning Stroll for Skywatch

Today we had a gorgeous sunset, but I was driving on the interstate and couldn’t take a picture. I do have a picture from a little earlier, taken through a side window while I was stopped at a red light. I cropped it because there were so many electric wires at the top.

 

Water H2O Thursday

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Mild Winter, Signs of Spring

We haven't had much of a winter this year. Only one snowfall was enough to need shoveling, and I could have gotten away with not doing it except that I am obligated to keep the public portion of the sidewalk clear. We did get some bitterly-cold spells, but they did not last long. 

The news reported that "February, as well the previous two winter months, soared well past the internationally set threshold for long-term warming,"  This is worrisome. 

Still, I welcome the longer days and the early spring flowers. These daffodils are blooming next door.

I'm still seeing our year-round birds, and I've also seen some large flocks flying over which I assume are migrating. Here we see a mourning dove.

I had another picture that was similar and I edited it with a couple of filters. I used Photoshop Elements. I dropped my subscription to Photoshop because I don't like monthly payments. I liked it's functionality better though, partly because I knew so many shortcuts. 

New Business, Old Business

There’s a new gas station/convenience store on Front Royal Road in Strasburg. The location actually was at Valero service station at one time, but it was closed for years. The new owner has completely remodeled it so that it is sparkling clean and pleasant. They sell coffee and pizza, and you can sit at a table and admire the view of Signal Knob. 

Meanwhile, a large building in Sperryville is ready for retail tenants. It was the home of River District Arts until 2016 and then sat vacant. Originally it was a processing plant for apple products.

On the day that I drove to Sperryville, I first went to Front Royal. I drove down a side street and saw this sad Victorian building. As you can see, a fire damaged at beyond repair. 

Tuesday Treasures

Four Seasons of Rappahannock

Last week I was driving on Route 211 and I glimpsed this colorful mural in Rappahannock County Park. I turned around and went back to photograph it.

 It covers a long section of fence and I can’t do justice to it in a single photo so I’ll show some highlights. 

It helps to make the park look cheerful and welcoming. This is near Sperryville and “Little Washington.”

Mosaic Monday / Murals

First Baptist Church in Harrisonburg

 The congregation’s history dates back to 1871, and this brick church was built in 1964.

The tall building in the background is a grain elevator. 

I cropped the photo and lightened it so that we can glimpse the stained glass. 

Church History

Animal Effects

Horses. Only one of them is clearly visible in the first photo. The second one is in the shadows. I cropped the picture and lightened it drastically so you could see the brown horse. 

These horses can usually be seen near the Rappahannock County Visitors Center.

 I don’t have a variety of animals to show today. Of course, I do have some pictures of Charlie. He doesn't seem to like it when I point the cell phone at him to take a picture. He reminds me of my daughters in that regard. But sometimes I catch him looking very cute.

I used several filters in Picsart and got a strange effect.

Caturday / Saturday Critters

The Original Photo

Well, I’m having problems with formatting my pictures tonight, so I’m going to bid you good night! 

Scenic Skyline Overlooks

Yesterday at Shenandoah National Park

Although I wasn't planning to go to the national park yesterday, I decided to enjoy a little time there between errands. I entered Skyline Drive at Thornton Gap and drove south for 10 miles, stopping at several overlooks before heading back.

Although the resort area at Skyland was still closed for the winter, the weather was mild. There’s something refreshing about being in a beautiful place in the mountains.

 

One Week into March

March did not “come in like a lion” this year. We had fog and rain and wind, but it wasn’t really wintry. It definitely felt more like spring.

Since I’m usually outside early in the day to walk with Charlie, I’ve witnessed foggy mornings and took a few pictures. 

March 4

March 6

We had some nice days too, and I got to enjoy the local scenery.

North Fork of the Shenandoah 

Today I left Charlie at day boarding and drove to Front Royal for an oil change. My plan was to drive to Whole Foods for some groceries that I cannot find here, but I decided against it because it’s a long drive and can wait another week. This was a pretty day and the Blue Ridge Mountains are so close! 

All Seasons / Skywatch / H2O linkup

I still spent most of the afternoon driving, but it was beautiful.