Snowy View

Yesterday Morning

Saturday was gray and snowy. Sunday was sunny and snowy. With a view like this, I can't complain about getting snowbound.

View from Our Driveway

Yesterday Before the Snow Was Cleared

Our Yard in the Snow

That's a suet feeder hanging in the center of the picture. A few nights ago some critter pulled it down and stole the suet. Someone also pulled down another small bird feeder that night. Since the bears are supposed to be hibernating, I think the culprit may have been a raccoon or even a deer. I would not suspect the deer except that one of them was probably what chewed most of the leaves off our late-blooming rose bush that night. So maybe there was a deer feeding frenzy going on in preparation for the coming snow storm.

Anyway, late Friday afternoon I fastened the suet feeder back up and filled the large bird feeder, which I also protected by screwing on a large "squirrel baffle" which I had just bought after a squirrel defeated the "squirrel-proof" feeder. My fingers got very cold when I did this but I persisted in getting the feeders ready because significant snowfall was predicted and the birds would be looking for food after snow covered the ground.

Related post: Deer oh Dear.

How Much Snow ...

It snowed all day yesterday and finally stopped last night. I measured it at 18 inches in the driveway.

Snowy Saturday

We've got snow and lots of it!

Late last night Benny barked to go outside. I cleared a path on the front deck before walking him. We already had eight inches or more of snow.

The picture shows Frank shoveling snow around 10:00 this morning. Since then it has continued to snow all day. We aren't planning to go anywhere.

Yesterday I was in Harrisonburg for an appointment and picked up a few supplies before the storm hit, including extra bird seed and some pet-safe salt for de-icing. For Frank I bought English muffins and extra cereal; for myself I bought extra goat milk, wheat-free frozen pancakes, and small potatoes.

It may be a couple of days before we drive to town again.

Leora in the 1880's

Leora Morton, At About Age Six

Since my grandmother Leora was born in 1880, the photograph above dates to about 1886. It was among a box of pictures and mementos that my Aunt Clarice sent me.

Below: Stereographic Print from the 1880's. A note penciled on the back says "Party at Anna Crampton, North of Hadley." That would be Hadley, Michigan, which is not far from Flint, where she resided when I knew her in the 1950s and 60s. She died in 1969. (See Greenwood Cemetery site for her headstone.)
The note, which is faint, appears to say she's the first child from right in the front row. No one else is identified.

Feeding Squirrels Unintentionally

I was pleased to find a squirrel-resistant bird feeder for a reasonable price at Walmart. Of course, squirrels are smart and always find a way to steal bird food.
By the second day, Charlie had gotten the top off the feeder, as you can see in the picture. He could then reach into the tube and help himself to seed. Funny thing, the top is hard to unscrew and I have trouble getting it open. But for Charlie, it was only a minor challenge.

I put the top back on and it stayed on for the rest of the day. However, the squirrels had decided that this food was for them. One would swing around on the feeder until some seed came out. His siblings waited below and grabbed the seed as soon as it touched the ground. I don't know whether they took turns swinging and eating; I like to think they did.

The next day they got the top off again. Guess I need another feeder so that the birds get some seed too. I'm going to look for a squirrel-proof suet feeder as well, because today some critter unhooked the suet feeder, knocked it to the ground, and emptied it completely.

Historic Properties in Shenandoah Valley

I usually write about Frank's real estate listings but I came across some really unique buildings in a booklet I picked up at a shopping center. They intrigue the historian in me and probably some of you history buffs will want to see them too.

• Kline's Mill, a grist mill built around 1794, with original equipment, of significant interest for historians.
• The Rouss Opera house in New Market.
• The Nelson Theatre, a small town cinema in Mount Jackson.

Also for sale (in a higher price range) is a B&B near the old covered bridge.

Suiter Kids, Late 50's

Carol, Ricky, Peggy, Linda

My dad took this photograph, apparently during the same session as one I posted in January.

At Age Two

My dad was probably the photographer. He was pretty good with a camera and flood lights. I was too young to remember the photo session though.

Blogs about VA and WV Parks

My parents took us to many parks in Virginia and West Virginia when I was growing up. I came across some blogs that tempt you to visit these great places.

• Virginia State Parks Blog
• Southern West Virginia Vacations Blog

While you're at it, check out the book Best in Tent Camping: Virginia on Amazon. My daughter Marie did an outstanding job of revising it a few years ago.

Maybe this house will rent soon!

Finally a prospective tenant has looked at the lake house. The agent said they liked it and will decide this week.

Above is a photo of part of the family room which has a tiled area and stovepipe for a wood stove. The wall-to-wall carpet in this room is brand new, an olefin berber carpet in light tan and gray tones.

On the left is a picture of the sunroom taken before the previous owners removed the last of their belongings. Behind it is the above-ground pool.

Listed on Postlets.com

Bright View after a Gray Day

Today was icy, rainy, then foggy. In fact, I fell on the wet ice while walking one of the dogs this morning. Ouch.

Eventually we saw a little sunshine around 3 PM, soon followed by more fog and clouds. Around 4:30 the sun came through and we saw this beautiful sky. I grabbed a camera.

A Noble Cow

It's been a cold December so far, with snow and icy rain. Here are some pictures from a warmer time, a day in May when we stopped at Shenandoah County Park. It's near the Valley Pike between Maurertown and Toms Brook.

When you walk out to the Civil War Trails marker, you can view a farm next door.

If you like cows, don't miss Marie's Wall of Cows.

Snow Enthusiasts

The ski season has started here at Bryce Resort. I stopped on my way home from the post office to take a look at the skiers and snowboarders having a good time.

I'm not a skier myself. I tried it a couple of times some years ago and was terrified. But I enjoy seeing vacationers and appreciate the fact that they help support businesses here in Shenandoah County.

Brief Video: Shen River Lake

Above is a very brief video showing the lake that is in front of our rental property. The subdivision has the rather long name of Shenandoah River Lakes, describing its location on the North Fork of the Shenandoah and the fact that it encompasses a couple of lakes.

I took these pictures near the community's entrance at River Lakes Drive in Waterlick. And no, that's not a real swan below the sign.

Coordinates: 38.9700, -78.2876

Late Afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley

A Farm Near Senedo Road

Looking toward the Massanutten Range

Beside Our Road, December

The other day I took this photo near the entrance to our driveway. We had some fluffy snow but it melted today.

You can see the rail fence that was installed a few months ago.

Icicles Hanging From Our Roof

Wordle Art for Western Shenandoah County

Most people browsing real estate on Craigslist have never seen Bryce Resort or western Shenandoah County. I decided to create a Wordle for the attractions in our area and combine it with a photo I took last November showing Lake Laura and parts of Bryce Resort. My idea is to include it in some of our ads so that readers can get an quick idea of what the area offers.
The process of combining it in Photoshop was pretty simple. First I resized the photo so that it matched my Wordle graphic. That graphic had the words on a black background. I selected the black background in one click, went to Select/Inverse, hit Copy and pasted it over the scenic photo. That made a new layer of just the words. I experimented with different types of layer merges and even erased a word or two that didn't look right. I added the text "Beautiful Area" to sum up what I think of this region.

I saved as a JPEG and added it to this listing for a vacation home for sale in Basye.

Wordle.net | BryceResort.com

Same Place, Different Look

Above: Saturday Morning

Below: Sunday Morning

When I got up on Saturday and opened the living room blinds, I was greeted by the scene above. Snow was everywhere and was still coming down.

The first picture looks black and white with a sepia tone, but it's a color photo. The falling snow muffled the colors as much as it muffled sounds. It was a beautiful sight though.

When I got up Sunday morning, the snow had stopped and the sunlight was bright, so color was back in full glory. Long icicles hung from the roof and even from the bird feeder. And Great North Mountain was again visible in the distance.

Cardinals, Snowy Oak Tree

Did you spot the cardinals? Mr. C. is partially obscured by a snowy branch (upper left) and Mrs. C. is on a lower branch. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.) Below we have a photo of Mrs. Cardinal. I took both these pictures through our dining room window today.

Web Log Post #2222

Welcome, visitors! This blog has logged over 50,000 visits so far!

I made a few small changes lately. I added a link to my Facebook page. Also, I created some more labels for frequent topics:

• Lakes and Ponds
• Miscellaneous Animals
• Signs (including historical markers)

There are thousands of photos on this blog, so you are invited to spend some time browsing.

November 2009 Posts

Little Pond in the Snow

Seen from our deck yesterday.

Our Last Rose of Autumn

I cut some rose buds in our garden in late November. Cold weather was coming and although this particular rose bush had turned out to be hardier than most, I knew that winter's cold would nip the buds soon.

Once indoors, the petals gradually opened and this flower was still blooming when the first snowstorm arrived yesterday.

I don't think I kept the tag for the rose bush, which Frank bought me for Mother's Day this year. It's shaped like a small tree and the leaves are still green and healthy. Normally I'm not a big fan of rose bushes because their thorns attack me, but this one has been remarkable for blooming in cool weather.

Photo Booth's Thermal Effect

Photo Booth is an application that came with my MacBook. It works with the laptop's built-in camera and gives you the option of using special effects. One of the effects is "Thermal Camera."

Above: Fireplace pictured using Thermal Camera mode.

Below: Snow scene and profile photographed using Thermal Camera.

First Snow of the Season

Today we woke up to the first real snow of the season. I took this picture through the dining room window shortly after noon.

Update on Flash

Flash with Toy (After Tearing the Stuffing Out)

Flash (also called Barney or Little Guy) is doing well. He is still on a low dose of seizure-preventing medication although he hasn't had a seizure since February.

It's possible that his seizures were brought on by a reaction to eating chicken. This was certainly the case with Guppy, who like Flash was a beagle-basset mix. I don't know whether Guppy was allergic to chicken or whether he was affected by "malvin," a natural substance found in chicken, eggs, and certain fruits. The late Hulda Clark wrote that some people have seizures after consuming malvin. It was this claim that gave me the idea to take Guppy off dog food made from chicken, and the results were positive. So with that in mind, I don't feed Flash chicken either.

Earlier Post: Video of Flash and Toy Hedgehog

Benny's Ears

Cocker Spaniels are known for their tendency to have ear infections. We've been treating Benny's ears for a couple of months now: taking him to the vet, cleaning his ears twice a day, applying medicine.

At first the vet found a bacterial infection. Then it changed to a yeast infection. Then it was a bit of both.

Poor Benny! He does not like having medicine put in his ears. But they seem to be gradually clearing up, especially the left one.

Lamp Beside the Driveway

Brief Video View of Carillon Pond

Below we have a small video showing a duck pond in Luray, Virginia. I made it in October - no drama, just a tourist's view of a little park in the Shenandoah Valley.

The picture on the right was made more vibrant using Adobe Photoshop.

The Pond at the Singing Tower

Carillon Pond Park, Luray, Virginia

In October we found a nice little park with a duck pond near the carillon in Luray. This is near the famous Luray Caverns.

The carillon has 47 bells and is called the Singing Tower.

Water Pollution Illustration

Here we have an example of water pollution: a couple of plastic bottles and some pond scum.

On the right is a revised version of the photo. I cropped it to draw attention to the bottles, adjusted the levels in Photoshop, and added a poster edge filter.

A Couple of Ducks

I photographed this pair in Luray a few months ago.