October in Wildwood Park

Near the Bridgewater Dam

This past autumn was so pretty I took hundreds of photos. I still have more to post!

We've visited Wildwood Park in Bridgewater, Virginia several times. Compare this photo of the old dam to the one I posted five years earlier — I was startled by the similarities. One reason I stood is the same vantage point is that a chain link fence separates you from the edge of the North River so the number of spots from which you can take a picture of the dam is limited.

Trees By the North River

October in Bridgewater, Virginia

The North River flows to Port Republic where it joins the South River to form the South Fork of the Shenandoah.

See Also:

• Bridgewater College
• Bridgewater: Two More Pictures

A Small Change to the Template

Near the bottom of every page of this blog is a link to Older Posts. It's just above the Navigating this Blog section that I wrote to help readers find their way past the first page. And since many people come to this blog when googling a particular topic, I wanted to be sure they could find more than just one post.

I noticed some time ago that the Older Posts link was easy to miss and I wanted to make it larger. Yesterday I finally did. This won't interest you unless you're a blogger, but in case you are, here's the process:

After signing in, I went into Design and clicked on the Edit HTML tab. This displays the template. It took a little searching to find the style code for the Older Posts link. It starts out like this:

#blog-pager-older-link {

I experimented a little bit and wound up choosing 108% for the size of the font. Here's the line I inserted on the template:

font-size:108%;

Once I felt satisfied with the size, I changed it on the other links that appear on the same line, Home and Newer Posts. The latter only shows up if you have already gone to Older Posts.

And yes, I downloaded a copy of my template so I could restore it if I made some kind of a mess playing with it. I'm not an expert with style sheets because I learned HTML in the "old days" before CSS, so I proceed cautiously. I did take a CSS course at VU a few years ago so I have a basic knowledge of how it works. (After all, you can't keep up unless you keep learning!)

Bowman-Shannon Cultural Arts Center

Arts Center in Mt. Jackson, VA

In August, the Art Group in Mount Jackson moved to a larger building. It's still on Main Street (U.S. 11), and is now on the corner of Shannon Avenue.

We visited the building this week and were delighted with what we found. It is a beautifully restored house that was built in the early 20th century by a Mr. Shannon, with nice woodwork in the Craftsman style. Artwork is attractively displayed on three floors.

I had been craving a visit to an art gallery and was inspired by the quality of some of the items. A number of pieces depict scenes of the Shenandoah Valley or surrounding mountains. There were also some lovely pictures of Assateague Island.

Link: NVDaily article about the Arts Center.

Static + Fleece = Zap!

Earlier this week I had a problem with transferring photos to my laptop — the SD card reader stopped working. I'm pretty sure this was caused by static electricity because I had been "zapped" by it a few times that day.

The photos were not vitally important ones; they were snapshots we took while walking our dogs by the lake. I thought the files might have been corrupted but then I was able to view them on our iPad. Since then I acquired a spare card reader from Lynn so I was able to bring the pictures into Photoshop and resize them for posting online. (See yesterday's posts for other results.)

Static is definitely a problem in the winter and I wondered what I should do other than adding moisture to the air in our house. One thing that I already knew but had gotten lax about is to keep synthetic fabrics away from the computer. This includes sweaters and blankets (unless they are made of cotton).

After reading about Materials that Cause Static Electricity, I think moisturizing skin should help. Maybe I should get a metal comb to cut down on static in my hair!

Speaking of static, we saw a segment on the news about dangers of static when you pump gas. It turns out that after sliding out of the car, you should "touch a part of your vehicle that isn't near your gas tank with your bare hand." And resist the temptation to get back in the car to stay warm while the tank is filling.

On Top of the Dam

Frank with Ben and Flash at Lake Laura

The Easy Trail to the Dam

Lake Laura Nature Trail, Bryce Resort

At the bottom of this sign you can see the road that leads to "The Hill" condominiums. (Roads are shown as red, buildings and water are blue, and the trails are yellow.) We parked on the public portion of the entrance road (the one that leads to the pool and playground) and walked to the trail. This route to the lake is not steep like the one on the other end of the dam, although that one is closer to the beach.

This portion of the trail is a dirt road which is gated to keep vehicles out. It's level enough to walk a dog without fear of stumbling over rocks or ruts.

Earlier post in which I decided not to walk Ben down the other trail again

Ice and Snow on the Lake

Lake Laura, Basye, VA

Blog Entry #2800

I've posted to this blog 2800 times! Sometimes I mark these landmark posts by writing something to introduce myself, like post #2300 a year ago which listed the main schools I've attended.

This time I decided to mark the occasion with thoughts on dealing with circumstances that depress me. After all, it's January, one of the coldest and gloomiest months in the Mid-Atlantic Region. So here are:

Three Things That Make Me Depressed
and How I Deal With Them

1. The world is going to hell in a handbasket! War, climate change, the destruction of wildlife… If you read the news, it's hard to escape the hard reality that an awful lot of things are very, very wrong. People are cruel and selfish. Disasters happen — sometimes due to human greed and stupidity.
   
   Dealing with it: Realize that this is not new. It's been going on forever. And it bothers me a lot less if I guard my health (see item #2) and try to make the world a little better, even in limited ways.
   

   Words Worth Posting on Your Fridge: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." — Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

2. Physical Depression. It runs in my family. At least I'm lucky because I only get seasonal depression, the winter blues... and occasionally a miserable feeling caused by allergy to molds. (I wrote about the latter in 2006.)
   
   Dealing with it: I've been around long enough to anticipate winter blues and seek sunlight at just about every chance. I avoid molds (including yeasts) as much as possible. And when I fail at doing so, I remind myself that the resulting melancholy is temporary.


3. Aging and the Inevitable. Yep, we get older and we die. No doubt about it. Some people that I regarded as contemporaries have died. It's sad and it's a reminder of how short life can be.
   
   Dealing with it: Enjoy life while you can! Post a list of ways to enrich your life. It doesn't have to be an ambitious "bucket list." It can be a list of places you want to go within the next month or two, as simple as a local gallery or a concert. And put on some music, wear your favorite colors, seek out friends, and make time for the ordinary things you enjoy.
   

   "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." — John Lennon

South River in October

We walked around the park in Port Republic (Virginia) in Autumn. These young people showed up; I think they are students. They appeared to be serious and well-organized.

I've posted a number of photos of Port Republic over the past few years. For examples, see November 2008 or October 2008 or just search for Port Republic.

Encore: The South River

I've been to Port Republic many times. It's a small town between two rivers — not much of a port these days, but significant as the beginning of the South Fork of the Shenandoah. I love the sound of the river — you can hear it by starting the little video. See also South River at Port Republic, Oct. 2008.

Encore: The Old Lincoln Homeplace

Two years ago I posted The Lincolns of Virginia showing a marker about Abe Lincoln's ancestors in Virginia. It's on Route 42 north of Harrisonburg. At that time the 200 year-old house built by President Lincoln's great-uncle was obscured by trees and shrubs. Now it's been spiffed up a bit so I got a better picture of it.

For More Photos, see Lincoln Society of Virginia

Autumn Reflections, Carrier Arboretum

November at the Duck Pond

The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU is a place we return to again and again. It's convenient to Harrisonburg's stores and doctors' offices so we find ourselves in the area, and it's a great place to make a pretty day into a beautiful one.

I didn't use artistic filters on these images but I did brighten them by merging a duplicate layer using "soft light" and also saturating the color in Photoshop.

Arboretum Autumn

Carrier Arboretum in November

Harrisonburg, VA

January 2008 Post: JMU's Arboretum

Mallard Ducks Feeding

This is another picture from November. I used a Photoshop filter on it: a Poster Edge filter on a (somewhat saturated) layer. I then merged the layer at about 66% transparency.

Potato Chip Factory

Yesterday Frank had an appointment in Mt. Jackson. Afterward we went to lunch at Denny's and then drove to the Route 11 Potato Chip factory. We had seen their ads and their sign on the interstate, plus I like their chips.

The tour was fairly brief. The plant is only two years old and very clean. They are a waste-free facility; the potato peels and broken chips go to a "herd of Route 11 loving cows."

U.S. Route 11 was the main highway through the Shenandoah Valley before I-81 was built.

If you decide to go there and haven't seen the nearby covered bridge, be sure to drive through it. Meems Bottom Bridge is on Wissler Road.

See photos of the bridge here and here.

Thoughts on Skiing

Although we live in a ski resort, we don't know how to ski. Sometimes I wish I had learned when I was young because it looks like fun. But I didn't even get on a pair of skis until I was close to 50, and by that time I had reason to worry about breaking bones. When I found downhill skiing to be terrifying, I gave up.

It looks exciting though. If only it weren't cold, expensive, and hazardous to aging bones...

Some of the outfits look like fun too!

Ski Lift

Every winter I take at least a few pictures at the resort's ski slopes. It's fun to see people enjoying themselves!

Yesterday I noticed several people absorbed in their cell phones while riding on the ski lift. Since the lift rides don't last very long, I wondered if they were still on their calls when they started swooshing down the slopes. Probably not for long!

November at the Pond, Orkney Springs

Autumn at Bear Wallow Spring

I hope that the colorful foliage keeps these landscapes from boring you. I realize that I take an awful lot of "postcard" type photographs and they could get monotonous.

We visit Orkney Springs fairly often. It's a short ride from home and it has several peaceful and lovely spots.

For all my posts on Orkney Springs (and Shrine Mont) click the label: Orkney Springs.

Windy Scene at Orkney Springs

Short Video of Pond in November

The photographs I took that day don't give you an idea of the blustery wind but you can hear it and see it's effects in this little video. The pond is in Orkney Springs (VA) and is fed by Bear Wallow Spring.

Another Autumn Mountain View

This is one I took in November from the parking lot at "The Pines." I stopped and snapped this photo on my way to the post office in Basye. That's Great North Mountain in the distance.

November View at Sky Chalet

Great North Mountain in Autumn

I've taken pictures from Sky Chalet Lane before. It's an easily reached vantage point for mountain views in the Bryce Resort area, just off Orkney Grade Road. I'm only posting a couple of November's photos because the rest were similar to some pictures I took there in 2009.

Sky Chalet is a B&B style lodge on top of Supinlick Ridge.

Other nearby "photo op" spots for mountain views are the gas line cut on Supinlick Ridge and

the parking lot for The Pines. If you're feeling more adventurous, drive to the top of Great North Mountain on Crooked Run Road. A short walk there leads you to spectacular vistas.

Along Wolf Gap Road in November

Route 675, Shenandoah County, VA

I still have Autumn photos that I haven't done anything with so I'm posting a few this week. Our fall foliage season lasted well into November this year so I had extra opportunities to take pictures of colorful trees.

These views were along the section of Wolf Gap Road that's between the town of Columbia Furnace and Liberty Furnace Road.

Lake Laura in Winter

Views from the Dam
Basye, VA

Related Posts:

• Bryce Resort from the Air
• Lake Laura in August
• More Lake Laura Photographs

Dog Ornaments

Even though Christmas is over and we've packed away the decorations, I couldn't resist these cute ornaments when I saw them at Sylvia's Pets. They have doggy faces and ears and were a fund-raiser for a church that uses the proceeds to help orphans in Haiti.

Looks like you could easily make these using felt and those little eyes you buy at a craft store.

A Tasty Meal in West Virginia

While driving home from Baltimore after our cruise, I was thinking ahead to lunch time. "Maybe we'll stop in Winchester," I mused. But then near Rippon I saw that John's Family Restaurant was open. Yum! We had stopped there once and found the food to be good.

Since we had eaten an early breakfast, I was ready to eat at 11:30 so I pulled into the parking lot. Inside we found that their collection of stained glass and rustic Americana was further brightened with some Christmas items including a charming tree.

I was delighted to discover that prime rib was available even though it was early in the day. I had it with a baked sweet potato and it was the best meal I'd had since leaving home 9 days earlier.

Location: Route 340 between Charles Town and Berryville.

At the End of the Cruise

I posted most of our cruise photos in December but stopped to cover Christmas and those important visits with family members. Here's the final image taken from the ship. We were returning to Baltimore early in the morning. I was really happy to be nearing home. I couldn't wait to have really satisfying meals again, to say nothing of having regular internet access.

On the ship, we had purchased blocks of internet time which cost 55 cents a minute. Naturally I used it sparingly, just enough to avoid the loneliness of losing touch with family members. I composed emails and blog posts while offline and pasted them in when I got back online. It reminded me of the old days when I had only a dial-up connection, one that competed with voice calls for use of my only phones. That was back before cell phones - can you believe it?

I've written some complaints about the cruise on this blog and and on Facebook but certainly there were nice things about the trip too. I particularly enjoyed visiting Nassau and Key West, and it was a lovely having warm and sunny weather in December.

I suppose the first day got me off to a negative start: the long lines to get through security, the crowds at the elevators, and the utterly dismaying discovery that there was only one brand of decaf coffee on the whole ship and it was undrinkable. I had brought some packets of a decent instant coffee but about half of those had gotten ruined before we even reached the ship when a bottle of water spilled in my snack bag. (That's what I get for refilling water bottles - they leak if they tip over.)

So my first impression of the ship was that it was like a white-collar prison! You couldn't get off during the days at sea, and there was no way to get good coffee. A couple of days later we disembarked at our first port of call and I bought a supply of decaf in Cocoa Beach. That helped my mood and I realized that the ship is not like a prison, it's more like Busch Gardens without any rides. After all, we saw fancy faux-decor, crowds of people, and some high-energy shows. They weren't of Broadway quality but most were amusing (although I did walk out on a pianist who hammered the keys in a noisy, jarring way).

I must say that the Royal Caribbean staff worked very hard. They were well-organized, helpful and often charming. Many of them are actually from the Caribbean and spend nine months at a time working on the ship. Then they get a long break so they can visit their families.

Key Posts About the Cruise:

• Our Itinerary
• Windows on the Ship
• Solarium
• State Room
• Back to the Ship

Why I Lost Weight on a 9-Day Cruise

When my husband suggested taking a cruise, my main worry was getting enough to eat. I have several food allergies and a list of other dietary concerns. Eating in restaurants is often frustrating and sometimes risky. Still, cruise lines are said to have plenty of good food, so I decided to do some research.

I searched online for food allergy and cruises using various terms and read a number of first-person accounts of dealing with the problem. Many people had positive experiences although there were some who did not. The worst story, of course, was the news account of a man who died from food allergy aboard a cruise ship.

The positive accounts stressed notifying the cruise line ahead of time and working with the wait staff on board. We called Royal Caribbean and they indicated that they could easily accommodate a wheat-free dairy-free diet.

I took several copies of a typed list of my dietary restrictions. At dinner the first night, I gave it to our waiter. The head waiter came over and said they would show me the menu for the next night so I could select something and they would modify it for me. We did this nightly so my dinners worked out okay, although I got the same starch every night: a plain baked potato. It got monotonous but apparently it was the only thing guaranteed safe. (Baked potatoes don't work for the low-glycemic part of my diet plan but avoiding allergens was more important than worrying about the glycemic index. I did try to get basmati rice but failed, and sweet potatoes did not seem to be available.)

Breakfast and lunch required a different approach because we did not have the same wait staff. There were only a few safe breakfast options so I had the same thing every morning: bacon, grits, and poached eggs. Again, it was monotonous but safe. (Actually, once or twice I skipped the bacon and eggs and just had grits. Good thing I like grits!) We had lunch a couple of times in the dining room with mixed results; but usually went to the cafeteria where again I had monotonous but decent fare: salad greens, steamed rice, the plainest meat I could find, and water. (I also drank water at dinner and breakfast because the decaf coffee tasted horrible and I'm allergic to tea. Since I avoid sweets, I gave up soft drinks years ago.)

The good news is that I lost two pounds on the cruise. The bad part is that I was hungry much of the time. I did bring along my own snack food but could only eat small amounts of it because it was not low glycemic except for the cashews. (Most packaged snacks are high in carbs.)

An uncomfortable incident occurred at the salad bar at lunch time in the main dining room. You don't serve yourself there, you tell staff what you want and they make your salad. At the end of the process, they chop it with a cutting wheel which they use on everyone's salad. When I saw this, I said "Don't chop mine" so that my salad would not be contaminated with cheese or wheat, etc. This worked out the first time but the next day the guy rested the instrument on my salad before I could tell him not to, thus contaminating it. I voiced my frustration and went back to the beginning of the salad line and started over. This time he did not touch my salad. But now I know: your salad in a restaurant may contain allergens if you are not VERY specific in your instructions.

I told my husband that the crew probably had my picture posted in the kitchen with horns drawn on my head. I was only half-joking.

Here are some things I learned about the food on our cruise:

1. Do bring an allergy list and order your dinner a day ahead. The food is all prepped ahead of time so you cannot just say "no cheese" (for instance) at meal time and expect your meal to be modified. It's not like your neighborhood restaurant where meals are put together at the last minute. After all, they are serving hundreds of people at one time.
2. Even though there are supposedly several restaurants, they serve pretty much the same food and the same drinks. After being perplexed by what the dining room called "prime rib," we tried the steak house type restaurant, but even though we paid extra for it, the food was disappointing. The only good thing I can report about that restaurant is that the overly-weighted knives and forks were entertaining because they kept flipping onto the floor!
3. Even though room service is "free" and "24 hour," their menu is limited. You cannot modify dishes through room service. If eggs are scrambled, you can't get them poached or boiled. So there was nothing on the room service menu that I could eat. I did use room service to get hot water so that I could make herb tea from my own supply and decaf coffee using a French press. (Be advised that wait times can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 50 minutes. And sometimes they don't answer the phone.)
4. There is no microwave or coffee maker in your cabin and you cannot bring one on board, so forget about cooking anything. There are restrictions on what food you can bring in anyway. (No liquids, no meat.. you can bring in packaged snacks and that's about it.)
5. The little stores on board don't have much in the way of snack food. There was candy but nothing I could eat. Bring your own snacks... and ground coffee and a French press.
6. Consider the location of the cafeteria when you choose your state room. We were at the opposite end of the ship from the cafeteria and two floors down, so running there for a snack or beverage was not worth the time and effort.
7. Remember that you aren't the only person with food problems. I met two women with allergies more serious than my own; that is, they were prone to anaphylaxis. One of them was sensitive to sulfites which are used in epi-pens as preservatives, so although she carried one for emergencies, she's not supposed to use it!

List of my food allergies

FoodAllergy.org

At Sea

One thing I thought about when we were at sea last month was how my forefathers crossed the Atlantic. They came in ships much smaller and less comfortable than the cruise ship, and their voyage was long and dangerous. And yet they came to pursue a dream of a better life.