Skywatch: County Airport

Temperatures went up today and much of yesterday's snow melted. This is the Front Royal - Warren County Airport.

Linking to: Skywatch Friday

A Tragedy on the Highway

A friend of my older daughter was killed in an auto accident on Wednesday afternoon. His wife was seriously injured and underwent surgeries. Here's a photo I took of him with my daughter in 2010.

Ray Pickens and Lynn Javins

Ray was Lynn's next-door neighbor when she first moved to the Shenandoah Valley some 20 years ago. He was deaf and Lynn was able to converse with him using American Sign Language, which she had learned in school. Later they both moved to other neighborhoods and Ray married Kathy, but they kept in touch over the years, especially after texting on cell phones made it easy to send quick messages. At the time of the photo, Lynn was looking at mobile homes and Ray had a neighbor with one to sell, so we stopped at his home near Raphine to look at it. More recently, he and Kathy moved to Halifax County.

A news report mentions that the accident was weather related, as snow had started falling. Another vehicle crossed over the line and hit Kathy and Ray's car.

Lynn asks for prayers for Kathy, who faces a long recovery. Lynn has started a fund to help pay for burial expenses for Ray and also for Kathy's medical needs.

Please include Kathy Ratcliffe in your thoughts for healing. Thank you.

Another Snow Day

It snowed last night. At nine this morning, I measured 12 inches of snow, and we've had more since then.

This isn't breaking any records for Virginia, but it makes some roads impassable. We're just staying home.

Little Tracks in the Snow

Water World, Black and White

Ducks or geese waddled across the snow leaving curving trails. Yes, it looks like sand, but I can assure you it was snow that was still on the ground yesterday near Winchester.

Linking to: Black and White Wednesday

and Water World Wednesday

Icy Branches

I took these pictures last week after an ice storm. There's another such storm heading for states south of here, and it's supposed to bring snow to Virginia tomorrow night.

Luckily the ice we saw last week melted the same day. I don't mind a little ice and snow as long as it doesn't stick around.

Linking to: Our World Tuesday

On Frozen Pond

One day last week I looked out and saw people on the ice. This is unusual because this is Virginia and the lakes don't freeze very often. In fact, I worried when I saw them. How did they know the ice was thick enough?

I remember when I was a kid and the pond over at Hollin Hall pool sometimes froze over. An adult would drill a hole and we would not be allowed to skate on the pond unless the ice was a certain thickness. Was it four inches?

Visiting Swans

One morning in mid-December I looked out the window at the lake, expecting to see the usual geese and perhaps a few ducks. Large white birds were there in profusion, but they were tall… oh, those aren't geese! Swans! A large flock of swans had flown in and were gliding around like they owned the lake!

I grabbed a camera and took a few pictures from the window. Then I put on my coat and went outside to get some closer shots. I used the zoom, which not only gives some nice pictures but also helps my eye to see things in greater detail as I look through the viewfinder. (Yes, I always buy a camera that has a viewfinder! It shows me the scene better than a screen does and also helps me keep the camera steady as I hold it against my face.)

Now I've seen swans in Virginia before, particularly near Montross and on Silver Lake in Dayton. But we hadn't seen them here before. I took dozens of pictures and posted a couple on Facebook that same day on our neighborhood's page.

While I was out there, a couple of trucks stopped on the other side of the lake and I heard two men talking. One said that the swans flew in during the night. I remembered hearing a great squawking late at night, like geese honking in great alarm. That must have been when the swans landed.

Now the geese were keeping their distance from these larger birds. I believe these are tundra swans.

I took dozens of pictures, so many that I had trouble deciding which ones to share here on this blog. So I procrastinated. But I finally went through them yesterday and selected some favorites.

Swans in Monochrome

There's not much color in these images. I went ahead and changed the first one to black and white using Photoshop.

Linking to: Camera Critters 

and Black and White Weekend

Snacking Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Linking to: Saturday Critters

Goose Stepping

Canada Geese Walking on Ice

Linking to: The Bird D'Pot

and NatureFootstep Winged (final edition)

Evening Light and Light Wires

Skywatch Front Royal, VA

Sometimes I stop to grab a photo of the sunset and I just can't get a shot without power lines cutting across the sky. Why don't they put those things underground? I realize that utilities couldn't care less about photographers, but underground lines wouldn't come down in ice storms and thunderstorms. They also would not be so vulnerable to acts of terrorism or squirrels!

Linking to: Skywatch Friday

and Orange You Glad It's Friday

Union Church in Winter

I took this picture yesterday in Mt. Jackson in Shenandoah County. Frank was at the dentist so I drove up the street looking for a nice scene framed by ice-covered trees.

This was around 12:45 PM, shortly before the ice melted. In fact, his original appointment was for 10:30 in the morning but the roads were icy so the dentist's assistant called and changed it to 12:30. By that time the roads were safe so this worked out well. We had lunch in New Market where Frank enjoyed a piece of his favorite pie!

Wren on a Feeder

I like the long beak on this delicate little bird. I'm pretty sure it's a Carolina Wren.

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday

Three Features at Eastham Park

Outdoor Library

Path Along the Shenandoah

Underpass at the Railroad Track

Riverside Scenes, February

When we first visited the Eastham Park Trail in late 2011, it was new and had just been paved. Now it's been extended and underbrush cleared out so we have great views of the Shenandoah River.

The trail is multi-use, suitable for biking and jogging as well as walking. It also offers access to a fenced dog park.

Linking to: Rurality Blog Hop
and Water World Wednesday

Ice on the Shenandoah River

Linking to: Wordless Wednesday 

and Black and White Wednesday

and Nature's Footstep Abstract 

Down and Up the Icy River

Trees Bow Over the Shenandoah

The South Fork was icy on Sunday but there was an open channel near the other side.

For the first photo, I was facing downstream near Eastham Park. I took the second picture after we walked up the trail and back so it was a little later in the afternoon. We're looking up the river and into the sun, which was just barely behind a cloud.

Linking to: Sweet Shot Tuesday
and Inspiring Photograhy

Warm Day in February

My husband took this picture of me on a bench beside the Shenandoah River. This was yesterday, when temperatures were mild, unusually warm for February. There was still some ice on the river though.

I love to get outdoors when the weather is good! I crave fresh air and sunshine, so winters here can get depressing. An hour outside really lifts my mood.

Skyline High School

Front Royal, Virginia

We reached Skyline High School by walking up the trail from Eastham Park. The school is practically "across the road" from Skyline Drive, the road being U.S. 340.

Yesterday was a great day for taking a walk because temperatures warmed up to the point that you didn't need a jacket. Most of the snow finally melted, but not for long. We had more snowfall this morning! Fortunately it was only an inch or two and is now melting again.

"What Happened to Righteous Government?"

I saw this message painted on the asphalt but I don't know who wrote it there.

Linking to: The Our World Meme

A Face in Stone

I was surprised to see this profile in a rock formation behind Skyline High School in Front Royal. Years ago I saw the "Great Stone Face" in New Hampshire. It collapsed after a snowfall in 2003.

This one doesn't look so much like the Old Man of the Mountain as it does a younger man. I'm thinking Chris Rock!

Icicles on a Shrub

It melted Saturday.

More snow Sunday.

Linking to: The Six Words Linkup

Squirrel Success

Linking to: Saturday Critters on Eileen's Blog