Charlie or Charles?

Hi, it's me. Charlie the beagle. Sometimes Mom calls me Charlie Brown. Sometimes she calls me Charles but that usually means she isn't happy. I don't understand why she would be mad at me when I try so hard to be a good dog.

I start each day by reminding Mom to get up early so that we can go outside. She gets to see the morning sky and the little creatures in the trees. I would like to catch one and sniff it but they stay away.

Sometimes I let her take my picture and even add special effects. I’m a pretty good model when I stay still.

Dog parks are fun! Yesterday we went to the one in Strasburg. It is not as busy as the one in Woodstock, but there was one other dog there. His person threw something to catch but it was not a ball so I could not catch it. I had fun running really fast.

After I got tired, Mom drove the car while I slept in the back seat. Finally we got out and took a short walk. There were some creatures called geese on the pond. 

See the harness I wear sometimes? Well, today I took it off in the car. We were not going very far but I was able to walk around in the backseat without the seatbelt holding me back for a few minutes. I could finally reach the armrest on the other side which had never been chewed on and I took two little bites. When the car stopped, Mom looked at me with big eyes and then said something that sounded like she was upset. She did not seem proud that I took my harness off. I thought it was a pretty good trick myself.

Four More from Skyline Drive

Tuesday, Shenandoah National Park

Like many mountain roads, building Skyline Drive involved dynamiting sections of rock. Underground springs still seep through the rocks and freeze into long ice formations in the winter. 

There weren't many people up there. These folks were returning to their car from a hike.

I also saw a couple eating a picnic inside a camping van, with a dog looking out the door. The campgrounds are closed in the winter though.

Tuesday Afternoon, Skyline Drive

Shenandoah National Park

Long stretches of Skyline Drive were still closed due to the number of trees and branches that came down during the ice storm. Crews have been working to remove them from the road.

I had physical therapy on Tuesday morning (for hip pain) and then drove to Luray. I entered the park from Route 211 and it was open for 11 miles southbound. At Skyland I had to turn around and drive back. But the scenery is fantastic and always worth seeing.

 

Common Visitors

Most of my bird seed is going to house finches and squirrels.

Although some folks regard house finches as nuisances, I rather like them. 

The Eastern Gray Squirrel tends to be greedy for sunflower see, but I forgive him because he has a cute little face.

Other birds come to my feeders too, like this Northern Cardinal. He is a favorite because his color is bright and cheerful. 

I photograph them through a window, typically using my trusty old Nikon camera. My cell phone does not have the zoom that my camera has. 

 

The View at Hemlock Springs

Shenandoah National Park

Lost Treasures 

The eastern hemlock tree holds a special place in the hearts of Appalachian dwellers. Birds such as the Blackburnian warbler and the winter wren find homes in hemlock forests. Brook trout thrive in cold mountain streams sheltered from the sun by the hemlocks shade. Shenandoah residents and visitors treasured the enchanting old growth stands at Hemlock Springs, Limberlost, and Rapidan Camp (where some of the hemlocks were over 300 years old). We’ll never experience that magic again. Ninety-five percent of Shenandoah’s hemlocks are gone, killed by an invasive pest called the hemlock woolly adelgid. Park scientists use chemical and biological treatment to protect the remaining hemlock trees. The gray, broken tree trunks of Hemlock Springs remind us of the hundreds of thousands already lost and the ecosystems forever changed.

 See Related Post from June 2012.

Mural with Wild Things

Sperryville, VA

This mural was a surprise. I pulled into a small parking lot and there it was! If you have been to Sperryville, you probably know that it is not far from Shenandoah National Park. Residents there see wildlife in their backyards.

The side of the building was painted like a blackboard so that people could draw on it.

A Morning Prayer

By Dr. M. E. Hecht

Let me remember to listen to a fall of rain or watch for the radiance of dawn.
Let me remember the miracle of a garden, where a small, desiccated seedling becomes a head of vetdant lettuce or the green cup of a deep purple eggplant
And savor the odors and taste of the kitchen.

Let me remember to listen for birds as they wing through the sky and bless the familiarity of their song.
Let me wonder at the munificence of the planet earth, my home

And the eternity of the cosmos it inhabits

And ask to save the least deserving of its creatures: mankind.

Ducks and Dogs

Mallards on Water Street

Rylie and Beamer

Charlie

More Views along the North Fork

Here is a view that I've shared before, but the way it appears changes in different seasons and hours of the day. Since this is a fairly calm section of the Shenandoah River, it reflects the sky above it, which of course changes constantly.

We are looking upriver from the low-water bridge on Hollingsworth Road. In the distance is a suspension bridge for pedestrians, provided for them to cross the river when the low bridge is flooded. The state highway department maintains a number of bridges like this.

Next we see a different view of the river. This one is from a boat landing in Seven Bends State Park.

At times I complain about winter, especially when the days are cold and gray. But we do get some sunny days and pretty skies.

I hope my readers are not getting tired of my pictures of the river and the park. By summer I should be able to travel farther, providing that my dog either gets over his separation anxiety or learns to ride in the car fearlessly. 

This Afternoon at Fairview Park

Woodstock has several parks and this one is Charlie's favorite because it has a large dog park. He loves seeing the other dogs and challenging them to a race. Sometimes they play keep-away with a ball.

After the bitter cold weather of last week, we have been blessed with mild days this week. I try to take Charlie to the park when are my schedule permits because he gets great exercise and he is still learning that the outdoors is a good place. He spent the first year of his life in a cage so there is a lot to learn.

Carolina Wren at the Feeder

Eating Safflower Seeds

Golden Hour Barns

These pictures were taken on different days with very different skies. Both scenes are near Woodstock. 

The Barn Collective / Wordless on Tuesday 

Sky Shots Near Front Royal

The town of Front Royal is in a valley cut long ago by the two forks of the Shenandoah River, which come together nearby. I don't go there as often now as I did when I lived 5 miles from there, but occasionally I go for a dental appointment or shopping, or to visit Skyline Drive.

The first photo is from last month and I took it while waiting for a red light to change at Riverton.

Today I went to Skyline Drive, but first I drove by my old neighborhood to take a look at the home being built on a property that we sold about five years ago. 

The river below the bridge is the South Fork of the Shenandoah. This bridge was recently named for Major General Joseph Warren, killed in the American Revolution.

I entered Skyline Drive at the northern entrance. It was only open for five miles because weather is more severe up there. Many limbs and trees had fallen from the ice storm. I was surprised by how many people were in the park, but government workers had a vacation day today and the weather was nice.

The picnic area at Dickey Ridge was open, with the road blocked just past there. I didn't see any deer this time, just hikers and tourists.

Photo of the Year 2022

City Daily Photo has a theme for the first of each month, and the theme for January 1st is always Photo of the Year. It isn’t easy choosing one so I made digital copies of images I thought were worthy and then clicked through them several times. I decided on this river scene because it is intriguing, the golden light is pretty, and the location is the Shenandoah River, which is one focus of my blog.

I’ll show you the runners up in collage form to save space.

The young woman is showing her child an exhibit of photos of endangered animals. The icy tree is a recent shot that I took while walking my dog.

A dramatic sky will often prompt me to take a picture.

The Love sign and the small garden are both at Seven Bends State Park. I work with a group that supports the park and I logged 101 volunteer hours in 2022. The park is still being developed but it is open for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and picnicking. There is a great play area for children near the Hollingsworth Road entrance.

The final four images show a hawk, Charlie and me, a unicorn, and a deer. Looking at these reminds me that I saw some wonderful things in the past year.