Colorful Dog Mural

"Mosaic District," Merrifield, VA

A shopping trip into Northern Virginia involves some gnarly traffic so I like to get in an extra destination besides the organic market. I was excited an article listing several murals in Merrifield in addition to the flowery one I had already found. I must say this one is my favorite. 

 The artist is King Tuxx. This is behind a very small dog park. A sweet doggy with a bandaged leg was there with her person. 

Monday Murals / Mosaic Monday

Dome and Minaret

Harrisonburg, VA

 You can see the dome and minaret from I-81. This is the view from Country Club Road. I did not see a sign or get a better angle because there is a No Trespassing sign as this is a construction site.

I assume this is the Islamic Center and it is being remodeled. 

Harrisonburg has a large immigrant population considering that it is in the rural Shenandoah Valley. In the city's public schools, students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken. There is also a large Mennonite population. 

Reluctant Model

After my daughter Lynn set up the iPhone SE for me, she told me that the camera has a portrait mode. Of course I wanted to try it but she does not like posing, so of course she made faces. Both of my daughters do this. I guess I wore out my welcome as a photographer of them many years ago.

I guess this color shot is the best she was willing to do.

These pictures are taken in the same natural lighting. The first one demonstrates the phone's setting of “stage light mono“ and the second one uses “stage light.“ I must say I was amazed.

Winged Things

Tiger Swallowtail

Osprey

Ducks

Grasshopper

Reflecting the Sky

Harrisonburg, VA

Last night I looked and looked for these photos in my files. Today I found them when I was looking for something else. The sky is reflected in the glass and the plaque remembers the horrific events of this day in 2001. 

Somerset County, PA 

New York, NY

Washington, DC

09.11.2001

A Day Not to Be Forgotten

 

Trying to Be Timely

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the "911" attacks so I want to mention the first responders who braved the dangers of fires and damaged buildings to rescue people. I remembered photographing a memorial in Harrisonburg that seems appropriate. This is Rockingham County Fallen Fire and EMS Memorial.

"This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the employees and volunteers in the county’s fire and emergency medical services who have died in the line of duty. It is also a tribute to those who carry on the noble tradition of unselfish service to their communities, now and in the future." 

Thank you fire and rescue heroes!

Yesterday evening I noticed the crescent moon looking pretty against a lavender sky.

Today I met Lynn in Woodstock and she replaced my iPhone with one that works better and set it up for me. The new (slightly used) phone was a gift from her and her sister. I guess they were tired of calls in which they couldn't hear me! 

Errands and Sights in Front Royal

Yesterday I ran some errands in Front Royal so I took some pictures while I was there.  The red flowers were decorating a median strip. I think they're celosia.

The main reason I was there was to pick up a package at an Amazon pickup counter in the Downtown Market. I had it shipped there because it contained chocolate, which can melt if left in my mailbox in hot weather. This worked out well.

The market has an eclectic selection of goods, including arts and crafts. I also made a quick stop in Better Thymes and left some books in the "Little Library" free book box at Fantasyland Playground.

 

Great Blue

The first time I saw this bird today I didn't have my camera. I was on our deck and saw something move in the lake. It was a great blue heron's head and neck, barely visible below the bank. Then up he jumped onto land, a fish in his beak. He paused, swallowed the fish, and went back in the lake. I regretted not having a camera but felt privileged to watch him. 

I don't actually know if he was a male but I am using the pronoun for convenience. 

Later I went out to run a few errands and took my camera along. I was pleased to see him from the other side of the lake. This time I got some pictures. 
 

The Funkhouser Farm in Hardy County

I went back in my photo files to find these unused pictures from four years ago. The Funkhouser Farm in Baker is rarely open to the public but it will be open again on September 25th as part of Heritage Weekend.

Tuesday Treasures

The log home was built around 1845 by Henry Funkhouser.  The front porch was enclosed around 1900. 

The property is on the National Register of Historic Places and is still owned by members of the Funkhouser family.

Cartoon Animals in Fairfax

This mural is on the section of Lee Highway where Routes 29 and 50 run along together. The building  currently appears to be empty. The picture above looks curved while it reality the building is not. The distortion is a product of taking a panorama on my phone and then copying it to post here.

Monday Murals / Mosaic Monday / Blue Monday

I was excited to come across this because it is delightful. I don't know how to adequately present it because it is very long.

The artist is MADSTEEZ, or Mark Paul Deren. In addition to the cute animals, the mural depicts Fairfax landmarks. 

I read that the artist has a visual condition in one eye where he sees only abstractions and lines of colors, most notably reds, purples, and oranges, His other eye sees realistically so he combines the two styles in his art. 

Lacey Spring Post Office

Labor Day 2021

 

Kernstown UMC

Kernstown United Methodist Church stands along the Valley Pike on the south side of Winchester. The congregation has roots dating to 1838 although this building is not that old. 

I did not find additional details about the church's history, but a story from a year ago came up about an embezzlement case. I did find some history of the name Kernstown, which is best known for two Civil War battles that took place in the area. The town was named for Adam Kern, Jr., whose father settled nearby in 1765. 

If you post a picture of a church or other religious building, consider linking up with Inspired Sunday.  I am also sharing this post with Shadow Shot Sunday. 

Ever Hear of IVAD?

It's International Vulture Awareness Day.

I like watching vultures fly. I admit that they look a bit creepy with that crooked beak. They play an important role in the ecosystem, and they are a protected species in my state.

The black vulture pictures are from late winter. Today I spotted some ducks in the late-day sun and took a picture.

Also showing: a grasshopper on a cattail plant. 

 

Sunflowers and More

Here we are in late summer, surrounded by natural beauty. How privileged we are!  I wish I had spent more time outdoors but most days were uncomfortably hot. 

Today was pleasant. The flooded rivers have gone down and they weren't disastrous here anyway. A few people were rescued from vehicles and others were stranded for a little while, but compared to Louisiana and New Jersey, Virginia fared well. 

Climate changes are scary. Plant trees if you have a yard. And make plans for any disaster that might hit your area. 

Theme: "Right Under Your Nose"

Blog Post #7655 

Usually I post the City Daily Photo monthly theme picture on the first of the month, but yesterday I wasn't up to the task. "Right under your nose" is a challenging topic and we were going through stormy weather caused by Hurricane Ida. 

Often I have a protein bar for lunch and I like to eat it on the deck. Frequently I take a camera with me in case birds or surprise critters show up. So today the opportunity was there: something that would logically be under my nose and my camera. The first shot didn't look good because I was facing a different direction and the lighting was harsh. I turned around and got softer light plus a nice background. I also used the self-timer to give myself a few extra seconds to extend my arm for the selfie. 

In case you are thinking this is a poor excuse for a lunch, well, it has some advantages. This particular bar does not contain any of my allergens, and I have so many that my meals are repetitious anyway. I can grab one of these and the only prep is opening the wrapper and grabbing a paper towel to hold so that bits of chocolate don't stain my clothing. This bar has 14 grams of protein and not much sugar. The taste is only fair but most of my favorite foods are literally off the table due to allergies. 

The allergist has me taking some additional medications so perhaps they will help. I keep hoping scientists will figure out better treatments for food allergies. There are several mediocre treatments and they have mediocre results. So I eat what I can. 

Mood Signs

Surprise Birds

Yesterday I was in Woodstock, so I drove down to Seven Bends State Park to eat my protein bar and take a look at the river to see if it was rising yet. We've had hard rain from the edge of Hurricane Ida and the highway department had barricades positioned nearby to close access to the low water bridge when necessary, but so far the river had not risen. We had more rain last night and today the park was closed. I did not venture out today anyway because rain was beating down and wind blew strongly at times.

Back to yesterday: I slowed down as I crossed the bridge on Hollingsworth Road and there I saw a great blue heron. I snapped a picture with my cell phone.

I regretted not bringing my camera because it has a better zoom, and regretted it again a few minutes later when I looked at this cabin to the right of the road. Do you see what's on the rail?

Here it is zoomed and cropped. Yes, that's a peacock. I learned today that his name is Barney!

 I met Barney back in May when I returned from a walk in the park and found him checking out my car.  I believe he lives at a residence between the park and this cabin, but he seems to have the run of the neighborhood.