Squirrels in January

It's Squirrel Appreciation Day! I've been recognizing this special day since 2012. I wonder if our squirrels appreciate the nice rails that we have for them to play on or the tasty treats that they share with the birds.

Sharing with Good Fences

and My Town Shoot Out

#SquirrelAppreciationDay

Sky Drama, Strasburg

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

Riverwalk in Black and White

Strasburg's Riverwalk is paved so I can take Flash there even on a muddy day. It's fairly quiet in the winter although we saw some other people, a few with dogs.

The river here is the North Fork of the Shenandoah.

View Riverwalk pictures from March 2014.

Sharing with Water World Wednesday

and Black and White Wednesday

and NF Trees and Bushes 

and Wild Bird Wednesday

Old Barn, Bucks Mill Road

Sharing with The Barn Collective and Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

Three Random Photos for Four Linkups

For today's three unrelated photos, I'm using the Good, Random and Fun format. 

The Good: Isn't it great to be able to get old photos scanned into digital form? Youngsters may not even realize that digital images weren't always around! Remember when we looked at photos on paper or sometimes projected onto a screen? This first image was actually a slide from a several decades ago and I recently had it scanned. It shows a sculpture on the national mall with the Washington Monument in the background. I shot it at dusk from a low angle so the sculpture looks much bigger than it really was.

Sharing with Through My Lens

The Random: Frank likes to browse real estate magazines and he saw this old inn. He insisted we drive 90 minutes to Churchville to take a look and see if we'd want to buy it. (We don't.) It's historic: an old stage coach stop on a road that became the Staunton-Petersburg Turnpike, now known as U.S. 250.

It's currently a bed and breakfast and it's for sale. Once it was a bustling restaurant but the septic system is no longer suitable for use by large groups. I'm sharing this picture with Tuesday's Treasures. 

The Fun: I met this youngster at an event and he was having fun. Isn't he cute! Kids know how to enjoy themselves!

Sharing with Our World Tuesday

Mosaic at the Library in Harrisonburg

There is a 3-part mural in front of the Massanutten Regional Library. It's a mosaic of plants and birds. Since I was there on a sunny day, part of it was in shadow so I apologize for that. 

Sharing with Monday Mural and Mosaic Monday

The Old Rugged Cross

Sometimes a sunset demands to be photographed, and I've found that a church parking lot offers a safe place to pull off the road. This one had a wooden cross that made an interesting divider for the image.

On this occasion I neglected to get a picture of the church, which was shrouded in darkness. Since I travel that road through Rivermont fairly often, I stopped there a few days ago and got a shot for InSPIRED Sunday. This was also in the evening but there was a little more light so at least you can see the door.

This is Bennett's Chapel UMC. I just compared this picture to one I took in 2014 and it's interesting that I chose the same viewpoint. It's not the first time I've noticed that I tend to choose the same spot without being aware of it. 

Ice on the Rocks

Seen from Skyline Drive

Sharing with Black and White Weekend

and Sunday in My City

Denizens of Dickey Ridge

Deer in Shades of Sepia

If you go to Dickey Ridge just before sunset, you have a strong chance of seeing deer. Dickey Ridge Visitor Center is just four miles from Front Royal in Shenandoah National Park. Don't wait too long to visit because if chronic wasting disease strikes the deer in the park, this herd is slated to be thinned out. This is sad but overpopulation is already a problem for deer and the spread of the fatal disease will turn this into a crisis. 

I love seeing these graceful animals! They will often allow you to approach if you stay in your car. They do not hibernate so we often see them in winter.

Visiting the park can be expensive if you don't have a Park Pass. Watch for no-fee days like Martin Luther King Day, 1/18/2016. (However, the road may be closed if it's icy.)

My zoom failed to retract on this one. It messed up several other shots by leaving the head out of the frame.

This is my 66th blog post featuring deer. 

Sharing with Sepia Saturday and Saturday's Critters

Driving at the End of the Day

My husband likes to get home before dark but it's difficult to do that when the days are so short. Besides, I love seeing sunsets from different locations. Shenandoah River State Park has an overlook with fine westward views. 

Railroad near Limeton, VA

There are many points in the Shenandoah Valley where you can see the horizon and enjoy the clouds. If you want a spectacular view, consider Skyline Drive. The early closing weeks are over. They correspond with hunting season — now you can stay long enough to photograph the sunset.

Sharing with Scenic Weekends
and Skywatch Friday
and Orange You Glad It's Friday
and My Town Shoot Out: Drive

and What happened in YOUR Surroundings this Week?

Highway in Shenandoah Valley

Abrams Creek Wetlands

Winchester, VA
Near Jubal Early Drive 

See the Winchester Green Circle Brochure (PDF)

Sharing with Thoughtless Thursday and

Good Fences and Signs, Signs

and NF Trees and Bushes

The End of the Shenandoah River

The town of Harpers Ferry is situated between the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. The rivers meet and continue downstream as one under the name Potomac River, which flows past the nation's capital and eventually finds the Chesapeake Bay.

Sharing with Wednesday Waters

and Through My Lens

and Water World Wednesday

 

Birds Silhouetted Against the Sky

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday and
Black and White Wednesday

and Wordless Wednesday

Red Dragon

Sharing with Our World Tuesday
and Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

Backroads Random-osity

Tom over at Backroads Traveller is hosting a new "Treasures" linkup on his site along with the "Barn Collective." I'm using the Good, Random, and Fun format today to share some rural images. I've got two barns to represent the Good. The sight of prosperous farms gives me a comfortable feeling, representing an ample supply of food.

The Random: For Tuesday's Treasures, we have this unique stone home that's fallen on hard times. Frank saw it listed in a real estate auction and wanted to see it. I was saddened by the condition; it is suffering from neglect. The castle-style construction is unusual around here and I hope someone has the desire and money to repair it.

The Fun: I enjoy seeing animals and these cows seemed to be enjoying their run. They actually live in the town of Strasburg and are kept as a hobby.