Five Friday Photos with Flash and Fences

Yesterday I didn't post until after midnight because we had to take Flash to the emergency vet. Tonight I'll make up for it by posting five picture which are somewhat random as suggested by the Willy Nilly Friday format, which also works with the Five On Friday linkup.

1. Flash is back home and seems comfortable. He spent last night and much of today in the animal hospital, getting oxygen while medication took effect. He was diagnosed with heart trouble! It caused fluid to build up in his lungs, which is why he coughed and then fell over last night. We have a follow-up appointment scheduled with his regular vet and in the meantime he has four new medications to take. 

(Here's an odd coincidence: Exactly two years ago I posted that has buddy Benny had a similar episode! Ben lived until July of that year.)

Sharing with Black and White Weekend and Pet Parade

2. I am grateful that there was a place where we could take Flash to get help late at night. Unfortunately I sat there for over 3 hours in a state of tension, and today I really paid for it with sharp shooting pain in one hip! I've had this before and was diagnosed with piriformis syndrome. I do a set of daily exercises which has usually keeps it at bay but this time I fell victim to stress. I'm hopeful that a good night's sleep will help tonight.

Sharing with Skywatch Friday

3. Before I was interrupted by the dog emergency I was working on a landscape for the Fences linkup. This road is near Middletown, Virginia.

4. Speaking of fences, here are some on display at a home improvement store.

5. Let's close with something playful! These toys were displayed in a thrift store.

Orange You Glad It's Friday

Flash Goes to the Emergency Vet

 I was working on a landscape photo for Thursday's blog post when Flash suddenly started coughing with an unusual quacking sound! Then he got up and came over to stand right in front of me, coughed again and fell over! He lay there for a while, raising his head to look at me but not trying to get up.

We reached his vet who recommended taking him to Valley Emergency Vet Care, which is open all night. So here we are, waiting for an Xray. The vet here suspects heart disease for she heard a murmur and his other symptoms are consistent with it. If that's the case, she will prescribe medication and possibly refer him to a cardiologist if we want further tests.

Flash did recover enough to walk to and from the car so he is okay for now. He is over 13 years old so it's not surprising that his health is not what it was when he was younger.

Geese by the Lake (Wordless)

A Few Treasures on Valentine's Day

1. Some neighbors have installed a big heart on their gate! On the other hand, the sign on the right says "Due to the increase in ammunition costs, you will no longer be given a warning shot. Thank you for your understanding."

 I'm pretty sure they are joking though! Another sign says "Beware. Guard Horse on Duty!"

2. We went to lunch in Rippon and the waiter handed me a menu with this sweet cover. They have a variety of menu covers there, and last time I got a cute one with a dog picture.

3. We passed the inn below on the way home. It doesn't look real fancy from the parking lot, but L'Auberge Provencale has a prize-winning restaurant. I haven't tried it because expensive meals are wasted on me since I have food allergies. By the time I say no dairy, no wheat, no this or that, I might has well just have plain steak or ham any place that does real cooking.

4. I purchased an item in a second-hand shop and found this rosary hidden inside it. I wonder if someone lost it or just placed it there as some sort of blessing? I guess I'll take it back to the shop in case someone is looking for it. 

Eye of the Sky

Sharing with Through My Lens, Wordless and Our World Tuesday 

Rose Hill Park Random-osity

The Good: There's a new park in Winchester, Virginia. Like some other parks in this historic city, it combines a history lesson with recreational opportunities. It is on part of the Kernstown Battlefield which until recently was only open to the public on rare occasions. Now it's open daily and is well-used by joggers, families, and dog walkers as well as Civil War buffs. 

The Random: I used PhotoCollage to make a mosaic of various scenes at the park. When the season is brighter, I intend to go back and shoot some more colorful pictures.

I have been to Kernstown Battlefield a number of times. When I visited this part of the battlefield a couple of years ago, we had to cross a cow-pasture to reach the stone walls that were used as shelter in the battle. Now the cows are fenced off from the trails, which have also been improved by grading and paving.

The Fun: Even though it's February, the weather was mild and we saw plenty of people enjoying the trails with their dogs.

Rose Hill Park is owned by the MSV and operated jointly with the Frederick County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Sharing with Seasons, Mosaic Monday, and Good, Random, and Fun

A February Sky at the Lake

In Warren County, Virginia.

Sharing with Scenic Weekends and Black and White Weekend

Along Port Republic Road

Not far from the village of Port Republic stands this large church, the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren. It was organized in 1840. The original church is long gone but it served as a Civil War hospital.

An interesting page on the church's history tells how their ancestors were persecuted in Europe for their beliefs against infant baptism and participation in war, and thus fled to America in 1719 and 1729. (This story is similar to that of some of my ancestors who were Mennonite.)

Across the road from the church is a farm, so I've got pictures to share with the Barn Collective as well as InSpired Sunday. 

Some of the Usual Suspects

These are some of the critters we see just about every day: Cardinal, squirrel, wren, goose, sparrow...

... and Flash!

Sharing with The Bird D'pot and Saturday's Critters

Five Photos from Front Royal

Link parties, blog hops, linkups, memes... whatever you call them, there are plenty to join today, including Five on Friday and Willy Nilly Friday.  These are places to see what other bloggers are posting and to be seen by them.

1. A jogger in an orange shirt runs on a hilly street. "Orange you glad it's Friday?"

2. For Skywatch Friday we have a water tower and a glider against a blue sky. You may want to click on this to enlarge it so you can see this is a glider and not a bird. It's not unusual to see gliders in this town, which is surrounded by mountains.

3. The view of the power plant was taken from Shenandoah Valley Overlook on Skyline Drive. Despite the smoky look, it is powered by natural gas and won awards for energy innovation.

4. This week's topic for My Town Shootout is Love is in the Air.  I went back in my archives for this one.

5. I imagine someone out there wants to see more of the caboose. It's in downtown Front Royal behind the Visitor's Center.

Dark and Mysterious

Skyline Caverns, Virginia 

This commercial cave is near Front Royal. I took these pictures quite a while ago but didn't get around to posting them. Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed when I have a large number of images from one place. It's hard to winnow them down to a reasonable number to post. Somehow it seems easier to sacrifice a bunch of them when enough time has passed that I no longer remember the effort to take them.

Most of the bright colors are created by the lighting system.

This cave is famous for crystalline features called anthodites. They are deep in the cavern and are rare. A door separates this part of the cave in order to protect them from outside air and too much human breath, which will eventually destroy them.

The Shenandoah Valley has many caverns. Not all are open to the public, but a number are and you should tour one when you visit our area.

(See more "Caverns" posts.)

Yesterday in Port Republic