April on Skyline Drive

Redbud trees are blooming.

Sharing with Fences Around the World.

Skyline Drive runs the length of Shenandoah National Park. With its engineered curves and beautiful views, it is a delight to drive. Be patient, though; the 35 mile per hour speed limit keeps you and the wildlife safe.
 

Watch for free entrance days.

Pink Trees and a Green Heron

Belle Grove, A Treasure in Middletown

Built in 1797.

Sharing with Tuesday Treasures Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday and My Corner of the World.

See More Posts on Belle Grove.

Barn Turned into Visitors Center

Middletown, Virginia

The bank barn at Belle Grove has been beautifully remodeled and turned into a visitors center with a gift shop, meeting room, exhibits, and a large room for events upstairs.

I went to their grand opening on Saturday and was amazed at how the lower level had been transformed. I saw it a couple years ago when it had a dirt floor with hay and old boards strewn about.

Tickets for the manor house tour will now be sold in the new gift shop. The counter is decorated with a mural featuring chickens.

Sharing with Monday Murals and the Barn Collective.

Sharing with Mosaic Monday.

Children of Abraham

I saw this sign for an event at a local religious center. They have had a couple of previous events to bring in folks from the local community and foster understanding.

This time they seem to be emphasizing the commonalities of the most well-known Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

From Wikipedia:

True Abrahamic religions are monotheistic. They also all believe that people should pray to and worship God often. Of monotheistic religions, the Abrahamic religions have the world's largest number of followers. They are also all ethical monotheistic religions meaning they have a certain set of rules that they have to follow.

Furry Friends and Grackles

The handsome dog is one that I don't know. I snapped a picture of him because I liked how he looks.

The grackles visit my yard and eat more than their share of bird seed. I wish they weren't so greedy! They scare off the smaller birds. It won't be an issue much longer because it's time to stop feeding the birds until winter. Bears live in our area and will smell bird seed and come destroy the feeders. As much as I admire bears, I don't want them near my house.

The deer lives in Shenandoah National Park. I often see deer there, especially late in the day.

The horse lives in Clarke County. 

April at Shenandoah University

 Weekend Reflections on Willy Nilly Friday.

Last Saturday I went to Winchester for a seminar at Shenandoah University. It turned out to be a pretty day and the center of the campus looked enchanting.

It's beautifully landscaped with a creek and pond surrounded by trees in bloom.

Black and White Weekend.

The seminar was a Civil War conference called "A House Divided," organized by Professor Jonathan Noyalas. In the picture is showing a picture of Elder John Kline, a Virginian who opposed the war. Here are words written by Kline before Virginia seceded.

"The year opens with dark and lowering clouds in our national horizon. I feel a deep interest in the peace and prosperity of our country; but in my view both are sorely threatened now. Secession is the cry further south; and I greatly fear its poisonous breath is being wafted northward towards Virginia on the wings of fanatical discontent."

Sadly, Kline was murdered during the war by Confederates who considered him a traitor.

Floral Friday, Floral Passions, and Skywatch Friday.

April Fences and Blossoms

Yesterday I ran an errand in Winchester and took a ride through a pretty area of estate-type homes. Early-flowering trees and bushes seemed to be everywhere.

Winchester is home to the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. The area is known for its apple orchards.

Fences around the World

Bluebells and Blackbirds

Yesterday I stopped in Eastham Park to eat my lunch and see if the Virginia Bluebells were blooming. They are!

Before I even reached the river trail, I spotted a red-winged blackbird on a fence post. The males are easy to identify by the red and yellow stripe on their wings. I've never really identified a female because I didn't know how different they appear.

This park is in Front Royal along the South Fork of the Shenandoah.

I've seen quite a few red-winged males this year, especially in my yard. They like to visit my bird feeders.

A Farm in Harmony Hollow

View from the 4-H Center near Front Royal, VA

This is near the Remount Depot on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Yesterday at Dusk