Mourning Doves and Cardinals

• Wild Bird Wednesday
• My Corner of the World
• Wordless Wednesday

 

On a Hill in Forestville

See also;

• March 2009 Post: The Old School in Forestville
• Tuesday Treasures
• Wordless on Tuesday

 

The View at Riverview Park

Random-osity

 

Since today is Presidents' Day,  I am revisiting a sign that has a connection to our first president. This is in Riverview Park, Woodstock, Virginia.

Effinger Trail

This trail is dedicated to Captain John Ignatious Von Effinger (1756-1839), a Hessian soldier who deserted from the British in the American Revolution and joined the American forces. He was later put in command of George Washington's bodyguards. Captain Effinger lived in Woodstock for many years and is buried in St. Paul's UCC cemetery on S. Church Street in Woodstock.

This trail was designed and constructed by Boy Scouts of America Troop # 54, Edinburg, VA, and dedicated in November 1999.

 On Friday I stopped here after helping to decorate the LOVE sign in Seven Bends State Park. I only walked a short distance on the trail because I was cold, but I did go far enough to view the Shenandoah River where I had just crossed on this low-water bridge. 

Unfortunately, our planned special event on Valentine's Day at the LOVE sign had to be cancelled because the narrow road going to the park was icy. 

Monday Murals

Last Tuesday Frank, had an endoscopy done at Warren Hospital. His room happened to be the one with a mural, which was lucky for me because I had run out of murals to share here. 

The mural is signed by Judith Coulther Wordsworth, 1998. 

A Large Church in a Small Town

Inspired Sunday: This is the Timberville Church of the Brethren. It is on a hill on Church Street, in the town of Timberville, Rockingham County, Virginia. I was not able to far enough back to get a picture of the whole building without slanting the camera. 

One of the transom windows has the date 1929.

Let us cross the nearby county line into Shenandoah County and head in the direction of Edinburg. 

Indian Fort Stock Farm is a landmark on Middle Road. Here we see fences for the livestock running downhill from the big white barn.

The name Indian Fort dates back to a house that once stood on the property. In 1758 it was owned by George Painter, who was killed by Indians during the French and Indian War. Back then, this region was the "frontier."

The Barn Collective.

 

Sweet Critters

For Valentine's Day, I thought I'd start with bright red cardinal, followed by some soft fuzzy critters.

Saturday Critters / I'd Rather Be Birdin'

Black and White Weekend

Alpacas are often raised for their soft wool. They are smaller than llamas. 

Our next critter is a sweet toy hippo. 

It's been a while since I posted a kitty for Caturday. I used a Cut-out filter on this, doubly so on the background.

The sparrow kindly posed for a moment. I believe it is a white-throated sparrow. 

Today's final bird is a red-bellied woodpecker.  In this pose, you can see why it got that name. 

A Busy Week in Winter.

Willy Nilly Friday

We had plenty to do this week and the weather was a concern. Yesterday a snow storm missed us, so I was able to make a chiropractic appointment and today I helped two other volunteers decorate the LOVE sign for Valentine's Day. 

Skywatch Friday

We can see Signal Knob from our windows and it seems to stay snowy a lot longer than where we are.

This tree and reflection are in Strasburg's Town Park.

Is Blogger acting up or is it me? (Probably both.)

Floral Friday / Garden Affair /  Floral Passions / Mosaic Monday

Today I helped two other volunteers to decorate the LOVE sign at Seven Bends State Park. The idea is to make it a fun place to take photos on Valentine's Day but I don't think the weather is going to cooperate.

 

Signs of Hope.

 The signs pictured here are in front of various churches, except for the last one.

"Conflict is Inevitable but Combat is Optional."  I'll vote for that.

 The little love sign is with a teddy bear in a store. He's available for Valentine's Day, which is Sunday.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Sharing with Signs, Signs and Little Things Thursday.

900 Posts with Birds

 Blog Post 7430

 

I have now posted 900 blog articles with pictures of birds. I was surprised to see that number, but I have been blogging since 2005 and I post bird pictures almost every week, often twice a week. The linkups like Wild Bird Wednesday and I'd Rather Be Birdin' remind me to watch for birds and share their pictures. 

Here are some birds that have been visiting our feeders lately.

We have three woodpeckers to start today: a red-bellied woodpecker, a downy woodpecker, and a yellow-bellied sapsucker. 

Then we have the cardinals, Mrs. and Mr., followed by some smaller birds. A junco shares a feeder with a house sparrow.

A house finch is sharing my glass feeder with a goldfinch. A male house finch has a red cap and neck. 

Chickadees don't pose for me very often. This one sits across from another goldfinch. They are on a squirrel-proof feeder that seems to be working so far. The weight of a squirrel makes the doors slide down over the ports. 

The Stewart House / Belle Boyd Cottage

Front Royal, Virginia

Tuesday Treasures / Our World Tuesday

This building is called the Belle Boyd Cottage because young Confederate spy Belle Boyd lived here at the time of the Battle of Front Royal in 1862.  She famously she crossed Federal lines in order to take information to Stonewall Jackson. She had other adventures and after the end of the Civil War, she made a career out of telling her stories, turning herself into a legend.

The house was owned by her uncle. It was originally in a different location but was moved to Chester Street in 1982. There is also a house in Martinsburg called the Belle Boyd House and she lived there with her family before coming to Front Royal. 


 

Random-osity, Image Play.

Good, Random, Fun. 

 

Mosaic Monday: I used FotoJet to make this image. 

Barns: I combined these images in Photoshop. These scenes are near Guard Hill.

Monday Mural: I was reminded of this mural last week when I was looking for pictures of Lynn's dog who had kidney failure. This is in a veterinary office. 

Have a good week and stay safe!

 

Snow, History, and A Church in Broad Run.

We were blessed with fluffy snow during the night, and then above-freezing temperatures this afternoon so everyone will be able to travel the roads tomorrow. It was pretty while it lasted.

At 3:00 I watched a virtual program sponsored by the Friends of the North Fork. Sarah Kohrs explained what we know about cemeteries of enslaved persons in the Shenandoah Valley, and the traditions that came over from Africa.  The topic is pertinent to Black History Month, and relevant to my own interests in history and archaeology.

I'm sharing a screenshot of one of the opening slides from the Zoom presentation.
 

After the program ended, I went out in the yard to replace a bird feeder that had been completely emptied by starlings. Our snow was visibly disappearing.

Shadow Shot Sunday / InSpired Sunday

A few days ago I spotted this church in Prince William County. This is Oakrum Baptist Church on Thoroughfare Road. I found interesting history on the church's website.

Oakrum Baptist Church was founded in Prince William County in 1865 by freed slave, Alexandra Johnson. He purchased land to build a home and church home for his family.The Rev. James Robinson of Washington, D.C. conducted the services, and quickly, Johnson's small country church needed a larger place to meet.

Thankfully, Johnson and his neighbor, Moses Morrison, provided land around the church for a larger building.

 

Along the River and in My Yard

This morning I went to Seven Bends State Park and also dropped by nearby Muse Vineyards for a quick look at the art show.  This nice dog posed for me in the winery.

Today was cloudy but not very cold. Much of the snow has melted but more is said to be on the way.

Saturday Critters / I'd Rather Be Birdin'

North Fork of the Shenandoah

 The rest of today's pictures are from my yard. I heard geese fussing and raised my camera just in time to catch them landing on the water.