Headquarters of Sigma Sigma Sigma

Woodstock, Virginia

Formerly a Residence and a Hospital

Tuesday Treasures / Wordless

Fanciful Critters in the Snow

This winter mural is in the children's section of the Shenandoah County Library. Note that Mr. Deer has a scarf to keep warm.

Monday Murals

Yesterday snow began to fall around mid-day and at night it turned to sleet and ice. We got about five inches of snow with a hard crust of slippery ice.  I was glad I did not have to go anywhere, although by afternoon a mail truck showed up with a package. He also picked up a box that had been delivered here by mistake on Saturday. I was surprised that he knew about it already because I had left a message after the post office had closed on Saturday and today was a holiday. 

 I was curious about why the Postal Service goes the extra mile on packages until I read that they actually make money on package delivery while they lose money on first class letters. Also, they have a contract with Amazon for every-day delivery of “Prime” packages based on the extra steps that the huge retailer takes to label, sort, and deliver packages to local post offices. 

 

Liberty Baptist Church

And Family Life Center.

This large building is on US 11 near Strasburg. I call this style "contemporary warehouse" because it is built like one. There are actually a number of churches around here built in that no-nonsense type of design. 

Inspired Sunday.

 

Getting Ready for Snow

Snow is forecast for tomorrow and most folks are getting ready. The last snowstorm left a lot of people stranded in their cars when I-95 got blocked in blizzard conditions. Also, electric lines went down in some areas, leaving people with power for several days.

It wasn't that bad in my county. I had left a message the day before for a man who clears driveways and he showed up with a snowblower and a very young helper. I think she was his granddaughter.

I've been grocery shopping; that is, I went into a small store for some items and also placed an online order with a large supermarket and picked it up in my car. I am avoiding crowds in hopes of avoiding Covid.

Street Photography

I had a tree taken down yesterday. Normally I would hate to have a healthy tree removed, but this one was touching the house and had let a squirrel get into my attic!  But that's not all. It was a Bradford Pear, according to the home inspector who told me its shade would prevent any possible solar panel installation.

This kind of pear tree is a hybrid tree with lovely blooms in the spring but some bad habits as it matures. The branches tend to split, and the tree tends to reproduce by seeding an undesirable ancestor that is said to be a thorny bush that is hard to get rid of. In addition, when I talked to my next door neighbor about the squirrel that kept me awake all night by getting trapped in the attic, she said the tree litters her patio with messy fruit. (The squirrel, at least, escaped at the crack of dawn and has not gotten in again. )

Saturday's Critters

We've had some bitter cold days. Forecasters don't agree on how much snow we'll get, but it sounds like between 4" and a foot, followed by ice. I could do without the ice; it is dangerous to walk or drive on.

This evening's moon was muddy-looking because clouds were obscuring it. 

 

Lobby in Black and White

Winchester Medical Center

Black and White Weekend

Updates and Repeats

Woodstock, Virginia

I've shown my investment townhouse before. Usually I'm trying to rent it out, and I always found good tenants. Now I'm trying to sell it. The market has been strong but it gets quieter in the winter, so I may have lost the optimal period for selling while I was busy figuring out where I wanted to move.  Life is complicated. 

The house is on Hisey Avenue. the view from upstairs is of Fort Valley Nursery with the Massanutten Range in the distance. It has two huge bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and is listed at $229,900. The location is fantastic! 

Meanwhile, Covid continues to rage. The Omicron variant is less deadly than Delta, but still it is filling the hospitals with seriously ill sufferers.  I blame the people who refuse to wear masks or even social distance or get vaccinated. This pandemic should be over by now! I have switched from cloth masks to more effective KN94's and KN95's and stopped eating in restaurants again.

Yesterday was warm enough that I got the car washed. I also drove down Lupton Road to the state park.

As you can see in the view of Edinburg Gap, much of the snow is gone, although it persists on the mountains. Another snow storm is predicted for Sunday.

I had an appointment in Winchester on Tuesday so I swung by the animal hospital to see their sign, which often says something clever. 

Lady Cardinal and a Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Woodstock Countryside

On Tuesdays, I often join Image-in-Ing's Wordless linkup. Tragically, our lovely hostess there has lost her husband to Covid.  Let's send her warm thoughts. 

For more barns, see Tom's Barn Collective.

Faded Images

These faded scenes were on the wall at the funeral home in Clifton Forge. George's funeral was fairly small, but a few people sent word that they were snowed in. 

Monday Murals

And here are a couple of old snapshots I took back in the early 70's, with George Javins, Spotsy, Lynn, and Marie. 

This is Blog Post #7800.

Let's brighten things up with some new collages. The flowers were in stores. 

Mosaic Monday

Lexington to Clifton Forge

Yesterday I showed a restaurant in Lexington where Marie and I stopped on the way to a funeral for her father, my first husband. We divorced long ago, but the trip was not without sadness.

Here is Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington. It is next to Washington Lee University and not far from VMI.  You can read the "Grace Church" marker on HMDB.

Shadow Shot / Inspired Sunday 

From Lexington we drove west on I-64 through the mountains.

Outside the funeral home we were greeted by Lynn. She lined up Marie, their cousin Lemuel, and herself for a photo. Lemuel once lived with us for a while so he was something of a big brother to them. 

There were photos of George on display. Some I took long ago when we were a family. I had scanned them for Lynn and she had them printed. 

He was a strong and colorful person. He lived 78 years in spite of having several serious conditions. But is this all? A box of ashes and some photos? I wiped away a tear and sat down for the service.

I was surprised to hear that George became an enthusiast gardener and cook in his later years. The preacher went on to preach a bit too long, trying to save some souls. But he wore a plaid shirt while he preached, which felt appropriate because George did not like pretentiousness. 

A Brief Stop in Lexington

Marie and I drove out to Clifton Forge for her father’s funeral. We stopped in Lexington so she could get lunch. A sign featuring Sasquatch seemed promising.

Their sandwiches have names like Jackalope, Jersey Devil, Nessie, Moth Man, and of course, Sasquatch.

Marie ate her sandwich in the car ('cuz covid) and I ate my protein bar. She said the sandwich was very tasty. It was big though, so she did not finish it. 

Lexington is a historic town with two colleges. 

A Few Words about George

George A. Javins was my first husband. That seems like two lifetimes ago yet it was sad to hear that he passed away. He was 78 and died of natural causes so it is not tragic but still... memories.

We married very young. We lived in Alexandria, Virginia. We had two daughters. They grew up to be wonderful people. 

It was so long ago. I wish the best for his widow and their son.

A Week of Changing Weather

This week started out warm but then a snowstorm moved in. It beautified the towns but made some highways impassable in the eastern part of Virginia. Here the temperatures rose quickly and the roads were cleared.

The first four photos were taken in Woodstock. I took the rest in Strasburg. Both towns have an arts and crafts tradition.

I've photographed the LOVE sign at Massanutten Academy before but the holiday lights at night were so striking I turned around and went back to get a picture. 

Signs 2 / Skywatch

Weather forecasters tell us we are getting significant snow tonight. Stay safe!