Prescribed Fire at Wolf Gap

Smoke on the mountain! I knew what it was because I had seen an announcement that the forest service was going to do a prescribed burn at Wolf Gap.

Yesterday I was driving home from recycling coupled with Charlie’s afternoon outing, and I could see the smoke from Woodstock.  I decided to take a closer look, so I drove out to St. Luke.

Let’s go west just a little ways and take another look.

I discovered some back roads that I had not driven before, and saw some nice farms. I’ll study the map and go back again to explore.

Earlier Post: Bringing Fire Back to the Mountains

Linking to: Skywatch

Yellow Signs of Spring

Daffodils in Winchester

Forsythia in Front Royal

Skywatch / Floral Friday

Arnold Newman Exhibit

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

Yesterday I went to Winchester to see a new photography exhibit of work by Arnold Newman. He was one of the great portrait photographers of the 20th century. 

The images are wonderful. After viewing so many, I could recognize techniques that he used repeatedly: dramatic lighting, posing a subject to show their work or personal life, using architectural features to build a composition, and cropping carefully. 

While I was at the museum, I also took pictures of indoor lighting for a local photo group challenge.

At the end of the day, I picked up Charlie from daycare at the veterinary. He still can’t stand to be by himself very long. Here’s a picture that I took outside the building. The shadow on the fence caught my eye.

Crossing the North Fork on a Snowy Day

Today was the first day this week that I took Charlie to a park. It’s been cold and some of the back roads still have icy patches. The road down to the river was even narrower than usual because the plows had piled snow along the edges. 

Fortunately, we didn’t meet another vehicle on Lupton Road. There was no room to pull over to pass.

There is ice on the North Fork of the Shenandoah, but the main channel is flowing. 

Seven Bends State Park was almost deserted, although there were staff members working around the barn. The parking lots had been cleared, but trails were still covered with icy hard snow. Temperatures have remained below freezing. We did not attempt to take a walk. 

I turned around and drove back across the low water bridge. I was glad to have gotten some pictures of the river, and I think we were both glad to get out of the house.

Cloudy Skies and Christmas Stockings

Today I had an appointment in Harrisonburg at 2 PM. I thought about eating lunch in a restaurant, but realized I would've felt rushed, so I ate a protein bar in the car on the way. I parked so that the sun came in the window because I don't get much sunlight during these short days. The sun went behind the clouds part of the time, but I had a nice view.

The first two pictures are from my parking spot. The third one shows nearby Bushong Farm.

The medical office was already decorated for Christmas. I was there for my annual Medicare wellness visit, which some people think is a waste of time, but I usually get a prescription for lab work and a referral to a specialist if I need one.

By the time I picked up Charlie at day boarding, the sun was going down. This view is looking at the office next door.

I had noticed the full moon on the way home, but I could not stop on the interstate to take a photo. Later when I was walking Charlie after dark, I steadied the phone on a mailbox to snap a picture.

Orange You Glad It’s Autumn?

Golds and oranges stand out this year.

Massanutten Range from Seven Bends State Park.

Shadow Shot / Sunday Best

Long Branch Lane

Endless Caverns Road

New Market in Letters

This postcard-style mural was recently completed in the town of New Market. The letters show local scenes, beginning with the golf course and ending with Endless Caverns 

The artist is Brooke Barrick-Helsley. She was mentored by Studio Sasquatch.

 I photographed it on a rainy day. Here are a few scenes nearby.

New Market Battlefield looked dreary in the rain, which is appropriate because the 1864 Battle took place on a day so wet that some soldiers lost their shoes in the mud.

Mosaics / Murals

Summer’s End

Summer is officially over. I hate to see it go. I didn’t take a vacation because it’s just too difficult and not enjoyable when I have to deal with back pain and other health issues. But I did get outdoors to enjoy the flowers and signs of summer.

These pictures are left over from August.

“Summer's end's around the bend just flying
The swimming suits are on the line just drying
I'll meet you there per our conversation
I hope I didn't ruin your vacation...” 🎵 

“Come on home, Come on home.
No you don't have to be alone,
Just come on home.”

(© John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)

Two Birds and Two Roads

Early one morning I left the garage door open while I worked in the garden for about 15 minutes. That's about all I can do at one time because my back starts to hurt. I came inside, closed the garage door and fixed breakfast. It wasn't until three hours later that I realized there was a bird in the garage. Poor thing was anxious to get back outside.

I opened the door again and after a few minutes, it found its way back out. I didn’t get a close look, but in the picture it looks like a catbird.

I have another bird to show you, and this one was perched on top of a tree.

This was along Belgravia Road near Edinburg. A few moments later I crossed the interstate and saw that traffic was backed up. I was glad I had decided to travel the back roads.

Here’s a more pleasant view that I saw along that road.

Black Fence, Yellow Flowers

Today in Winchester

Mt. Zion Church in St. Louis, VA

Loudoun County, VA

This Baptist Church was established in 1885. It is in the village of St. Louis, which was established by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. 

The parking lot is across the road. The church has a blessing box next to it labeled Free Food Pantry. 

Along Passage Creek

Fort Valley, VA

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

New Interpretive Trail at New Market

I’ve been in New Market battlefield many times. It’s a beautiful place, with an interesting but tragic history. On a single rainy day in May 1864, over 1300 men were killed or wounded, and the battle really didn’t change anything. Some of the casualties were cadets of high school age.

On Tuesday I was driving past on the interstate and I saw that a new section of the battlefield was open to the public. Just a few years ago, it was part of a farm and cattle were grazing here. This land looks bucolic and peaceful, as it did before the war reached it. This is true of many Civil War sites.

The sign is about the casualties and how people wrote about them at the time. A newspaper article from North Carolina is included.

“Give us a speedy, an honorable, and a lasting peace.” Yet almost a year passed before peace would come.