Short Story at the Feeder

Birdfy Camera Shots

For a moment, two Carolina wrens were at the feeder. The one on the left flew off in a blur.

“Hey! Where did you go?”

Ice on the River, and a Sign by the Road

Seen from the Road Today

Wordless

Bear Mural and The Marketplace

Sperryville, VA

It seems like every time I go to Sperryville, I see a new mural! Well, I don’t go there very often. It’s an hour away from home, and across two mountain ranges.

I went this weekend to visit the Marketplace. I had not been there since it closed nine years ago. Some of the artists are back, and there are also other shops, including a bakery. Apparently this charming mall reopened last year, but I did not know about it until I saw their Christmas ad. 

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Edinburg / Madison District Park

Sometimes I take Charlie to Edinburg Town Park to walk under the tall pine trees. I was surprised to see that on some maps it is called Madison District Park. I asked about this when I went into the town office to pay my final water bill on the condo. It turns out that part of the park is a district park with ball fields, and the rest of the park is owned by the town.

On a recent walk, I noticed a sign with a map. I was confused by it at first because it didn’t seem to show the whole park. When I looked at the other side, I saw that it is a map of the disc golf course, which winds around under the pine trees. (Disc golf involves tossing plastic discs into a wire basket. We used to call those discs Frisbees or even Pluto platters. But Frisbee is a different game, a kind of “catch” which you can even play with your dog.) 

Critters and Cold Days

Hi, it’s Charlie! Mom says people like my reports, so I’ll do the Saturday Critters report today. 

I went to Sadie’s house the other day. I get so excited when I go there. We chase a ball and eat snacks. Her mom says she is part Shih Tzu and part Pomeranian. I am all Beagle. But we can still be friends.

The next animal is a squirrel. I watched it through the window. Sometimes I see them outside and they move fast.

This looks like a deer, but not a real one. Real deer are thinner and have longer legs.

The rest of today’s pictures are from a walk in Riley Park. I saw two animal sculptures. They were cold.

It’s been very cold in the mornings, but most afternoons are okay. I don’t like putting clothes on, and sometimes I take them off in the car. My mom wears extra clothes when it’s cold. She says I should wear them too. 

A Tree in Ralph Sampson Park

 Harrisonburg 

"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.” — Alice Walker

A Cold Half Hour at the State Park

 Today at Seven Bends State Park

Today started off very cold so I stayed indoors until mid-afternoon. I did get some items crossed off my To Do List. Finally, the weather report said it was 40°F outside, but the windchill made it feel below freezing. It said the sun was about to come out from behind the clouds, so I took Charlie to the park. I drove across the low water bridge and arrived at 4 PM.

We took a short walk and the sun did come out, but it didn’t feel warm. 

Within a half hour, we were back in the car. I paused on the low water bridge for a moment to capture the reflections on the water.

Cardinal and Sparrow on a Snowy Day

We had snow on Friday. Counties just south of us got more accumulation, and then they had another snowstorm this week that we didn't get at all.

The female cardinal must really like sunflower seeds. She dug through the snow to pull them out.

The other feeder has a camera. It caught her tolerating a sparrow. Sometimes cardinals are aggressive at the feeders, but she was so busy eating that she did not really interrupt her meal. 

The sparrow appears to be a white crowned sparrow. I don’t see this kind as frequently as the white throated sparrow, which has yellow parches on the face.

A Quiet Walk in W. O. Riley Park

Woodstock, VA

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Spaces and Places of Harrisonburg

Mural by Addison Green

This mural is at the entrance of the Walmart that’s west of Harrisonburg. Walmart has a community mural program.

It depicts well-known sites in Harrisonburg and Dayton. I have photos of the mill in Dayton, the museum there, and the Rockingham County courthouse in Harrisonburg.

Mosaic Monday / Murals

#walmartmurals @nowart_la