A Few Treasures on Valentine's Day

1. Some neighbors have installed a big heart on their gate! On the other hand, the sign on the right says "Due to the increase in ammunition costs, you will no longer be given a warning shot. Thank you for your understanding."

 I'm pretty sure they are joking though! Another sign says "Beware. Guard Horse on Duty!"

2. We went to lunch in Rippon and the waiter handed me a menu with this sweet cover. They have a variety of menu covers there, and last time I got a cute one with a dog picture.

3. We passed the inn below on the way home. It doesn't look real fancy from the parking lot, but L'Auberge Provencale has a prize-winning restaurant. I haven't tried it because expensive meals are wasted on me since I have food allergies. By the time I say no dairy, no wheat, no this or that, I might has well just have plain steak or ham any place that does real cooking.

4. I purchased an item in a second-hand shop and found this rosary hidden inside it. I wonder if someone lost it or just placed it there as some sort of blessing? I guess I'll take it back to the shop in case someone is looking for it. 

Yesterday in Port Republic

Sister Shot, Signs, and a Shiny Sky

Willy Nilly Friday / Five on Friday

1. My sister made a very brief visit this week, arriving Tuesday night and leaving the next morning. We made time for a few snapshots, and since the weather was warm we took advantage of the view in the back yard. 

2. "Please Drive Safely. Heaven can wait." This sign is on a tractor trailer transporting caskets!

I snapped this picture with my cell phone. Frank was driving, as he often does after we eat out. I have food allergies and one is to wheat, which makes me very sleepy. I never order anything I'm allergic to but a few crumbs can wind up in my food in a restaurant and I don't realize it until afterward when I suddenly get drowsy, so our policy is that I drive before lunch and he drives afterward.

3. The shot of the passenger-side mirror was taken a few minutes later. I'm linking it to Weekend Reflections and Skywatch Friday.

4. When I saw this sad dog on a menu cover, I had to admit I know how he feels!

Sharing with Pet Parade

5. Last (and probably least) is a picture of a metal rooster, which I'm linking to Orange You Glad It's Friday.

Five from Front Royal

The town of Front Royal has furnished me with plenty of topics for Five on Friday, Willy Nilly Friday, and other linkups.

1. I stop at this shopping center once or twice a week. If it's near lunch time, I sometimes buy a salad at the supermarket and take it up to nearby Skyline Drive to enjoy the view while I eat. (I have a National Parks pass so I don't have to pay to enter the park.)

Sharing with Skywatch Friday and My Town Shootout

2. And here's one of the views from Skyline Drive. It's prettier in autumn, but even in the dead of winter, it lifts my spirits.

Looking toward the Remount Road area from Dickey Ridge

3. I'm not the only person who feels inspired by the views. This man celebrated with his arms outstretched! Don't worry, he did not try to fly!

Linking to the Silhouettes meme.

4. Back in town, there's a new attraction: The Virginia Beer Museum on Chester Street. The museum is also home to the Helltown Saloon, which is not the only business in town to sport the Helltown name. That was a nickname for the town way back when it was called Lehewtown.  It became Front Royal in 1788.

The building's fresh coat of green paint qualifies it for the Friday Greens linkup, which unfortunately is closing down due to low participation. Thank you, Nick, for your efforts. 

5. This sign always looks cheerful, and on a recent sunny day it really stood out!

Have a great weekend!

Sharing with Orange You Glad It's Friday

Signs of Resolve

#WomensMarch 2017

January 21, Woodstock, VA

Click to See a Larger Image

This is my third post about Saturday's march and rally in Shenandoah County. There were about 375 participants in this small town. Some residents had gone to the main march in DC, which is only 90 minutes away.

The mood was cheerful and enthusiastic... So many smiles, so many signs!

(Previous posts are here and here.)

It's only fair to mention there was a counter-demonstration of sorts, maybe 20 people who were mostly there to voice opposition to abortion rights. This gentlemen was showing his support for the new president who was sworn in the previous day. He made it a point to tell marchers that he supported human rights and their message of caring.

Sharing with Mosaic Monday 

Classic American Scene

Rally in Woodstock, Virginia

This scene from the yesterday's March for Social Justice had an old-fashioned quality so I experimented with it in monochrome. My idea was to make it look like a grainy old news photo but when I opened the filters in Photoshop, I saw this one and decided I liked it better.

This was a small-town "sister march" to the #WomensMarch.

P.S. I thank Black and White Weekend for spotlighting my shadow photo of a week ago.

The Mullen-Trout House

On Chester Street, Front Royal, VA

No, Mullen-Trout is not a fish! It's the name of a house that belonged to people named Mullen and Trout. It's about 210 years old.

There's another sign on the house. Perhaps this was a candy store a few years back.

There are quite a few historic buildings on Chester Street so find your way there if you come to Front Royal!

The final photo is one I took across the street from the Mullen-Trout House. I actually posted a different view of this fence in May.

Linking to Signs, Signs and Good Fences

Signs of Change in the Valley

Willy Nilly Friday

1. The new bridge into Front Royal continues to grow. Here we see signs of construction in the fading light. 

Orange You Glad, Skywatch Friday, My Town Shoot Out

2. Finally we got measurable snow! It was only two inches but more is on the way. Unfortunately, we also got some sleet and with temperatures below freezing, I gave up on clearing ice off my windshield this afternoon. I wanted to run some errands but it seemed like too much trouble, especially since my foot was hurting. 

3. The old theater in Strasburg was finally sold. It will serve as a church. I read that the services will be bilingual, Spanish and English.

4. The arts center in Mt. Jackson (below) has closed. We were sad to read of this so we made one last visit in December. I purchased a nice framed collage at a sale price.

5. Stenciled signs like this are being posted in various places. Well, most are not exactly like this one. Most of them have all the letters facing the right direction.

Sharing with Signs, Signs

Five for Friday Before Christmas

Willy Nilly Friday

Sharing with Skywatch Friday

1. Lights in New Market, VA.

2. This holiday couple greeted us at the Wayside Inn in Middletown.

3. Holiday lights in our neighborhood.

Sharing with My Town Shoot Out
and Orange You Glad It's Friday

4. Frank purchased this house in Woodstock, Virginia to replace the investment property he sold in Dale City. This one is closer to us and it's almost new. It was a model home. It's now available for lease.

5. I spotted a new sign at Dickey Ridge in Shenandoah National Park. It's aimed at youngsters and features a a dog named Track and a dragonfly named Kip.

Sharing with Signs, Signs

Post-Thanksgiving Randoms

1. Marie wanted to visit a particular store while she was here, so we went there this morning. We were the only customers even though this is the biggest shopping day of the year. I guess most people weren't buying old architectural house parts today. She bought some shelf brackets and a hook.

2.  It gets dark early now so I'm likely to be driving home around sunset. I stopped in Strasburg to capture the one below.

For more skies, check out the Skywatch linkup.  I'm also sharing this one with Orange You Glad It's Friday.

3. I'm thankful that Marie was able to visit us for Thanksgiving, even though her stay was brief. I drove her to the Metro this afternoon and she took a train to New Jersey, where she has an apartment even though she mostly lives in California because of her job.

4. Next we have some flag-related symbols. Miss Liberty is painted on a window in Strasburg. The poster with the red, white and blue heart caught my eye on a website. It apparently comes from a Facebook group called Hate Has No Home Here. They produce these signs to remind school children that they are cared for.

5. Finally, this is a shot I snapped with my cellphone this afternoon. Some Canada Geese were flying by.  Even though I see them all the time on our community lake, I still love to watch the way they fly.

Have a nice weekend!