I was confused about how this Hit Me With Your Best Shot thing works. Apparently, posts are done on Fridays, NOT Thursdays. So, while I thought I was being timely last week, I actually shared my images at the last minute. Sigh…
It’s February in Central Virginia, which usually means cold, snowy, wet, gray weather. This past weekend we were treated to two unseasonably warm days.
On Saturday, we went to Culpeper, but I forgot my camera. On Sunday, I took my motorcycle out for a spin. The plan was to stop and take pictures. I stopped once. But, after that, I was enjoying the ride so much, I didn’t stop again. And now the cold has returned.
So, even though none of these shots are particularly noteworthy, they’re something. The first is my favorite.
Little Georgetown Church
Church of Our Savior / Little Georgetown Church
Heflin’s Store
Heflin’s Store (vacant)
Heflin’s Store (vacant)
It was quite nice at that location. All I could hear were a few birds singing, cows lowing in the distance, and the wind in the trees. Ahhhh.
In the village of Little Georgetown stands a stone house known as Helflin’s Store. Built in 1845 by stonemason John Fry, and known originally as Stover’s Store, it functioned as a general store for the local farming community and for travelers and traders along the Thoroughfare Gap Road. Charles and Abraham Stover’s gristmill was located half a mile east of the structure, but only ruins remain. With the establishment of the Manassas Gap Railroad at Broad Run Station in 1852, the store’s business intensified. In 1884, Henry Newlon Brawner, a former cavalryman under Col. Mosby who had been stationed in the area during the Civil War, acquired the Stover Store and changed its name to his own. He sold the business to Edgar W. Heflin in 1899. The general store remained in operation until the 1970’s. It has recently been restored by Mr. and Mrs. John Hazel.
With temps in the high 60s and the roads free of snow and ice, I just had to ride. I should have more pics to share next week.
Great Day for a Ride
And now it’s cold again. It was 12 F when I got up this morning.
I think I need to organize a Come On Spring dance. Or something.
Several years ago, over a period of months, I participated in a weekly photo challenge, You Capture. It was a fun way to force myself to do something I enjoy, but don’t always have time for.
You Capture was very successful, but it became too difficult for Beth, the host blogger, to manage. Nothing against Beth. She’s a lovely lady, but she also happens to be an entrepreneur AND mother of four. So she has absolutely no spare time.
I met some really cool people during my You Capture days, one of whom is Beth’s Mom, Mary.
Mary reached out to me recently by e-mail, saying…
Long time no speak right? I visit your site sometimes but I just haven’t been a good commenter. I have however missed checking in with you regularly. I go back to the days of You Capture when we all shared pictures and comments and stories and I really miss it.
Know what? I miss it, too. Which means I was really tickled when Mary went on in her e-mail to say…
Although Beth hasn’t started You Capture in the same way where it’s open to everybody, one of the participants is trying to get a photo challenge going. This is only her second week, but so far I’m the only one who’s joined. Others have posted pictures on Facebook, but it’s not the same. Anyway, when I think of the people I miss the most from the You Capture days, you’re right at the top. You’re such an interesting writer and gifted photographer! So I thought I’d send you the link to Nancy’s photo challenge in the hopes that you might join in.
I was touched that she remembered me. AND, her e-mail just happened to coincide with the arrival of a brand-new camera lens. So I decided to join. Here’s my entry for the week.
My Favorite Shot
Folks who know me, know I have a story for everything. That image hangs in a group on Caroline Street in Olde Town Fredericksburg, Virginia. It appears there is or has been an art movement in Fredericksburg — MOREart!. I don’t know if the smallish mural pictured is part of that or not. I will have to investigate further.
Other Images I Want to Share
Photography is art. It’s taken me a while to realize that good photography doesn’t have to mean perfect images. My images don’t always have to be completely in focus. They don’t have to be technically brilliant, i.e., perfect lighting, strong composition, sharp, etc., they just have to please me. I’m not trying to make a living here, I’m just trying to capture images I enjoy.
I like Immortalizing little moments that mean something to me. Here are some of my other favorite captures.
The first two images were also captured in Fredericksburg with my old lens.
Ladybug, Ladybug
The Poser
All of the images that follow were captured with my new lens, a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens.
Coming and Going
Sweet Valentine
Eyes on Mama
A Proper Lady
Snowmelt (it was 60 degrees here yesterday!)
Simplicity
That’s it for me this week. I hope you enjoyed my captures.
In case y’all are getting bored with vacation posts, I decided to switch things up a bit. Plus, we’re having server issues and I can’t get to my images at the moment. But my IT guy is working on it.
We went to the WV Place this past weekend for a change.
Hubby and I hadn’t been there together since January. My last visit was in March and his was in June. Talk about neglecting the place…
It was awesome. The dogs had a blast. We had lots of chores and cleaning up to do, but it was still good to be back. Especially since the leaves are starting to change.
Oh, how I’ve missed my country yard…
Of course, I captured a bunch of images to share, too. Enjoy!
Yesterday, the weather here in Warrenton was absolutely gorgeous. Around noon, it was still in the lows 70s with low humidity and few clouds in the sky. It would’ve been a crime not to take advantage of it, so I decided to take a slightly longer lunch and have me a bit of an adventure.
If you’re thinking something like “I knew she doesn’t really work all day,” you’re wrong. I work hard. But my schedule is sometimes flexible. I knew I’d be working late yesterday, so the extended lunch was completely justified.
One of Mom’s friends, Jill from Indiana, is coming to visit next week. Since the guest room is full of stuff out of Mike’s office (that’s for another post), I had to recommend some local hotels. There are several near town, but the place I would stay, which is about 30 minutes away, is The Inn at Fairfield Farm, an historic bed & breakfast located near the center of the 4,200-acre Marriott Ranch. Yes, that Marriott. It’s the only B&B in the Marriott portfolio.
I love that area. You have to take two of my favorite motorcycle roads (Leeds Manor and Hume Roads) to get there. I hadn’t been up there for a while, so that’s where I headed.
I did make a few quick stops along the way for some photos. It was SUCH a pretty day.
Dilapidated Orlean Barn
My first stop was the parking lot of the Providence Baptist Church at 7111 Leeds Manor Road in Orlean. I knew it was a great spot for a barn capture. Love that barn…
The Barn
Apparently, a lot of people like the barn. A nice gentleman leaving the church said to me, “You won’t believe how many people photograph that barn.”
Orlean Market
It was the kind of day only a fool could not love, so I decided a picnic was in order and stopped at the Orlean Market for provisions.
View from the market. One day, I’ll capture a sunset from this spot.
I didn’t have much time for dilly-dallying, so off I went.
Hume Road
There weren’t many cows out. And those I saw weren’t close enough for good pics. But I do love those Marriott barns with the mountains in the background.
Pasture
Inn at Fairfield Farm
There was a big shade tree on the lawn of the inn with a little outdoor sofa beneath. Looked like a good picnic spot to me. That shot above was taken close to there.
Lunch
Now, it make look like I was MILES from home, but the ranch is only 25-30 minutes from OTW. I ate quickly, took one more pic (below) and then headed home.
View from the front of the inn.
This next shot was captured at one of my favorite spots along Leeds Manor Road… Wickland Farm. One of these days, I’ll actually have to stop there for a visit. And a closer look at the critters, of course.
Wickland Farm
Continuing south on Leeds Manor, I passed the Orlean Market again and then made a last-minute decision to stop at The Village Green, a cool, larger-than-it-looks gift/antiques/flower/painted furniture shop.
I’m so glad I did. It’s an awesome little place. Not little literally. I was surprised at how big it is on the inside.
As it happens, Sandy also owns the Orlean Market. I laughed when she told me that, then explained that I’d gotten my picnic lunch there. I think she said her son runs the market.
The Village Green in Orlean, VA
That’s where I met Sandy Gilliam (two syllables, pronounced like GILL UM), one of the owners. She was super-sweet, said I could take pictures, and even showed me around a bit. I told her I was rushed and would have to come back sometime.
Long, painted bench.
Bookcase? (probably not the right term)
Shaggy Dog
Birdhouse
Silly (as in FUN!) Pigs
Sandy has quite a few very nice pieces there. She carries both painted furniture and what she called “brown wood” (unpainted antiques). There are an awful lot of people who prefer stained wood over painted wood.
In addition to furniture, there’s lots of other stuff. I’ll do a better, more-detailed post after my next visit.
The folks behind Middleburg Photo captured a nice set of Orlean shots, which you can see HERE.
I really had to boogie, but I did capture one last pic, which makes me smile.
Yard Art
The second I saw a shelf full of concrete rats with a couple mice sprinkled in, I knew I had to have some. They remind me of one of my all-time favorite books, “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.” They look quite cute snuggled in my trunk for the journey home, don’t they?
The concrete critters and birdhouse are just a few of the items, made by local artisans, that Sandy carries.
I thoroughly enjoyed my impromptu lunch-time escape. I hope you liked the virtual tagalong.
Yesterday was one of those days where, while working, I reached a point where I absolutely could NOT sit at my desk for another single second. Literally. I got all fidgety. Couldn’t sit still no matter how hard I tried. Could not concentrate.
I wasn’t sick. I’d just been staring at and comparing spreadsheet data for four straight hours. I needed a break. Lucky for me it was lunchtime. The sun was out, too, which was nice, since it had been raining all morning.
So I decided to go for a stroll. With my camera, of course. And, in my opinion, I captured some pretty cool pics.
I love how the town flies flags during holidays.
It was a gorgeous day. Temporarily.
I did have a particular destination in mind, but enjoyed meandering along, taking it all in. Old Town Warrenton is very pleasing to the eyes.
For you locals who are curious, those images were all shot in the vicinity of North Sixth Street and Horner Street.
The following flowers pics were taken near the corner of High Street and Academy Hill Road.
As for that particular destination I mentioned, I’m getting there. But first, I had to share this house image.
Moving right along to that special place…
I absolutely LOVE this hydrangea bush in the side yard of the house at the corner of High Street and Liberty Street.
It’s just the coolest hydrangea. Not only does it have flowers of multiple colors, it sits atop and hangs over an old stone wall.
Remember, these pics are all from the same bush. The same location, at least. I guess there could be more than one bush planted in that spot.
The next image is my favorite capture of the day. It’s got the flowers AND that awesome wall.
See what I mean? Do you love that bush and wall, too?
It was really humid yesterday, and by that point I was getting quite hot. And drippy. Ugh. So I headed over toward Main Street. The next two images were captured behind the house near the corner of North First and Main Streets.
Actually, I snagged this shot of the water tower from that spot, too.
Big Blue
Although this church sits on Alexandria Pike, I captured this shot of the steeple from the parking lot behind the bank at Main and North First Streets.
I was pretty much done by that point. I hate being hot. So I crossed over Main Street to Jimmie’s Market, which was my other goal for the stroll.
Jimmie’s is a delightful little place. I cannot believe I only entered for the first time a week or so ago. I’ll tell you more about Jimmie’s later. This post is already way too long. But wait, there’s ONE more pic.
I love my town. There’s just so much to see here. As one of my friends often says, “It’s aesthetically pleasing.”
And since I’m all about aesthetics, isn’t that reason enough to love living here?
Did you see my post featuring flower pictures captured after the rain? The Blushing Rose shot was a favorite. It was captured four days before this next image…
Blushing Rose in Full Bloom
Again, I just happened to have my camera along when I went out to lunch yesterday. I absolutely love the colors in that flower. A good reason to always have the camera handy, right?
As an aside, if you want to see the detail in these images, click on the pic and a larger version of the image will fill your screen. Keep that in mind. You just might want to use that feature soon.
Most of my walks around town are dog-walks. My girls need and thoroughly enjoy their daily exercise. I always have my iPhone along, which does take pretty decent snapshots. But it’s an all-purpose kind of camera, so you can’t capture varying shades of light, especially in low-light situations, or manipulate the focus and depth of field. Which is why, when I see especially compelling stuff, I make a mental note to return with the real camera.
The other day, I’d noticed that the peonies by the Old Jail Museum were blooming. The rich, dark color really caught my eye.
Jail Museum Peony
In the early evening light, they’d appeared to be purple. Midday light showed their true colors… my favorite hot-pink.
I couldn’t decide which angle I liked better, so you get to see two different views.
Jail Museum Peony
As I was staring at the peonies, looking for the best angle to shoot from, a woman who was walking past commented about how pretty the flowers were. I had to chuckle when she said, “Did you see the brown Iris in front of the old building down the street?”
Why did I have to chuckle? Because yes, I had seen them. In fact, that was to be my next stop.
John Marshall Building
This building has been around for a long time, and has served various purposes. It started out as a residence. I’m guessing these Iris have been there for a while. Flower colors, like paint colors, upholstery colors, etc., come in and go out of fashion over time. I don’t remember ever having seen Iris in this odd brown/maroon color. That’s why I think they are old.
I captured the building shot with my phone especially for you. The lens I was using on my other camera had a pretty narrow focus, so rather than walking down the street to get far enough away to capture the building, I took the lazy route and decided to snag a phone image later.
Those are some very cool Iris. The colors are really very interesting. Which, by the way, is why I couldn’t decide, again, which angle I liked best. So you get to see several shots.
Iris at the John Marshall Building
Iris at the John Marshall Building
Iris at the John Marshall Building
See what I mean? Those are some very pretty and unique Iris. Size-wise, they were the same as all the other Iris I’m used to seeing. But, beside the porch, was a patch of smaller, daffodil-sized versions with the same color pattern.
Daffodil-sized Iris
I definitely don’t remember having seen flowers like those before.
While I’m on the subject of unique flowers, here is another example that caught my eye during a dog walk. The funny thing is, I remembered the flower clearly, but not it’s location. So it took me a few minutes to locate them again.
Green-tipped Petunias or Torenias
Whether they are Petunias or Torenias, I haven’t a clue. But they are annual plants, which means I just might be able to find them at a local garden center.
Green Tipped Petunias or Torenias
If any of you local folk know where to buy these, let me know, okay? I think they’re awesome. And it’s time to replace my potted Pansies.
In case you’re wondering where you can see these cuties, they are in the flower bed in front and on the right-hand side of the Warren Green Building. If you go to see them for yourself, you absolutely must check out the lovely little flower garden between the Warren Green Building and the new courthouse. Kudos to whoever decided to plant that lovely little spot, which is where the following images were captured.
Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Garden Guardian?
There’s probably a story behind that statue, but I don’t know it.
Seeing those Rhododendron shots reminds me… last night, during the dog-walk, I saw the prettiest, reddest Rhododendron I’ve ever seen before. Maybe I’ll get a chance to capture a shot or two of that to share with you. Before the blooms fade.
Now can you understand why I so enjoy my strolls around Old Town Warrenton?
