Eye Catchers

I haven’t done a “look how cute my town is” post lately. Not because it’s gone downhill or anything, just because I haven’t.

This isn’t one of those posts either. It’s just one where I share a few captures of scenes that always catch my eye. Especially when the sky is blue and there are cool clouds for a back-drop.

Red Building
Red Building

I don’t know what it is about this red building. But it catches my eye every time I see it. Of course, I’m a sucker for red.

Would it be tacky to wear red to my son’s wedding? I’m already starting to have mild panic attacks when I think of shopping for a dress. UGH. I hate shopping for clothes. I hate wearing dresses. Oh, and I’ll have to buy shoes, too. Double ugh.

rhodes_bldg
Home of Amy’s at Rhodes Gift Shop

The old Rhodes Drug Store building houses Amy’s at Rhodes. It is owned by Amy Leach who purchased the shop from its original owners in 2009. As her web site explains:

…Amy has expanded the shop’s eclectic mix of home decor items, handcrafted pottery, equestrian plaques, vintage postcards and prints, and greeting cards for all occasions. You will also find a wide array of Virginia-made specialty food items, including Virginia hams, peanut butter, loose shell peanuts, a wide variety of relishes, sauces and soup mixes, plus an expanded selection of gift and home decor items from local artisans. Amy’s at Rhodes is also a certified Orvis (fly-fishing supplies) dealer.

Last, but not least, is my favorite mural building.

mural_bldg
The Mural Building

It really is called The Mural Building.

One of these days I’ll remember to grab the camera early in the day to capture the red building with no vehicles parked alongside.

Wanna see some REALLY good pictures? Check out the work of local photographer Edward Payne. Who I have yet to meet.

Perhaps I’ll run into him early one morning shooting that red building, too?

The Good, The Bad, and the Weird

I take a lot of photos. And I have a thing about saving far too many. Even the odd ones.

Today, I decided to share a few…

We’ll start with a GOOD one.

Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

Those of you who haven’t seen Utah… add it to your bucket list now. Make sure all of the national parks are on the itinerary, too. Especially Capitol Reef National Park. As the web site says…

Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles.

That image is one of my favorites there, captured during a visit in September 2011. It’s amazing, as is much of Utah.

As far as BAD shots go…

I have lots of them, too. One has to take lots of pictures to capture that one great shot. In doing so, sometimes you get images like this one.

Waiting for the "Cheese"
Waiting for the “Cheese”

This is a horrible picture. But I love it. Just about everyone has a weird expression on their face as they wait for me to get the self-timer set.

Captured during a May 2006 trip to Chesapeake, Virginia, to celebrate my brother’s retirement from the US Navy.

This image always makes me smile. Speaking of smiles…

This is where the WEIRD comes in.

I take pics of some odd stuff. But I like capturing things that make me smile. Like this image, captured in a gift shop in Ocean City, Maryland during an October 2012 visit there with my daughter, Amy.

Disturbing
Disturbing

I ran across that image the other day and sent it to Amy because I knew it would make her laugh. It did.

She said something to the effect of, “I thought that would end up in your blog header or something.”

I thought the blog header would be a bit much for that lovely image, so I decided to share it here instead.

I often see stuff like this, which is almost ALWAYS made in China, and can’t help but wonder what the Chinese people really think of us Americans.

One of these days, I’ll have to do a collage of all the weird stuff I have captured. That would certainly be entertaining.

Now ends this for-entertainment-only post (aka otherwise pointless).

I hope y’all have a good weekend. Stay warm!

 

Christmas Eve Captures

We got a bit of snow in Warrenton on Christmas Eve. It happened during the day, but I was delighted. Because I love snow. And seeing it on Christmas Eve made me happy.

You gotta take happiness however you can get it, right?

Of course I had to go for a walk and take some pictures.

Red Truck Bakery during the snow event.

 

I had the dogs with me as I usually do when strolling through town.

Walking behind the bitches.

 

I’ve been taking lots of pics during my nightly strolls lately. The town just looks so pretty at night.

Here are a few examples.

Art gallery window.

 

Window at The Empty Nest.

 

Strolling past the Black Bear Bistro.

Camera phone pics are okay. But on Christmas Eve I decided to venture out without the dogs and with my SLR camera to capture some “real” images.

I used the tripod, too, which is critical for clear night shots that don’t use a flash.

Here are my favorites.

Fauquier County Courthouse in Warrenton

 

Fauquier County Courthouse in Warrenton

 

Fauquier County Offices at Warren Green Hotel near Town Hall.

 

Fauquier County Courthouse in Warrenton

 

Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton

I am pleased with the results.

Yes, three are of the courthouse, but I just love the way that looks all lit up.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite?

 

Reflections on a Warm December Day

Temps climbed into the mid-60s here yesterday, which is VERY warm for December. I’m not complaining, mind you. I’m just saying.

When lunchtime rolled around, I decided I should go for a stroll to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. So, camera in hand, that’s exactly what I did.

Looking Southeast Down Main Street

I was thinking I’d take pictures of the many very pretty store windows in town. The windows that charm my big socks off as I stroll through town with the dogs every evening.

I wanted to share the very pretty merchandise displays with y’all.

I sort of did that. But then I got so caught up in the cool reflections captured in the windows that the merchandise displays don’t really stand out. So I’ll have to take another stroll one day.

For now, though, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the images I captured.

Rhodes Gift Shop

 

Cottage Antiques

 

Earth, Glaze, and Fire

 

Designs by Teresa

 

I have to stop here to say that the storefront window of this florist enchants me year-round. They do such a great job with their displays. I actually went inside, too, which is where I captured the next few shots.

Santa at Designs by Teresa

 

Looking Out at the Courthouse from Inside Designs by Teresa

 

Bird Mirror Lamp at Designs by Teresa

 

Note to Hubby… if you are reading this. I would LOVE to have that lamp.  Really. They have two, but I only “need one.” 🙂

 

Jimmie's Market and The Madison Tea Room

 

Black Bear Bistro

 

Shelf Life Home Furnishings

 

Lee's Barber Shop

 

Piccadilly Ltd

 

Can You See Me Now?

 

Piccadilly Ltd

 

The Empty Nest

 

Of all the images I captured yesterday, I thing this one of the window at The Empty Nest would make the best Christmas card.

 

Latitudes Fair Trade Store

 

Latitudes Fair Trade Store

 

Kelly Ann's Quilts

 

There was a van parked in front of Kelly Ann’s, which limited my angle severely. But I love the cute simplicity of the display.

 

Sherrie's Stuff

 

Sherrie's Stuff

 

Be Boutique

One of these days I’ll get up enough nerve to go into that store for a much-needed fashion intervention.

The Empty Nest

 

Yes, that store is a repeat, but I just love the way the church and water tower are so clearly reflected. You can still see the display a bit, too.

 

Street Scene

 

The Old Mill House

 

That last shot isn’t a store. It’s “just” a house at the corner of S. Sixth and Main Street. I was very touched to see it decorated for Christmas again this year. Especially since the owner, Bob Rice, passed away a couple of months ago.

Did you enjoy your walk through town with me?

I really will try to capture the store windows another day. They’re awesome.

A Froggy Fall

I decided to take a break from vacation posts today and share a few pictures.

When I saw Reflectofrog holding this leaf yesterday, I couldn’t resist capturing a shot.

Happy Fall

And then I noticed my Dahlia still had a lingering bloom or two. Upon closer examination, I saw this one.

Butterfly?

I think that flower looks like a butterfly. What do you think?

Oh, and I couldn’t go outside without my girls. K and Belle decided to sit in the warm sun while they waited. Meg was right at my feet. I captured this cute shot of the younguns.

Belle (front) and K (rear)

I hope you have a fabulous Thursday!

A Horse is a Horse

I know I have mentioned before that Warrenton, located in Fauquier County, Virginia, is in horse country. According to the Piedmont Sotheby’s International Realty web site…

…Fauquier County, with its wealth of…horse farms, is a paradise on earth.  Virginia, generally speaking, is horse country, and Fauquier is in the heart of it all.  The state is home to the fifth largest horse population in the nation and Fauquier is second only to neighboring Loudoun County when it comes to number of head.

We really are surrounded by gorgeous countryside. And horse-related events, such as point-to-point (steeplechase) races, horse shows, and fox hunting, are the norm, not the exception. Yet I know little about horses.

Which is amazing, really, when you consider all of the horse stories I read as a kid. The Black Stallion was my favorite. And Misty of Chincoteague.

But I thought that stuff was all fiction. I mean, I grew up in Baltimore City. I really had no clue.

I’m slowly learning. Little bits at a time. There was that point-to-point race in March. And horseback riding with Brianna back in April.

This past weekend, I took yet another tiny little step.

Hubby had plans to do some closet work this weekend. I’m sure I probably could have found something productive to do. I just haven’t been very motivated lately. I’d rather do something fun. Something that didn’t require a whole lot of effort or brain power. So on Sunday morning when I saw there was a horse show nearby, I decided to go.

It was a horse and pony show, really. See that picture above? That’s a pony, by the way. Not a horse.

A pony is not a small horse. A pony is a pony. And a horse is a horse, of course. Just ask Misted Ed!

The definition/distinction between ponies and horses is not simple or straightforward, so if you REALLY want details, start here. Otherwise, just keep reading and enjoying the pics.

The thing was billed as a hunter series event. I’m not sure exactly what that means. I think it’s a certain type of riding. Doing jumps and stuff in a smallish (when compared to steeplechase course), enclosed ring (that’s really an oval), as opposed to just racing. Both ponies and horses were competing. There were no critters being hunted.

I only stayed for about an hour as the riders on ponies did their thing. I had no idea what was happening.

Muddy Ground

I made my way around the ring, looking for the right camera angle. I was careful not to get too close to the riding area. For a couple of reasons. First was the mud. Ponies walking/cantering/trotting past do make splashes. Second, I know horses can be startled. I didn’t want to cause any mishaps. Third, I have no idea what the etiquette is for such events.

Most of the people there were with horses and/or ponies. And, because it was HOT, they were all far from the ring in what little shade there was to be found.

I thought about strolling over to the shaded areas where the folks were hanging out. But I wouldn’t have been able to see much. And there wasn’t much shade, which meant they were packed kind of close. With their equine companions.

Is it safe for a strange person to approach someone that’s hanging out with their horse? I didn’t want to find out. I mean, I can just see me starting a chain reaction stampede, wreaking complete havoc at the horse and pony show.

So I just perched atop a picnic table about ten feet or so from the rails. Roasting in the sun, watching, and taking pictures.

There was a girl of about 14 sitting at the opposite end of the table. She was holding her pony by a lead. I asked her how they score these events.

“What is it? Equitation?” she asked. When I told her I had no idea, she just mumbled something about rider positions and then commenced flirting with a boy who’d walked over during that very brief conversation.

There I sat with a bazillion questions and no one to ask. I could have found someone, I guess, had I been in a more-social mood. But I wasn’t. So I just continued watching, clueless as to what was happening.

Cute Little Girl (maybe 9?) on Small Pony

Now that little pony is what I think of when I hear the term “pony.” That and the wild ponies on Assateague Island.

Two big ponies and one little pony with their riders waiting for results.

Those larger, regal-looking creatures look more like horses to me.

Jumper

 

Especially when they are doing stuff like that.

That little girl on her pony intrigued me. First, you don’t see many African American horse people. At least in my limited experience. The various stuff I’ve been reading and the various web sites and photos I’ve seen have not included many people of color.

Second, I thought she made a striking image sitting on that pony as she watched others in the ring.

Jumping

Look how focused she is. She did a practice lap, which went off without a hitch. She was clearly in command of that pony.

Then, when she was riding her first real (as in judged/scored) lap, something scared her pony and he started bucking. Literally, bucking. He actually threw her over his head!

She landed on the ground, right in front of him. I gasped. Loudly.

I thought for sure she’d get trampled.

Bucking Pony

There were a few tense seconds before the announcer said she was fine. Smiling, even.

Big Ole Grin

Remember that mud picture from earlier? That’s pretty much the sort of ground she landed on. Maybe not quite as wet, but muddy nonetheless.

Her name is Morgan. I’m guessing she’s 12 or 13.

Another Competitor

 

Jumper

 

Back in the Saddle

Morgan got cleaned up, climbed back onto the pony, and hurried back into the ring for some more competition.

Morgan Rides Again

You go, girl!

I just love the intensity on her face in that shot. Think I should hunt down her Mom so I can send her that picture? Or is it just so-so? You know, not worth the effort.

Jumping Again

That may “just” be a pony. And most ponies are smaller than horses. But that’s a big animal. That takes guts.

Maybe that sort of things happens all the time. Who knows. Certainly not me, seeing as how that was my first hunter series event and all.

Now, there’s a girl obviously at ease on a pony.

She made it look easy. I think her name was Taylor.

  

 

That lost shot is my favorite one of her. She and her pony are flying. How cool is that?

I could have watched for hours. I probably would have stayed a bit long had I not been sitting in the sun on a very humid 93-degree day.

Oh, and did I mention that I’d ridden my motorcycle? That was a hot, sweaty ride home…