Through the trees

George Washington National Forest - Rockingham County, Virginia

The morning of my last day camping at Natural Chimneys, I drove up to Hone Quarry Recreation Area which is located in the George Washington National Forest west of Harrisonburg, Virginia. After driving through beautiful Shenandoah Valley farmland, the road began to rise into the mountains and soon I was in the Forest again. My time was limited so I did not have the chance to hike any of the trails, but I did drive up an exceedingly rough dirt road to Hone Quarry, a small lake nestled in the mountains. Then it was time to head back to the campground and prepare the trailer for the trip home.

Next week, some pictures from along the roads in Augusta County, and a short visit to the town of Churchville. Have a peaceful weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

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On the forest floor

George Washington National Forest - Augusta County, Virginia 

Bird's Foot Violet - Viola pedata.   Also known as Mountain Pansy

Not a pretty picture

George Washington National Forest - Augusta County, Virginia 

It was a beautiful morning in the mountains. The air was clear, the quiet broken only by the sound of birds. I was surrounded by the new colors of spring in the trees and the fresh scent of the woods. I was alone.

And then I came upon this: the remains of a campfire, a scorched tree trunk, scattered trash. I am not a misanthropic eco-purist inflexibly seeking to save the natural world from "human contamination." Nature should be enjoyed and appreciated. But it must also be respected. And the kind of disrespect pictured above is enough to bring out the misanthrope in me.

George Washington National Forest

Augusta County, Virginia 

Early in May, the dogwoods were still in bloom up in the mountains along this forest service road in the George Washington National Forest. Even though I was hardly more than fifty miles from home, where the trees were in full leaf and the dogwood blossoms already spent, here the leaves and buds where just opening out—a second spring in the mountains.

Country road

Mt. Solon, Virginia 

This is the view from the entrance to Natural Chimneys Park looking in the direction of Mt Solon, which is a mile or so down the road. From my home base in the park, I spent a day up in the nearby mountains visiting the George Washington National Forest. Stop in next week for some pictures taken in the surrounding area.

Have a safe and pleasant Memorial Day weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

Natural Chimney Park

North River - Augusta County, Virginia 

The North River, with headwaters on Shenandoah Mountain near the Virginia/West Virginia border, forms the western boundary of Natural Chimneys Park. The river continues southeast until it empties into the South Fork of the Shenandoah River at Port Republic, Virginia.

The sun was going down as I took these pictures just a couple of hundred feet from the Natural Chimneys.

Looking upstream. The North River flows through the George Washington National Forest before it reaches Natural Chimneys.

Chimney tops

Natural Chimneys - Mt. Solon, Virginia 

Natural Chimneys #2

Mt Solon, Virginia 

Natural Chimneys #1

Mt. Solon, Virginia

Rising 120 feet above the Shenandoah Valley, these limestone formations are left over from an ancient inland sea.

Natural Chimneys

Augusta County, Virginia 

Leftover from the Paleozoic Era when this part of Virginia was underwater, the rock formations known as the Natural Chimneys still stand in central Virginia. Earlier this month, I spent three days camped in my travel trailer at Natural Chimneys Park and photographed the chimneys and surrounding area. Starting next week, I will be posting pictures from that trip. Hope you will stop by and visit.

Enjoy the weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

The well dressed dog

Edenton, North Carolina 

Walking around the grounds of the Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton last month, I was taken in by this "dog" sitting next to its owner on the sidewalk. I walked up close to take a picture and tried to see what the motionless dog was staring at with such intensity when the real reason for the dog's unchanging pose finally dawned on me.

I felt kind of foolish taking a picture of a stuffed animal but at least I didn't offer my hand for him to smell. He looked pretty friendly, though.

Bas-relief headstone

Luray, Virginia

The likeness of a rather pleasant looking gentleman, presumably the deceased, is carved in bas-relief on this otherwise unpretentious headstone in the Green Hill Cemetery in Luray. I have never seen a tombstone quite like it and I have visited a lot of graveyards with my wife as she researches the history and genealogy of the Civil War era (her website is here.)

Spring afternoon

Edenton, North Carolina 

Sleepy Hollow - c.1835

Roper, North Carolina 

A few miles east of Plymouth, in the small town of Roper, we came across this old house. A marker beside the road reads:

Harrison-Blount House

circa 1835.

 Located on Kendricks Creek

in a lovely setting

of moss-draped cypress trees

in Lees Mill

The Washington County courthouse was in Lees Mill until it was moved to Plymouth in 1823. Around 1889 the name of Lees Mill was changed to Roper in honor of John L. Roper who brought the Norfolk and Southern Railroad to Washington County.

Roanoke River Lighthouse - 1866

Plymouth, North Carolina

There have been four Roanoke River Lighthouses if you count the 1831 lightship that was anchored at the mouth of the river until the Civil War. Pictured above is a replica of the 1866 lighthouse now on display at the Roanoke River Lighthouse and Maritime Museum in the town of Plymouth. The original structure was located about six miles below Plymouth and served until 1885, when it was destroyed by fire.

 Later that same year another lighthouse was built, but it was knocked off its pilings by ice and damaged beyond repair. The final Roanoke River Lighthouse was built in 1887, served until the early 1950s, and then was moved to Edenton, North Carolina. Click here for more about the 1887 lighthouse.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

Stones and redbud

Greene County, Virginia 

Redbud blossoms ended up on the ground after the rain last week knocked them from the trees. Redbuds are about the first tree to bloom in the spring around here and after the long winter, the color was most welcome.

Ed's Grocery Road

Williamston, North Carolina 

I walked down to the road one evening while we were at Farm Country Campground and took a couple of pictures. This farm is across the road from the campground. Ed's Grocery is  just up the road a mile or two.  We passed it every day on our way in and out, but it never was open while we were there.

Crossroads store

Williamston, North Carolina 

On our trip to North Carolina last month, we camped at Farm Country Campground in the travel trailer. The campground is in the country surrounded by farmland. We woke up every morning to the sound of roosters crowing nearby. Just across the road from the campground was this old store building.

Storm light

Greene County, Virginia 

The rain tapered off around dusk after the storms passed through last week. The sun, which we hadn't seen in four days, suddenly illuminated the land with that strange and wonderful light that sometimes occurs after a storm. For a few moments, the new spring red leaves of the Japanese maple tree glowed and the warm air flooded with bird song.

Roanoke River Lighthouse - 1886

Edenton, North Carolina

While we were in North Carolina last month, I photographed three lighthouses that are architecturally similar in that they all look more or less like a house with a light on the roof. Of the three only the lighthouse in Edenton is an original structure. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo is a replica—the original was lost during a relocation attempt— and the 1866 Roanoke River Lighthouse in Plymouth is also a replica. (The original 1866 lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1885.)

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Roanoke river was an important inland waterway, and the Roanoke River Lighthouse stood in the western Albemarle Sound to mark the river's mouth. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1941 and moved to Edenton by a private individual. In 2007, the lighthouse was purchased by the Edenton Historical Commission and moved to its current location in Colonial Park at Edenton Harbor.

The Roanoke River Lighthouse at its original location in Albemarle Sound

The information for this brief overview came from the Edenton Historical Commission's excellent Roanoke River Lighthouse web site.

Wheelhouse??

Edenton, North Carolina 

A wheelhouse on top of a building in the middle of town? That's not something you see everyday. For all I know, the whole boat might be up there.

It appears to be on the roof of the building occupied by the Waterman's Grill but their website doesn't say anything about it so I don't know if it part of the restaurant or not. I expect there's a pretty nice view of Edenton Bay from up there.