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I captured this wonderful sight on an early November morning last year at Hazel Mountain Overlook on the Skyline Drive in Virginia. The day started very foggy and cloudy, but as the sun came up it started to break through the fog and clouds. We came upon this sight a few minutes later.

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We were driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway early one morning last month through patches of fog and mist. The fog had lifted around us when we came upon the Headforemost Mountain (I have no idea how the mountain got that name) Overlook. From our vantage point we could look across at the mountain, which seemed to be floating above the clouds.

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I captured these early morning reflections at Abbott Lake in the Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. We were treated to this view from the balcony of our room at the lodge in the park.

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I took this picture of cattails on the shore of Abbott Lake when Betsy and I were at the Peaks of Otter Lodge in Virginia for her birthday this past August.

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American history teaches that General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Lt. General U. S. Grant in the parlor of the McLean House in Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. The two met briefly again the next day at this site along the lane between the two armies.

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The mound near the trees in this photo is Battery 5, part of the Confederate lines at the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia, in 1864 - 65. It's hard to imagine that a scene where so many men were maimed and died could be so peaceful and serene today.

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Jen at Unglazed is hosting a mini meme, Colors on Monday. This week's color is Black.

I had to do some searching to come up with photos with black in them, but I decided I would post this picture of a black bear that Betsy and I saw as we were stopped at an overlook on Skyline Drive in Virginia. The bear was quite a way below us on the side of the mountain, but I was able to get this picture with my telephoto lens.



About half an hour later traffic on the road came to a halt as a Mama bear with three cubs meandered along the road before crossing it. Betsy was able to snap this picture of the family before they disappeared from view.



But my favorite picture showing the color black is a picture of my Beautiful-Bride-to-Be. This picture was taken about a month before we got married. We had taken my parents to Barren River State Park in Kentucky.

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This house in Winchester, Virginia, was the headquarters of General Thomas J. ("Stonewall") Jackson, CSA, during the winter of 1861 - 62. At the time Jackson was in command of the Valley District of Virginia.

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Jen at Unglazed is hosting a mini meme, Colors on Monday. This week's color is Orange.

Fortunately we have a rose with orange coloring -- Tahitian Sunset. This rose (pictured above) is now blooming for us in our front yard.



We saw orange in the sky last week when we were on our trip to celebrate Betsy's Birthday. This picture was taken as the sun was setting at the Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.



But no post about the color orange would be complete without a picture of Big Orange's greatest fan. It's almost football time in Tennessee!!!

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We spent Betsy's birthday traveling along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia on our way to the Lodge at Peaks of Otter. This picture was taken on Sharp Top, one of the peaks, the next morning. The lodge is beside the lake in the lower right of the picture and the Blue Ridge Parkway can also be seen. The day was hazy, but the view from the top of the mountain was still pretty spectacular.

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We saw this pretty Magnolia blossom (complete with insects) at Westover Parish church in Virginia during our anniversary trip in June, 2007.

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Last month I showed a picture of the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University, which was designed and built by Robert E. Lee while he was the college president.

The front of the chapel contains the memorial pictured above. It is a statue of a recumbent Lee at sleep on a battlefield. The memorial is directly above the crypt containing the remains of Lee and his family.

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The chapel at Washington and Lee University was designed by Robert E. Lee while he was president of Washington College as the university was then known. Lee attended daily chapel, sitting in the first row. He and his family are buried in the basement of the chapel.

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Virginia's Natural Bridge is about 20 stories high and is quite a sight to see. It is also associated with two of our Founding Fathers. Legend says that George Washington surveyed the Natural Bridge in 1750 and Thomas Jefferson purchased 157 acres of land including the Natural Bridge from King George III of England in 1774.

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R. E. Lee Memorial Church is adjacent to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Robert E. Lee served as Senior Warden of the church while he was President of Washington College and the church was renamed in his honor after his death. Lee's last public event before his death was to chair a meeting of the vestry to discuss the salary of the rector. He personally pledged to donate the money needed to meet the rector's salary.

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George Washington used this little log building in Winchester, Virginia, as a military office from September, 1755, to December, 1756, while Fort Loudoun was being constructed nearby. Washington planned Fort Loudoun, supervised the work of construction, and brought his own blacksmiths from Mount Vernon to do the ironwork. George Washington's military and political career began in Winchester. He served as a member of the House of Burgess from Winchester and used Winchester as his headquarters during the French and Indian War, while in command of a Virginia regiment.

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Several days ago I posted a picture of the Lee-Jackson House on the campus of Washington and Lee University. That home was a residence for both Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. It is next door to the Lee House, the residence of the president of Washington and Lee. The Lee House was designed by Robert E. Lee when he was president after the Civil War. He designed the wrap-around porch to make it easier for his wife, who was wheelchair bound, to get around the house. Lee and his family lived in the house until his death in 1870.

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Sometimes waterfalls can be found in unexpected places. The Piedmont Region of Virginia is mostly flat, but that's where Betsy and I found The Falls. The Falls doesn't have a very original name and it didn't have much water when we found it in the summer of 2007, but it's a nice addition to our collection just the same.

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The house in the picture above is on the campus of Washington and Lee University and has a fascinating history. The north wing of the house was first occupied in 1853 by Professor Thomas J. ('Stonewall') Jackson, who had married the daughter of the president of the College. In 1865 this house was the home of Robert E. Lee and his family while the current President's house was being constructed next door.

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Glenn Falls was another unexpected find. Betsy and I were heading home on the Blue Ridge Parkway in June, 2007, and we decided to get off the parkway to find a place to grab a bite to eat. The nearest town was Vesuvius, Virginia, and as we rounded a curve on the outskirts of the town, we saw the waterfall pictured above.

We had no idea that the waterfall was there until we saw it. After we got home we had to do quite a bit of internet research to find the name.