My first week in our new home in the don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it town of Stanley in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The natural beauty of the area was high on the list of reasons for settling here, so lots of opportunity for photography is anticipated. Here are a few views from the first several days.
The Shenandoah Valley is so named because of the presence of the Shenandoah River, which runs between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and Massanutten Mountain to the west. (John Denver was apparently confused about what state he was in when he penned his famous song.)
Shortly after we arrived we went for a ride on Skyline Drive. There are 75 scenic overlooks along the drive. We stopped at several of them for views and picture-taking.
One of the things we love about our new house is the abundance of birds and butterflies that hang around our yard.
Later in the week I took a drive along a few of the many back roads in the area, where there are fantastic views of mountains, fields, farms, and lot of old, interesting looking buildings. Here are a few of my finds: