Mailbox Monday: Fill Us Up

A Grandview of the Gorgeous Gorge

We went to the New River Gorge in southern West  Virginia. The two pictures below give you a better idea of our panoramic view from 1400 feet above the bend in the river at a place called aptly enough, Grandview.

This is a zoom in of the white water below.  It is hard to get a since of proportions.  It helps to remember those are not bushes, but trees. Large trees.

Humpback Bridge

We got off the highway to investigate a covered bridge. It turns out to be a National Historic Landmark. It claims to be the oldest of Virginia's remaining covered bridges and the last remaining humpback covered bridge in the country. This is designated a humpback  bridge because the center of the bridge is four feet higher than each end. This is the fourth covered bridge to have been built on this site: the first in the 1820s and this one in 1857.

Though the walls and roofing have been replaced several times over the 150 years, the decking remains the original. It is made of locally milled white oak and hickory with hand fashioned, honey locust wooden pins holding supports together. 

Children were passing the warm, summer afternoon playing in the cool, clear water. It was an altogether charming scene, save the graffiti on the inside walls.

Any Port in a Storm: Osprey Condo with a View of the Bay

This osprey took the opportunity to nest on this boat while it was in dry dock.

It came complete with perch.

Piney Point Lighthouse

To complete our Maryland lighthouse tour, we visited Piney Point Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse on the Potomac River. It was constructed in 1836. It served until 1964.

There were two towers, originally; one held a large bell, that was still on display to be rung. It has a lovely chime.

By Florida standards, it is a very petite lighthouse. 

The keeper's cottage was nice and seemed to have been built to house a family.

Giant Sponge Bob

We saw a few other versions of the this giant Sponge Bob in various places in Maryland. I was not able to come up with what that was all about. Somebody went to a lot of effort.

St. Ignatius Church in St. Inigoes, Maryland

We sought and found (with some difficulty) this ancient church. It was locked and we admired it from the outside. Note the dates on the sign.

The walls of the church are said to be 21 inches thick.

The church cemetery is in the side yard. It is said to be one of the oldest cemeteries  in America.

Twenty-eight Jesuit priests are buried here. The first was born in 1590 and died here in 1637.

There are many other very old graves, some of soldiers of the American Revolution.

I found the inscriptions on the iron crosses touching.

So glad we succeeded in finding it.