Friday, September 03, 2010

Butterflies - Covered Bridges and the Grotto


In the midst of visiting the ultimate city, Washington D.C., Joe and Joline took us for a country drive where we saw some great butterflies...


... an UTZ truck at a rest stop we shared a picnic lunch...


... more butterflies ...


...and some wildflowers ready to rest until Spring returns.


After the picnic we saw some flowers...


...some green berries on purple stems...


... that ripen into black...


... but the quest for the day was covered bridges like the Utica Road Covered Bridge.

The Utica Road Covered Bridge is a Burr truss wooden covered bridge located near Lewistown, Maryland. Originally built in 1834, it spanned the Monocacy River at the Devilbiss Bridge crossing. An 1889 flood damaged the bridge and the surviving half was moved to Fishing Creek in 1891

The scenery was terrific...


... and there were more butterflies...


... along beautifully curving and undulating roads.


The bridges had wonderful structures with angles and curves...


... and ceilings with intricate and layered designs...


...and the floors were worn yet dry and strong...


... while every detail was gracefully mastered...


... even the surrounding field of soy beans looked like an art masterpiece.


We drove by interesting buildings like Saint Pauls Evangelical Lutheran Church church...


...a bright blue house...

... and almost totally white farm...


... and, of course a red barn.


Next we drove to Owens Creek ...


... and found Loys Station Park ...


...and the Loys Station Covered Bridge.
"The Loys Station Covered Bridge is a multiple king post wooden covered bridge near Thurmont, Maryland. The bridge was burned by an arsonist in 1991 and rebuilt using surviving framing. The original bridge spanned 90 feet in one span, but has since been modified with a pier at the middle of the span"

Thank you Fredrick County.


This is truly one of the most beautiful covered bridges I've seen...


... but Joe and Joline's planning held more surprises and this must be the tiniest covered bridge I've ever seen it's the Roddy Road Covered Bridge.

The Roddy Road Covered Bridge is a small, one lane king post wooden covered bridge near Thurmont, Frederick County, Maryland. It crosses Owen's Creek near Thurmont. It is 40 feet long, 16 feet wide, with a 12 foot-8 inch clearance. It was built between 1850 and 1860. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.



Very different from the curved beams of the Utica Road Bridge.


Then there were more butterflies...


... then a 95-foot-tall campanile topped with a golden statue of Mary...


... and a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France
"The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is the oldest known replica of the revered French shrine, dating to about 1875 (the original Lourdes apparitions were in 1858). The Grotto has been in use since 1805 when Fr. John Dubois founded it as a place of prayer and devotion."



As you wander the wooded paths, you'll see other shrines


... and the Stations of the Cross.


and a tiny chapel.


The grounds are serene and perfect for contemplation...


... and it all takes me back to my days in Catholic school...


... and the art that made even a small child wonder.


Then there were more butterflies...


... dancing in the sun...


...and a few more inspirational structures.

No Scrabble -

Quote of the Day -
"Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man." ~ Vladimir Nabokov

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