Category Archives: Architecture

Unknown's avatar

Taking a Break

by

This year’s Annual Meeting of the Virginia Council of Nurse Pracitioners is being held at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia.  During one brief break period, I dashed outside to feel the warmth of the winter sun and to use the camera to photograph something besides NPs in the conference setting.

The Reston Town Center has an outdoor Ice Skating Pavilion and on this beautiful, 60 degree day, I was drawn to photograph this unique facility against the bright blue sky.

_MG_1774

The strong lines of the human made structure against the natural clouds and trees provided a striking contrast.

IMG_1770 _MG_1775 _MG_1776

When I finally directed my gaze downward, I had to smile at what I saw.

_MG_1787 IMG_1768

Refreshed and energized, I headed back inside to continue the work of the conference.

Celebrating 40 Years!!  Nurse Practitioners: Your Partners in a Healthier Tomorrow!

1526914_10152183494251473_313019751_n

Unknown's avatar

See It Every Day

by

How often do you pass by a building or place, maybe even every day, and even though you know it has intriguing characteristics, you never stop for a closer look?   The New Mt Olive M.E. Church has always drawn my attention, but I’ve never taken the time to investigate.

The church sits on a hill in a neighborhood off one of the main roads in my small city.

006

As I rode by on the bike one day, with rain threatening, I decided to stop and check it out.

010

The building materials are simple … and reveal signs of wear.

012

The church was originally built in 1889, but was either renovated or rebuilt in 1929.

009

I think what attracts me most is the way it sits up there on that hill, somewhat majestic and slightly imposing.

015

Wonder what it’s like inside?

Unknown's avatar

Something About A Window

by

An organization that I belong to held a meeting at a local church last evening.  Grace Episcopal  has been a part of the Radford community for over 100 years and is a lovely old building.  As I walked up to the church, I was struck by the windows.

008

009

From the inside they were even more beautiful, and against the setting sun, were the color of amber.

002

007

001

004

006

005

012

As I left the house this morning, I decided to run by and take one more picture, this time of the the building, and not just the windows.  What a difference a day makes!!  Yesterday was sunny and bright.  Today a 6 inch snowfall!

In April!

013

Unknown's avatar

Day 5-7- Williamsburg: The Warmth of Brick

by

It’s been an excellent conference, filled with opportunities for increasing knowledge and catching up with friends and colleagues, with time for good food and wine and even a little fun!

This morning I also found some time to get out early and shoot some of the sights around the restored area of Williamsburg.  I took many photos, but what struck me the most was how warm the bricks looked with the 6:30 am sun shining on them.

029

033

022

032

020

023

026

087

I’ll post more pictures from the restored area later … for now, I hope you enjoy the early morning warmth and sunlight.

Unknown's avatar

Day 3 – Ashland / Downtown Richmond: More Trains & Historic Buildings

by

What a treat it is to have a day off during the week!

With a meeting in Richmond on Monday and a conference in Williamsburg from Wednesday through Saturday, it just made sense to stay in the Eastern part of the Commonwealth.   My friend Becky lives in Ashland, and I was lucky to spend last evening with her and our friend Tim.  This morning when she left for work, I left to explore the town of Ashland.  I enjoyed a hot breakfast blend and a bagel while catching up on email, blogging, and bills at Ashland Coffee and Tea.

004

Ashland is another historic train town and much of the quaint downtown area has a train theme.078003

017

016

021

Freight trains pass through town on a regular schedule and even better, you can still take the passenger to various places in Virginia and the Northeast

041

026

067

065

Ashland is more than trains, however, and the architecture of the buildings and the neat little shops and adornments made it difficult to put the camera away and made me reluctant to leave.  I adored this sculpture of J Malcolm Pace III, also  known as “Jay”.  The plaque reads “Newspaper Editor / Publisher, Community and Church Leader, Randolph Macon College Supporter, Musician, Friend and Family Man”.  What a tribute!

028  030  031

And then there are the windows …

034

040

058

Eventually, I had to move on to the next stop: Downtown Richmond.  I spent 7 years in Richmond while attending the Medical College of Virginia and I have always loved the downtown area.  Too may folks who live in the suburbs never leave the land of malls and chain restaurants and what a shame that is.

Today I discovered the Canal Walk, a project to restore a canal system that was started in 1784 and was heavily damaged during the Civil War.  It truly is a walk through history!

113

109

111

120

With time running short before I had to leave for my next stop, I found myself at Sam Millers Restaurant on the cobblestoned Shockoe Slip.  The bartender Nathan, in addition to bringing me a yummy cup of crab soup and a Southern Tier stout, was a good source for information and directions.

127

128

001 (3)

IMG-20130305-00310

Finally, I could delay no longer and it was time to leave for Gloucester to meet my friend Janet for dinner a at wonderful Thai restaurant.  Gloucester would be a fun place to explore and I plan to return when it’s still daylight!  But tonight, the rain began to fall and I still had one hour to go before arriving at my final destination: Williamsburg – home of my parents and the 2013 Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners Conference.

Unknown's avatar

One Morning in Roanoke

by

003 - Copy

The Roanoke Valley is as rich in history as it is in natural beauty and has played a vital role in the growth of Virginia.  The Wilderness Road migration route, traveled by pioneers in covered wagons on their way to settle the frontier, passed right through the region.

Roanoke is the 10th largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest municipality in Southwest Virginia.  Formerly known as Big Lick, because of it’s numerous salt marshes (or licks), the city was renamed Roanoke in 1881.

Roanoke became a crossroads for the railroad, which eventually became the Norfolk and Western Railway. Its historic market, which also began in these early years, remains vibrant as one of the oldest in the country and still is an anchor of downtown commerce (http://www.visitroanokeva.com/visitors/history/roanoke-history/).

001 - Copy

It was a lovely morning in Roanoke … perfect for a quick stroll around the downtown market area.

019

  018

017

012

016

The variety of windows caught my eye

021

  041

034

039

Historic Signs and Newer Signs

009

  008

022

 023

Old Buildings

044

 033

And New

005 - Copy

  010

Inside the renovated market building

036

Outside on the market square

042

Downtown Roanoke has much more to see … restaurants and pubs, museums and historic hotels, renovated buildings and shops.  Festivals too!  You should come check it out!

002 - Copy

Unknown's avatar

The Old Radford Incinerator

by

I’m sure you are thinking “why would she take pictures of an incinerator?”

001

As you can see, even an incinerator looks good in the morning sun.  Actually it was the tall grasses, shining in the light that caught my eye.

003

002

I pass this old incinerator every morning.  I know it is no longer used and that it was built in 1949.  That’s about all I know.

006

I’ll have to see what else I can find about it!

007

Unknown's avatar

It’s All About the Light

by

This was my view while sitting at a stop light on a beautiful but chilly 32 degree January morning.  A quick U turn and I was out of the truck and snapping away.  The chill led to a bit of a shaky hand, but I still loved the light on the bell tower of Radford University’s new College of Business and Education building.

001

Unknown's avatar

Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures

by

For those who don’t blog with WordPress and may not know, the Daily Post offers a Weekly Photo Challenge.  Each week, the Daily Post provides a theme for creative inspiration and the blogger is supposed to take photographs based on the interpretation of the theme.

The theme for this week?

Pick the best pictures from your 2012 and have those pictures tell everyone about your year.

I wonder if this Challenge was as hard for other bloggers as it was for me.  At first I was intrigued, then overwhelmed and finally resigned … resigned to the fact that I would never be able to narrow a year’s worth of pictures down to a few.

This exercise helped me to remember what a great year it has been and just how fortunate I am.  Fortunate to have amazing friends and family, and to live surrounded by beauty!  No doubt there have been challenges and some heartache, but the positives won the day (er … year).

I decided to share my year in two ways … life and beauty through photography and then life and beauty through family and friends.  A few of the pictures were taken with my Blackberry (yes, I still use a Blackberry).  You’ll be able to tell the difference.

Life and Beauty – Photography

Claytor Lake, Pulaski County, Virginia

003 (2)

The Booker T Washington National Monument, Franklin County, Virginia

011

The Ride of Silence, Radford, Virginia  http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php

027

The New River, Radford, Virginia

057

The New River Valley Fair, Pulaski County, Virginia

055

Fall and The Virginia Tech Hokies

030

Labor Day and rain in Floyd County, Virginia

053

The Scarritt Bennett Center, Nashville, Tennessee (from the 2012 Solo Bike Ride)

IMG-20120809-00035 (2)

Shooting Creek Road, Franklin County, Virginia

001

Somewhere in North Carolina

083

Along the New River in Pulaski County, Virginia

016

Foggy Morning, Radford, Virginia

001

The Home of John and Mabel Ringling, Sarasota, Florida

che 062

Just another lovely field in Montgomery County, Virginia

062

A train trestle over The New River, Pulaski County, Virginia

045

Life and Beauty – Family and Friends

Andrew’s Farewell Party before his move to Charleston, SC (in Blacksburg, Virginia)

025 - Copy

Mothers Day / Fathers Day with the best parents EVER (Williamsburg, Virginia)

001

Sisters Celebrating 50 (Roanoke, Virginia)

033

The Annual GOA Gathering (Bath, North Carolina)

039 (2)

Hanging with the SoHos! (Dublin, Virginia)

-

Gathering with the BGs in Grayson County, Virginia

052 (2)

The annual Road Trip with Ruth to see the Hokies (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

064

Mumford and Sons Concert (Bristol, Tennessee)

305023_506048612755468_1607614143_n

Some of my favorite Biker Chicks (Elkin, North Carolina)

076

Bikers riding for a good cause (Draper, Virginia)

026

“Divas” raising money for another good cause (Radford, Virginia)

060

Time on the farm with Bill

030

And time on the bike with some of my favorite guys (Philpott Dam, Bassett, Virginia)

008

I’m always ready with the camera while riding,

014

whether at the beginning of a trip with my good friend, Tim,

001 (3)

Or during the pouring rain on my annual solo bike ride (somewhere between Nashville and Knoxville)

IMG-20120810-00076

And best yet, reconnecting with lifelong friends (not a quality picture but a quality friendship) Richmond, Virginia

photo

So there you have it … how lucky am I?

Onward to 2013

Unknown's avatar

It Just Caught My Eye

by

I took a different route to work this morning and the site of this church in the morning sun just caught my eye.  So, of course you know that I just HAD to stop, turn around and take some pictures.

And STILL managed to get to work on time!