Still swamped with the new job, but I hope to get the bike out of the shop in the next day or so, and find some time with my camera.
Nothing like time on the bike and time with the camera to make a gal happy.
#cellphonephotography
Category Archives: Motorcycles
Happiness
What is it about sunflowers that make us happy?
My sister and I spent a few hours in downtown Roanoke this past Saturday while waiting on my motorcycle to get it’s 10,000 mile check.
Breakfast. Exploring the Farmers Market. Just being silly.
In addition to all that goodness, I found out that it was the Voltage Regulator that was draining my bike battery. Problem Solved!
It was a beautiful ride home! Next time I’ll bring the camera!
Where in the World is LB?
She’s still here! In Southwest Virginia!
Between work and play, I’ve found it challenging to keep up with WordPress, and believe me, it is not easy to admit that! I’m not one to make excuses, but somehow, I’ve found it harder to create blog posts now than it was during the time after my motorcycle wreck and during my campaign for office.
So where have I been spending so much of my time, outside of my work as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner?
Riding in the 10th Annual Layne Creed Memorial Ride.
Photo Credit Dale Sands
The family of Layne Creed has worked hard over the past decade, raising money for local charities in memory of their loved one. It is time though for this to be The Last Ride.
I’ve been able to ride in six of the 10 rides, but this was the first on my beautiful candy orange Softail Slim.
Dining with Friends
After riding 220 miles, it was such a joy to spend the evening with friends. They served an incredible Paella, which I now know is a dish which combines vegetables, and meats. The history of Paella is that servants or peasants created rice dishes by mixing the left-overs from royal banquets in large pots to take home. The incredible food was accompanied by great conversation, in a beautiful home with generous hosts.
Supporting Local Business
I attended the first Grow & Gather, a partnership between Hazelbea Catering, the Radford Chamber of Commerce, and Farmers Market vendors.
This Radford Supper Series, offers multi-course meals sourced from local growers and paired with wine from White Barrel, a local winery.
Supporting Local also means catching up with a dear friend at Al’s on First, an independent restaurant, AND putting my cell phone camera to work.
Ah! The perfect summer drink: A Gin and Tonic
Book Group
What a welcome relief it is to spend the evening discussing an eye opening book, and to escape the media’s focus on the unfit man who is running for President.
Exercising
I’ve always been a power walker, but somehow I’ve become a runner, albeit a novice runner. The only way to fit exercise into my schedule is to start early in the morning when it is still dark.
Weekends though, give me a chance to start a bit later. As I tell each of my patients, and as you already know, exercise is good for the heart, good for the bones, and great for the energy and mental health.
In addition, I can work on my #cellphonephotography.
Finally, Civic Work
I’m involved with several groups, but one of my passions is helping to elect more Virginia women to public office. This weekend I hosted an event for Women Leaders of Virginia and Emerge, two organizations who work to train and support women running for public office.
I love the passion, the commitment, the vision, and the stimulating conversation.
Next?
I’m afraid I won’t be able to visit many of you this week, and I truly hate to miss out on the happenings in your lives. In the comment section, please leave a link to one of your latest posts, and I’ll be sure to check it out!
Motorcycle, Bicycle, and River, Oh My!
As I sat in the river yesterday, I thought of all the items on my “to do” list. Yes, I was actually sitting in the Little River, and I was oh so happy.
I looked up to see the smoke from the grill caught in the sunlight streaming through the trees, and in addition to my “to do” list, I thought about how fortunate I was.
Surrounded by friends, on a gorgeous September afternoon, with laughter and the sound of flowing water providing amazing background music.
The only thing that I could have wanted was more time to take care of that “to do” list. Thankfully, I had an extra day off for that, and today is that extra day. I’ve spent the last 8 hours scatching items off of that list, and that means it is finally time for WordPress, a chance to relive the weekend, and a visit to all of you.
After getting off work on Friday, I stopped by Rising Silo Brewery.
Part of a ground-up movement, “the purpose of the brewery is to create fermented beverages from the best ingredients, overflowing with thought and authenticity in taste”.
Rising Silo is a farm brewery, the foundation of which is Glade Road Growing, a farm located on a conservation easement, which means that it will permanently remain open space.
How can you not love their mission: to create “an evolving space that community members near and far may gather to connect, dream, celebrate and relax. We believe in fresh food, true brews, and good people”.
Saturday morning started with a solo, 17 mile ride on the bicycle, partly along the New River,
followed by a 200 mile group ride on the motorcycle.
In my quest to improve my health, I even managed to run 2.5 miles!
And all this fabulousness brings me back to today.
If being able to run, ride both bikes, and spend time on the water wasn’t enough, I’ve been gifted with this extra day, Labor Day, to get caught up. It is so satisfying to see the “to do” list get shorter.
Labor Day, a creation of the labor movement over 100 years ago, “is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country”.
While I know that I work hard every day, how is it that I still feel a twinge of guilt for being off today?
One more great thing about this weekend? The Hokies won, too.
Photo Credit: thekeyplay.com
Yes, College Football season is here, and I’ll be watching the FSU – Ole Miss game tonight while visiting all of you.
Stormy Weather
When I pulled out of the driveway that Saturday morning almost two weeks ago, the skies were slightly overcast and the temperature was 70 degrees F. It was a lovely day to ride.
As I rode down through the mountains, heading towards the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I was filled with excitement about a week at the beach with the GOAs. The Girls Of August have been taking a vacation together for over 20 years, and it is one of the highlights of the year for all of us.
After riding 200 miles, I met up with Jan and we began the second half of the trip. WIth 180 miles to go, and the skies beginning to darken, I was glad to have a friend to share the journey with. As it became clear that rain was in our path, we transferred my gear from bike to car.
It was such a relief to know that all my gear, including my camera, would stay dry in the car because before we knew it, the skies opened up. It was a deluge!
For over 100 miles we rode in driving wind and rain, and thunder and lightning. Headed toward the coast, the road was flat with few opportunities for shelter in this rural part of the state. At one point, we pulled off the road to seek shelter under an overpass. I put my feet down at the stop sign, and the water was over the top of my boots!
Several cars and trucks were already idling under the overpass, and I had to laugh at the fact that I had stayed on the road longer than they had. By the time Jan took these photos, the rain had calmed down a bit and most of the cars had continued on.
You just have to keep smiling and ride safe.
From this point onward, the weather became even worse. It took all my energy to stay focused on the road, and I’m thankful that I wasn’t a newbie rider. Imagine going up and over the bridge across the Pamlico Sound. In the dark. In the rain. When we finally arrived, the only part of me that was dry was my head, thankfully protected by the helmet. I’m so grateful that Jan had been with me.
How wonderful to have friends to greet us, drinks in hand.
Our time in Nags Head was incredible, and we could not have asked for a better vacation. We did however, experience one more huge storm. While enjoying the beach one day, we watched the clouds roll in.
The GOAs started to pack up beach bags and chairs, but being the lover of storms that I am, I decided that I’d stick it out on the beach. Janet, too, decided to ride it out, and oh what a wild ride it was!
Rain, thunder, lightning, hail. Our beach towels offered meager protection! I kept my camera covered up inside a bag, and these cell phone images do not do justice to the weather that Mother Nature treated us to that day. I’m so glad that Janet was there to witness it with me.
When the storm finally settled down, we sent a text up to the house that all was well, and Jan and Becky sooned rejoined us on the beach. Later that evening, we enjoyed the post storm beauty.
What a gift.
Jennette’s Pier
I’m out on my morning power walk here on the Outer Banks of NC. What an amazing week: time with friends, delicious food, and gorgeous weather (and the power of Mother Nature during two wicked and wild storms, one while riding the motorcycle – details later).
I’ll share more photos and stories when I get home, but for now am posting this cell phone / straight out of the camera image from inside Jennette’s Pier. First built in 1936, and rebuilt many times after being destroyed by hurricanes and nor’ easters, the pier is a stunning structure, loaded with history, and with educational displays focused on the ocean and all it’s creatures.
Can’t wait to tell you more about it! Hope you all are well, and I’ll look forward to visiting you soon.
** Please visit this link to learn more (and see much better images) of Jennette’s Pier **
Brewery Ride – Day 2
When Ike and his partners opened Old Bust Head Brewing Company (OBH) two years ago, there were only 40 other craft breweries in Virginia. Today, there are over 100. The craft beer industry is clearly booming, and I was ready to explore a few.
In my previous post, I wrote about my visit to OBH. On the second day of my trip, I took the road south, back toward home. Before doing that though, I stopped in Warrenton for coffee and breakfast. Located in the horse and wine country of Fauquier County, this town of less than 10,000 people is just an hour from Washington DC.
The current County Court House, built in the 1800s, is the 6th one in Fauquier County, several before it having burned to the ground.
As always, I prefer to visit a local restaurant or diner, even if it means bypassing the free continental breakfast at the hotel. I sat outside and enjoyed a delicious cold brew coffee and egg croissant sandwich at Deja Brew.
Before leaving town, I walked around looking for photo opportunities. Historic buildings, quaint shops, and local restaurants abound in Warrenton.
Warrenton is also an historic train town, and like many communities, converted an old rail line to a walking trail. Phase 1 of the Warrenton Branch Greenway was dedicated in 1998.
Lots of folks were out walking that morning, proving that local governments who invest in their communities improve the financial health of the locality, and the physical health of their citizens.
After leaving Warrenton, I made a quick stop in Culpeper, another historic town in Virginia.
Heading onward, I followed Rt 151 through Nelson County.
Located at the base of the Blue Ridge, Nelson 151 is the home to Seven Wineries, Three Breweries, One Cidery, and One Distillery. I definitely didn’t have enough time to visit them all, so a return visit to Nelson 151 is in order! My next stop was Wild Wolf Brewing Company, where I kept it light with an American Pilsner.
Check out those hops!
From there I rode onward to Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company, makers of Vienna Lager, one of my favorite beers.
What a fabulous day to be on the bike!
By the time I pulled into my carport at the end of this brief but oh so great ride, I’d put 620 miles on the bike and a whole lot of happy in my heart. Thanks for sticking with me through this long post. Be sure to let me know if you’re going to be in the area. We’ll check out some more of Nelson 151 together!
Brewery Ride- Day 1
The sun streaming through my window had me awake and excited about a weekend on the bike. Since I only planned to be gone for 36 hours, I was packed and on the road in no time. Just 45 minutes later, I met my sister for breakfast, and then continued the trip by avoiding the interstate and riding the old state road, Rt 11 North. The purpose of this trip, after all, was to have unscheduled, unplanned time. To take my time, stop where I wanted, ride where I wanted, and to explore with no schedule.
When I stopped in Buchanan to check out the swinging bridge, I saw that I had a Voice Message. A good Samaritan had found the wallet that I didn’t know I’d lost 45 miles back in Salem.
So much for leisurely riding! I hit the interstate hard and fast, thinking the whole time how fortunate I was to have a good guy find my wallet. It could have been a disaster! It turned out to be an hour and a half detour, but I was definitely not complaining. Besides, the weather was perfect.
The only definitive plan I had was to meet some highschool friends at Old Bust Head Brewing Company. It had been over 35 years since I’d seen Ike, and I was looking forward to visiting the brewery that he and his wife had opened. After riding 340 miles under clear skies and on dry roads, I rode the last 10 minutes in thunder, lightning, and rain. Thankfully, Ike directed me into an empty garage space and I was able to keep the bike dry.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Chinquapin Chestnut Porter, although rest assured that I am extremely careful when I ride the bike.
Bill, another highschool friend, and his son Bobby, also came out for a mini-reunion.
After hours of conversation, it was time to check into my hotel. It was then that I realized that I’d only taken a couple photographs, and I decided I’d return to the brewery early the next day. Despite being less than an hour from Washington DC, much of Fauquier County is rural, horse country, and the roads back to Old Bust Head made for heavenly morning riding.
The brewing company is located on property that has changed hands and purposes several times as the centuries rolled by.
When the U.S. Army moved out of the secret listening post they had installed on this old Virgina farm called Vint Hill, they left behind warehouse buildings full of history and intrigue (this from the Old Bust Head website).
Ike and his partners have reclaimed these buildings and have plenty of room to brew, imbibe, and expand in their 30,000 square foot facility (again, from the website). With so much redevelopment going on, directional signs are needed.
Even with backtracking to reclaim my wallet, Day 1 of the ride was a blast!
Stay tuned for Day 2!
Travel: Trains and Bikes
It’s the beginning of the weekend, and while there is still one more day of work, I’m anticipating a weekend on the motorcycle. YAY!
The images you see here are my recent contributions to Monochromia.
If you haven’t visited Monochromia yet, please do! Photographers from around the world contribute some incredible B&W images to this blog, and several of those photographers, including me, will be meeting in NYC in October.
How cool is that?
My travels will prevent me from visiting each of you until next week. Sending peaceful thoughts during tumultuous times.
The Perfect Recipe
The photos and stories from my trip to Atlanta are not quite ready for prime time posting, but the photos from an incredible day on the motorcycle are. It was the perfect recipe for a day ride: great weather, good roads, and wonderful friends.
This past Sunday I rode a little over 200 miles through the back roads of Virginia and North Carolina with three of my favs.
We also spent some time on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) which offers wide sweeping curves and great views. The BRP which is America’s longest linear park, runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, mostly along the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains.
The BRP celebrated it’s 75th Anniversary in 2010 and while I do not know for sure, I believe these stone walls have been around since the parkway was constructed.
You may remember that I celebrated my 50th birthday that same year with a solo ride on the BRP, the first of several solo rides.
5 Days / 3 States / 925 Miles.
You can see photos from that incredible trip here and here.
Despite the various stops along the way, which offer the chance to bring out the camera, it is the riding that makes the day so great. The bike and I rolled smoothly over the miles, and we flowed through the curves with ease. I was completely content.
Seriously, wouldn’t you be?
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 