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The Snake Part 2

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If you found time to visit my last post about being back on the bike, you will know that my friend Dave and I tackled The Snake, a 33 mile ride with 489 curves.  It was a blast, and it ended up being a 285 mile day!

In addition to getting some much needed wind in the face therapy, I was also able to enjoy some photography time.  We rode over  South Holston Lake via the American Legion Memorial Bridge and found a place to park and shoot.

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These scenes also caught my eye

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If you like to ride, be sure to visit my previous post.  In the meantime, know that it’s been so, so great to visit your blogs this week!

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Back on the Bike: The Snake Part 1

I’m back!

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Election Day has come and gone, and I did not win the day.  I challenged an incumbent, in an off / off year (one without a Presidential, Gubernatorial, or Senatorial race) when less than 30% of registered voters cast a ballot.  Even still, I garnered 42% of the vote. While I of course wish I had won the day, for healthcare, for women, for equality, and for the working poor, I am very proud of the campaign, and my team.  I consider this good, and a huge accomplishment.

The other good news?  I finally have time to ride and to shoot!!  Happy,  happy me!

On the morning after Election Day, my good friend, Dave, sent a text with the following message “sorry you didn’t win the election, however you need some riding time to put it all behind you”.  Within 24 hours, we were headed to Shady Valley, Tennessee to ride The Snake.

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 Without a GoPro, it is hard to capture images of those 489 curves on US Rt 421 as there is rarely a place to pull over.  The signage in the image below, however, offers an idea of the fun to be had on this ride.

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While I have to confess to feeling a bit stiff at first, I was thrilled to be back on the bike and getting some big time wind therapy!  It turned out to be a 285 mile day and I could not have been happier.  I came home with many images to process and that made the day even better.

Peak leaf time had come and gone but we still saw a bit of color,

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even more so, when we stopped at Holston Lake.

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The reflections on the lake kept me shooting.  Gorgeous, right?

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It was the perfect antidote to an election day loss,

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and ended with a delicious BBQ plate at Farmers Barbecue & Grill in Mountain City, Tn.  Yum!

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I’ll share a few more photos from this Tennessee ride soon!  Thanks for being here today.  I’ve missed you!

 

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There and Back

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The five days spent on the Outer Banks was, as you might expect, perfectly wonderful!  For those not familiar, the Outer Banks is a 200-mile (320-km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina.

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Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Each year, the GOAs (Girls of August) reunite for food, fun, and fabulous times, and this year our destination was Nags Head.

The 420 mile ride to the beach took me through the small town of Warrenton, NC, where, once they recovered from the shock of “it’s a girl under that helmet”, they pumped my gas for me.

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I rode through rain for some of the trip (check out this blog post to read about riding in the dark), but it felt so good to be on the bike for a good, long ride that I didn’t even care.  It also felt great to be able to have time to use my camera once I arrived.

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One of the reasons that I have always loved the Outer Banks is because it is a more low key, less developed beach community.  It is more about the ocean, the wildlife, and nature, and less about shopping and dining out (although you can find that, too, no doubt!)

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Clearly, I need to purchase another lens (AFTER the election), but I very much enjoyed seeing this pod of dophins.

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Each morning, after coffee and breakfast, we’d load up the cooler and head to the beach.  What a treat to put my chair right in the surf, and read my book (the first since starting the campaign!) with cold beverage in hand.

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It wasn’t until the last day that we saw a few drops of rain, which of course allowed us to have fun playing Rummy and Charades.

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The view of the sunset over the Roanoke Sound was pretty even with the power line.

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Despite starting for home in the rain, once the sun came out I enjoyed the colors along the way.

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After 30 weeks on the campaign trail, this short visit with dear friends was just the breather that I needed.

I’m so glad that I was able to find a moment to write a post.  With any spare time that I have this week, my goal is to visit all of you!

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Monochromia: Riding the Storm Out

My contribution to Monochromia this week.

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The Roanoke Sound

This was the sky that met me as I left the beach on the bike a couple weeks ago.  Even though the rain threatened (and eventually soaked me), I could not resist stopping to take the shot.

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Gratitude II

It was a long time coming, but I finally had the chance to say thank you to everyone that helped me out after my motorcycle wreck.  Bad things happen, but good things can come of them.  For months I was showered with love and care and it has been a goal of mine ever since, to say thanks.

Family and friends gathered on the new porch this past weekend, and Tim captured the scene beautifully.

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Friends and family came from far and near.  For once it didn’t rain, and the sound of laughter was the only music we needed.

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Thank You.  Two simple words with a whole bunch of love all wrapped up in them.

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A New Milestone

It’s been two weeks since I’ve posted!  Where did the time go?  🙂

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Thankfully, in between closing down the old practice, opening the new, and campaigning for Delegate, I was still able to find a few moments with the camera.

This first photo is from Carson’s Courtyard, a little resting spot in downtown Radford, created with Community Development Block Grants.

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On another day, I stopped by the American Legion Building.  Built in 1928, the building has served as a temporary courthouse, Catholic church, daycare center, Radford Arsenal hiring office, dance hall, voter registration office, polling place, and home to Main Street Radford.  The American Legion members have started a restoration drive to raise funds for this historic building.

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On July 4th, I rode the motorcycle to visit a few of the communities in the 12th District.

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One of three covered bridges in Giles County, the Sinking Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1916.

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This next one was taken with my new Samsung Galaxy.  Those of you who know me well, will realize that I have changed phones after 15 years as a Blackberry user.  Not sure it was a good move yet …

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The Newport Parade

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was followed by the Blacksburg Parade,

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and then it was back home to the City of Radford for music and fireworks.

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A few days later, the campaign office was buzzing with the sound of volunteers and staffers working the phone bank.

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So thankfully, despite the pace of life, I’m still finding moments to pull the bike over and enjoy the view.

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Next Stop:  Your Blogs!

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Just 30 Miles …

… but oh the joy!

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Sunday rides used to be 200 miles long.  These days, I’m just grateful to ride down the road and along the river!

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I’m quite sure that my bike misses me as I much as I miss it!

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Think those mirrors need a bit of a clean?

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Yeah, but if I have any time at all, I’m going to spend it riding, not cleaning 🙂

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Back Track

With just an hour or so to spare, I set off on the bike.

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It took me awhile to find a place to pull over to capture this view, and even then I had to hike back a bit.

For once, I didn’t have my camera with me.

Not too bad for my ol Blackberry, eh?

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Riding on Sundays

Sunday rides are my therapy!

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My campaign manager and I have carved out 6 hours in the week for time on the bike and time with friends.  While the rest of the week is devoted to work and the campaign, those 6 hours on Sunday are for ME!  This ride was extra special because my friends and I were celebrating my birthday.

Dave led us through Craig County, VA on our most recent ride, and as we traveled along those curvy mountain roads, I was wishing I had a go-pro on my helmet so I could share the beauty of this county.  We stopped at Fenwick Mines, the site of a 19th Century iron mining site.

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Offering a wheelchair accessible trail that winds through woods and across wetlands, Fenwick Mines is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

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The reflections on this overcast day kept me shooting.

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The water was so still that the blue sky, breaking through the clouds, was visible in this reflection.

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We rode on to Tizzone, a new wood-fired kitchen and wine bar, owned by a friend.

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We enjoyed the Charcuterie and Cheese Platter, and I followed it with a Wood-Fired Smoked‎ Gouda and fig spread on Ciabatta bread.  Accompanied by a Raven’s Roost Baltic Porter, it was a delicious birthday meal. The extensive wine and beer list will require a return visit with a DD.

We left Tizzone and headed out to Parkway Brewing, a 2 year old brewery with “Fresh Beers, Artfully Crafted in the Heart of the Blue Ridge”.

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Riding a bike significantly limits the intake of alcohol for me (obviously) but learning the history of the places we visit and listening to local music always provides great entertainment.

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Another Roadside Attraction is a “husband and wife duo from Roanoke who perform mostly original songs on a myriad of eclectic instruments: from the Mexican guitarron, to a variety of ukuleles, to the haunting musical saw, and a homemade recycled percussion setup”.  Can you see that Jordan is playing the musical saw in this image?  Be sure to check out the link.  Another Roadside Attraction travels the length of the US and will be heading to Mexico later in the year.

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Sunday Riding: a great way to celebrate a birthday!  I walked in the door and the downpour began, as did the campaign phone calls.  I’m already counting down to next Sunday!

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It Really IS About the Bike!

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Life on the Bike and Other FabThings has been about much more than motorcycles, especially through this very cold, icy winter.  Thankfully, photography and travel are a big part of this blog, too.  Now that warmer temperatures are finally here, I can once again combine all three.

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Photo Credit: Cherie Yost

Seven bikes with ten friends riding, set out yesterday morning for Burnt Chimney, Virginia, a small community in Franklin, VA, near Smith Mountain Lake.  Led by Dave, we rode 150 miles on back roads and the Blue Ridge Parkway, where this view was our reward for the ride.  You’ve heard me praise the beauty of this part of the world many times, and this photo is just a bit more evidence to support the claim.

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The next stop was Sunken City Brewing Company, a small, fairly new craft brewery near Smith Mountain Lake.

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We were all so happy to be out of the house, out of the routine, and enjoying time with friends and on the bike.

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Next stop: Mangos Bar and Grill at Smith Mountain Lake.

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We toasted a return to warm weather riding, live music, good pub food, and friendship.

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I wished I’d gotten this guy’s name.  He sure entertained the crowd, and gave me the opportunity to play with my camera.

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(this is an advanced peek at my Monochromia post for Saturday … shhhhh)

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What a great day on the bike!

We’ve built a Sunday ride into the weekend campaign schedule.  Saturdays are for knocking doors, and I’ll be on the phone making calls for four hours on Sunday evenings.

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Photo Credit: Cherie Yost

But Sunday daytime?  It’s all about the ride!