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2 Wheels / 2 Bikes

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How wonderful it was to be HOME last weekend!  Especially when the weather was oh so fine.

I started the morning on the bicycle, putting in 16 miles along the river and on our bikeway / walkway.

Once back at the house, I knocked a few items off the “to do list” and then hit the road on the motorcycle.  I crossed over Claytor Lake, and then stopped for a few photos.

I parked the bike for a bit and walked over one of the New River Trail trestles (more photos of that coming soon).

Then it was back on the bike for the ride home.

I may not look happy, but believe me, I was!

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Iron Heart Winery

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Instead of attending to the ever present “to do” list, I sent a last minute text to my friend Amy and visited a new winery.

Iron Heart Winery may be new, but the land it sits on is definitely not.  “Nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains in Allisonia, Va., the charming family-owned winery is located in an Industrial Revolution-era farm dating back to the 19th century, providing a rustic and modern atmosphere for visitors to its historic grounds” (Savora.com)

Since we only had a couple hours, I didn’t spend as much time learning the history of this farm and winery as I would have liked.  It was hard to miss this blast furnace which was once used to convert iron ore to more usable types of iron.  The winery website, much to my delight, is full of the history of the farm and the surrounding community.  These folks aren’t wine lovers who decided to open a winery, rather a family who wanted to preserve the land. ❤

“In 2010 the winery started planting vineyards and established their Farm Stay, where you can rent cabins on the property for a lovely weekend getaway. After years of perfecting their grapes for distribution, Iron Heart finally opened the winery to the public in 2017. Currently they are producing Vidal Blanc, Riesling, Rosé, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Chambourcin wine styles” (Savor.com)

We were greeted by Rosie, and then entered the tasting room, which is converted from an original corncrib.

The family built this gorgeous stone fire place, and I look forward to sitting by the fire this coming fall and winter.

All the labels celebrate the strength of women in the fashion of Rosie the Riveter, and all of the models were family members or friends.

How can you not love that?!

The day was perfect with bright sunshine, almost too bright for photography, and a steady breeze.  We enjoyed the patio, and playing fetch with Rosie,

Then we took our glasses and walked around the property.

Before we left, Adam, the owner, took us into the wine making room (I’m sure that is NOT what it is really called) and offered us a taste from the cask.  What a treat!  The man is working full time in his “real” job and more than full time in this job / hobby, yet he could not have been more interesting, inviting, and generous with his time.

What a fun, impromptu afternoon.

The ‘to do” list remains, but I have no regrets.

For more about the history of the farm, check visit this link from my friend Brooke Wood, reporter from the Southwest Times.

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The Original Tiny House

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My contribution to Monochromia this week. Joe gave this image the perfect title, which I changed from the original title.  This log cabin is part of the Wilderness Road Museum in Newbern, Virginia. The museum and surrounding cabins were closed when I road by last Sunday afternoon, but I believe the cabin was built in the early 1800s.

LB's avatarMonochromia

What does the title have to do with the photo?

Not a darn thing!

Instead, it’s referring to the fact that Joe had to remind me to post this week.  And i’m sliding under the wire with 90 minutes to spare!

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A Little Blue

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Alys asked if we are feeling Red, White, or Blue today and my response: I can’t help but feel a little blue.  Because of that, I decided to focus on being thankful to those working on this day of celebrating America’s Independence.

My route on the bicycle this morning took me past dozens of people working to set up Radford’s Spirit of America celebration, and past dozens more enjoying our beautiful bikeway / walkway.  It struck me that that, while many of us are off today, there are so many who are working, whether in their paid jobs or in volunteer service.  Thanks to all of them for making the community better.

Please visit Gardening Nirvana and read Alys’s thoughts on July 4th.

I’m off on the motorized bike for a bit.  Then I plan to come home and catch up with all of you!

 

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Where in the World Has LB Been?

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The past 6 weeks have been jam packed, and because of that, I’m taking a cue from Boomdee and doing a catch up post.

I spent 48 hours in Keystone, Colorado for a wedding, and in addition to a fabulous time with family, I saw some amazing scenary.  Can’t wait to share more photos!

I spent two weekends devoted to electing women to public office.  In both Richmond and Leesburg,  I met energetic and committed activists, and got to hear from elected officials (and soon to be elected officials) that I admire.  I was empowered by the many women who have thrown caution to the wind and decided to run for office.

It was such a powerful thing to be surrounded by hundreds of energized women, and a few men, too, most of whom had attended the Women’s March in January.

This great sign is now proudly displayed in my front yard.

Thankfully, I also found time for some photography.

Denver Colorado

The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia

Richmond Virginia

Radford Virginia

and Floyd Virginia

Despite the fact that I’ve enjoyed all this travel, I was excited to be home this weekend so that I could ride BOTH bikes!

Well, I got to ride both bikes AFTER I  had a new rear tire put on the motorcycle.  Never a dull moment!

Even better: I’m home for the next 5 weeks!

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Cruising: Food and Drink

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Are you ready to be done seeing photos from the cruise that I took with friends in April?  I promise, this is the last one!  If you’ve followed along so far, you’ve seen a recap of the whole experience, the birds and flowers, the ship, and the windows and doors.  You’ve read that I had my reservations about cruising, that I’m not sure I’d do it again, AND that I had a great time with friends and with my camera.

I also enjoyed great food and drink! There were 13 bars on that ship, and Kerry, from Love Those Hands at Home, asked if we managed to visit every one.  I’m proud to say that over the course of one week, we did!  In fact, I carried around the “List of 13” and we would check them off one at a time.  Several of the bartenders got into the spirit with us.

And of course, I couldn’t help but turn my drinks into photography.

Beer

Wine

Cocktails

Frozen Drinks

The best part?  No need for a designated driver!

Thanks for hanging with me through all of these posts about the cruise.  Someday, I’ll be able to look back and remember the fun.

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It’s been almost 2 months since I’ve been back from the cruise and I’ve been on the road, working, and taking care of civic duties.  It’s my goal to visit all of you over the next week or so.  I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve been up to!

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Cruising: Doors and Windows

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* This is the fourth post in the series about the cruise I took 6 weeks ago.  Life has moved on, but the cruise pictures keep coming!  You can see those images, and read my thoughts about cruising here, here, and here.*

Believe it or not, a cruise keeps you busy!  It seemed that my friends and I were always on the go.  We never took an elevator and instead took multiple flights of stairs several times throughout the day.  We joined excursions off the ship and participated in activities on the ship.   Even still, I never felt that I was forced to do any one thing nor eat in any particular place at a specific time, something I had worried about before starting the cruise.

I loved the contrast of in and out,

and photographed several windows along the way.  From inside the bar, of which there were 13,

from inside one of the many restaurants,

and from inside our room, looking out to the balcony where I would enjoy my coffee and book each morning.

The doors of Mexico were intriquing, and so narrow!

Many of the buildings were old and in need of repair,

except in the tourist area, of course.  I definitely enjoyed my cold beer at Woody’s.

In order to avoid the near constant panhandling, cruisers are able to visit ports of call created by the cruise lines.  This was one of the disappointments for me.  I didn’t feel like I learned much about the culture, and it seemed that the cruise lines try to “hide” the reality of the noticeable poverty.   They build what I call the “Disney Land” ports of call, this one in Roatan, Honduras.

Beautiful for sure, but how real?  I consoled myself with knowing that these ports create jobs.

This next shot is from Harvest Caye, Belize,

and this last image, a selfie, was taken in Ybor City, a neighborhood in Tampa Bay, that we visited after docking at the end of the cruise.

Next Cruising Post – Food and Drink

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Cruising: The Ship

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My last two posts about the cruise have focused on the experience and the flowers and birds.  You’ve read that I had my reservations about cruising, and while I’m not sure that I’d do it again, I found much to enjoy.

The ship itself, the Norwegian Jade, also offered wonderful opportunities for photography and I rarely went anywhere without my camera!

Was it the contrast between the natural and the human made world?

Or the wonderful patterns of repetition.

Perhaps it was how vast the ship was,

especially when standing between the Jade and her sister ship, the Dawn.

I loved the comparison of this classic tall ship and the new cruise style ship.

I adored having a morning cup of coffee on the balcony, one of the absolute best things about the cruise!.

I even slept on that balcony one night after dragging out a blanket and pillow, and laying on the deck.  The sea, the wind, the stars … it was an amazing thing to be in middle of the Caribbean Sea, and to feel so close to nature and to feel her power.

What a gift!

Next Cruising Post – The Doors and Windows and Architecture

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Memorial Day 2017

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Born out of the Civil War, Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service to the United States of America.

Many in America confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day or think of it as a 3 day holiday weekend.  It is not a time to say “Happy Memorial Day”, rather it is a time of solemn remembrance of those who died in service to the country.

The City of Radford hosts a Memorial Day Service each year, and I am proud to serve on the organizing committee.  The program includes short speeches from local dignitaries, music from the High School band and choir, and participation by members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Vietnam Veterans.  Hundreds of people attend the service each year, and this year was our 19th annual service.

I wasn’t able to take many photos but thankfully we had great print and TV media coverage.  The program ends with a 21 gun salute, a bagpiper plays Amazing Grace, and a trumpeter plays Taps. For a small town program run entirely by volunteers, it really is quite powerful.

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Please follow this link to read a bit about this year’s program.  Mike Gangloff describes the day much better than I.  He quotes one of our speakers as saying that Memorial Day isn’t “about sales and cookouts and the opening of swimming pools, but the sacrifice of soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen. They gave us all their tomorrows so we could enjoy ours.”

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I feel so honored to work with these veterans each year, and even convinced them to take a group “selfie” with me.

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Cruising: Bird and Flowers

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If you had time to read my last post, you’ll know that I recently went on my first cruise.  Despite a few misgivings, I found much to enjoy about the experience: time off from work, a whole week with friends that I only see a few times yearly, and fun with photography.

Clearly I am not a wildlife photographer but it wasn’t hard to photograph these colorful birds.

I attempted to capture a pelican taking off from the water, but I just didn’t have the right lens with me.

One of my favorite images from the trip is this next one, which I am posting again even though I shared it in the previous post.

The flowers and trees were stunning as well.

Such vivid colors!

These shadows made the photographer in me quite happy.

While I would have loved to have done some hiking or to have learned about the local flora and fauna, I sure enjoyed the color of that water.

I was so inspired by it that I waded right in even though I didn’t have my bathing suit on!  Is anyone surprised by that?  Yes, that is a margarita in my hand 🙂

Next Cruising Post – The Ship