The Road Ahead

May 31, 2015 by LB

The road of life offers many opportunities and challenges,

and sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two.

Sometimes the direction seems foggy or unclear,

with obstacles blocking the way.

Soon enough though, the way will be made clear, and we’ll see the future as it should be.

The world around us will be peaceful once again,

while the spirit, made stronger because of the struggle, soars.

This small collection of photos was taken at various points this past week, a week that was filled with far too many twists in the road, and not near enough opportunities to use my camera.

I’m quite sure that many of you experienced the same. Let’s all just breath … it’s going to be okay.

Memorial Day in Radford

May 25, 2015 by LB

At the posting of this image, I am attending our locality’s Annual Memorial Day Program.

Participation in this program is one of my most favorite civic activities. I’m honored to serve as photographer and online PR person.

Enjoy these photos from our 2014 program and I’ll share a few from this year’s event soon.

Do you know about the National Moment of Remembrance? As Americans, we are encouraged to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

Fenwick Mines in Monochrome

May 23, 2015 by LB

My contribution to Monochromia this week.

Riding on Sundays

May 20, 2015 by LB

Sunday rides are my therapy!

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.

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

The reflections on this overcast day kept me shooting.

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

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

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”.

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.

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.

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!

Comfort

May 15, 2015 by LB

As I sat outside on the kitchen door stoop this evening, I glanced over and saw that the daisies were starting to bloom.

I grabbed the camera, thinking all the while that I have very much missed the creativity of photography, and how far behind I am getting in my learning of this craft.

Deciding that the daisies were deserving of a blog post, I thought of Meg Ryan and her character’s description of daisies. It was then that I remembered that I had already used “aren’t daisies the friendliest flowers?” for a post two years ago.

Ah well, they brought a smile to my face none the less.

As did Louie. His face will make anyone smile.

Louie and Daisies.

Comfort at the end of the week … and before the long weekend ahead.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge

May 11, 2015 by LB

While on the way to meet my parents and son in Charlottesville for a Mothers Day lunch, I took a brief detour to King Family Vineyard.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the vineyard offers near 360 views.

The visit was brief (just one little sip of wine),

but the detour was worth it (even if I did get fussed at for pulling over onto the grass to catch this reflection).

The best part of the day, though? Time with my parents and son!

Hope the day was lovely for you as well!

It Really IS About the Bike!

May 4, 2015 by LB

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Photo Credit: Cherie Yost

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

Inspired by Pauline

May 2, 2015 by LB

My contribution to Monochromia today was inspired by Pauline.

The story, as I noted on my Monochromia post was this:

As we left our Old Town Alexandria restaurant that night, Pauline pointed across the street and said “Look Laurie! That would make a great picture; like film noir” (that’s not an exact quote, by the way).

And she was right! All that was missing was a guy or gal, leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

Well, a tripod was missing, too (obviously), but thanks Pauline, for being the inspiration behind this shot.

The Wonder of Florida

April 29, 2015 by LB

When you saw the title of this post, did you think about sun, tourists, and Disney World? While those things certainly are identified with Florida, that’s not the Florida that I experienced almost 2 months ago.

Those of you who know me will not be surprised to learn that just going over the Sunshine Skyway was exciting! I wish Donna could have stopped the car but for some reason she didn’t think the Florida troopers would appreciate that too much 🙂 I do love a bridge and I’d have loved to have been on the bike!

My welcoming committee!

My three day visit was jam packed! In fact, we rarely stopped exploring. A brief, early morning visit to the beach …

… was followed by a stop at the Sarasota Farmer’s Market.

Is this not the perfect view for lunch and a cold beer?

We spent time at the Myakka River State Park and it was during our time there that I KNEW I needed a zoom lens! Visitors to Myakka can enjoy “the land in its natural state, a piece of the REAL FLORIDA”.

The Birds! The Gators! The Trees!

“Myakka protects one of the state’s most diverse natural areas. The Myakka River, designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic River, flows through 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. Visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing from a boardwalk that stretches out over the Upper Myakka Lake, then take to the treetops with a stroll along the canopy walkway”