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“Nothin’ to Sneeze At”

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Three years with WordPress is nothing to sneeze at!

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And what is the origin of that term, anyway?  According to the Word Detective, “To sneeze at” something or someone is a colloquial usage, first appearing in the early 19th century, to mean that the thing under consideration (Three years with WordPress) may appear modest or trivial but is actually at least somewhat important or impressive.

Impressive or not, three years with WP has had a tremendous impact on my life.  I’ll not tie you down with statistics, but instead offer thanks to all of you for being here with me.  Whether you regularly comment, or more randomly “like”, I’m grateful for all of you.  You’ve encouraged my growth as a photographer (Joe has even provided phone and text consults), have followed me on my motorcycle journeys, supported me after my wreck, contributed to my campaign, created beautiful gifts for me, and have spent time with me in Virginia.

You’ve become my friends, and my life is richer for all that you share.

Your photos and drawings, your stories and poems, your creativity and crafts, and your life lessons learned.

My sincere thanks.

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See ya on down the road!

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Back Track

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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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What Edna Said

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My contribution to Monochromia this week.

Thank you to the lovely Julia at Defeat Despair for introducing me to the poem First Fig by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

My last post was a reflection about the fullness of life, and this one is also about life’s challenges.   Have no fear, though.  All is well and I plan to be riding the bike for a little bit tomorrow.

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My candle burns at both ends;
   It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
   It gives a lovely light!
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Thanks to the lovely Julia at Defeat Despair for introducing me to the poem First Fig
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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The Road Ahead

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The road of life offers many opportunities and challenges,

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

Sometimes the direction seems foggy or unclear,

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with obstacles blocking the way.

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

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The world around us will be peaceful once again,

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

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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.

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Riding on Sundays

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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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Comfort

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Nestled in the Blue Ridge

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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.

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

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

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

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

Hope the day was lovely for you as well!

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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!