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Fallingwater

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Continuing our ride through western Maryland and into southwestern Pennsylvania (see On the Road), we reached Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA with a few minutes to spare before our 10am tour.

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Fallingwater, “one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed works, was designed in 1935 for the family of Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar Kaufmann Sr”. (comments taken from Fallingwater literature).

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Wright designed and built the house to rise above the waterfall rather than face it.  Fallingwater “exemplifies Wright’s concept of organic architecture: the harmonious union of art and nature”_MG_9080

Constructed between 1936 and 1939, the home was made of sandstone quarried on the property and was built by local artisans.  The stone serves to separate reinforced concrete trays that were cantilevered over the stream.

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Our guided tour (no indoor photography allowed) lasted about an hour and while a bit rushed, was fascinating.  We enjoyed hearing about Wright’s architectural themes, the extensive process involved in making this masterpiece, and the occasional design disagreements he had with the Kaufmanns.  New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger called Fallingwater Wright’s “most sublime integration of man and nature”.

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Fallingwater was the weekend home of the Kaufmann family from 1937 until 1963 when Edgar Kauffmann, Jr entrusted the house, it’s contents and grounds to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.  The home was opened to the pubic in 1964 and over 5 million people have toured the home since that time.

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After our tour we walked the trail to the Visitors Center, Museum Store, and Cafe.

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We enjoyed lunch in the environmentally friendly cafe with food that was healthy and locally sourced.  Reusable dishes and utencils! Recycling! and a relaxing view.

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If you are anywhere near this National Historic Landmark, I urge you to go.  Definitely a highlight to our trip.

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Next Stop:  Pittsburgh!

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On the Road

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Each year, my friend Ruth and I take an annual “Road Trip to Watch the Hokies … and Explore a Cool Town”, and what started as attendance at an away football game has turned into an opportunity for adventure in a new place. (If Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer knew our Road Trip / Loss to Win ratio, he would ask us to stop planning our trips around a game!)  Thankfully, the game has become less of a focal point.  Once the destination  is chosen, we research places of interest to visit along the way and no matter the outcome of the game, we always have a great time!!

This year’s trip was to Pittsburgh and in order to get there, we drove from southwest Virginia, and into western Maryland.  Low lying mountains, curvy rural routes, fall foliage, and historic small towns made for a great ride.  We left for Hancock, Maryland on Weds after work, and were up and on the road for Pennsylvania early the next morning.

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We’d not gone far when we saw this farmhouse and just had to pull over.

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The view of Cumberland Narrows, a water gap in western Maryland, had me calling out “I need a picture!”.  The sunrise and the misty hills were a site to see, but finding a spot to pull over was a bit of a challenge.  These next two photos were taken through the front windshield of the car, and even though the quality suffers, they offer an idea about how pretty this part of Maryland is.

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For those interested in history, we were traveling on Rt 40 also known as the National Pike, a section of road that passes through the Cumberland Narrows and lots of rural farmland.  Sections of this road are also called the  National Road.  This road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government and was a gateway to the west for thousands of settlers.  It was also the first US road to be surfaced with macadam.  The National Road now has a multi-state tourism / historical partership that collarborates various towns, cities, and counties. 

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Even when pulled over, photography remained a bit of a challenge.

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Between the traffic, the road signs, and the lightposts it was hard to capture an unobstructed view of the early morning mist.

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I had the same problem catching this rainbow.

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The photos may not do justice to the morning, but I’ll not forget it anytime soon.  It was a wonderful start to the trip!

Next Stop:  Falling Waters – One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed works

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Full Circle

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Family and Friends.

I’m so very fortunate to have been loved and surrounded by both this past year, and I truly believe that I would not be where I am today without them.  One year ago this coming Saturday, the final destination of a 4 day fall bike trip was the Harvest Festival at a winery in North Carolina.  After being struck while riding my motorcycle through an intersection, the plans changed dramatically.

As the anniversary of the wreck drew nearer, friends and I talked about ways to recognize the one year mark.  If I think too much about the wreck, it freaks me out (just a bit!), so I just keep focusing on celebrating life!

My friend Amy suggested that we come full circle and “finish” last year’s trip.  So despite the rain, we headed off to North Carolina’s Wine Country.  Home to more than 100 wineries, we decided to visit 3 of them.  Amy doesn’t ride, so we took off in the truck.

I’m sure you’ll not be surprised to hear that I have many, many photos to process, but I wanted to share a few with you today.  It rained on and off the whole time but we had a blast none the less.

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Thank you, Amy, for coming full circle with me!

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As you read this post, I’m driving to Pittsburgh with my friend Ruth to watch the Virginia Tech / University of Pittsburgh Football Game.

Life never offers me a dull moment, and I’m doing my best to practice gratitude daily!

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Along the New

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Before heading out of town to celebrate life and the one year anniversary from the wreck, I was able to spend a few moments along the New River.  We’ve continued to have daily rain showers, making for overcast skies (and muddy shoes and pants).

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Knowing that I only had a few minutes, I literally ran down the path towards the trestle.

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We hope that this trestle, connecting the City of Radford and Pulaski County, will eventually be available for shared use between pedestrians, cycists, and trains.

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One of our citizens spends hours making these bluebird houses.  He finds the perfect spots to place the birdhouses, and monitors bluebird activity. Carl is one of those unsung local volunteers, making the natural world and the community a better place through his hard work.

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You’ve heard me ask this before: how lucky am I to live just 5 minutes from this river?

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Next Post:  North Carolina Wineries and “finishing” the trip I started one year ago!

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The Divide

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Many of you are already familiar with Joe’s beautiful photography, and some of you know of his incredible spirit of generosity.

His passion for photography moved him to create Monochromia and allowed the crew of photographers and photo nuts to embark on a wonderful adventure.  He is generous with his time as he teaches less experienced photographers new techniques (please see his blog for his “You Asked For It” series).  He shares each and every Monochromia post on our FB page.  He reblogs every Monochromia post on his own blog The Visual Chronicle.  He has helped me to learn the basics of lightroom (and helped me with so many other things), and he and his wife have become my friends.

PLUS I just love this image!
Here’s to you, Joe, with a big ol Southwest Virginia THANK YOU!!

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Divide

Nikon D610 and Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 IF-ED AF-D lens – 1/160 @ f/4 – ISO 800

“The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”

Edgar Allen Poe

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Fungi

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We’ve had so much rain here these past few months that mushrooms are popping up all over the place.

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I noticed these on the way into my office.

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The shadows caught my interest as much as the mushrooms.

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 No complaints about all of our rain … we’re fortunate that we aren’t experiencing drought.

And just for the heck of it, I’m adding a handheld / no tripod / spur of the moment shot of the moon last night.

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Mushrooms and Moons.  Someone should write about that!

Between having a snake in the house, a flat tire on the truck, and an overfull work schedule, I’m way behind on your blogs! I look forward to catching up soon!

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

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Sunday Afternoon Ride

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Fall is here and while the morning temperature was under 40 degrees F, by early afternoon, it was over 50 and it was time to ride! Make no mistake, I ride in the winter when the roads are clear, but the first cool ride of the fall is such a change that it requires a bit more thought in terms of gear and clothing.

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We set off for Floyd, a small county in Southwest Virginia known for it’s music, artisan products, and local restaurants / businesses.   The Friday Night Jamboree, held at the Floyd Country Store, features traditional, old time, and bluegrass music.

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Floyd Fest showcases roots and progressive world music, and each year draws thousands of music lovers from all over the world (these photos from 2012).

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We stopped at Dogtown Roadhouse, and while waiting for our pizza and craft beer, I wandered around town to capture the scene.

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Once back on the road, the others headed for home, but I kept on riding.  I just wasn’t ready to get off the bike.  First, I rode to the old Radford Water Tower,

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and then down to the river.

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I could have ridden even longer, but evening was coming on and I still had chores to do.

Some rides are short on miles, this one only 85, but it was long on curvy roads, beautiful scenery, and fun times with friends.

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Brilliant!

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This image, but in black and white, is my contribution to Monochromia today.

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And you can see the B&W image here, too …

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Hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend!  I’ll be catching up on chores, checking out your blog posts, watching the Hokies play Carolina, and of course spending a little time on the bike!

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Katydid

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This may just be the first time that I’ve done a portrait of a Tettigoniidae, more commonly called a Katydid or a Bush Cricket 🙂

What can I say? It was all about the bokeh (at least I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s called. Your thoughts, Joe?)

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They are also known as long-horned grasshoppers, although they are more closely related to crickets.

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Seeds for Wishes …

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… or as I originally entitled this post: “Beautiful Weeds”.  I think my friend Laura provided a much better title, don’t you?

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