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Ladder to the Sky

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This past Saturday, I attended a friend’s Absolute Auction.  Her mechanical contracting business is closing after a long, very successful 57 years in business.  I had the good fortune to be able to document the history of the business, the fascinating aspects of an auction, and the culture of contractors, subcontractors, small business owners, and incredibly hard workers. It was a bittersweet day but a successful, and even a joyful day, as we celebrated all that was this business and the family associated with it.

Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be sharing some photographs and thoughts from that day, but for now I’ll share this one.  My friend Kelly gave me the most perfect title for this photo.

Ladder to the Sky

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Sadly, but fitting for this Ladder to the Sky post, I had to say goodbye to my Abby this week.  She was a sick little thing and could not recover.  I’ll miss her presence in my home and my life.  Abby was the last of my pets, with two dogs and another cat having gone on before her, and for the first time in 28 years, I have no children (pets or human) in my home.

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Abby was a cute little thing and like her human, knew what she liked and what she didn’t like.

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Rescued and with six toes on her two front paws, Abby was a joy and a pain, as only cats can be (I say that with a smile).

Thank you, Abby, for allowing me to share your life,

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Additions to the Shrine

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A few months after the wreck, I realized that I had unintentionally created a shrine of sorts, to the bike.

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The shrine contains the helmet I’ll never be able to use again;

the one remaining glove, the other left behind in that intersection;

the photo of me, taken on the morning of my last ride on that bike,

the camera that somehow survived,

and a box filled with the many, many cards I was so grateful to have received.

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How nice that, through the joy of blogging on WordPress, I was gifted with wonderful additions to that collection.  Debby, from Apple Moon Creations, sent me what I like to call Book Art.  She folds the pages of books into familiar and favorite things.

For me: a motorcycle and a camera

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Debby is so clever and if you want to know how she folds these books into art, check out this link.

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Debby made the comment that it is hard to photograph a folded book and I very much agree!

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Blogging has brought gifts of friendship, and more blessings than I ever thought imaginable.  In addition to the connections with people from all over the world, I have gained insight, been inspired, and grown as a photographer.

Thank you so much, Debby!  Everyone – please check out Apple Moon Creations!

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Blue and White

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So …. what clever name would you have given this post?

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Blue and White just doesn’t quite work, does it?

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These photos were taken the day after our lovely big snow 2 weeks back.  The ground is clear of snow now, but the temperatures are low and the threat of snow is in the forecast.

More importantly, California is getting rain!!  Come on Mother Nature, ease that drought!

Thank you all for your visits and comments.  I’m a bit backed up in visiting everyone’s blogs … but each day I visit a few and I am confident that soon, yes SOON, life will calm a bit, and I’ll get back on track!

February 28th Update:  Some have asked about the glass structures on the fence posts.  They are antique glass insulators http://www.collectorsweekly.com/tools-and-hardware/insulators.  Insulators were originally designed to keep the wires linking telegraphs and telephones insulated from the wooden poles that held them aloft.  They peaked in the 1920s to the 1940s, are now prized collectors items.

March 4th Update:  I’d sent an email to my friend Wilson, one of the owners of these beautiful glass pieces and I was wrong about the insulators!  Even though the link that I included showed very similar pieces, the blue glass pictured “on the fence, rounded top, screw bottoms, are covers for airport runway lights”.  Wilson says “I got them at a sale at Hubbell Enterprise in C’burg. I have mostly blue, a few red. I don’t know how valuable they are; they certainly weren’t when I bought them”.

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February Wine

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What do you do on an unexpected 60 degree day in February?  Especially when you know, according to weather experts, that the snow and freezing temperatures will soon return?

You gather with good friends and celebrate the sun!

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Attimo Winery opened in the spring of 2011 and is just a few miles down the road.

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We sat outside on this warm winter day, just one week out from an almost 2 foot snowfall, and enjoyed wine and a tapas style meal.

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Dogs guard the young vineyards and protect the grapes from coyote, deer, and other critters.

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Despite the bright mid day sun, and an occasional strong breeze, the opportunities for photography were plentiful.

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Cheers!!

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Now … we’re ready for the next snow storm!

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Little House in Shiloh

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I’ve driven by these old cabins many times

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and I’ve stopped to take photos before

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but this time, the character of these old structures spoke to me.

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and against the backdrop of snow, I couldn’t help but think of days gone by.

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Snow Shine and The Dragon

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Nothin’ like sunset over a field of snow … especially one guarded by a dragon

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I’m still encouraging ya’ll to feel some love for winter 🙂

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Juxtaposition

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Or is Dichotomy a better word?  Two things that represent the opposite of one another

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Classic images of summer in the midst of winter

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Bright Colors / White Snow

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Reminders of the sea surrounded by the beauty of winter

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Hang in there, all those who are weary of snow.  To every thing there is a season.

 Try not to overlook one season’s gifts by looking ahead to the next.

Because in the not too distant future, all we’ll hear is how hot and miserable people are … in drought conditions to boot.

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Snow Images: Work and Play

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Those of you who live further north than I do are probably tired of the cold temperatures and snow, but here in Southwest Virginia, we are enjoying every snowflake.  Well, most of us are anyway.  We don’t get these big snow storms very often anymore and frankly, I miss them.  I also worry about climate change.  We’ve had too many “teasers” this year.  We hear about a storm for days ahead, schools and businesses close in anticipation and then … nothing!  This time though, it really happened!!

The following photos showcase some of the fun and the beauty from the last 48 hours.

The snow began at 1pm as predicted and I waited to finish with patients so we could close the office, allowing the staff to get home safely

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Radford University (RU), early on in the storm.  It turned out that we received the largest accumulation of snow in our area in over 18 years.

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Another view of RU, taken from the deck of a favorite local bar, one of only a few in our little city.

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Celebrating the snow at yet another local establishment.

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Do you see a theme developing?

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St Albans Hospital, built in 1916

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Before attacking the driveway

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Shoveling 18 – 20 inches of snow

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And the post-shoveling reward!

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I dug out my 30 year old snowshoes and enjoyed a brief, humorous attempt at using them.

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Early morning sunshadows on snow

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And just a little rust … ’cause who doesn’t love rust?

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Editorial Comment: Part of why I am able to enjoy the beauty of a snowstorm is because I did not lose power and I did not have to travel on the Interstate. What is it about all of the industries letting folks head home early at exactly the same time?  Combine that with all the drivers who insist that they are the only ones who know how to drive in the snow, yet they tailgate and speed?  We’ve all heard about Atlanta. It took one friend here in the NRV over 6 hours to travel 30 miles, and another friend in Raleigh parked under an overpass and hiked home.  Both of these situations were caused by the two variables previously mentioned. Ugh!

Other than that – I have loved every minute!!!  And I promise, it isn’t ALL about alcohol 🙂

 

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Reflecting on a Favorite Place

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While visiting a dear friend on Saturday, I was struck by the clarity of his beautiful farmhouse reflected in the pond.

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While the house and pond looked great in B&W, I had to retain Mother Nature’s colors in this final image.

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February 18, 2014 Update

My blogging friend, Lynda, over at Life on the Farmlet, used the last photo as inspiration for one of her marvelous short stories! What an honor it is for me, especially because I love the way this woman writes!

Please check it out at http://pixilatedtoo.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/die-grauen-schlund/#comment-11015

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Planning for the Near Future

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We woke to a brief but lovely snow the other morning.  The few flakes that fell were gone in an hour, but it was peaceful and pretty while it lasted.  Lynda (Life on the Farmlet) – those sparkles are for you!

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For some reason, the pace of life has kept me from spending much time with my camera even though I carry it with me everywhere.  I am so ready to improve and have the outcome match my vision.  No negativity here … I am patient (sort of!).

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I do have some trips, for both pleasure and business, coming up in the next 6 weeks and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

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And then, of course, I’ll be test riding some bikes and hoping the joy of the wind in my face is far greater than any anxiety I might feel.