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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.

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That Chain … Again

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What is about this chain that draws my eye when I walk outside each morning?

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I’m looking forward to the weekend and more studying of the new camera.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

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It’s a Good Morning!

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Saturday morning, the GOAs are waking, and it’s time for coffee and catch up.

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This is one of my favorite mornings of the year.

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Coffee – Companionship – Comfort

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Decades of Friendship, Warmth and Light

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Life. Is. Good.

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The Boars Head Inn

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The Boars Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA, an historic hotel in the Blue Ridge Mountains, sits on the site of Terrell’s Ordinary, a modest inn where, during the 1700s, westward travelers stayed the night (these comments, and some of the next are taken from the Boars Head website).

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By the 1960s, the Ordinary was but a memory and in its place was the quintessential Virginia Inn.

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The heart of The Boar’s Head was built from the timbers of an abandoned gristmill along the banks of the Hardware River, which dated back to 1834.

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I’m lucky enough to attend a quarterly Board Meeting for my Nurse Practitioner organization at the Boars Head, but this time, I met my parents and one of my sisters and stayed as an overnight guest as well.

Situated on over 570 acres, the Inn features beautifully renovated rooms, afternoon canapes in the tea room, and five course dining in the Old Mill Room (which showcases beams from that 150 year old grist mill).

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We were still experiencing frigid temps while there, yet the geese on the frozen pond seemed to have adapted pretty well.

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The sunrise reflecting off yet another frozen pond was an incredible way to start the day.  I’m not sure when I’ve seen colors like this.

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I spent several hours learning the new camera yesterday, but that was after my time at the Boars Head Inn.  I look forward to applying some of what I have learned on my next trip back to Charlottesville.

Consider stopping in for a visit if you are near Charlottesville.  You will not be disappointed!

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Returning to the Scene of the “Crime”

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While I still have not found time to learn the camera or even adjust the settings (this Sunday for sure!), I am taking the advice of many of you and shooting everything I see!  While on the way to work, I passed by the site of my Amateur Mistake and decided to try again.

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One more thing … I’m attending a meeting at the Boars Head in Charlottesville, VA.  This next photo is a a completely unedited photo of the sunrise on the ice of the pond.

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Practice, Practice, Practice