Morning coffee at Kate and Bob’s home offered a few moments to enjoy their chickens.
Clearly content, they clucked and coo’d quietly while I quickly took a few shots.
A peek inside the coop revealed freshly laid eggs
Check out the decorative touches and and bright colors of the chicken yard.
Kate and Bob have created a space that would make any chicken content (yes! the chickens told me so!)
Every now and then, the image looks best straight out of the camera.
And so it shall remain …
A friend of mine was the focus of a Women Riders segment produced by one of our regional television stations. Missy and her husband own an indepedent motorcycle shop, and Missy, who has been riding for years, invited several women to come ride with her and help put the spotlight on women who ride.
It’s been 6 months since my wreck and unfortunately, I am still a rider without a bike (although not for much longer!).
Thankfully, I was able to indulge in another passion of mine.
I’ll be posting more photos soon, but meanwhile remember this:
It happened almost over night
The first Rhododendron bud opened
My Rhododendrum shrubs (or Rhodies, as we like to call them) are full of buds
By the end of the day, a few other buds had started to bloom.
Soon, the entire shrub will be full of gorgeous blooms such as this one from last May.
Rhodies are abundant in this part of the world. “Tall, wild varieties can reach over 35 feet high, and are found throughout the coastal mountain ranges from New York to Georgia. Designated as West Virginia’s state flower, rhododendrons are particularly abundant in the Great Smoky and the Blue Ridge mountains. Species in the Pacific northwest from northern California to British Columbia vary in heights” (www.library.illinois.edu)
Most of you know that I enjoy a glass of wine occasionally (just occasionally mind you – quit snickering!). A few friends and I gathered on my screened porch for a spring birthday celebration this past weekend, and of course I had to document the evening.
As the day waned and the darkness gathered in, I decided to bring out my new tripod. I’ve been resistant to using one because I like to shoot on the fly and from the motorcycle, and I feared the tripod would take the spontaneity out of my fun with the camera. (I’m sure the photographers reading this are rolling their eyes right now). I sure did like the result, though!
Liz’s home baked Orange Sponge Cake with Mangoes and Ginger Cream was so yummy!
Happy Birthday!
Many of you responded to my previous post about Redbud, scientific name Cercis canadensis, by saying that you were not familiar with the tree. Commonly called Eastern Redbud, it is a deciduous, often multi-trunked understory tree with a rounded crown and is noted for its stunning pea-like rose-purple flowers which bloom profusely on bare branches in early spring (March-April) before the foliage emerges.
The tree is native to eastern and central North America from Connecticut to New York to southern Ontario and the Great Lakes south to Western Texas and Florida( http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/ ). Here in Virginia, we often see it in open meadows, and along roads and rivers.
My blogging pal, Pauline, The Contented Crafter, thought the Redbud looked familiar, and in doing a quick online search, found that in New Zealand they call it The Judas Tree.
Littlesundog, writing from Oklahoma, commented that she loved the beautiful blooms and the heartshaped leaves.
If you don’t have Redbud in your area, feel free to come visit Southwest Virginia in the spring and I’ll be happy to show you around!
When spring finally does come ’round, the moments of joy are endless.
If you haven’t already done so, I’m sure you are looking forward to getting back outside, putting your hands in the dirt, and bringing color and beauty to your surroundings. I’m so lucky to have a screened porch to enjoy while creating this blog post.
The bees are buzzing, quite loudly actually, all around my new hanging baskets and the blossoms on the Redbud Tree, all of which have been purchased from local nurseries or greenhouses.
The birds that have nested in the gutters over the carport are adding a beautiful song to the other sounds of spring, and FINALLY, I have found a few basil plants (if you know me at all, Basil is my summer addiction).
I’ll have to bring the pots in every night for a few more weeks, but at least I have some!
Yes, there are chores to be done, and errands to be run, but even accomplishing those things seems easy on a beautiful Sunday in April. So, until I can get back out on the bike and join my friends, at least I can get my hands back in some dirt, and finish what I started yesterday
Southwest Virginia is home to The Crooked Road, a 333 mile stretch along scenic roadways where traditional and heritage music can be heard. “The variety of music is amazing … old time string bands, a cappella gospel, blues, 300 year old ballads, and bluegrass” (myswva.org).
Music can be heard in Major Venues such as the Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol, the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, and the Floyd Country Store in Floyd. In addition to these Major Venues, there are over 60 Affiliated Venues, places where traditional music can be found, often in weekly jam sessions, where anyone with a song or instrument is welcome to join in. Radford is home to the Radford Fiddle and Banjo Jam which was started by Ralph Berrier in 2000 and is currently located in the River City Grill (Photo Credit: Photography Intern).
An offshoot of the Fiddle Jam is held in the Pizza House, a locally owned business since 1971.
While not an Affiliated Venue of The Crooked Road, the Pizza House Jam is a place where local musicians gather to play and sing.
While I can join in on singing a few of the songs, I have no talent with a musical instrument.
The music fills the room, the folks watching tap their feet or sing along, and the faces of the musicians reflect the joy of the evening.
And that is what music is all about.
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, is an estate garden whose mission is to “provide an oasis of inspiration and tranquility, while furthering the understanding and appreciation of plants, especially epiphytes”. An epiphyte is a plant that derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and usually grows on another plant.
It’s been an all too short, but wonderful visit to Sarasota, and I’ll have more photos and stories to post later. For now, know that I’ve missed many of your posts while I’ve traveled, but I’ll catch up soon!!
The sights, sounds, emotions, and memories of auction day will long remain with me.
The excitement of the auction process and the fascination with an industry so different from my own, had me riveted. I very much wanted to capture the history and success of a 57 year old family business, and to portray those who make their living in this field. It was an honor to be a part of the day, and I came away with so many memories and photographs.
A favorite part of the day for me was hearing stories from “back in the day”. Like a child at bedtime, I kept asking for more. On a day that was at times bittersweet, it was a joy to hear the laughter from those who had grown to be like family after so many years working together.
Amy’s father placed this horseshoe in the shop many years ago, but she took it down this day intending it to be a keepsake. Instead, the horseshoe was passed on to two brothers who had started a welding business, and had purchased several pieces of equipment in the auction.
In a sense it was like passing the torch on to a new generation.
Time goes by, economies and businesses change, but the memories of a father who created a business 57 years ago, and grew it into a success, will not fade. Here’s to Warren G. Harris on a job well done, and to his family, for carrying on a proud family tradition.
Now! To grow and enhance the other part of the business: Harris Self-Storage!
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 