Roanoke in December

January 4, 2026 by LB

It is tradition for Greg and I, and friends Ruth and Ralph, to visit the Roanoke in the month of December to celebrate the holiday season. We stroll through the halls of the Hotel Roanoke, originally built in 1882 by the Norfolk & Western Railway as a Tudor Revival landmark, and enjoy the beauty of the trees that have been decorated by local businesses and organizations in a decorating competition. Visitors vote for their favorite tree and every dollar donated supports a meaningful cause.

Our tradition was derailed a couple times by illness, but we managed to get to Roanoke twice and these are some of the images that I captured. The first is the fireplace in the lobby of the Hotel Roanoke.

The next is the Pedestrian Walkway that connects the Hotel Roanoke to the historic downtown and allows folks to see the railroad tracks that led to Roanoke, originally called Big Lick,to become one of the premier railroad cities in America. For a century, Roanoke was home to the Norfolk & Western Railway.

The next three are murals seen during a morning stroll around the historic downtown area

If you’ve not been to Roanoke, Virginia, you should visit sometime.

Fortunate One

November 27, 2025 by LB

As I spend this morning cooking and baking to take food to my mother, I’m thankful for so many things. In particular, my mom! She is 92, and even though she has a few challenges, she is positive and grateful and still so much fun! I also have a kind, generous, and fun husband, and a wonderful family. Fortunate indeed!

As I sit in my comfortable home, with the clothes and food and heat that I need, I think of all those living in poverty and in fear. We must all do what we can to help them.

March. Send money. Be kind.

I am also fortunate to be home today, and not working. I have worked my share of holidays through the years and I am grateful to those who had to get up to work today.

I am fulfilled by the earth around me. We MUST protect her! May we all get outside for a bit and appreciate the natural world.

And I am grateful for the privelege of blogging and for meeting so many of you.

I Am a Fortunate One.

Just a Hint of Fall …

September 25, 2025 by LB

… and I could not be happier!

The first image with my Fuji XT3 and the second with my Samsung Galaxy s21

View From the Jail, This Time in Color

January 27, 2024 by LB

To see this image in B&W, and for an explanation, visit Monochromia.

Cold and Wet: Happiness is Snow

January 22, 2022 by LB

Even though it means lots of digging to get the truck out and shoveling the driveway in order to get to work, I am always thrilled when it snows! The warming of the climate has caused so many worse things than alot less snow in Southwest Virginia, but even still I am saddened when we don’t get any. Ten days ago, we had the first snow of the year, and even though it was just a few inches, it made me happy.

This was my view on the way to work at 7:15am

And this was my view on the way home 12 hours later

This past weekend, the forecasters began calling for a significant snow fall, and the predictions started a full week ahead of time. Usually that means that the snow won’t happen but this time, the weather dudes were right! The wet stuff can cause misery, especially for the homeless and the less fortunate, but since it started on a Sunday, I was lucky enough to be able to just enjoy it, and photograph it, even if the photos were from my cellphone.

The frigid temps gave the beautiful fluffy stuff an icy coating, but we shoveled enough to get the vehicles ready for the morning commute.

Love it or hate it, you have to admit that snow makes for a beautiful landscape.

Stay warm and safe, ya’ll!

Petals and Light

April 17, 2021 by LB

Wilderness Road State Park

November 30, 2020 by LB

Covid-19 Update: Since I picked back up on blogging, I’ve been sharing brief updates about our travels. Rest assured, we are taking precautions. Wearing masks, eating outdoors or take out (or in empty restaurants), and hand sanitizing. We are doing our part to keep ourselves and others safe!

*****

Wilderness Road State Park is just about the farthest western point in the state of Virginia. The park lies astride the Wilderness Road, a route carved by Daniel Boone in 1775. The route, which followed a buffalo trace, opened America’s first western frontier.

Overlooking the park are the White Rocks, a ridge of 500 foot sandstone cliffs overlooking Powell Valley. Follow this link to see an image of these gorgeous sandstone cliffs from the air.

The park is also home to a small herd of buffalo. It broke my heart a bit to see them behind an electric fence. I tried hard to capture an image that did not include the fence, but no such luck. These impressive animals seemed sad to me, so I have to confess that I was glad when one of them stomped a foot and showed anger when I got a bit too close.

The park also features a replica of Martin’s Station, a colonial frontier fort that was on this site in 1775.

State Parks are the perfect way to combine the beauty of nature and a love of history.

The Ultimate in Social Distancing

May 6, 2020 by LB

One weekend this past March, while we were all still adjusting to the “new normal” of CoVid19, it was warm enough to ride.

We decided that time on the motorcycle was the ultimate way to be socially distant.

Typically we ride 100 miles or so before stopping for lunch at a local pub. In light of the times, we all packed our lunch and enjoyed each other’s company from a distance at a roadside picnic area.

Then we headed back out on the beautiful back roads of Southwest Virginia. See those splat marks on the windsheild?

I guess it was the warm weather that had so many bugs out and about.

We rode through several rural counties, along too many back roads to count, and the wind in our faces helped us to put aside the worries of the day.

I can’t wait for more rides like this one!

Peace! and Stay Well, my friends

Getting Back Into It: Halloween Redux

November 6, 2019 by LB

Like many on the East Coast of the United States, the weather was wild in Southwest Virginia on October 31st. This photo was taken 2 days later while helping a friend hand out candy to those who came by. The absence of costumed folks in this image, belies the fact that there were HUNDREDS of trick or treaters!

Anatomy of a Bridge

October 30, 2017 by LB

** This is a scheduled post from a ride one week ago. As you read, I am in full Get Out The Vote mode! **

Another Sunday Ride. Another Old Bridge.

Something is definitely right in my world when I get to ride the bike two weekends in a row. The rides haven’t been long but during this busy time in my life, I’m thrilled just to be riding on our beautifully curvy Southwest Virginia roads.

We were also able to explore another old bridge. With this one no longer in use, we were able to take our time checking it out.

I thought of Joe as I photographed all of the rust, and as we looked at the many parts of the bridge, I couldn’t help but wish that I knew more about civil engineering.