Tag Archives: The New River

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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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Here She Comes!

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The day was beautiful so while on the way home after a lovely visit with friends, I pulled the truck over along the New River.  It was the middle of the day and the sun was bright.

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Only a couple minutes had gone by before I heard the familiar whistle of an approaching train.

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We love our trains here in the New River Valley (you may remember a post about the steam engines that recently came through).

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Once the train had passed over the trestle, I reflected (pardon the pun) on the fact that from this view the new Memorial Bridge can be seen in the distance, and the remains of the old, original train trestle as well.

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The beauty of the river, the architecture of the trestle, and the romance of a train … not a bad way to spend a few moments.

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Life. Is. Good.

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Not that there aren’t roadblocks and hurdles, but those challenges allow us to appreciate the peaceful, soulful times.

I am a fortunate woman.

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First Kayak Float of the Year

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The extensive rain and unusually cold temps have made this such a strange spring.  I’m way behind on gardening and some of the weeds in my yard are as tall as I am!  I’ve put fewer miles on the motorcycle than is typical for this time of year and I haven’t even  had to turn on the A/C yet!

Despite all that, the temps are finally starting to rise and today, Karen and I were able to get on the river.  I’ve got the truck; she’s got the kayaks.  We knew that rain was coming but enjoyed the peace that floating the river brings and reached the take out spot right before the storm set in.

Simply lovely!

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One Stormy Day in May: From The Bridge

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While we are all ready for sun and the warmth that it brings, the storm and clouds made for amazing skies.

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The daily rain has caused the New River to run over it’s banks in some spots and we have been under flood watch here in SWVA.

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As an aside, I was on the bridge for about 20 minutes and had more fun as friends would drive by, wave and honk, and later text or call to tell me that they saw me.

Ya gotta love small city life!

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From the Deck: The New River

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The snow has stopped and spring has truly arrived!  It’s time for motorcycle rides, outdoor festivals, baseball games (that’s for you, Ralph), and Happy Hours out of doors.  Okay, and yard work.

Bull & Bones at the River (http://www.bullandbones.com/?q=river) has a wonderful deck overlooking The New River and it’s a wonderful place to enjoy a glass of wine with friends at the end of a long day at work.  And of course, the early evening light is perfect for photography.

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Train Trestle over the New River

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I had hoped to spend Sunday riding the new bike but rain, clouds, and cooler temps kept the bike covered and on the carport.  On the way home from taking Easter morning biscuits to a dear friend, I stopped to photograph one of the train trestles that crosses over the New River near Radford City / Pulaski County.  The fog, clouds, and grey day did not present as much of a challenge to me as my lack of zoom!  Each session of shooting finds me lusting for an SLR.

(But that’s another story)

I wasn’t able to get a clear shot of the trestle, and after viewing the photo in B&W, I was glad.  With the vines hanging down in front, I thought the scene looked really mysterious.

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A train crossed over the trestle while I was standing underneath.

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The sun came out just a bit after that and brightened the rust color of the trestle.

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It was then that I noticed the graffiti … and the date that the trestle was built.

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The original trestle’s supports remain,

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and I love that a tree grows out of the top of one of them,

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Southwest Virginia – My neck of the woods

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Southwest Virginia … home of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the larger Appalachian mountain range, and also of the New River, considered to be the oldest river on the North American continent.  My current home in the City of Radford (http://www.radford.va.us/)  is located in the New River Valley.

On any given day, I travel down roads that, especially during this time of year, are arguably some of the prettiest around.

In the summer, my friends and I kayak along this stretch of the New.  During this time of year, I scramble down the river bank to shoot the old train trestle against the backdrop of the evening light and the changing leaves.

While visiting friends to drop off fresh baked bread or cookies, I’m rewarded by the beauty that I see outside their homes.

                      

The ride to work takes longer than it should during the fall as I stop multiple times to capture the scenery.  The first picture was taken from my office parking lot, while the next is the view over the houses near Radford University (http://www.radford.edu/).

The taste of  a microbrew at The River Company (http://www.therivercompanyrestaurant.com/) across the New River is even better when this is what I see from the deck.

This gorgeous oak stops me on my way down to Main Street …

… while this is the view that greets me as I drive home from work in the evening.

Sure, there are things that I miss by living in the rural part of Virginia (restaurant diversity for example), but views like this one taken from Attimo Winery (http://www.attimowinery.com/) sure help to make up for it!