Despite the rain on the Middle Peninsula last week, each morning I woke to the sounds of the Chesapeake Bay and the beauty of nature. As you read this post, which I wrote and scheduled before I hit the road, I’ll be riding through southeastern Kentucky.
Cross your fingers and hope that it’s not raining where I am, and I’ll hope the same for you (unless you are in draught conditions, of course!)
What a whirlwind week it has been, one filled with many big and small things!
The biggest and most important thing was undergoing my 15th procedure since the wreck and to finally have my smile restored! I’ve not devoted much blog space to the events of the past 9 months, and the only reason I’m doing so today is because this important event kept me from fulfilling an obligation that I committed myself to.
I’d been asked by 3 different bloggers to participate in a Blog Tour. I appreciated the invitations but knowing that I was a bit over extended and had a big case pending, I initially declined. Eventually I did agree to participate because it seemed fun, and a nice way to meet other bloggers.
The rules are simple. The invited participant composes a one-time post. 4 questions are answered and then 4 other bloggers are invited to create a post, answering those same questions.
I dutifully made a calendar note to create a post, but then … I forgot to invite others to participate!
I must apologize to Emilio for only partially fulfilling my role as participant. Please check out his post about the Virtual Blog Tour.
And since we’re talking Tours, why don’t you visit a Displaced Beachbum. She’s traveled the world and is currently touring Scotland.
Jo the Tart Queen is another blogger whose posts share delicious sounding recipes and beautiful photos from her travels.
So … the Answers to the 4 Questions in brief:
What am I currently working on? I’m continuing my growth as an amateur photographer and am so happy to have been included as one of the photographers in a new B&W Photography Blog called Monochromia. Please visit the blog and check out the great work of the participating photographers.
How does my work differ from others of its genre? I have no specific goal other than to improve and no specific subject other than what draws and attracts my eye. I do like to travel as much as I can and many of my posts are about the things I see from the road … short, local trips and longer, more adventurous ones.
Why do I write/create what I do? Simply put: It’s all about the joy, the fun, and the opportunity to be creative in a life filled with work and structure.
How does your writing/creating process work? Oh gosh … let’s see. Something draws my attention. I pull over, crawl around on the ground, climb a ladder, fence, or bed of the truck, or slide down a riverbank, and shoot and shoot and shoot. Once I get home, I just pray that something worked! I do edit but not extensively.
Thanks Emilio for inviting me to be a part of this tour!
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!!
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!
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!).
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.
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.
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).
By the 1960s, the Ordinary was but a memory and in its place was the quintessential Virginia Inn.
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.
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).
We were still experiencing frigid temps while there, yet the geese on the frozen pond seemed to have adapted pretty well.
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.
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!
My all too short visit to Blowing Rock was so much fun (see here), and as I walked around the town before heading home on the first day of 2014, I couldn’t help but photograph a few doors and windows. As with the chairs and benches, I didn’t realize until I got home just how many doors and windows I had photographed.
Some from the outside …
… and some from the inside.
At times it was the color that caught my eye …
… and other times, it was the light.
And sometimes … I just don’t know 🙂
No matter the reason, I spent 24 wonderful hours in this little town (well, except for when I locked myself out of my room … in my PJs … ha!). Friendly folks, delicious food and drink, and lots of places to explore.
Be sure to check out Blowing Rock the next time you are near.
Next Trip? A day trip to Roanoke to buy my new camera!
Despite spending a couple days in Charleston for Christmas just one week ago, I still had the itch to travel, and Blowing Rock seemed like the perfect destination. Not quite 3 hours from Radford, Blowing Rock is located right off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains of North Carolina. It’s a small community only 3 square miles in size and visitors can easily walk to shops, restaurants, galleries, and opportunities for recreation.
Knowing that my only time constraint was the start of the VT / UCLA Sun Bowl Game, I took to the back roads. Old Rt 221 provided pretty views and incredibly curvy roads that really made me miss my bike.
I tuned the radio to the 740 AM station, WPAQ out of Mt Airy, and in addition to hearing some good old time music, I soon found myself listening to a man reading the obituaries. Sure enough, it was just as if I was reading them from the paper. It somehow seemed fitting as I drove those back roads and I imagined what it would have been like to have lived there during a time when local AM radio might have been the only real connection to life off the farm.
The town of Blowing Rock takes its name from an unusual rock formation which juts over 1,500 feet (460 m) above the Johns River gorge. Due to the rock’s shape and size, wind currents from the gorge often blow vertically, causing light objects to float upwards into the sky.
Upon arriving in Blowing Rock, I checked into the recently reopened Blowing Rock Ale House and Inn, before heading out to find a place to watch the game.
The Town Tavern offered a comfortable seat at the bar, right in front of a TV showing my game. The food and microbrews were great … too bad the Hokies weren’t. Sigh. Even still, I enjoyed practicing photography and chatting up the folks coming and going at the bar.
In the next couple days I’ll be sharing more of Blowing Rock with you, but for now I’ll leave you with a few pictures taken during my walk back to the Ale House.
Once back at the Inn and while sitting in front of the fire with new found friends, I enjoyed a delicious Grilled Flatbread with Wild Mushrooms, Grilled Vidalia Onions, Smoked Mozzarella, Basil Pesto and Porter-Balsamic Reduction accompanied by a lovely glass of cabernet.
Not a bad way to spend the last day of 2013.
October 18th dawned clear and cloudy with temperatures in the 40s. Not one to typically wear leathers, I’d borrowed my friend Martha’s chaps in anticipation of a cold ride. I pulled out of my driveway at 8am, excited about my 4 day ride on the bike. The plan was to spend alot of time with my camera and also with friends along the way.
Little did I know when I posted to my blog that morning, that the trip would end the way it did.
The ride from my home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) typically takes about 4 to 5 hours. I rode the interstate for the first three hours and had to pull over 3 times just to warm my hands and feet. By 10am though, the fog was gone, the sun was shining, and I was much more comfortable.
My first glimpse of the Smoky Mountains was so exciting and of course, I just had to pull over. The tops of the mountains were hidden by the clouds and I couldn’t wait to get there!
Before entering the park, the main drag through the City of Galtinburg has to be conquered. I wish I had a photo to share, but I was not about to try to find a place to park just to photograph the crowds of people walking and driving up and down the street.
Clearly, I had not done my homework. I would be entering the most visited National Park in the United States during the most visited weekend of the year – “peak weekend” for fall leaf color.
Oh my …
I successfully navigated Gatlinburg and entered the GSMNP. It was a beautiful day, and I prepared myself for a fairly crowded, bumper to bumper ride.
My first stop was the Sugarlands Visitors Center for the purchase of a helmet sticker.
I love to sticker up my helmet. It serves as a fun record of many of the places that I’ve visited on the bike.
Then, it was off to enjoy the ride.
I overheard someone complaining that the colors weren’t as pretty as in the past. Really? I was just so happy to be riding through these gorgeous mountains.
I kept stopping along the road and would laugh out loud with the pure happiness of being there. You’ve seen my photos of the park in B&W, but the landscape was stunning in color, too.
Despite the crowds, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
For those who are planning a visit, know that most of the crowd action is between Gatlinburg and Newfound Gap. It seems that most people drive up from the city, and then turn around and go back down. Once over the Gap, I kept on going, and I felt as if I had the road to myself. The sweeping curves made for wonderful riding and I was oh, so happy. Of course, I still continued to stop.
The ride over the mountain from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC is only 35 miles, but it took me a few hours because of the many stops that I made. One day allows you to see just a tiny fraction of the park. My friends, Sheila and John, have been hiking the trails in the park, over many visits and several years. This visit, for me, was just a small introduction.
An hour and a half later, I was in Weaverville, NC with my friends Delores and Gary, enjoying a delicious dinner after watching a lovely sunset. It was an amazing 350 mile day!
The next morning I hit the road to visit with more friends, this time in Flat Rock, NC. Gary took the last picture of me on my beloved 2013 Softail Slim. 6500 miles, no drops, no pipe burns … just one big wreck.
Donna, Joanne, Janet, and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch in Hendersonville, NC and after several laughter filled minutes of getting me back into my borrowed chaps, we posed for a photo … the last photo of my original smile. I rode along some beautiful roads, intending to meet up with my friend Christine and her family in Boone, NC.
Who knew that just 3 hours later, I would be in a bike wreck, hit while riding through an intersection. Thank goodness for DOT approved helmets, good fortune, amazing family, and wonderful friends! The bike is totaled, but I am not. I am healing from my injuries and hope to return to work in a week. I have much to process emotionally, and the wreck has caused pain, tears, time away from my patients and several life changes, but for now …
I am grateful to be alive.
And I will ride again.
In my previous post, I promised that I’d be sharing details and photos from my trip to Great Smoky National Park (GSNP). Somehow I just haven’t been able to get that done. I don’t know … maybe it was the extensive oral surgery I just had 🙂 (excuses, excuses!)
I’ll get it done soon, but for now, let me know what you think of these. Leave it to me to post 2 images in B&W, despite the fact that I was in the GSNP during “peak weekend”? And as you photographers always say, they really do look better if you click on them (I learn so much from you all)
The last you heard from me I was heading off to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I did indeed have a wonderful ride over the mountain and through the park (more on that with photos later). That evening, I enjoyed dinner with Gary and Delores in Weaverville, a small town outside of Asheville.
On Saturday, after meeting Donna and friends for lunch in yet another small town in North Carolina, I headed out to Boone to visit my friends Christine and Bill.
Unfortunately, I had a “slight mishap”, just one mile from Christine’s home while going through an intersection.
Trip aborted and I am home recovering.
I consider myself incredibly lucky. While I suffered injuries, I am fortunate that they are not more severe.
I have missed reading your posts (and I miss you!) and look forward to catching up with you in a few weeks.
(Thanks go to my friend Amy for typing for me!)
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 