Blue Ridge blog

A Different Perspective

On my way to cover an assignment up a the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center, I noticed the sun shining through the trees and saw a spectacular view that I had never noticed before. I have driven past this site oodles of times, but I never 'saw' this view before. Just thought I'd share this with you this morning. Now I must hop over to Tennessee in search of a lottery ticket. Apparently, this is the first day of sales.

Les Miserables

OK...for extended giggles after being forced to listen to a wee bit of American Idol last night, I must confess that at the office we discovered months ago a website that is a tension-breaker particularly when introduced at just the right moment . Sometimes it makes me drop a lung in laughter. It is a collection of some of the most miserably recorded songs of all time in MP3 format. You need the free Realplayer download to hear these songs. I recommend (I cringe) Yoko Ono's song "Don't worry" and Linda McCartney's singing backup on "Hey Jude" , William Shatner's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" as well as anything by the Portsmouth Simphonia. In short, they all commit auditory torture and it is hilarious to the point of making you feel downright good about yourself . The site is Miserable Melodies . Click here for the RealPlayer free connection. I promise it is worth the effort in laughs.

Panorama Drama

It is this view along with several others vistas seen along the new Hwy 421 in Watauga County that are in jeopardy of being obstructed by billboards. The Hwy was designated by our county commissioners as a scenic byway in honor of Deep Gap resident Doc & Merle Watson. However, as the politics of the county contnue to unfolded, a few folks are worried that scenic hwy designation may limit property rights. After reading the verbage about scenic hwys, the only item that is restricted is the use of billboards. Well, some folks around here most be really attached to their billboards because they want the county commissioners to yank the designation. Beating them to the punch, the NCDOT designated Hwy 421 a state scenic hwy which really riled some local feathers...a storm is brewing on the horizon. I am supposed to be apolitical on issues but as a photographer, you have to know that telephone wires and billboards are my natural enemies. Besides, I've never been inspired to purchase a car because of a billboard.

On a more positive note: Thanks so much for all the congrats on elder daughter's musical feats. She was a happy teenager yesterday and as you might be aware, that is not always the case with children of that ilk.

Music to my ears

"I know I didn't make it," giggled my oldest daughter as she climbed out of the car yesterday. She and a new buddy went to the big city yesterday to audition for the High School All-State Orchestra. As she struggled to get her cello out of the back of the vehicle, there was much laughter between the pair as they compared notes on their individual performances. I thanked the mother who had taken care of my daughter for the day and we proceeded to go inside. My husband and I joined our daughter around the kitchen table and she was quite animated as she recounted every detail of her day in the big city. As I listened to her story, I was relieved that she was handling the disappointment of failure with grace and maturity. She had practiced the same Bach cello suite everyday for months in preparation for this big day and I feared that failure might disuade her from continuing. But, the same competitive spirit that drives her in her studies took over...she just simply was not going to give up easily. Yesterday evening, she said that she was determined to try again next year and that she had learned from the experience. Her words were music to my ears.
UPDATE: She was wrong...she received the call this afternoon that she MADE All State Orchestra.

Hangin' out in Boone...

is '70's teenage heart throb Robbie Benson. Yep, I was shooting the ASU v UNC-G basketball game in Holmes Convocation Center and saw him out of the corner of my eye sitting across the room. I said to myself, "Gee, he looks familiar." Then it occurred to me who he was. He and his wife Karla DeVito have joined the faculty of App State. I cannot positively i.d. Karla, but she may be the lady laughing beside the boy. Mr. Benson is the dude in the blue sweatshirt. My paper covered the story of his visit to Boone in 2002 and then the announcment of his position. I hope he likes it here as much as I do.

Washboard Sky

Now that's cut..! Wish my abs looked like the sky did this morning. It was actually more red a few minutes earlier but I was taking the girls to school didn't want them to be late.

I just ordered this for my Dad's birthday (No peeking Pop). I can just imagine the hours of fun and entertainment he will get out of it. For Christmas I gave him a canister filled with Osmia Lignaria so I feel compelled to carry on the nature theme.

Snowy little trolls

Dad sent me this photo of the recent snow in Raleigh. In his email he said, "This is the same branch of gumballs we took while you were here. Look like little trolls hanging from the branch." Thanx for sharing Dad!

STOP THE PRESSES! Local print media finds out about the Blogosphere. I picked up a copy of the Winston Salem Journal this morning and my blog buddy Bryan Gates is mentioned in a blogging story on the front page of the Accent section. I had trouble linking directly to the Blogging On story but scroll down and you will see the title. Trojan Horseshoe's North State Blogs is also referenced.
Through the story I met a new NC Blogger named Stephenomenal .

28691

That's the zip code for Valle Crucis Post Office tucked neatly inside the Mast General Store in downtown Valle Crucis, NC. I have to remember this zip code because today I got word that someone has moved away and we finally are able to receive our mail here. Currently we get our mail at a rural route, but our address is listed as Banner Elk--which is 30 minutes away! The VC PO's are so highly coveted that I was on the waiting list for 2 years ( I actually got one faster than I thought I would ). I look forward to collecting my
snail mail at:

Marie Freeman
PO Box 621
Valle Crucis, NC 28691

Feel free to slip me a post card with a comment for old-timey sakes and if you include your return address, I might send you a souvenir.

From the East

The sun appears above the Brushy Mountains in Wilkes County. I took this photo yesterday from the Blue Ridge Parkway somewhere between Aho and Parkway School.

Do you ever post blogs in your head? I might be be driving down the road or in the shower and out of nowhere I'll starting bloggin' away in my head and then wonder what you might think of my thoughts. Most of the posts disappear because when it actually comes to sitting at the keyboard and composing rational thoughts, the conversation that we had was throughly exhausted and no longer fruitful or entertaining. Besides, I feel that my expression can be more strongly conveyed through my photography than through my words.