Blue Ridge blog

I found this house

On my way to Ashe County

I've seen this house from Hwy 221 in Fleetwood many times but never had the time to get close and personal with it. But on Sunday, after having seen Rob off to war, I thought that driving down its long drive might temporarily distract me from my funk. I first stopped and admired it from a distance. The two large trees on the right perform an out of balance symmetry dance with the building. The pasture land tells the story of its past. As I got closer the house gave off a tingly Halloweeny aura. Afterward, I went home and told my husband that I wanted to live in a house just like that. I would love to have that front porch to sip lemonade in my rocker while throwing tennis balls to Harley. Take me awayyyy to summer.

The Bridge of Watauga County

As far as I know, the covered bridge that crosses the Watauga River in Foscoe, NC is the only one of its kind in the county. I do not know who was inspired to build a covered bridge into the Sleepy Hollow community nor do I know when it was constructed. I do know that my feet got wet as I tried to set the tripod upon the river rocks to take this photograph.

High Country snow

FYI...I just posted a new photo album with about 5 photos that I took yesterday of snow in and around Boone. And in case you care...I have declared Susan of Easy Bake Coven to be my Official Blog Goddess of 2004. Why? Because if I had not tripped upon her site last year, I would not have been inspired to create my own. That's why.

The War Hits Home

Rob is the first person that I know to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. This morning the Haughty Haulers of the National Guard's 1450th Transportation Company gathered in the Ashe County High School gymnasium for their activation ceremony. They will be in Iraq for a year or more. I have known Rob for years. He is my cubbie neighbor at the day job. He is a graphic artist. He leaves a wife and 2 sons stateside. The ceremony was highly charged and emotionally it was a tough one for me to cover. On Sept. 11, Rob and I stood side by side watching the Trade Towers collapse. I can only hope and pray that he ( and everyone else involved ) comes back home safe and sound.

Expresso News...A Boone Landmark

This photo is several years old, but when I took it, I remember feeling insanely jealous of the couple having a quite conversation over a cup of joe. Big flakes of snow were falling outside and condensation from the heat inside the building gave the windows an impressionistic look inside. I drove by the other day when the snow was falling similiarly, but the old windows have been replaced with dark glazed windows so I knew the lens could no longer peek into the soul of the Expresso News. Photographic moments are frightingly fleeting. If happy trails do lead you into downtown Boone, I recommend you stop by this coffee spot on Howard's Street . Now I must leave you so that I can shoot 7 hours of basketball. I can hardly wait...the new snow photo album will have to wait a day or so. Peace.

I woke up this morning to find about 2 inches of snow covering the High Country. On my way into work I shot one of my favorite scenes, Bo's Farm. Bo is a friend of mine and she keeps her horses on her family's farm which is directly across the New River and street from the Watauga Democrat. Thus, I get to see it everyday. Two of her horses are special in that she rescued a female horse from an abusive situation last spring and was surprised one morning when she found that it had birthed a baby boy.
On a different note, my daughter has a 'Word of the Day' calendar and yesterday's word is a fun one: KAKISTOCRACY, a noun which means: government by the worst people. I kind of giggled because I remember the oxymoronic use of the phrase 'good government'. No matter which side of the political spectrum you fall, kakistocracy is a word to add to your vocabulary.

Blogs unplugged

After reading North Coast Cafe's Ambergris & Making Perfume, I regard wearing my Chanel #5 a wee bit differently.
Fabulous Fred recently published a moving account of being a father of older children entitled "Falling Far From the Tree".
Ana's photos continue to amaze and inspire me. This lady has a vision that I envy.

The Big Eye in the Sky

I missed the truly intense sunrays by mere moments. Caldwell Community College has a great view of Beech Mountain, but on this day it was somewhat obscured by low clouds. I love the way the light streams through the clouds and casts contrasts of light and shadow upon the land. When I was young someone told me (I can't remember who) that the rays of light were those of God's eye looking down on his creation.

MAD COW

hee hee hee...I couldn't resist having fun today at work by wearing my new cloven hooves . While making rounds I was called Mad Cow by one friend and Goat Girl by another. I guarantee that I am the only person in Boone to have these shoes and probably the only one crazy enough to proudly wear them. My hubby is amused at my antics but my children are horrified that I would be seen in public with them on. I wish that I could say that I came up with this idea to display my feet on my blog, but I stole the idea from hip chick ABSOLUTELY VILE . Ahhh, the web is such a great source for inspiration and creative outbursts. Gee-whiz I've posted about Velveeta Cheese Fudge while wearing hooves. The full moon must be closeby!