Blue Ridge blog

A Testament to the Strength of the Human Spirit

This guy made my eyes tear...not out of sadness or pity, but because I witnessed every bone in his body quiver and shake to complete a 10 meter walk. The sheer determination on his face during the Special Olympic race was moving. He accomplished his goal. I ran up to him and congratulated him. He asked, " I did good didn't I?" I replied, " You did great!" He wore a gold medal and a smile the rest of the day. As for me, the encounter caused me to do some thinkin'. My body may not have to quiver and shake in order to accomplish my goals, but I am certainly going to have to step things up several notches in order to match this fellow's bravery and fortitude.

"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt"--The Special Olympian Athlete's Oath

After A Storm

I should probably post about my experience yesterday at the Special Olympics, but just moments ago I captured this image of a hummer during a thunderstorm, and well, I chose to post this image right now. No apologies or excuses. I was up at 5 am and have been working hard at both at the paying job and at the housewife job allday. I taught my children how to weed eat today. I taught them how to fertilize and spray the orchard and my oldest cleaned out my Jeep Liberty today. I witnessed my first Lacrosse game today. I don't have the rules down pat, but it looks like alot of fun. Plenty was accomplished and tomorrow I look forward to eggs benedict and champagne for breakfast. A Mother's Day tradition. I plan also to work hard in the yard and make use of my live-in slave labor...

If only they could read....

I was going through an old album recently and came across this photo that I took years ago. It was taken from Hwy 421 in Deep Gap. When I saw the cows grazing beneath the billboard, I giggled.

I'm on my way to Hickory for the last softball game of the season. The ending is bittersweet as I am sad to see the season end, yet I am glad that the madness will also cease.

It is not difficult to make me smile

I saw Blaine and Janet Parks on Hwy 105 this afternoon. They caught my attention because first, they were riding Harleys and 2nd, their matching sidecars carried precious cargo that made me smile. I followed the couple all the way to the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis just so I could get photos.

I chatted with the couple for awhile. They are on their 4th day of a 25,000 mile trek across the lower 48 states. They are hoping to raise awareness and financial support for Assistance and Guide Dog organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities involving sight, hearing and mobility. Read more about Hog for Dogs. If you are so inclined to follow their trip all the way through, they have a ticker that updates their site daily. Apparently Blaine, Janet, Max and Bailey have been interviewed by Jay Leno and Good Morning America, but the shows have not aired yet. You heard it here first folks.

Seeing their awesome Golden Retrievers made me wonder if My Harley would like to ride with 'em a bit. Yeah she would!

Greetings from the Sandbox

I received this postcard from my buddy Rob today. He says that he has already logged thousands of miles across Iraq and that he and the others in the 1450th have already been through some 'interesting scenerios' in the big 'ol sandbox. He experienced his first sandstorm the other day and he notes that sand fleas are miserable vermin. In his conclusion he says that he dreams of coming home to North Carolina. We are gathering up a boxful of items to send to him on Friday. Wish I could package some of this cool mountain air to send...

Here today, gone tomorrow

Mountain Laurel is currently blooming in my yard. With temperatures expected to go below freezing this evening and high wind gusts currently blowing on my mountain, I thought it wise to record this year's blooms before they are certainly gone tomorrow.

Crested Dwarf Iris

Seth is a frequent reader of my blog and he requested that I photograph an iris for him. Here ya go, Seth! Here is a Crested Dwarf Iris a.k.a. Iris cristata Aiton. This native flower of our area is delicate and come out in mass. Wildflowers go bloomin' nuts here in the mountains during the month of May. So, with that said, you know what to expect out of my blog.

Photographically, the biggest challenge for me is to find a different perspective to shoot the native flowers that have often been my subjects over the years. I mean, when I go to the Mast General Store and look at the post card rack, I see the same old cliche shots of our mountains, flora and fauna. I will endeavor to be more creative this spring.