Blue Ridge blog

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear

This little guy is adorable. Shortly after taking his photo I begin to suffer from a horrible stomach bug and have been out of all human communication until about 11am this morning. I took my first sick day in forever yesterday. I managed to go to work this afternoon and I shouldn't have. People were just extraordinarily mean...or maybe I was just extraordinarily sensitive. In any case, I wish this could be a longer post but my internet server has been sporadic lately so I'll be lucky just to get this posted.

Before the freeze

Ok. Here is one more photo taken before the big freeze/snow/blustery weekend. One day, I'm gonna score a masterful Cardinal shot. One day.

But for right now, I'm looking forward to my day job. A reporter and I travel to Grandfather Mountain  to visit the new bear cub in the animal habitat. We are also going to crawl around the summit looking for features. I'm sure that I can pass a couple of out takes your way. Ta ta for now.

Slow Motion

I sure am glad that I took this photo before the snow blew in yesterday. All our spring green succumbed to the wintry blast. All that remains are shriveled leaves on the trees. I even had to shake the hummingbird feeder free of ice. Poor little hummers. I didn't have the heart to check my currant bushes that were about to bloom before the freeze. I was gonna have a bumper crop this year...

We did not do a whole lot this weekend. Eldest child played Lacrosse (another game goes in the win column) and played the cello. Alot. And that is about it. I worked mostly. When I wasn't working I nagged the girls into studying. Eldest child complied. Youngest child did not. This is normal behavior for both. Youngest child wore her pointe shoes around the house yesterday. When she was not watching stand-up comedians on the Comedy Channel, she was at the barre--doing some french word dance thingy. There is something quite surreal in seeing a ballerina flop up stairs to repeat an Ellen DeGeneres joke. Sweet husband did husbandy tasks around the house. After 3 years, all of our lights in the kitchen work. It is frightening to see all the spots that I haven't cleaned.

I think the brusque weather change froze my blood and I'm moving in slow motion today.

The Promise of Living

This is the image that I get in my head whenever I hear 'An Appalachian Spring' by Aaron Copeland. Since Thursday I have been on my deck recording the movements of spring on our mountain. From the lone male cardinal sitting in the poplar tree to the rise of fog from the valley floor. Spring never busts out all over in our mountains. Instead, it appears as a pensive melody of green that builds gradually into a crescendo of brilliant cascades of color.

I took this particular photo in my pajamas this morning at around 7 a.m. I noticed the light spilling over the mountain and woke up my camera that was peacefully sleeping on the kitchen sideboard. If I have time this weekend, I will make an album of my spring shots.

**UPDATE**
It is now snowing up here.

Have ya ever desired to blog, but the business of life kinda got in the way? Well then, you know the frustation I'm feeling right now. I have lots to talk about, but my dag gum computer isn't cooperating... For sure I'm gonna have some photos to share on Friday afternoon ( I saw my first Hummingbird of the season) . Additionally, my eldest daughter and her buds played with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra last night...Brava! Brava! Outstanding performance. Tomorrow she performs at the chancellor's installation at the Holmes Center. She finally received a 'Get out of High School Free' card. Check back soon.

Swallow

I knew that I should not have worn flip flops to work this morning. But the girls and I were late for school/work and I didn't have time to find matching socks. Besides, I was planning on slipping out early so I could spend some time with my Dad who came up last night for a visit. I knew better than to wear flip flops--I thought that when I slipped them on. Everytime I wear inappropriate clothing to work, something major happens.

When I got to work, I went to a local elementary school and covered what I thought was going to be an ordinary 'Read Across America Day' where local politicians read Dr. Suess stories to young children. But when I got to the 2nd grade classroom, I was treated to the squeals of delight as Robbie Benson  read the part of The Beast . He was really there. In person. And even as an adult, I was awed by his bellowing performance. His lovely wife Karla read the role of Belle.
I thought at that point that the flip flops had done a good job for me today.

But my work day was not yet over.

When I returned to the office, the scanner went nuts. I heard the words "10-50-PI" (translation: wreck-person injured). Followed by 'motorcyle versus dumptruck'.  Never good. Always sucks.

I went on to the wreck wishing, as I ran a half-mile in my flip flops, that I had worn my sneakers.

The rescue crew was giving CPR to the young male when I arrived at the scene. As the helicopter flew over my head on its way to Johnson City Trauma Center--I said a prayer for that young man within.

So, I promise myself that I will never ever wear inappropriate shoes to work again.

The photo above is a swallow at Valle Crucis Park that I took yesterday. Seems a bit insignificant at the moment.

Making Broccoli

I went for a run at Valle Crucis Park yesterday and saw Charles Church and his gang planting broccoli in a field behind the Mast General Store. I wondered over and we talked a bit about the business of growing broccoli. Charles has always grown burley tobacco but wisely decided to make the shift towards growing different crops over the last couple of years. It has not been easy, nor has it been necessarily profitable for him. But, each spring he finds himself back at it again. Yesterday he planted about 10,000 broccoli plants in this field. I intend to visit him at the Farmer's Market in about 6 weeks to sample some of his product. By the way, the dude on the tractor is not Charles. It is Ray.

Turning around a new leaf

The leaves are beginning to make an appearance up here in the mountains. This one is a baby tulip poplar leaf growing on a tree beside our house. The blue background is courtesy of the shaded forest under a bright blue evening sky.
So eldest child learned the consequences of disregarding curfew. She was joyfully greeted by her father upon her late return home from orchestra practice at 10:30pm last night . I was told that the conversation went something like this:
Husband: "I'll be more than happy to make you some dinner while you go out to the car and bring me back the keys....for me to keep for a month."
Daughter: "Oh, I didn't know that the time you said to be home was firm. "

Sure glad I was already asleep and missed that jolly fun. This morning my right hand is raw from all the spring cleaning that I did yesterday. I'm still not done, but at least I'll have at least one delighted teenager around to help. I know. I am evil.

The third time is the charm

We slept in a wee bit too long this morning and youngest daughter was 7 minutes late for drama class. If she is late again (her third time) , she will serve detention. I almost stopped to take this photo before dropping her off at school but instead decided to be responsible and return later. I pass this scene on Hwy 105 several times everyday. The folks who live in the trailer next door don't like their privacy invaded and have chased me off twice before. This morning I saw no sign of them so I parked further up the road and walked back to the barn scene. I took several shots and bolted out of there. I didn't want to press my luck.

The sun doesn't always shine...

The sun was out yesterday morning, but not today. At 10:30am I received a text message from eldest child: "CB's dad died this morning and CW was just in a car wreck! She's ok, but be careful because everything is not the way it is suppose to be." I absorbed the message for a moment and realized that she needed to tell me she loves me. I text messaged a reply: " I'm ok. Love you too. You forgot your lunch. It'll be in the office waiting for you." I went to the school and left her lunch and she was already on the office couch waiting for me. We went outside and briefly hugged. She went back to class.