Blue Ridge blog

It is a new friends Friday.....

It is October in Valle Crucis. I ventured downtown to take a couple of shots and to pick up my mail. In the process I met two new friends.
First, I had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with Maria over at the Alta Vista Gallery and B&B. I lingered in the historic Farthing home which is covered in outstanding works by the likes of local artists B. Jean Baird and J. Sporn. I'm nosey so I slipped around to the side of the house and saw this little guy wearing his fall colors. Maria told me that he is one of the most photographed item by visitors. Naturally, I did the obvious and snapped a photo of the Valle Crucis Nameless Gnome.
Afterwards, I slipped by the Mast Store where I was introduced to Stewart Little (Hush. I'm sure he's never heard any of the jokes you're thinking right now.) Come to find out, Little is a photographer and has a Flickr site with some great photos of the area posted. This is one of my favorites.

It may rain on the homecoming parade...

It is currently raining in the High Country and while I would rather be out shooting, I am forced to remain indoors while I wait for Mr. Telephone Man to come fix my little internet issues. I took this photo of golden rod a couple of days ago while traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway.
On a family note: It is a big weekend for my youngest daughter who is a senior in high school. It is homecoming and SAT weekend. A tradition at the high school is for seniors to prance around in togos to school the day of the homecoming parade. Not sure how the administration is going to take this, ya know with the new dress code and all, but she and her friend left this morning, wearing their tie-dyed and polka dotted togos, ready at least for this particular test.
She seemed irritated this morning and would not let me take a photo of her this morning. The stress of tying a togo and make it look cute like you aren't wearing a togo was apparently too much for her.
"I'm just not in the mood for the camera," she said.
Instead, I found this shot a friend took of her a couple of days ago as they were playing around on a trampoline. It seems to capture her essence...

If'n Shreck were a spud....

I took many photos today but by far, this is my favorite. Nope, I did not grow this potato nor did I draw the face on it. It was shared with me. You see, one of the hats I wear at the community newspaper is that of the photographer of bizarre produce. OK, I'm not gonna lie. I love this duty. To me, capturing images of rainbows, whirlygigs, firetrucks on parade, and veggies of all shapes and sizes and then seeing the photos inside the hometown newspaper helps keep the 'small' in a town. It balances the tragic in twisted metal wreck photos, the hate in the irrate letters to the editor and the sad in the drug bust du jour.

(now that's one ogre potato)

***Missing Appalachian State University Student****
Spring-break gone horribly wrong? Rob is looking for his friend, Virginia "Ginni" Woods.

A day in the life of John Doe...

C.J. Wagonor, 84 of Old Harley Rd in Valle Crucis sits with his buddy, Walt Joyner, 85, of Concord around the warmth of the pot belly stove in the Mast General Store sipping upon a couple of bottles of Cheerwine. As C.J. props a leg on the checkerboard table, the store's mascot, John Doe, 13, swaggers by and jumps on a nearby bench.
"The way he got up there and sits it looks as though we are all about the same age," remarks Walt.
And Walt means that in the best of ways. He and C.J. go way back.
The two friends met while working at Cannon Mills in Kannapolis, N.C., 60 some odd years ago.
"We always drink Cheerwine because it was made down close where we live." said C.J.
The friends started working in the sheet department in 1941 hemming sheets and pillow cases sold to places such as J.C. Penny, Lord and Taylor and Macy's .
"We're men of rank and smell and so it seems is John Doe," Walt jokes as the beagle basically ignores them.
It is not long before women shopping in the store take notice of John Doe's scruffy good looks and woo at his presence.
"Maybe if I sat there do you think someone would rub my head and pull my ears?" asked Walt.
C.J. laughed at his friend and said,
"This calls for a toast to the most fortunate man amongst us."
And the two old guys raise their nearly empty Cheerwine bottles.
"Cheers to John Doe."

(Here's to one lucky mutt!)