Blue Ridge blog

And the crowd goes wild...

With a final score of 49 to 24, Appalachian State earned another trip to Chattanooga to play in the championship game. It feels like 'deja vu all over again.' I only almost got stomped by the crowd twice. Look for a photo album later this afternoon.

Oh yeah, on a side note: I witnessed the march of the field goal from the stadium down to the Duck Pond. After seeing the goal accidentally crunch someone's car while going through the media parking lot, I'm betting someone was pissed after a long day at work. I could see it coming as they approached my Jeep, I yelled, "Turn that way.Please not my Jeep. Please?" Thankfully, my Jeep was spared.

Taking care of the farm...

So before we were rudely interrupted by a major ice event I was telling you about my friend Bo...who is not to be confused with my other friend, Bo.  It is a common nickname around here, as you might imagine. Anyway, this Bo was out feeding her horses on Thrusday. Bo is a kind soul who rescues animals, particularly the equine variety. About a year or two ago I wrote in the Democrat about how she had saved this one horse, Sadie (the gray mare) who turned out to be pregnant and gave birth to a blue-eye gentleman. When I'm lucky to meet up with Bo, we end up talking politics, philosophy and junk all while she works caring for her critters. I'm no help,  I just take photos. She's pretty amazing really. Bo understands the reality that hard damn work is sometimes what life is truly all about. And, the special times are those you spend with those you adore--family, dogs, horses....critters. Here are other photos:

It is snowing in Boone....

It isn't easy to forecast the weather up here in the mountains. As of this morning, every weather prognosticator said we'd only get a dusting of snow. I took this photo of my friend Bo with her horse at 3 pm. As you can see, it is beginning to flurry and the afternoon sun is barely peeking through diffused clouds. It is now 4:45 pm and we are in a what I would not describe as a blizzard, but it is freaking white outside. I've sent out the mass "I'm a worried mother" text message to my husband and children and instructed them to come up with an acceptable plan to return safely to the fold. I sent them a pix message of our gravel road to show them I wasn't joking that the road is already covered. To flatlanders up north: I realize snow covered roads ain't such a big deal, but we have significant gravity issues (ie- hills) to deal with up here in the mountains. It is like comparing apples to oranges, trust me. I've done had this conversation with yankee relatives who never believe me until they get stuck in our snow. So, gonna go run and take a blizzard photo for you so you can see what I'm talking about....I suspect it'll look just like the White Album.
***Update***
5:50 pm- Blessed husband is stuck in snowy traffic while carting four teenage girls to spend the night at our home. It has already been 45 minutes and he isn't even to Rock Crusher Hill. I'm thinking I should greet him home with a stiff drink and a hot meal. Ahhh....winter.
***Encore Update***
6:24 pm- Husband still in truck with now 5 teenagers (a friend was stranded). Just passed Wendy's intersection. Listening to scanner--many wrecks--slippery roads--bad situation.
**Update**
7:17 pm--Now 6 teenagers and one adult expected to take refuge at house....Storm caught everyone by surprise--rush hour storms are the worst because traffic blocks salt and snow plow vehicles from grooming the roadway. Husband w/his load at top of Rock Crusher Hill. A precarious perch... As reference, normal drivetime from Boone to our home is 7-15 minutes.
7:21 pm.- 10 degrees, gusts up to 45 mph. Madly doing laundry, cleaning baths for guests. Especially since water will probably freeze tonight :-(
8:06: Adult refugee here. She is thankfully drinking chardonnay. Her children are in at the Boone Firestation for the evening. My husband and children still not home. It is a cluster out there. Complete black ice on roadways with whiteout warnings. I have a mess of food ready and waiting for them...
9:24 p.m.- All is well. Sigh. Yo thanx!

The New River

It is difficult to explain the odd lighting this morning. The winter sun shined through a thin veil of clouds causing only what I describe as flat yet vivid colors. I took a walk with my tripod and camera along the banks of the New River in Boone and was delighted by saturated reds, golds and blues. Winter was alive.
And when I returned to the office, I ate a candy cane for breakfast. Folks, it just doesn't get much better than that....

Frosty Morn

Looking out my window this morning, it didn't appear cold outside. However, when on my way to work I passed several barns and witnessed vapors rising from the roofs, I wished I had worn at least a sweater instead of just a long sleeved t-shirt...

I'm smelling me some ski season...

Mother Nature blew some snow last night, yet the snow guns at local ski resorts have not yet cranked. I drove up Ski Mountain this afternoon and grabbed a shot to share with you'uns. I reckon I oughta bundle up for tonight's football game. Ya think?

Oh and, just in case you actually believe I just said Mother Nature snorts alot of cocaine (blew some snow) that is simply a colloquialism we use of here to refer to the making of snow, man-made or natural. Just so you know...

An open letter to college recruiters....

College recruiters please take note...

For over a year, my daughter has both received unsolicited slick glossy college brochures from all over the U.S. She noted most brochures look the same:
"They all have at least one photo of diverse students smiling on the quad, a photo of a student and professor all seriously interacting over a bunch of beakers, and oh of course, a beautiful tower ensconced with ivy. They all look too similar," she said as she tossed 'em into the trash.

That is until a brochure from Appalachian came in the mail. It was cardboard-colored and heavily decorated with graphic designs.

Almost Full

I walked out of the ASU football game last night to witness a gorgeous moonrise over Boone. I still had my 400mm lens attached the camera so moved around the media parking lot taking several photos. I was surprised to draw many stares as I felt the real show was obviously not me.

And while I still have your attention:
I have picked a winner, actually two winners of my "Do you see what I see?"  poetry contest. It was a tie between Brent Alan James and Bud. I would declare all of you as winners, but I simply do not have enough currant jam to go around...but thanks for participating...as I got a giggle out of many of them.

Postcards from home....

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Dear Annie in England,
I compiled several photos I have taken recently into a slide show for you. I believe you will see many familiar faces and places within....
Your mom said you miss autumn in the Appalachians. She said you told her that as soon as a leaf falls in England, the street sweepers are there to tidy up. It is a shame they miss out on the musty sweet scent of a pile of leaves. This fall I made sure to sit underneath the maples on the lawn of the Mose Cone mansion where I pretended to take photos, but instead enjoyed the fact that I could just 'be' there. I prayed for a leaf to land on my head and eventually one did fall, barely kissing my cheek....
The Valle Fair was exactly how you remember except you were not there to grace us with your effervescent smile....
I saw Ashley G. at the Fair. She was working the Sausage/Portabello factory with Meagan F. I asked Ashley how she liked college at the beach. "I'm glad I left the mountains because it made me realize how much they really are a part of who I am. I mean, I love the beach, but when I want to retreat, I'll go down to the ocean, but everyone else is there too. There is no place to escape or be still down there," she said.
I believe she was saying that no matter how far one travels off the mountain, there will always remain bits and pieces of our mountain home which remain tucked deeply close to our hearts.

Hope you are well and savoring every second of your adventure....

Sincerely,

Marie

p.s. Ya know, it would be cool if you had a blog....

A seasonal blend

A fairy snow visited last night--a light floaty flakes snow. One day I'll successfully capture a fairy snow on film, errr pixels, and show you what I mean. Oh, and did I mention it is cold too. I spent a small amount of time outdoors only to retreat indoors with numbed fingers and red cheeks. I reached for a mug of hot chai tea, my seasonal blend...

Now...while I sip my tea, let me introduce you to A Lighter Way to Enjoy Culture Shock --the mad adventures of a Boone gal living in Moldova. I promise you will enjoy the read.