Historic Fincastle Festival

Saturday was the date of the annual Historic Fincastle Festival, a time when crafters, history interpreters, and others all come together to showcase the town.

It was a little different this year. First, the courthouse is just a pile of rubble, since the county has torn it down to make way for a new one. That's not exactly a picturesque setting.

Second, the weather forecast was dire.

We were getting ready about 10:30 to head to the festival when I realized my glasses had something wrong with them. I picked them up and they broke in half at the weld on the bridge.

After much scrambling through drawers, I found an old pair of glasses that looked close to what I had, and we drove to Roanoke to LensCrafters to see if they could put my lenses in the old frames.

Fortunately, that worked out just fine. Whew.

It was about 2 p.m. when we finally arrived at the festival.

It was dead, or nearly there. Some tents with crafters remained, but we saw others packing up and leaving, even though there were still two hours to go.

Unbeknownst to us, some of the vendors had moved into one of the church's meeting halls, but there were no signs to indicate that, and we never went that far along the route.

It is never good when an event goes sour like this. The Fincastle Festival used to be a very big deal. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, I feel sure at least 20,000 people visited the 2-day affair. It was a big money-maker for Historic Fincastle, Inc.

The festival then was so full of people, I could barely squeeze my way through the crowd. Kids ran all over the place and the craft booths overflowed with lookers and buyers.

But times change, and people grow old. The festival took a hiatus for a while in the 2000s, and returned as a smaller version of itself, just a one-day affair.

The weather makes a difference, too. A day like Saturday, when the clouds were dark and brooding, and rain drops splattered the windshield, doesn't exactly make anyone want to be outside.

Here are a few shots of the festival:

From the Springhouse to the City Tap

In 2013, my husband and I spent close to $100,000, along with weeks of sweat and labor, to fence our cattle out of the springs and ponds on our farm. We live on land that feeds Tinker Creek, and like many in our area, we’ve always known that the water starts around here. It bubbles up out of the ground, clear and cold, and gathers itself from every spring and seep along these Botetourt hillsides until it becomes something big enough to name.

We took on the project through the Mountain Castle Soil and Water Conservation District, with partial help from federal cost-share programs. But a lot of it came straight out of our pockets. My husband laid miles of pipe by hand, running water from a well to troughs so the cows could drink without stepping into the streams. We did it because it was the right thing to do for our land, for the wildlife, for the water downstream.

That water, of course, ends up in Carvins Cove.

Most folks around here know that the reservoir sits just over the line in Roanoke County, but part of it is actually in Botetourt. What many forget - or maybe never knew - is that the water in Carvins Cove is largely Botetourt water. Tinker Creek, Catawba Creek, and dozens of smaller veins start here, not in the city. Springs like ours feed them. The Tinker Creek diversion tunnel, built decades ago, rerouted that water into the reservoir. With the turn of a valve, it went under the mountain.

Botetourt County officially joined the Western Virginia Water Authority in 2015, but that doesn’t erase what came before. Back in the 1930s and '40s, Roanoke City needed water. It looked north, acquired the land, and built the dam. The community of Carvins Cove was condemned and flooded out. Families lost their homes. The city owned the reservoir and, for decades, controlled the flow without asking much of the county where the water began.

Now, Botetourt citizens pay the same rate for water as anyone else in the region. That’s how the Water Authority works: a uniform rate for a shared system. Fair on paper, maybe. But it still bothers me. We protect the source. We fund the conservation. We watch the rain fall here, the springs rise, the runoff roll downhill—and then county residents on public water pay the same as folks whose water comes through miles of pipe and a whole other county. (We are on a well, not public water.)

To me, for the folks who have to use the water that originates here, that feels a little like buying your own apples back from the store.

I understand how infrastructure works, and I understand the need for regional partnerships. What I don’t understand is why there’s still so little public acknowledgment of where the water comes from and who’s been caring for it all this time.

Carvins Cove is one of the largest municipal parks in the country now. A conservation easement protects over 11,000 acres around it. People hike and bike there, unaware that the water under their feet may have started in a cow pasture ten miles away where someone like us chose not to let the cows walk through it.

Water is going to become more important than ever in the years ahead. Google in June bought 312 acres in Botetourt County to possibly build a data center. There’s been talk about infrastructure, power, and taxes—but not much yet about where the water’s going to come from. I can tell you this much: it’s not going to come from Roanoke. It’s going to come from us. From our farm and all the farms around us who have springs that flow on into Tinker Creek.

And we’ll still be here watching the deer, walking our fields, and keeping our springs clean. Whether anyone says thank you or not.

Google Comes

Yesterday the county Board of Supervisors announced that Google has purchased 314 acres from the business complex known as the Botetourt Center at Greenfield.

The county sold the acreage for a total of:

$18 million from the land sale and Google’s additional contributions will go toward a slew of projects, including:

$4.9 million for new fire trucks and ambulances,

$3.6 million toward a community events center,

$3.5 million to renovate the Buchanan library branch,

$2.6 million toward the county sheriff’s office purchase of body cameras and less-lethal weapons, and

$2 million for the county public school system to use as it chooses.

Money will also go toward new tennis courts, pickleball courts and soccer field lighting at the Botetourt Sports Complex; an E-911 dispatch center; and a new home for the Botetourt County Historical Museum.

That's according to an article in Cardinal News but given that I watched the presentation via online streaming, the numbers seem correct to me, except that the land sale was actually $14 million and change. Google gave another $4 million for community projects, so the $18 million figure includes more than just the purchase price. Still, the extra $4 million was generous of them.

Additional information about the purchase can be found on the county's website here: FAQS.

There was a lot of backslapping about the foresight of a previous Board who went against public outcry and purchased the 900+ acres that made up the Greenfield complex. About 750 acres of that went toward industry, while the remainder went to a new elementary school and recreational facilities, including the Botetourt Sports Complex.

I was one of those people who, at least behind the scenes, was not in favor of this project. Greenfield is not that far from where I live. The property Google purchased is behind me. Not so close that I could hit it with a rock, but close enough that I could walk to it, if I were of a mind to trespass on others' lands and wander through the woods to get there.

At the time, I was freelancing and writing for The Herald, and I attended the meetings as a news reporter. I may have written a column or two opposing the purchase; I honestly don't remember as that was over 30 years ago. I do recall not liking the project.

However, the option was a big subdivision full of McMansions as the property was going to be sold regardless of the purchaser, as I recall. McMansions aren't much of a tax base, while industry at least has the potential to be. It becomes not so helpful when the state and/or the county give away corporate welfare of public tax dollars to lure industries to our community.

I spent a lot of time talking to the county administrator at the time, as well as members of the Board of Supervisors, about what I, as a taxpayer and life-long resident of the county, would like to see. The property held a great deal of historic significance, and after much discussion the county agreed to try to maintain an historic area on the property. Then came the gift of property to the school system so they could build Greenfield Elementary and the ballfield construction.

There is also the Cherry Blossom Trail, which many people use for walking and jogging. I've been on it a few times, and it's a lovely route and well-maintained.

Once the county purchased the property, I pivoted and went all in. There was nothing else to do, really, except hope to convince the county leaders that it was in the best interest of all to see that we had development that was not transient and ugly. I urged for green preservation spaces around the industries, survival of a wetland pond there, and upkeep of the historic structures that remained on the property.

I remember that Bob Bagnoli, who is no longer with us, urged the county to build a training center. They listened, and for a long time Virginia Western had a satellite location there. It is now the county administration offices, with Virginia Western's remaining courses (welding, I think), shunted off to the side.

I did not get everything I wanted when I spoke with the supervisors and county administration. Neither did anyone else. The county was lax in upkeep of the historic structures, particularly the Bowyer House and the 1800s structures where enslaved persons worked and lived on this piece of property. I brought attention to the lack of upkeep via the newspaper on several occasions, and each time the county would step up for a while and then forget again that there are some of us who live here who love our history.

The worst thing the county did was move the historic structures of the enslaved people, relocating them to another place in the park. I wasn't writing then for the newspaper at that time, and I spoke out in letters to the editor about this. Many people tried to stop the relocation of these structures, but we did not succeed, and the structures have not been renovated. I have my doubts that they ever will be, at least, not in my lifetime, and I don't know if there will be anything left of them by the time these old buildings go through historic heat waves, freezing cold, major downpours from thunderstorms, and other weather events.

Greenfield was the name of the plantation/farm owned by Colonel William Preston. Preston purchased Greenfield in 1759 and lived there until 1774 when he moved to Smithfield in present day Montgomery County. In 1775, he was one of the signers of The Fincastle Resolutions, one of the first documents to support the creation of the Continental Congress prior to 1776.

Six of Preston’s 12 children were born at Greenfield, and his legacy has left a large footprint on the nation. Preston descendants founded six universities and influenced two others - Columbia College, now the University of South Carolina, and the University of Chicago.

Additionally, Preston’s descendants served in the Virginia House of Delegates and in the U.S. Congress. His son, James Patton Preston, served as governor of Virginia from 1816-1819.

Because of this legacy, Preston has been memorialized by the Fincastle Resolutions Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) with a garden area at Greenfield County Administration Building.

His legacy as well as historic interpretations of plantation life, including Preston's ownership of slaves, would be explored in depth at the designated historic area at some future date.

We learned that the county is planning to move the Botetourt County History Museum to Greenfield, ostensibly where the enslaved historic structures have been relocated. That's a $6.5 million project that is being funded mostly by the state, with Google throwing in the $500K.

These are big plans for the county, and I don't expect to see movement on them in the immediate future. We will see how things look five years down the road.

 

More on the Courthouse Demolition

 

The brick buildings to the left will stay.

What's left of the structure as of Sunday.

The Botetourt County Courthouse demolition continues. The county plans to replace this building with a $30 million structure that will have two circuit court courtrooms and plenty of space for whatever else is needed, along with accessibility and safety features.

Anyway, that was the plan last time I saw it. Given the current administration's weird fixation on things that makes life a little easier for some folks, I can only assume that the locality will move forward with what was approved, even if accessibility features might be "woke" because apparently handicapped people don't need to use the courtroom or something.

This is what the new structure is supposed to look like:

This is what the old structure looked like (without the steeple):

I wrote about this a few weeks ago here, when the front was still in place. It is gone now. Soon this will be just a memory.

Also, if you're interested in seeing the construction as it happens, it can be viewed at fincastlecourthousecam.com. There's a live cam showing the process.

Tearing Down the Court House

About 50 years ago, the Botetourt County Courthouse in nearby Fincastle burned down. I only have a vague memory of it happening, but my father-in-law was one of the firefighters who went to fight the blaze, so I have heard stories about it from my husband.

The courthouse was rebuilt mostly with funds from the community and some tax dollars. It was built to look very much like its predecessor.

Unfortunately, like much construction in the 1970s, the courthouse rebuild was not the best. Over time, its exterior began to crumble and inside there was black mold. The county staff also outgrew the facility, which was relatively small to hold the Circuit Court, the Commissioner of Revenue, the Treasurer, and the County Administration.

Perhaps better upkeep by the county would have kept the structure in better shape, but that would have been done with tax dollars. The same people who are gnashing their teeth and crying because this old building is being torn down to be replaced with a newer model are the same people who complain about having to pay taxes. Their inability to understand that it takes tax dollars to do public things always amazes me.

At any rate, the process is underway and in a few years we will have a big new courthouse. But first comes the tearing down part.

This was the courthouse in 2018.

This is the courthouse without the steeple, and with fencing around it.
It is empty now. Circuit Court is being held at new space created
in the jailhouse, and the records and staff are in an older building to the
left of this photo.

This is to the left of the courthouse. The white building once housed emergency services
and then served as a community building. It will also be torn down and this area
will become a multi-level parking area. The brick structures will remain.

They are blasting this week. That's what all the stuff on the side of the hill is.

This is the backside of the courthouse. As you can see, it is being demolished.

I took this shot to show the top where the clock is from the rear.

I think the destruction of the front of the building will be the most painful for residents who saw this structure as the signature building for Botetourt County. I'm not sure when that will occur, but I daresay it won't be long in coming.

I Am Honored

Yesterday, the Botetourt County Historical Society, Inc. held its 16th Founders Day Dinner at Virginia Mountain Vineyards in Fincastle.

A few weeks ago, I received a call from one of the members telling me I should be there, and they were giving me two tickets to the event. I was receiving a recognition, I was told.

Actually, I received The Garland Stevens Award, named after one of the museum's founders. Mr. Stevens, who is no longer with us, was also my husband's cousin, and I knew him. I think I interviewed him at some point, but to be honest I have interviewed so many residents of Botetourt County that without going back through the newspapers I can't be certain of that.

I was greatly honored to receive this for my writing and for my other work to help preserve the historic nature of Botetourt County. Over the many years I wrote for the newspaper, I sounded the alarm on several structures that were up for demolition, and the Historical Society or others sometimes were able to step in and save these buildings. Not always, but not every battle is meant to be won.

Additionally, I served with Historic Fincastle, Inc., on its board for a number years and served as its president for two years. I also wrote the magazine that celebrated the county's 250th anniversary in 2020, and to be honest, because of Covid, that magazine (which is no longer in print) is about all the evidence that there was any notice of the anniversary at all. (My old editor, Ed McCoy, wrote a book called Chronicles of Botetourt that came out that year, and it was a 250th anniversary project, but it was not sponsored by the county.)

The event lasted 3 hours and much to my surprise, my father and stepmother came to see me receive my recognition. I was able to introduce my father to several people I know, including our representative to the Virginia General Assembly in the House of Delegates and the chairman of the county supervisors. I'm not sure my dad knew that I am on a first-name basis with these folks. I don't go around talking about it, after all. But I liked being able to introduce him to these dignitaries.

My close friend Teresa and her husband Robin also came (and they are important people, too, in our community), and I was so glad to be able to spend time with them. I saw many other folks that I haven't seen in at least 4 or 5 years.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Sarah McCartney, Assistant Teaching Professor, NIAHD, from The College of William and Mary. She spoke for about 40 minutes on the Battle of Point Pleasant, which is considered by some historians to be the actual beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

While the battle took place in what is now West Virginia, at the time it occurred in 1774, the land was part of Botetourt County.

We had a very nice time, although I was worn out when we got home. That was a long time for me to be out of my little nest here. 

The Fincastle Festival

 

A Quiet Independence Day

We had my mother-in-law up for hot dogs and watermelon at lunch yesterday. 

Then later, my father called and said he had a bag of plums he'd picked for me. He has plum trees. So we ran over to his house and stayed for about an hour, chit-chatting.

Then we drove from there to Fincastle, where we sat on Main Street for a while. The reason was to hear the sound of the Botetourt County Courthouse bell.

The bells in town, including church bells, had been asked to be rung 13 times for the 13 original colonies of the United States. It was part of a statewide initiative to jumpstart the celebration for the country's 250th anniversary, which is only 18 months away.

The Botetourt County Courthouse is slated for demolition and who knows when this bell - or if this bell - will ring again. That was the main reason I went to hear it. 

It's a sound that may never be heard again.

Hate Crime Update

Update:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--

SUSPECT IDENTIFIED IN SPORTS COMPLEX SPRAY PAINTING VANDALISM

FINCASTLE, VA – The Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating incidents of vandalism and threats to harm. The investigation was initiated on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

On April 27, 2024, Deputies responded to a report of graffiti vandalism at the entrance to Greenfield Elementary School and the Botetourt County Sports Complex. Deputies found numerous words spray painted on the roadway stating, “F**K AMERICA” and “BOTETORT F**KS ITS CITIZENS”. 

At approximately 6:26 a.m., on June 14, 2024, deputies again responded to another report of graffiti vandalism at the entrance to Greenfield Elementary School and the Botetourt County Sports Complex.

Deputies observed threatening statements of violence directed toward the Board of Supervisors spray painted on the roadway and other statements expressing discontent with government.

On June 25, 2024, information was obtained by detectives identifying a suspect in these incidents. Preliminary investigation suggests the suspect had become increasingly vocal and more focused on carrying out acts of violence. The suspect has been taken into custody and the investigation is ongoing.

Currently the suspect is not being identified due to the ongoing investigation. There is no immediate threat to the public and more details will be released as the investigation allows.

“As a member of your Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, I am immensely relieved that the potential crisis at our government facility was successfully prevented by the incredible work of our Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office,” said Botetourt County Board of Supervisors Chair Steve Clinton. “Ensuring the safety and security of our employees and citizens is our highest priority, and this incident has underscored the critical importance of our vigilance and preparedness. While I am relieved, I am also saddened that such an incident could have potentially occurred in Botetourt County. I extend my sincere appreciation to our Sheriff’s Department, whose quick and effective actions made all the difference.”

“While I support our citizens right to peacefully protest decisions made by our government, and the constitution protects those rights, it does not and cannot condone or tolerate acts of violence, “said Sheriff Matt Ward.

Anyone who may have information related to the case or who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Mioduszewski at 540-928-2252.

   

-This information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation, which continues to evolve as detectives interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyze forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed-

###

The Hatred Among Us

In about 3 hours, the county Board of Supervisors meets to pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The tax rate will be lowered at least 6 cents, but because of the real estate reassessment, which takes place here every 4 years, most people's tax payments will increase.

I do not ever recall worrying that one of my Board of Supervisors members may not come out of a meeting alive, but today I worry about that. This is because someone threatened them, publicly, with graffiti on the road not far from me.

Also, because I have asked, I know they have received death threats and other threats from the general public via emails from spoof accounts as well as threats via phone calls. People have threatened not just the supervisors, but also their families.

Much of this is being stoked by social media commentary. These are people who want a Christo-fascist nation. They want to tell other people what they can and can't do with their land, what they can read, what type of sex they can have, who they can marry, where they can live. They hate women, even if they are women, and they hate minorities. They seem to be terrified of change of any kind and scared of life. They constantly denounce the true Republicans in the county and call them various names (the worst apparently being "liberal" or "Democrat"). Real Republicans are like Mitt Romney or even George H. W. Bush. Even Richard Nixon was more of a true conservative than some of the folks I see on social media. These people are so far to the right of a true Republican that they are nothing more than Nazis.

They are trying to take over with threats and mob rule. And, I fear, with violence.

He Did What He Said

As I am writing this, there is a man outside with my husband tearing out the old heat pump and preparing to install a new one.

This was a surprise. But the serviceman who was here on Monday did as he said he would and talked to "the boss" and the boss agreed it needed to be replaced after looking at the number of times we've had people out to look at it.

My main concern now is what kind of warranty we will have on this new unit. The fellow that is here is not the person who can tell me that. He is waiting on some other fellow to show up who can tell me that.

I am happy to report, though, that the serviceman kept his word, and this company is doing its part to make us happy with this very expensive purchase. I honestly didn't think either would happen.

Sadly, I have become quite jaded when it comes to the workings of the world.

***

In other news, in my little county where we seldom have things going on, we had an alleged racist pull a gun on a black man who was delivering a portable toilet to a worksite further on up the road from this man's house. What the hell is wrong with people?

At first the news media wasn't giving the man who pulled the gun's name or showing his face "because he was charged with just a misdemeanor," which I thought was weird because when did the charge become the criteria for giving names? Last time I checked, age or rape were about the only reasons to withhold a name. 

The name and image of the man holding the gun was later given by a different TV station that didn't withhold information. I do not know this person. Nor do I want to, thank you very much.

Vengeance and Vandalism

My morning routine was interrupted by a notice from a friend that there had been vandalism - again - at the local sports complex and elementary school. Both are about 3 miles down the road from me.

By the time I arrived, the messages had been painted over by a county employee or a sheriff's deputy.

There was a lot of paint at the entrance to the elementary school, and then along the exit turn-off into the sports complex, and then up the lane that goes to the sports complex.

What at least some of it said before it was painted over was a threat:

F U Botetot board of directors. Livin large. Class wars. Fuckin 9 mil to murder you all.

On Wednesday night, the Board of Supervisors (not the board of directors) had held a public hearing on the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2024-2025. I did not go because I knew it would be contentious, and it was. I understand there were lots of accusations against the supervisors. They are frequently accused of misuse of fund, of being on the take, etc. I do not believe any of that for a second. If I thought it were true, I'd be among the first to yell "foul" in my capacity as a freelance writer/journalist and longtime news reporter. 

From what I have heard, at Wednesday night's meeting, people talked over one another, they chanted, clapped, and were generally rude. This has been going on at public meetings since at least 2020, so much so that it is a relief when I am watching the meetings and these people have stayed home for whatever reason. (Wednesday night's meeting was not live streamed; they moved it to the high school to accommodate the expected large crowd.)

The citizenry is out of control. They are attempting mob rule. I do not doubt that at least one of these people is actually capable of killing someone. And I know exactly where this comes from. It's coming down through the evangelical churches to my community, and it's the result of having a fascist for a president for 4 years and a Republican party that is no longer Republican, but instead an arm of fascism. These people want an authoritarian state. They need a daddy to lead them, I guess.

And just to be clear, vandalism that costs more than $1000 to repair (and this will, it will require new asphalt) is Class 6 felony in Virginia. If it doesn't cost more than $1000 to repair, it's a Class 1 misdemeanor. Destruction of property or vandalism may also be charged under other code sections as well.

Class 6 felonies are punishable by one to five years in prison. The misdemeanor is punishable with up to 12 months in jail. Both would require restitution for repair costs, too.

This disgusts me in ways I can't even describe. To think that there are people in my community who would act this uncivilized, this demonic, is simply vile. What's worse, these people think they are right and that they have the right to act this way.

They don't. I hope the sheriff catches them and hurls them in prison where they belong.

Local Author Signing

On Saturday, March 23, I went to the Fincastle Library to hear a local author talk about her book, West of Santillane.

The book is about Julia Hancock Clark, who is from here, and in 1807 or thereabouts married William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expeditions.

The author is about my age, and she teaches music at Greenfield. Her book uses the pen name of Brook Allen.

She talked about Santillane, which I wrote articles about when I worked for the paper, and about Julia Hancock and her relationship to William. She has fictionalized the story, and it sounds interesting. She did a lot of research to get the history correct, including going to St. Louis to the Lewis and Clark Museum there.

An old photo I took of Santillane, around 2006, maybe?

The meeting room at the library was packed, and I sat at the back where the door was cracked open. The local historical society sponsored the event, so there were a lot of those folks in attendance.

The room reeked of perfume and cologne, and at one point I thought I might have an asthma attack from it. Fortunately, about that time a nice breeze blew in and the fresh air saved me.

I'm looking forward to reading the book. I thought about writing fiction about Julia Clark once, but I was going to make her a vampire hunter!

People lined up before and after the lecture to get a signed copy of the book.

The executive director of the local historical society (right), introduced
the author (left) and gave a glowing account of her efforts.

 

My Voice Is Back

At some point around the first of this week, the last of the rasp that I'd been living with as an excuse for a larynx for well over a month went away.

Poof. Like magic.

Except it was a long time going, and my voice became a little stronger every day as the cold or virus or whatever it was finally began to clear my system.

The first thing I did when my voice was back was pick up my guitar and sing a song. Songs are good.

***

The issue at the bank over my name magically went away after my husband dropped off copies of our Real ID and complained to someone there. We signed the papers we needed to sign and took care of business and everything's lovely. But still. WTH was that all about?

***

Like most of the nation's population who live in a house, our house rose in value. There's been a housing shortage for a good while now, since about 2018, I suppose. The county did it's every four-year reassessment and the average increase in real estate value was about 40%. Some properties went way up, like over 100%. They were probably undervalued to begin with.

To see the whining on the Facebook, and then to hear the whining at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, you would think that these people had all been lined up against a wall to be shot. In the first place, the county supervisors have net set the tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. Until they do that, and I guarantee it will not be the same rate as it now, there is no way to know what anyone will be paying in taxes. Do I expect mine to be more? Yes. Am I complaining about it? No. It makes my bottom line look better.

So many people seem to think they should not pay taxes at all. They think they are some gift to humanity and the ground upon which they trod is sacred and blessed, or some such BS. I think it is a privilege to be alive, and paying taxes is what I do for that honor. Do I like everything my taxes support? No. Do I agree with everything the government does? No. But these people are mean. 

They demean the supervisors when they speak to them. They are ill-mannered, noisy, confrontational, and bullish. I never saw much of this kind of demeanor at meetings until after 2016. And then it grew progressively worse and after the George Floyd riots, it really hit its stride. Some of the people talk to the supervisors like they are not even human. 

I wouldn't talk to a dog the way some of these people talk to the supervisors. What is wrong with them? Who taught these people manners? And these aren't all folks I grew up with - no. The vast majority moved in here in the 1990s and think that gives them some right to overstep societal boundaries. My family was here during the American Revolution. They haven't a thing on me. But you don't see me acting like some know-it-all buffoon at a Board meeting.

Building a Mountain

As I headed over to my father's the other day, I noticed that the cement plant is building a new mountain.

Maybe it's just a really big mound of dirt. Maybe it will be moved. I don't know, and don't care enough to ask.

At any rate, that dirt popping up over the trees wasn't there a few months ago. But now it is there.

I know they have been blasting a lot - it shakes the house occasionally even though this is probably at least 1.5 miles from me - but I didn't realize until I topped this hill that they were doing so much "landscaping."

The cement plant, which is the only one in Virginia, is the county's dirtiest industry, though they try very hard to pretend they are "green" and win awards in their industry for being energy efficient. Their website touts all kinds of Energy Star awards, and maybe for a cement plant they are "green" and energy efficient. The dust that gathers on the furniture and the dust that I pick up in my HEPA air filters that I have to run 24 hours a day because of my asthma tell me that they aren't exactly non-polluting.

I can see the crap that blows out of their stacks.

They occasionally are fined for noncompliance with Virginia Department of Environmental Quality regulations, but not often. That doesn't mean they are always in compliance, it just means they don't get caught. It also doesn't mean that the compliance regulations aren't too mild. For me, with my asthma, they're not strong enough.

The thing that really burns me? Most of the cement plant property once belonged to either my ancestors or my husband's ancestors. Oh, great-great-great-grandpappy, did you know what you were going to be bringing about one day?

An Outing

The evening took us away from our house and to an event hall filled with people, many of whom we knew.

The occasion was the celebration of a friend's 25th year in business. She is a massage therapist (with emphasis on the therapist), and now about 64 years old. I saw her for many years, and sent my husband to see her, and gave gift certificates to friends and family to enjoy her services (though I suspect most of those went unused, stuffed in some drawer).

It is unusual for a massage therapist to last so long; they generally wear out, from what I understand. Bing says the average career of a massage therapist is 5 to 8 years. The fact that Karen has worked for long - and kept herself in shape so that she was able to do it - was indeed something to celebrate. Giving a massage is hard work.

Despite the fact that we have 33,000 people in our county, it's really a small community. The event was held at the Kyle House, once known as Bolton's Store, in the county seat. The building is an events venue, and there were easily 50 plus people there when we arrived.

Since the most public places I have been since 2019 are grocery stores, this was a bit much for me; the sweet, cloying scent of perfumes, powders, and colognes, so many people in a smaller space than a massive market.

But I had accepted the invitation knowing that I am trying to claw my way back to civilization, having become almost - but not quite - agoraphobic during the pandemic, seldom leaving the house, only venturing out to purchase food. As for other items, let's just say the UPS man and I are on a first-name basis.

So, this was a personal test, which I passed. I am grateful that I went, happy to have seen so many familiar faces after so many years of seeing only scowls in the supermarket. These people were happy, caring on pleasant conversations, and enjoying themselves.

The people I knew included my physical therapist, whom I hadn't seen since 2019. She suffocated me in an embracing and long hug the moment I walked in the door. I stiffened at first, having determined previously that I didn't want physical contact, but she was so sincere, and I like her so much that it was only a moment of light panic, and then I hugged her back with similar intensity. 

I also saw a former county supervisor, whom I'd really enjoyed working with and was sorry to see retire many years ago, a cousin who said she wants to meet for coffee, my dear friend Leslie (another hug) and her brother, who informed us he had retired as a surveyor that very day, (I also called him by another brother's name, oops), and an ex-husband of another dear friend. I also greeted a former employer and his wife, a contractor and his wife, both of whom have known my husband most of his life, a former high school pal, a former firefighter's wife, and of course Karen, who was throwing herself this bash.

I had a couple of chicken salad sandwiches and a cookie, along with water. A pile of articles about Karen sat on the end of one table, and I only had to flip over a page before I saw my byline, again and again. I've written so much about this county and its people over the last 30 years. Of course I'd written about Karen. In fact, I wrote the first article about Karen's business, I think.

My former employer (a lawyer then, retired now) saw one of the articles and then chased me down to show me. "Here's your name," he said, thrusting the story at me. He pointed it out to someone I didn't know. "She wrote this."

Yes, I wrote that. It was nice to know it meant something to someone, or several someones, even though it was years old.

No one had on masks, including me. Everyone is over that, although I still wear one when I go pick up drugs at the drug counter. If there are going to be germs anywhere, it's in there. I had a mask in my pocket, but I didn't put it on (I admit it was tempting).

Almost everyone was dressed up, in nice work clothes or church clothes, including us (although I had on my sneakers because I can't get my orthotic in any other shoe). I enjoyed myself. My husband enjoyed it. We left after an hour, with things still going full swing, when I finally felt the perfumes and smells seeping into my lungs and felt an asthmatic wheeze coming on.

I guess I'm coming out into the world again.

I Stand With Libraries

As of this posting, my county library has received formal reconsideration requests (requests to remove) to review 13 titles. Here are some stats:

# titles challenged that Botetourt County Library does not own: 48
# titles challenged that Botetourt County Library owns: 13
# citizens challenging titles: 3
1 citizen requested a review of 12 titles
2 citizens requested a review of 1 title
# challenged titles any of the requestors said they read/viewed: 1
# times 13 challenged titles have been checked out without complaint: 278
Total purchase cost of all Botetourt-owned copies of all 13 challenged titles: $289
Estimated time/labor cost to review these 13 titles: $11,409
# years the 13 challenged titles have been on library shelves: range from 6 months to 13 years
% 13 challenged titles added to the collection before 2020: 75%

https://www.botetourtva.gov/817/BOCO-Facts-4-U

So, we're going to spend $11,500 in taxpayer dollars to review $300 worth of books because 3 people object to different lifestyles. I hope they're proud of themselves.

At Least That Is Over

Mother's Day

I don't recall when I last dreaded a Mother's Day so much as this one. There was no reason to dread it, particularly, but it is not my favorite holiday anyway. I suspect my upcoming 60th birthday had something to do with it.

So, I stayed off of Facebook with its syrupy photos of happy mothers and adorable children who are now old, stodgy adults trying to rebuild a 20th century that hasn't existed for 50 years, and tried to ignore other aspects of the holiday as well. I did my part by ensuring my husband's mother received her due as matriarch, and gave my stepmother flowers, but otherwise, I was over this "holiday" before it even began.

It's no secret that my mother and I had a bad relationship. I have had trouble with this celebration ever since I was a teenager. Hallmark doesn't sell "I'm sorry I was born and ruined your life," cards. At least, not around here. Not in the hardware store where the Hallmark cards are now.

It doesn't help when the bank hands out presents to you without even asking if you're a mom. I guess they assume everyone with gray hair has children. But not all of us have moms, or had good moms, and not all of us have children.

There are women like me who have no mothers and no children, making us what, irrelevant?

Book Banning

On the local front, I hear through my line of contacts that the library board meeting last week was a doozy, complete with screaming, invasion of personal space, and possibly throwing things (I heard two different versions of that so let's just say something happened). Someone should have called the Sheriff's Office and asked for a deputy. I hope they do that next month.

The issue, at this juncture, is LBGTQ+ books in the children's section of the library, along with some other books that show how babies are made that narrow minds consider pornographic. I have only checked out one - the only one I can find that's available as an audiobook - and didn't find any issues with it.

Of course, I have no children, so I suppose some might say I have no dog in this fight, but to be clear, neither does the person who is causing most of the uproar. My dog in this fight is this - if I want to read a book, then I want it to be available or I want the library to order it for me so I can read it, and not be stifled by these Christian Nationalists who think anything that doesn't portray what they approve of shouldn't be purchased.

As if they are the only people in this county who pay taxes. Plenty of other folks who don't subscribe to their cult pay taxes, and we want our books.

Matters of the Heart

Tomorrow, I go to see a cardiologist. I have developed a new heart murmur and my doctor wants me checked out. She's been very helpful, saying things like, "Your blood pressure is at stroke level," and "You don't have to worry about getting dementia, you're going to die of a heart attack long before that happens."

She is trying to ensure I follow through and go see this person, I suppose. She doesn't have to try that hard. I am old enough to die, but I'd just as soon it not happen right away.

This first visit will likely just be a howdy-do and the cardiologist will listen to my heart and then order bloodwork and maybe an ultrasound to start. Maybe he will do an EKG since I haven't had one in 10 years. That would make sense.

The doctor my GP wanted me to see is not taking new patients, so I'm seeing someone I know nothing about, except for what I found on the Internet. He studied internal medicine at Carilion - VA Tech School of Medicine in 2014-2017, then went on to do heart stuff in Louisiana. He can't have been in practice very long, but perhaps that means he's current on all the new stuff. Some of the older doctors still do things like they did 20 years ago.

I am trying to be positive about it, but I don't do "positive" very well sometimes.