Mountain Laurel

A Sunday drive showed us that not everything has drowned from the recent 8-10 inches of rain. The mountains on top near the West Virginia line still had mountain laurel offering up a white (and occasional pink) decoration amidst the prevailing greenery.

Mountain laurel is a native North American plant. It's a broadleaf evergreen shrub in the heather family. The mountains are full of them but you only seem them in late May and early June, when the flowers burst out to decorate the mountainsides.

Unfortunately I was not able to photograph any pink laurel. We saw a little of it but by the time I opened my mouth to say, "stop the car," we'd already whizzed past it.

This is my favorite, when you can see the mountain laurel as far back as you can look.

Photos taken with Nikon Coolpix P500.

These pictures were taken on Potts Mountain in Craig County, Va.

Memorial Day

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1 - Do you ever wish you were someone else?

A. Not really. Sometimes I wish I had been born a man, because men have it SO much better. Maybe in the next life.

2 - How old are you?

A. Old enough to know better but still young enough to make mistakes.

3 - Age you get mistaken for:

A. A little younger than I am.

4 - Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality:

A. I'm Gemini, and yes it fits.

5 - What did you do on your last birthday?

A. I went to lunch with friends.

6 - What is one thing you would like to accomplish before your next birthday?

A. My next birthday is only two weeks away, so . . . not much.

7 - What is your hair color?

A. Brown with soft white coloring as I age.

8 - Have you ever dyed your hair?

A. I put highlights in it when I was younger, but I've never dyed it another color.

9 - What is your eye color?

A. My eyes are like cracked ice and they change color with the weather and my mood. Most people call that "hazel."

10 - If you could change your eye color, would you?

A. No.

11 - Do you wear contacts/glasses?

A. I wear glasses.

12 - Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it:

A. I weigh too much and it would be nice if that were gone, and some parts of it are missing and I wish I had those back.

13 - Have you ever considered plastic surgery? What would you alter about your body?

A. I have never considered plastic surgery. I would like to lose weight, but not via any method but dieting and exercise.

14 - Do you have any tattoos?

A. No.

15 - Do you have any piercings?

A. My ears are pierced.

16 - Left or right handed?

A. Right handed.

17 - Do you drink?

A. No.

18 - Do you smoke?

A. No.

19 - Do you have any pets?

A. I have a herd of cows.

20 - Do you have any “rules” about food?

A. I have allergies to food, which aren't necessarily rules but necessities for maintaining my airways.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: GI Blues

Saturday 9: G.I. Blues (1960)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here. 

Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors men and women who served and died in the United States Armed Forces. We want to make sure that message is not lost this weekend.

1) Are you a veteran? Are there veterans in your family? Do you know anyone who is active military? (We are grateful and want to hear about it.)

A. My father, grandfather, and multiple uncles served in the military. My grandfather fought in WWII, my father and his brothers were in Korea (though I think after the war was over, not sure), and some of my other uncles served after Vietnam.

2) In this song, Elvis sings about marching, and complains that the Army doesn't give Purple Hearts for fallen arches. Do you have any aches or pains to report this morning?

A. Apparently they give presidencies to people with fallen arches. Sorry, that was just too easy. As for me, I am my usual ol' self.

3) This song is from the 1960 film of the same name. In the movie, Elvis is in The 32nd Armor Regiment of the United States Army. That's the same regiment he served with in real life. He had the 32nd written into the script as a shout-out to the soldiers he came to know, but realized he'd likely never see again. Is there an old friend you're missing this weekend?

A. No. 

4) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food?

A. Hot dogs and watermelon. 

5) Let's celebrate the Memorial Day holiday with ice cream. What's your favorite flavor? Cone or cup?

A. Can I have frozen yogurt instead, please?


6) This marks the weekend when Americans step up their outdoor activity and do things they may not have been able to do during the winter months. For example, when is the last time you applied mosquito repellent?


A. Last summer.
 
7) Or swam?

A. A long, long time.

8) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on?

A. The air conditioner is on.
 
9) Random question: How do you define success?

A. Success is whatever makes YOU happy, content, and calm.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

Here are 13 local historical facts about my locality. They tell about the early days, back when we were actually the wild, wild west.

This is up near Buchanan near the Rockbridge County line.

How the county was created.

An early Indian story, also up near Buchanan.

A marker commemorating one of the many lost iron furnaces that used to dot the county.

Recognizing the courthouse fire in 1970 and its importance in historical preservation.

A college in Daleville. Surviving buildings are now apartments.

The county seat and how it was founded.

A fort constructed during the French and Indian War, "to protect Virginia's frontier."

A notation about William Preston, whose property is now an industrial complex.

Also near Buchanan, this ferry crossing was important to the county's growth as folks moved here.

A route that closely follows what is now U.S. 11, the Old Carolina Road was used by thousands to venture
west and south as more territory opened up (stolen from the Native Americans).

One of our older tracts and notable because William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, married a girl
who grew up there, among other things.

The founding of the local Baptist association at Zion Hill, an area north of Fincastle.



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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 553rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Just a Little Rain

Over the last six days, we've had dramatic rain falls. As of yesterday at lunch time, we'd had more than six inches of rain.

Then it rained about 1/4 inch around lunchtime.

And then it rained 1-3/4 inches after supper.

There was flooding all over the place. We watched the water run off the hills. We knew we would find a mess in the driveway but it was a bit worse than we'd anticipated.



Gravel in the yard.



A ditch couldn't carry the water and so more gravel went into the yard.



This ditch did have concrete and river rock in it to try to keep the water moving
and in its place. It didn't work.



This is a large overflow.



More gravel in the yard.



This is the overflow. You can see the many layers of gravel, pug, and crush-and-run we've put down
over the years. I think this time it eroded all the way back to the foundation of the driveway. That mud
in the middle there? That would be the water mark where the drain couldn't take the rain
and it poured over the driveway.

A lot of gravel is in the neighbor's pasture.

This is the lower side of the driveway near the road. That ditch cut-away isn't supposed
to be there.

I'm pretty sure some of those larger rocks were buried further up.

I think the rain tried to take out the mailbox.

What a mess.

Yep, definitely tried to take the mailbox.

Photos taken with my iPhone SE.

Spirit Guide Deer

Can you find "the majestic horned deer" in this photo? I've been seeing it for several months. It's not a real deer, it's a bunch of branches that are shaped like one. The image is slowly going away as vines and other greenery take over, but I have enjoyed looking for my spirit deer during these crazy spring days.

The "deer" is located in the cedar tree just right of center. Can you see it?

The Forlorn Tom

We've had a single male turkey hanging around the house for days now. We saw other turkeys doing their mating dance a month ago, several toms together chasing after hens. I thought they were finished with their spring mating.

However, this poor guy seems to be out of rhythm. He stands in the front yard and struts his stuff, and then lets out a wild gobble that makes me jump if I am not aware he's so close to the window.

This morning he was out back again, gobbling away. A hen across the hill answered him once, then dismissed him.

Apparently he doesn't measure up, but he seems a handsome bird to me.

Friday he strutted in the rain. Three hens nearby simply ignored him while he did his best to gain their attention. He was at it for over an hour.

I shot these photos through a window with a screen on it, so they're not the best. Don't you think he's handsome?



To show you how close he was to the house as I looked out the window.

Photos shot with a Nikon Coolpix B700.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What never fails to cheer you up?

A. Seeing a rainbow. 

2. Which friend do you have the most in common with?

A. I have different things in common with different friends. I don't know that I have more in common with any one than the others (if we're leaving out husbands as friends in this question).

3. Name one thing that never fails to anger you.

A. School shootings.

4. What is your favorite way to spend a sunny day?

A. Taking a hike or working in my flower garden.

5. Create a fortune cookie note based on your week.

A. You will find new lines of communication after a massive failure.

6. What is your favorite way to exercise?

A. Walking.

7. What is your favorite thing about your best friend?

A. He is forgiving.

8. What kind of things do you like to create?

A. Stories, poems, music, colorful stuff sometimes.

9. What languages would you like to learn?

A. Spanish and French.

10. What is a topic you’re really knowledgeable about?

A. Writing.

11. When do you feel you look your best?

A. About 2 minutes after I have finished putting on my makeup. After that it is all downhill.

12. What types of music do you like to listen to?

A. I listen to adult top 40, 1970s and 1980s music, classical, New Age, and movie theme sound tracks.

13. What is something that leaves you completely in awe?

A. A spectacular sunset.

14. What is your most childish aspect?

A. I think I can read people's minds and know what they are thinking about me.

15. Name a time where you had to be really brave.

A. Every time I had surgery.

16. How do you like to keep warm?

A. With a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and a good book.

17. What brings out your soft side?

A. Babies of all kinds.

18. What is your favorite way to treat yourself?

A. I spend money on books.

19. What is something you’re proud of about yourself?

A. I'm an award-winning writer.

20. What is something you don’t care about?

A. The lives of people in the entertainment industry.

I missed last week because my modem actually went up in smoke on Saturday. I watched little tendrils of white smoke ooze from it before I realized I needed to unplug the thing and throw it outside.
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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: A DJ Saved My Life

Saturday 9: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life! (1982)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. (Never heard this song.)

1) This song is about a girl who is heartbroken about a boy who won't take her calls. Do you screen your calls, deciding to let some go to voicemail? Or do you pick up whenever you possibly can? (We're referring to calls from people you know.)

A. I pick up if it's a local number. Otherwise I send them to voice mail or sometimes I pick up, answer, and hang up immediately if it is a pesky telemarketer. (I'm looking at you, Planned Parenthood. I support you when I can but you can stop calling now.)

2) When she was feeling her lowest, she heard a song on the radio that lifted her spirits. What's the last thing you heard on the radio?

A. I couldn't remember so I turned on my local station. They were playing Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson. Then they played Adele's Fire in the Rain. It's a multi-decade station.

3) This song includes the sound of squeaky wheels, indicating a sudden stop and perhaps a near-miss. Tell us about your most recent traffic mishap.

A. I haven't had any in a while and I'm afraid nothing comes to mind.

 4) "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life!" is featured in the 2002 video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Do you spend much time on video games?

A. Yes, more than I should. I don't play Grand Theft Auto, though.

5) This week's featured artist, Indeep, was a trio. We've had many groups, some duos and tons of solo artists on Saturday 9, but not many trios. Can you name another popular trio?

A. The Bee Gees.

6) The last time Indeep performed together was in 1997, at a New Year's Eve show in Paris for French TV. Have you celebrated a holiday in another land?

A. No.

7) Britain's Royal Family is in the news this weekend, with attention centered on the nuptials. The Royals made news in 1982, as well. When this song was popular, Michael Fagan gained momentary fame by breaking into Buckingham Palace. He found The Royal Bedroom, where he came face-to-face with the Queen. He reports that Queen Elizabeth sleeps in a nightie that "reached down to her knees." What did you wear to bed last night?

A. I wear nightgowns, too.

8) In 1982, you could buy a loaf of white bread for 50¢. Today, the national average price for that loaf of bread is more than $2.50. When you go grocery shopping, do you comparison shop and make purchases at more than one store? Or do you prefer one-stop shopping?

A. I generally do one-stop shopping, but if I am in a store and see something I use a lot for a cheaper price than where I normally shop, I will buy it.

9) Random question: What's the first famous quote that comes to your mind?

A. Not all those who wander are lost. - J. R. R. Tolkien


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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Flower Daze