miscellaneous – Page 11

April 12, 2015

Out and About

Mother Nature has been teasing us with little outbursts of Spring.

Belle is enjoying herself more than it seems.

While yesterday would have been a nice day to ride, we had some things on our to-do list than needed doing.

And today’s weather is supposed to be even better. So we decided to get the chores out of the way on Saturday, leaving Sunday wide open for FUN.

The first big thing on the to-do list was de-winterizing the WV Place. Mike had decided to shut off the heat and water for the winter, hoping to avoid another ugly, very inconvenient, and costly freezing of the pipes incident.

Notice I said “hoping to”? Apparently, enough water lingered in the shower valve that it froze, causing the shower valve to fail. So, when he turned the water back on, the shower wouldn’t turn off. Crap. Not a huge deal, just another inconvenience.

We also had to move a dresser from the VA house to the WV Place. If it hadn’t been for that, we would have taken the bikes. Alas, taking the truck meant the dogs could join us.

It was a real treat for them, they LOVE the WV Place.

Can you tell that they’re happy? K, aka The Huntress, was so obsessed with whatever critter was cowering in the woodpile that I literally had to drag her away to get her to come home. Crazy mutt.

While Spring appears to really be settling in here in VA, it’s just barely starting to make an appearance near the WV Place, which is about 100 miles northwest of here and at a somewhat higher elevation. We thought for sure some of the Redbud and Dogwood trees would be in bloom. We thought wrong.

I did see some evidence of Spring.

I can’t remember what those flowers are called. They’re only two to three inches tall, with blooms about half an inch across. They may be tiny, but at least it’s evidence that Spring is on its way, albeit very slowly.

It’s always a relief to see the WV Place surviving without out us.

I can’t remember whether or not I told y’all we had not one, but TWO signed contracts on the place last year. Signed, as in we thought it was a done deal. Buyer number one had some sort of family emergency. The second buyer had “buyer’s remorse.” We could not believe that was their actual excuse. Bastards.

So it’s still on the market. Sigh.

The dogs did seem to enjoy the brief visit. Even if K spent almost the entire time glued to the woodpile.

At least it was a pretty day for a drive. I even spotted a barn quilt along the way.

Barn Quilt in Pleasantdale, West Virginia

I know that’s a crappy picture. I thought for sure we’d spot others, since Hampshire County now has a barn quilt trail. It would have been helpful had I remembered before we left. Then I would’ve been equipped with a map. They’re not as easy to find as one would think. And cell coverage is so painfully slow in those parts, that trying to use my phone to locate them was frustrating me more than it was worth.

That was our Saturday.

Imagine my chagrin this morning when I looked at my weather app to see this crazy-weird report. There was a frost advisory, current temp was 36 degress (F), with a forecast for a high temperature of 70 degrees.

That’s Spring for you.

Now, I need to go plan a route for today’s ride. I hope you all enjoy your Sunday.

April 9, 2015

This Bird Needs to be Uncaged

Judging by what I’ve been hearing and reading on-line, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only person who felt consumed by darkness as winter waned. It was the most prolonged shift of seasons EVER. Or at least it felt that way. Winter dragged on and on, then on some more. We didn’t get nearly as much snow here in Virginia as folks living in the northeast, but the weather was miserable enough That I felt closed in. Caged.

I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel, but I wasn’t feeling it. I thought about past trips, tossed ideas around for future journeys, read about others’ travels, looked at pictures, watched old videos, bought maps, etc. I did not, however, make any plans.

Hubby, Mike, is embarking on a pretty significant adventure of his own this year. Our usual travel companions are unable to travel as they’re pouring capital into rehabbing a house. So I’m free to plan my own adventure. I’m itching to plan my own adventure, truly. But the possibilities have overwhelmed me.

It’s like being really hungry and going to one of those 24-hour diners with a 32-page menu of food choices. All I really want to do is eat, like NOW, but there’re so many choices that it’s downright distracting.

Caged Bird

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.”
― Maya Angelou, The Complete Collected Poems

Don’t worry, I’m well enough equipped with ideas. And a decision is close.

The arrival of Spring has helped. And I do have a weekend excursion or two planned.

I’m tempted to just do a pack-some-clothes-and-go trip, but half of the fun is in the planning. Plus, I don’t want to miss anything important while I am out and about.

Hopefully, I’ll have a plan soon.

I know I’ll be going solo. I’m 95% sure I’ll be taking the bike. There’s a pretty good chance it’ll happen mid- to late-June. I may or may not get to use my new maps on this trip, but I’m 80% sure I’ll be headed south. How far south is the question.

I still haven’t been to Louisiana, Alabama, or Mississippi, so that’s a pretty appealing option. Except those places get pretty hot in June.

I have a bunch of LOVEworks still to see in Virginia, but staying within my home state just feels kind of lame.

There’re parts of West Virginia I have yet to explore.

A lighthouse I missed in far northeastern Maine.

Michigan’s UP is appealing, too.

I want to see more of northeastern Pennsylvania and New York, but I’ll probably meet up with Hubby there along the final leg of his journey.

I could ride into Canada. (Adding another country to the mix lends weight to the “adventure.”)

I really want to visit Breaks Interstate Park on the Virginia/Kentucky border.

I could go to the beach! (Hubby hates the beach.) But the terrain near the Atlantic Coast is flatter than flat. Not to mention crowded.

See what I mean?!? This is why we’re almost a third of the way into April and I still have no set plans.

I’m tempted to write my top choices on paper to be drawn blindly from a hat. Really.

How would you decide? Logic? Or should I use the hat trick?

March 30, 2015March 30, 2015

A Bit of Country in Fauquier Virginia

Those of you who know me well know that I lean toward a somewhat primitive, country-style decor. By primitive, I mean folk art-type stuff, with dark, muted colors on pieces that are a bit old, rustic and/or rough. I have some antiques mixed in, too, but simple stuff. Fancy doesn’t “fit” in my house.

Although I’m not a huge shopper, I do enjoy a good country store. And I REALLY enjoy country stores that also sell antiques and local, hand-crafted merchandise. Which is why I was so delighted to discover this place a year or so ago, only about 15 minutes from my house in Calverton.

168 — Country Corner Woodworking & Antiques in Calverton, Virginia

I stumbled across this adorable little store while looking for another antique shop I’d seen advertised. Country Corner Woodworking & Antiques is owned by Amy and Butch Beard. I’ve met Amy, a very nice lady who is usually running the place, but haven’t met Butch, who does a lot of the woodworking.

I dropped in on my way to the farm last weekend, hoping to find a gift for a friend. I haven’t taken pictures before because it’s usually full of people. Since I was the only customer that day, I asked Amy if she’d mind my grabbing some photos so I could share this little treasure of a place with you folks.

If you’re a local, or coming to visit for a bit, and want to see this place, I’d be more than happy to take you. Of course, you can go all by yourself, if you prefer, or with some other friend/family member.

The Beard’s shop is very much like the country stores in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In fact, they get a good bit of merchandise from Amish wholesalers in and around Lancaster.

Butch makes a lot of stuff, too. My favorite piece that day was this gorgeous pie safe, fashioned from recycled oak fence boards. Isn’t that wood gorgeous? The inside was my favorite part.

I just love how you can tell that the wood has some age to it.

Here’s another cabinet he made, using an old shutter for the door.

The bead-board on the inside is a nice touch, too.

There’s quite a variety of country merchandise and other hand-made local goods. And there are antiques, too.

147 — Another hutch thingy (I forget what these are really called).

149 — Not loving these colors, but I like the piece.

I actually ended up buying a couple of gifts. I’m determined to thin-out the amount of stuff I own, so have been in “non-acquisition mode” for a while now.

I spent the bulk of the day on Sunday going through my basement craft/storage/painting space, reorganizing and getting rid of some unwanted stuff. I made good progress, but still have quite a bit to do before it’s fully organized.

Part of the problem is that I have a bunch of stuff in the storage room that needs to go, too. Then maybe some of the treasures I want to keep can be moved into that area.

It’s a very slow process. I don’t want a bunch of stuff sitting around, gathering dust, but I don’t like to throw stuff away.

One day, I’ll finish down there, then I’ll be able to show you what a craft room is supposed to look like. As opposed to the disheveled mess you’d see if you went downstairs right now.

I took a couple bags of trash to the curb yesterday AND my car is full of items to be donated.

See what I mean? Imagine how bad it looked before. LOL.

And that’s why it’s best if I just avoid cute country stores, auctions, and the like. At least until I finish getting my space into tip-top shape.

February 25, 2015March 17, 2015

Changeling

I’m still not happy with the look of my blog.

I like that it works better for everyone. But there are some little things making me crazy. I won’t bore you with my whining, though, ’cause then you might realize I can be a little bit, just a teeny, tiny bit, anal about some things.

Oh, and I keep getting weird SSO plugin warnings, which don’t seem to have a negative impact. But I can’t figure out how to fix whatever issue to make those niggling little warnings go away.

So, when I get a spare chunk of time and am sufficiently motivated, things may change. Again.

Sorry. Sort of. I’m a visual person, so I want to get the look just right. Thanks for your patience.

February 22, 2015February 22, 2015

Oh, That Voice

Y’all know I have this sorta crazy — in a good way — moto-blogging friend named Fuzzy, right? Fuzzy’s real name is Rachael. She’s really very sweet, and cute, and charming. And she has a quirky sense of humor that I love.

She had this idea that it would be fun to hear what other moto-bloggers sound like. Since not many of us have actually met in person.

I usually like Fuzzy’s ideas, ’cause we’re kindred spirits in many ways. And this one sounded kind of fun, too. The “kind of” part being me getting to see and hear other moto bloggers.

Lynne at Curvyroads.info did it. And she did it well.

Fuzzy did it, too, with her usual creative panache.

I didn’t want to be a spoilsport, so I figured I’d do it. Even though I’m extremely uncomfortable in front of a camera lens.

I shot it sort of ad hoc, as I was waiting for some soup to finish cooking last night. I hate the way I look in the video. Truly. I almost decided to ditch it, put on some decent clothes, maybe a bit of makeup, and try to do a better job with my too-long hair.

But then I figured that would be silly. One, because I don’t usually wear make-up. Two, because I always wear comfy clothes, and I like my Alaska sweatshirt. Three, I’m not one to put on airs.

Most important, y’all might not recognize me if I didn’t look like my old self.

So, here it is. No snazzy soundtrack or fancy edits. Except where I had to splice two videos together because I accidentally shut off the camera while filming.

ToadMama’s Voice

I hope you all enjoy this video. I certainly don’t.

February 19, 2015February 19, 2015

Moody Winter Skies

The weather in the eastern half of the US has been a bit nuts this year. Granted, since I live in the Mid-Atlantic region, I don’t have nearly as much to gripe about as you folks in New England. You all have been absolutely hammered by snow.

Here’s it’s only been cold. But it’s been REALLY cold.

Anyhoo… in my last post, I mentioned the moody skies I’d seen on my Saturday drive. I saw some other cool stuff, too, that I thought I’d share here.

Remember the song, “I’m a Girl Watcher“?

Well, I’m a sky watcher. I’m a sky watcher. Watching clouds go by. My, my, my.

Sorry, not sorry for that little earworm. LOL.

Here are some of the interesting sky pics I captured on Saturday.

087 — On US 29, headed southeast towards Charlottesville.

088 — On US-64, headed west towards Waynesboro, near Afton, Virginia.

See those mountains ahead and to the right? Skyline Drive is up there.

092 — Looking south over Rockfish Valley.

Back in October, I did a post about my visit — on two wheels — to the Bold Rock Cidery, which just happens to be in the Rockfish Valley. If you missed it, check it out. I’ll be re-visiting some of those roads this year FOR SURE.

I should add that it was pretty gray when I left my house that morning. The further south and west I went, the bluer the skies. But it was still cloudy. And cold.

I tooled around a bit in Staunton (pronounced like STAN-ton) before picking up my transports and heading north to Strasburg. As you can see, the skies got gray again.

126 — Newly decorated water tower along I-81 near Mount Jackson, VA.

When I drove past that spot in January, the tower was being painted.

127 — I HATE I-81. Actually, I hate all two-lane highways.

Being trapped behind these big-ass trucks who pass really, REALLY slowly, and cars with ignoramus drivers who drive along in the left lane really irritate me.

129 — Looking east from the western outskirts of Front Royal, the sky was quite blue.

Since it felt so good to be out of the house for a change, I decided to take a more-scenic route home, so I got on Skyline Drive in Front Royal.

The Drive runs mostly along the ridge of the mountains, so it’s typically at least 10 degrees colder on the Drive than at lower elevations. So I got to see lots of cool ice, too.

Is it just me, or do you see a face, too?

161 — Note the slight hint of glacial blue coloring in that ice?

I think temps were in the low 30s (F), but it was windy, so it felt much colder.

The next two pictures are for you folks not from around here who wonder why we don’t ride our bikes more during the winter.

Cold isn’t the only reason. The roads are particularly hazardous this time of year. There’s a wide variety of stuff used to treat roads to prevent icing. Like rock salt, cinders, sand, salt brine, and even mixes of some of the above.

That stuff might make the ice go away, but it doesn’t go away. So we see lots of this…

In the next shot, you can see the build-up of the salt/sand mixture on the shoulder and in-between the lanes. It’s often scattered across the lanes in spots, too. Sometimes even in big piles if one of the big trucks has a hiccup while slinging the materials around.

So even if it warms up, if there’s been recent bouts of freezing temps, one has to be extra careful. That stuff will send you sliding off the blacktop in a heartbeat.

Spring will be here soon.