GOSIA'S FENCES AROUND THE WORLD

These are various fence post photos taken while driving around. 

 The above and below photos were taken while driving in the Virginia countryside.

Next is an old iron fence surrounding a churchyard in Norfolk (Virginia).

 A nod to our British friends, I am one day late but I wish you a Happy Saint George's Day. My photo was taken in Jamestown (Virginia), where the first permanent English settlement was established.  If you click on the red lettering above, it is a link to more information.

Thank you for hosting Gosia.  If you would like to see other Fences Around the World, or join in with your own, you will find the link here.  

  

FENCES AND HORSES - ANOTHER FROM THE OLD BLOG

Another post from the archives.  This was when we were on a mini road trip not too far from home.  The weekends often finds us exploring. We came across these gorgeous horses a while back. I've decided to take an apple or two along with me next time, or a few cubes of sugar as a friend of mine suggested. We don't have to ride too far before we reach horse country.

Just look at the expression on that horses face. It just says, "I'm disgusted, where is my apple and the least you could have brought us were a few cubes of sugar? Don't come back next time without them!"

If you would like to see other Fences Around The World, or join in with your own, you will find them on Gosia's blog here.  

Thank you for hosting Gosia.  

Enjoy your day and have a great weekend.

GOOD FENCES FOR GOSIA

This is my contribution for Good Fences hosted by Gosia. 

This pretty log cabin with its white picket fence was found on a quiet country road a few weeks ago. We were in the south western part of Virginia in July. If you would like to see other fences, or join in with your own, you can go here.  

Thank you Gosia and thank you for visiting everyone.  Have a great weekend. I will be back on Monday.

RANDOM PHOTOS

I haven't done a random photo post in a while, and I thought why not do a collection in this one.  The first photo shows a pretty color combination of Gerbara Daisies.  They were being sold in the front of one of our local supermarkets 

We decided to have a bite to eat before shopping, and after picking up a tray of vegetable sushi and a drink, we headed to the dining area.  After lunch we started in the vegetable section and bought bananas, mushrooms, a sweet red pepper, a cauliflower, a big bag of birdseed, and a few other sundries.  This was not a big shopping trip. We got into a conversation with our young cashier as she rang our groceries up.  We are always impressed with the friendliness of the staff here. 

A wasp landed on the patio door and it didn't budge for a long time.  I think they are building a nest inside the outside light fixture.  I don't really want to look inside.  They seem to build one every year. 

This was a print in our bedroom at the Airbnb the weekend before last. Thought it was pretty enough to take a photo of.  I have said that a few times.

I like the quote.  I can't remember where I found it.

These two photos were taken when we were driving through Culpeper, Virginia, on the Friday of the Memorial Day Weekend.  I would have liked to have gotten a better photo of the mural, but my reaction time is slowing down.  Maybe we will take a trip back sometime.  I think the figure is supposed to be George Washington who, among his many accomplishments, was also a land surveyor.  You can read all about that here if interested.  

Added note: If you go to this link you will see photos and more information on the mural.

Next are the Asiatic Lilies we found for sale outside another supermarket.  Thought they were lovely.

More lovely flowers. 

I found a postcard in my collection for the State of Virginia.  Not only pretty but informative.

This past weekend we took a ride up to Skyline Drive.  It was a sunny day but on the chilly side.  Should have been more prepared as we were both in short sleeves, the weather having been warm for the previous few days.  The only thing I knew about the weather was that it was going to be sunny, that it would be a great day for a drive, and it was. I will do a post of our trip later.  So what is the ice-cream picture all about?  We know a place on our way home, and the car knows how to get here.  It is nothing fancy.  Nowhere to sit down inside, in fact no inside at all for the general public, a building with a large menu of various ice-cream flavors and drinks, and a sliding glass window where you order.  The seating is outside to the right of the building, where you sit under a large canopy.  I got a hot fudge sundae and Gregg got his root beer float.  Forty-five minutes later we were home.

Thanks for looking at my random photos, and have a great day.

2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - MONDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2017 - PART 2

I didn't have time to finish our day on April 10th, so here is another part.  We did so much on the 10th that there will be a Part 3 also.  Once again thank you for all the comments you have left.  When we get to a hotel at night it is fun to settle in and start reading them, and try to answer as many as I can if I don't fall asleep. I also like to look through the photos and download them to my laptop.   

April 10th, 2017

9.20 a.m. It hasn't been too long since we left Mabry Mill and we have just seen our first deer.  There were at least half a dozen of them crossing the road ahead of us.  I managed to gather my wits long enough, thanks to Gregg's encouragement to get the camera and was in time to take at least one photo of a deer, who stood at the side studying us as much as we were studying it.  Then it decided to join the family and disappeared into the woods. We are on the Blue Ridge Parkway heading south.

9.39 a.m. we stopped to look at a lovely old cabin, and the historical sign told an amazing story.  

"Born in 1837 "Aunt" Orelena Hawks Puckett lived here during the latter of her 102 years.  She was often heard to say, "The forest was green when I was a-born and I'm green yet."  A bride at 16, Mrs. Puckett and her husband first farmed below nearby Groundhog Mountain.

Mrs. Puckett was past age 50 when she began a long career of midwifery.  She assisted at the births of more than 1000 babies, delivering the last in 1939, the year she died.  It has been said she never lost a child or mother through her own fault. Ironically none of Mrs. Puckett's own 24 children lived beyond infancy.

Regardless of weather, "Aunt" Orelena went wherever and whenever called.  Sometimes on horesback, often walking, the midwife brought assurance and kindness to all she visited.  When she began her practice around 1890 her fee was one dollar, and "when times was good" six dollars.  Often receiving food and other goods in lieu of money, she generously shared all she had with her neighbors or those in need.  Today, Orelena Puckett is remembered in this area for her witty, cheerful personality, as well as for her unselfish and skillful practice as a midwife."

That night when we got to the hotel I set out to find more about this lady, and learned that these very sad losses of her own babies were possibly as a result of Rh hemolytic disease.

When Orelena was in her 50s a neighbor went into labor and no doctor could be found.  This began her career as a midwife, and for the next nearly fifty years, she traveled the Virginia countryside and became known for her compassion and skill.  She delivered her last baby at the age of 94, and passed away in 1939.  That last baby's name was Maxwell Hawks on August 30th, 1938.

The Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute in Asheville, North Carolina continues her legacy to care for mother and child.  They promote and try to strengthen the development of child, parents and family.

Her story has been dramatized in Phyllis Smith's play, "They Call Me Aunt Orlean", which is performed at the cabin several times a year, and in Karen Cecil Smith's book, "Orlean Puckett: The Life of a Mountain Midwife."  You can see that her name is spelled differently.  Not really sure why.  I would like to find a copy of this lady's book.

When we left we were very glad to have come across this place and learn about this amazing lady.  Bittersweet to have lost so many of her own babies, and yet to have delivered over a 1000 others.  I can't imagine anyone having 24 babies and losing them all.  Why so many after so many heartbreaks?  Different times for sure.  I'd be interested in what you think out there.

At 10.34 a.m. we entered North Carolina.  We have been following a motorcycle for miles and we were able to pass him at 12.47 p.m.  Safe travels whoever you are.

That same afternoon we had a marvelous time at Biltmore Estate but I am going to have to put that in another post as it's time to get ready and get on the road.

2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - MONDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2017 - PART 1

Monday, April 10th, 2017

We left Stuart (southwest Virginia), and were very happy with our short stay.  There was ample parking behind the hotel.  It also seemed a very nice little town, though we didn't explore it fully as we were eager to get on with our journey.

We headed to Mabry Mill and were there extra early.  There was no one else around, probably because the visitor center and restaurant were not opening until May 1st, and it was still a little early in the season. The mill is a wonderful old place to visit and has been on our bucket list for years.

This is the couple who owned the mill.  According to the nearby sign the mill was built in about 1910 by Edwin B. Mabry, a jack-of-all-trades who had been a chairmaker, a miner, a coal company blacksmith and a farmer. He and his wife Mintoria Lizzie Mabry, operated the mill until 1936, grinding corn and sawing lumber for their Meadows of Dan neighbors. In 1945 the National Park Service restored and landscaped the mill. Today it is the most photographed feature of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Here are a few other photos taken that morning.

There was a solitary duck enjoying its swim.  I am not familiar with this kind, and I had no luck finding any identification online.

He/she is a beauty!  

I would like to thank you all for visiting and looking, and leaving comments.  As our days are long and by the time we get to our hotel in the evening we are a wee bit tired, I am not able to read and get to publish your comments very quickly right now, but I will catch up with you as soon as I am able.  

A POEM - THE SOUND OF TREES BY ROBERT FROST

This was taken earlier in the year, on our way to Skyline Drive. We took a minor detour through the town of Sperryville.

I wonder about the trees.

Why do we wish to bear

Forever the noise of these

More than another noise,

So close to our dwelling place?

We suffer them by the day

Till we lose all measure of pace,

And fixity in our joys,

And acquire a listening air.

They are that talks of going

But never gets away;

And that talks wiser and older,

That now it means to stay.

My feet tug at the floor 

And my head sways to my shoulder

Sometimes when I watch trees sway

From the window or the door.

I shall set forth for somewhere,

I shall make the reckless choice

Some day when they are in voice

And tossing so as to scare

The white clouds over them on.

I shall have less to say, But I shall be gone.

~Robert Frost~

RANDOM PHOTO

Driving back home a few weeks ago, we found ourselves in Wakefield where we had lunch at the Virginia Diner.  I noticed the reflection of the church across the street in one of the windows.

WILLY-NILLY FRIDAY FIVE

Driving through the relatively new part of the Portsmouth Tunnel

1) We have just returned from a trip down south and got to visit with a lot of the family.   I forget how hot and humid it can get down there.  One afternoon it rained heavily and when we got out of the car, steam rose off the ground.  It felt like a steam bath.

2) We ate out every day so my five this week is a lot about the places we ate.  One day we were invited to dinner by our niece and nephew.  A big thank you for that because they have a brand new addition in their family, and I know how tired and busy they are.  There is a sweet baby who was born last month.  Her little sister is doing a super job of helping mummy and daddy take care of her.  We had a very special evening.  We have three relatively new members in the family, a five year old, a one year old and a month old.  It was lovely seeing all three of them during our stay.  Sweet as can be and it just gave you a good feeling being around them.

3) Another day we went off with other family members to a restaurant we have been going to for years.  I always enjoy it.  Usually we sit by the window and look out over the water, but it is the busy time of the year with tourists, and even though we were further inside, we still get the view.  It was also the lunch hour, and yes it was too hot to sit outside.  There were plenty of tables available out there but not many people were making use of them.

4) A little while ago Gregg found a food truck that sold Lobster Rolls.  Oh my goodness, they were delicious.  They also sell a whole lot of other things, including fish and chips.  This place is very popular but fortunately we arrived at a quieter  time.

5) On the way back home we decided to drive via the Northern Shore and had lunch at The Shanty in Cape Charles.  We actually had fish and chips this time.  It's a restaurant that I look forward to returning.  The lady who took care of us was great.  She had a wonderful sense of humor and we found ourselves chuckling several times.  She noticed I jokingly held my Margarita back when Gregg asked for a sip and I said to her, I guess you saw that and she said oh yes I did and she laughed.  She was a real breath of fresh air.  And yes Gregg got his sip.  He was driving, he couldn't have but a sip and agreed it was excellent.  I only have Margarita's on my birthday or when on holiday, and from now on when I am at The Shanty, because it was the best one I had tasted in a long time, and the fish and chips were delicious.

Yes, we will most definitely be going back to The Shanty the next time we are in the area.

Now we're back home and being good!

I am slowly trying to catch up with the memes and this morning I am linking with Tanya at Willy-Nilly Friday Five.  You can click on the link below to visit other participants.


Willy-Nilly Friday Five