Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Jet Ski

Jet Ski Jigsaw PuzzleJet Ski Jigsaw Puzzle

Mercy! I can hardly hold my hands up to type tonight! No wonder: water-skiing, swimming and "bucking" the boat all evening long. After spending the day in the darkroom, we ran that jet ski around Claytor Lake until the cows came home. Last year, I held the boat hostage until I finished my income taxes, which was not wise because we didn't get it in the water until July (sicko!) I'm not making a foolish resolution like that again this year. So I'm feeling rather smug: We've been to both of our favorite boating spots already this season, and it's not even June yet! And I'm not feeling any remorse about the unfinished taxes either.

Carolina Beauties

Carolina Beauties Jigsaw PuzzleCarolina Beauties Jigsaw Puzzle

MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!! We have been eating these for several weeks now. Nothing could be finer . . .

Tomorrow, Katie, one of the 4H photographers, and I are heading to the real darkroom with a pinhole camera and 2 rolls of infrared film. What a blast from the past! I hope we get something worthy of display Under the C.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

JoyBell Ringers LIVE!

OH, man!!! I am so stoked!!! I figured this out and it worked the first time. Now you all can see just how awesome my JoyBell Ringers are!! (You can bet this won't be the last time you see them *evil grin*
Please overlook the vidoe quality. It was made by a kid with my digicam in our (understatement!) yellow sanctuary.

Bamboo Garden on the New River Trail

Trail Rider Jigsaw PuzzleTrail Rider Jigsaw Puzzle
The New River Trail is a vast, verdant cathedral in June.

Today, Dave and I had the rare opportunity to do something alone together. We chose to take a bike ride on the trail, which is not novel, but we did go up to Allisonia to explore a different section of the trail, and discovered this beautiful stand of bamboo.




Um . . .yea . . .I'm kinda fascinated with bamboo!

But here's some boats, too:

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Life is Good!

Church On Nevis Jigsaw PuzzleChurch On Nevis Jigsaw Puzzle

A day could hardly ever be more perfect than today! The JoyBell Ringers gave another outstanding performance this morning to finish up the year. They made the most touching tribute for me: a framed collage of pictures from this year and a memory book containing pages handmade by each one. Oh, they are just so precious to me! I'll have to scan the pages and share them with my "C"-side friends.

It's hard to get better than that, but it did! We spent the afternoon jet-skiing at Byllsby with friends. MY-O-MY, It was SOOOOO great to be back at Byllsby, again, after missing out the last 2 summers. (AEP pulled the plug for repair work on the dam.) Unbelievably, the water temperature there is already 79 degrees! Plenty of sunshine, warm water, skiing, hanging out with cool people; I was too busy having fun to get out the camera, so you will just have to picture it in your mind. This is the only picture I have in my computer right now of Byllsby. I took it this past winter when I was showing some guests around the area. Yup! That's all ice! So hard to imagine that it can ever be warm enough to enjoy.



By the way, in case you don't scroll down :) I added a slideshow of the fishing event to yesterday's post. Check it out here, too: "Wetting a Line with the Wheelin' Sportsmen

10,00 th Visitor this Morning!!!!

Ta-DAAAA!!!!!
A Milestone here "Under the C.!!"
If you are from Tulsa, Oklahoma, then you are the prized 10,000 visitor at 8:50am this morning.



Please write to me and let me know who you are!

Hook, Line, and Sinker (and good music, too!)

Jeannie's Fish Jigsaw PuzzleJeannie's Fish Jigsaw Puzzle
Today we trotted down the mountain for the Wheelin’ Sportsmen’ catfish roundup at Shelton Vinyards. There were some fish caught by a few, and good times were had by all.
Click here to see the slideshow.

The Carroll County Anglers



Anyone recognize this fisherman?


Jeannie and her fish



Broken Wire Band pickin' and fiddlin' in the pavilion


This is Josiah, a new friend we met today, and his sweet mom listening to the music and playing games.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Friday, May 25, 2007

Happy Birthday, Agape!

cake Jigsaw Puzzlecake Jigsaw Puzzle

Happy Birthday, Agape!



How can it be that my baby girl is 20 today?!?!?! Isn't she a lovely young women now?
There was a yard full of friends waiting to bestow birthday wishes on her when she stepped off the bus this afternoon.


Agape has been partying to the max already and we haven't even had THE birthday party. Her Special Olympics friends and teachers surprised her with an early birthday treat at Shoneys on prom night. Coach Vickie had birthday cake for her and Donnie at practice last Sunday. She came home with a birthday cake yesterday that Food Lion had given to her, and today, she brought home yet another cake from school. Here she is is delighted with a well-chosen present.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Fine Arts Recital

Toot Your Horn Jigsaw PuzzleToot Your Horn Jigsaw Puzzle

Can you stand another slideshow of cute kids this week? This one is from the homeschooler's fine arts recital last Friday night. The soundtrack for the slideshow is a work that my ringers played on the program, The Virginia Highlands Suite. It's quite a step up in difficulty from what they were playing last year. In fact, I think they play almost as well as this recording, and far surpass it on the second movement, "Mountain Mist."

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Beached Fish

Beached Fish Jigsaw PuzzleBeached Fish Jigsaw Puzzle
This is a detail from the world's record-beaking sand sculpture at the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach last year. It's a bit more of a challenge, or I'm more tired than usual.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

What a Day, Continued . . .

Benkelman's Falls Jigsaw PuzzleBenkelman\'s Falls Jigsaw Puzzle

After the big morning ringing, I journeyed through the spectacular countryside of Elk Creek Valley to attend a La Leche League picnic commemorating the 50th anniversary of the League. La Leche League is a support group for nursing mothers, and I was the founder and leader of the Galax group for 14 years. That was a previous life of mine, but an enormously defining life. So, it was a rich afternoon, indeed: the bucolic trip out and back, the fellowship with old and new friends, the reminiscing, and the picture taking. Here's just a few:


This is Scottie's secluded retreat: a cabin in a wooded sanctuary with its own private waterfall.



This stand of bamboo grows at the rear of the cabin. Scottie's father brought it from George Washington's Mt. Vernon and planted it there in the 50's.

Some delicate woodland wildflowers blooming there


And babies, of course!! It is La Leche League!!


The heart of La Leche Leagure: Mother-to-mother sharing.