It’s the pitter patter of little feet around my house these days. Four of them!
Jack arrived today via the Roanoke Valley SPCA and he promises to be the most awesome dog. Of course, you can never tell when they are only 2 months old but there are signs that I think point to what I value most in a dog.
- Attachment and loyalty - he cannot hardly stand to be out from under your feet and curls up right by them when you’re sitting at the desk or at the table.
- Affection - he loves to be cuddled and to have his ears and neck rubbed, and he will give you an occasional lick on the hand as a token of his appreciation. He fell asleep in my lap this afternoon and guess what - he snores just like me!
- Submissive -one sign of a good dog is whether they will allow you to hold them on their back….kind of like a baby. I’ve always been told it is a submissive behavior that dog experts look for when selecting guide dogs and service dogs. He loves it.
- Trainable - even at this young age it is pretty clear that he learns commands such as “sit” and “come” very quickly.
- Cross-Bred - ok, I love purebred dogs, especially labs and Goldens, but one benefit of having a beautiful mutt is that they often don’t suffer some of the recessive gene traits such as hip dysplasia that are prevalent in purebred dogs. Jack’s parents were pure-bred dogs, but one was a Weimaraner and the other a German Wire Hair Pointer. Both are great dogs and he seems to have gotten the best traits from both breeds.
I can’t thank the folks at the RVSPCA enough for the great care and love they show all of their animals. If you have never seen this facility, you really should trek out there, especially if you are contemplating getting a dog or a cat. It is a great place to find the perfect pet and you are doing your community a great service by starting there when you are in search of an animal companion. They also have a foster pet program which is what Jack was a part of. Caring people take these animals in and host them in a loving home until they are ready for adoption. I don’t know all of the specifics of what the RVSPCA does (and it is A LOT) but they are another reason that Roanoke is such an awesome community to live in.
So, like any proud new dog parent, I have a few pictures of the pup. I’m sure there will be MANY more to come.
My house was built in 1910 and around that same time, trees were planted so that the street would be lined with the most beautiful shade producing trees of all varieties. Sadly, all of these trees are nearing the end of their life and one by one, they are having to be taken down when they start to become dangerous. But living in the City of Roanoke has one more great benefit in that you can have two trees planted in front of your home on the right of way between the street and the sidewalk. This reforestation project will ensure that Roanoke remains a green city and will have avenues planted with trees that make for a beautiful streetscape.
So today was a sad day in front of my house as it was the day the city came to take down one of the last of three remaining original trees on this block. Deadwood pruning had extended the tree’s life for a while, but this year it started to drop limbs the size of large trees with one crashing down on a car parked in front during a spring windstorm. So it was time for the tree to go and late this morning came a knock on the door by the Grim Tree Reaper.
So as things progressed, I took a few shots to remember the last few minutes of the life of a tree that had served many, many generations that have come and gone on this block.
The guys who took care of things were nice enough to oblige my request for a slice of the trunk that I am going to turn into a coffee table for one of the porch chair groupings. That’ll be a pretty cool memorial and proof that trees provide a lasting benefit to everyone. Take care of your trees, they don’t grow overnight and you sure do miss them when they have to go.
When I moved into the nabe five years ago, it was late one night as I was unpacking a load from the car and there came this friendly little hello from the porch next door. I couldn’t see who it was, but it was certainly a welcoming tone from the impish little voice coming through the railing. He always spoke in “uptalk” as I liked to call it, his little voice ending in crescendo with every phrase or sentence. As it turned out he would be there with the same cheery greeting whenever you saw him.
As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see this little two year old standing there with his father, barely able to see through the railing. He was my welcoming committee, and over the next few years, he and his mom and dad would become the best friends and neighbors you could ever want.
Then the move. You hate it when people you come to know and love find circumstance pulling them away from you. It doesn’t seem fair to anyone, but you kind of have to accept it. The only bonus is when they come back to visit and you get to reconnect. Watching those kids change and grow leaves you with strange sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Like you’re somewhat a part of their history so you get credit for their future, too. Hey, I knew you when you were barely able to talk and look at you now.
It leaves you feeling a little older, too!
Well, like most young families, they grow a bit here and there. Theirs did, too. Now there is Lucy, little sister of Eli. Just as cute and about the same age now as the little fellow who greeted me from the porch all those five years ago.
Last year I snapped a few pics of them while they were here. This year, I updated Lucy’s picture while her mom fed her a bowl of cereal at my table. They’re both awesome kids, and adorable…..even with a face full of Gerber’s. Here’s to great neighbors and the people who become such a part of your life, just because you moved in next door.
Thursday was a beautiful summer day and what a better way to spend it than in downtown Roanoke to participate in the celebration of our new Art Museum of Western Virginia by signing and then watching the last piece of structural steel be hoisted and fitted on the west roof.
I am a HUGE advocate of this generous gift and am certain that even the critics will be convinced that this is a great thing for Roanoke once the building is completed. It will be stunning as we can already tell by this artists rendering..
So here are a few shots of the signing and hoisting event and then I’ll close this blog with a few shots of the fountain in front of the #1 Fire Station. It was indeed a gorgeous day!!
Then, I wandered on over to the fountain in front of Fire Station #1 and took a few shots….
What do you think this one below looks like…….I’m thinking panther…
Awesome new restaurant opened in Grandin Village recently and I would be certain this one is here to stay. The Issacs Restaurant (there is a menu on their web site) specializes in Eastern Mediterranean foods with salads, appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees a VERY reasonable prices. I think the three of us got a good sampling of the menu offerings and everything was delicious.
Apparently they are going to be open for breakfast as well, trying to fill a need in the Grandin area for quick full blown breakfast fare at reasonable prices.
I feel so fortunate to live withing easy walking distance of both Downtown Roanoke and Grandin Village. Really, Grandin has everything you really need with the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op and the Mick or Mack, The Grandin Theater, a book store, Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar (with it’s fine weekend entertainment!), a furniture store, consignment shop, pharmacy, and coffee shop. Not to mention all of the great restaurants.
I will never forget the last two days as long as I live.
Yesterday was one of those surreal experiences most people never even experience, thankfully. It started out when I got to the gym and the news was tuned in on the locker room TVs. It started out with reports of one fatality and several injuries in a Virginia Tech shooting. But by the time I had finished swimming laps, there were over 30 people dead and numerous injuries in what turned out to be the deadliest shooting ever in the history of the United States. A shocking event that had stunned the country.
Yesterday I pretty much stayed glued to the TV and decided to go to Blacksburg today to see the campus and try to reconcile some of this so that it felt at least somewhat real.
I got to Blacksburg at about 8:30 am and came in on the Prices Fork exit, passing by the new Alumni Center which had turned into a sea of news satellite uplink dishes.
I proceeded downtown which was eerily deserted, then parked near Mike’s Grille and began to walk toward campus. When I got to Squires, there was the first indication of what had happened…a black poster with white lettering on the doors…..
On to the War Memorial which overlooked a near deserted Drill Field, a place which would normally be full of people crossing to classes at this time of the morning.
As the day progressed, I wandered about a campus that was deserted by students and filled with assorted media reps from all over the world. They were all looking for their story and apparently there was not much success to be had as the students who were milling about were reluctant to talk.
I spent a lot of time photographing those places that are so familiar to me. But today, they were just different. There was a feeling of sadness that dripped from the air, a stark contrast in mood to the backdrop of a beautiful sunny spring day complete with the usual Blacksburg wind whipped up by the tail of an almost passed Nor’easter. That storm had actually made the task of saving the lives of the most severely injured that much more difficult as it precluded the use of Lifeguard 10 to transport them to Roanoke.
I was photographing the lobby of Burrus Hall, trying to capture the two half staff flags framed by the front doors, when a figure quickly appeared in the viewfinder and rushed through the door. It wasn’t until I had taken the shot and looked up that I realized it was President Steger on his way to his office to begin what was likely the most difficult day of his career. I realized that I had captured Dr. Steger in one of the sequence shots. I always take sequences of flag shots because it is difficult to capture the best moment of their unfurl.
Later, as I was shooting the breezeway that tunnels through Burrus Hall from the exterior sidewalks, Dr. Steger left the building on his way to a meeting in Williams Hall and I got this shot. I just can’t help but think how alone he looks here. He’s did a great job yesterday answering reporters questions at the news conference, making it apparent that he is an accomplished leader.
The rest of these shots speak for themselves for the most part. As I finished up near the VT memorial set up for last night’s candlelight vigil, I signed the memorial and took this picture of it..
Afterwards, I got three requests to be interviewed by reporters who had apparently taken footage of me signing the memorial. Answering their questions really brought home what all this had meant to me. It has been a sad, sad two days and I’m pretty sure I will think about this everyday for a while.
This campus will never be the same.
Norris Hall is in the far background….Burrus Hall is to the far left…
What a great day to have a birthday! Everyone’s happy cause spring is in the air, playing April Fools on each other. Yep, an April Fools birthday has to rank right up there with the best.
Somehow, even though spring officially begins in March…April 1st just seems to be solid proof that spring really has arrived. Just the word April makes me think about getting out in the garden, and even the thought of mowing the grass is kind of exciting this time of the year. That won’t last long!
It’s also time to clean up around here and that is exactly what we did yesterday on Clean Valley Day in Roanoke. Gave Downtown Wasena a good pick up and admired all of the new trees that we planted last year along the exit from the bridge and the village center. The cherry trees were spectacular in their first year (sorry no picture) and it looks like the Chinese Elms are leafing out now, too. All of that August watering is paying off.
The night watchman at the Cheshire Gallery was keeping and eye on things..
And the window at the gallery is looking really nice, too…
Went to the VT UVA hockey game last night and unfourtunately we lost 3-1, but the second and third periods were hard fought.
Then downtown to Macadoos for a few beers with friends.
Today, it is my official birthday and I got some really cool stuff. Been wanting a Mint Julep cup to make my Mint Juleps a little more authentic. Got this awesome cup with my initials engraved in it. Can’t wait to use it!! Speaking of which, I noted the mint is leafing out as well so Mint Juleps on the porch are not too far off. Actually had a Mojito last night as discovered kind of late that all of the bourbon is gone…hmmm.
And I also got a copy of Eldest….
….the sequal to Eragon, which I am totally looking forward to reading. Picked up Eragon at Dulles last year just before leaving for Bangkok, hoping to read it on the trip. It started off kind of slow and I lost interest, so didn’t read much of it on the trip. But when I got back, I picked it up again and was I really glad that I did. It may start slow, but Eragon is definitely a page turner past the first 50 or so pages. Can’t wait to see the movie, too.
Well, out to the garden. Tomatoes are looking good…
….so better be ready to plant them. The garden needs A LOT of work right now. But hey….spring is here!
I was a bit late for the annual Roanoke City Parks & Rec Easter Egg Hunt which is always held in my Wasena neighborhood, so I camped out at the (abandoned) RR tracks and shot a few frames of the kids as they left with their parents and played a bit on the tracks.
Here’s just a few shots, not the usual EXCITEMENT associated with this event but the kids were obviously having a good time still.
Adults don’t always know how to play….
I love the community spirit that events like this help foster. Roanoke City is such a great place to live and this is just one example of why.
Next year, I’ll be early!!
A day filled with “eventness” !! Parade at noon was LONG this year, and COLD and WINDY…..kind of seems like a tradition. Headed down with Paula, James and Becky…
then next door neighbor Jim showed up a bit later…
and it was a great parade, Roanoke style. Then after the parade we had lunch at Paul’s where you can get the best value in Roanoke. A Gyro Platter which includes a Greek Salad, gyro and fries for only $ 4.75. AWESOME!
Caught this sure sign of spring on the way to and from the house…
Then down to the City Market where the great controversy is brewing over the Center in the Square project to take over part of the vendor stalls. Found this cool dude at Walter’s Greenhouse stall…
Then we met up with Pam and Stork for a beer tasting at the Jeff Center which was pretty decent. Bowl with and a Cheesy Western at the Texas Tavern before we headed back to the Jeff Center for the Second Wynde concert.
Then….as if we hadn’t already done enough…..off to The Green Dolphin where Bebop Hoedown was playing. They sounded great.
Now, I’m beat and have to still finish painting the living room. Will be SO glad when the upstairs project is over. But the floors look great and we should be able to move back in by Tuesday.
Here’s a few more parade pix. Later!
