Spatter

In Floyd

Floyd's having a busier than usual weekend. In addition to the usual Friday night activities, the Village Green cut its official ribbon Saturday.  Businesses in the building...including Nancy's Candy Company...welcomed the public to come have a look around.

Lots of people turned out for the event. My friend Colleen was there taking pictures.  I thought it might be fun to add a picture catching her in the act.  Here she is in a black coat carrying her recently blogged about bag:

While watching the ceremony, I spied these two tickets for the Virginia Tech v Miami game in a young man's pocket.

I jokingly went up to him and offered to take them off his hands.  Much to my surprise the tickets were actually available and he invited me to join he and his wife at the game.  It was tempting, but going would have meant missing Spoken Word night. I guess that tells you something about my priorities of late!  And besides, it would have been very cold sitting in the evening air. 

By the way, it just so happens that this couple are recent transplants from Ft. Lauderdale...where I'm from.  It seems he and his wife came up for leaf season a couple of years ago and fell in love with it.  They bought some land right then and there and are now living here. 

Its neighbor Hotel Floyd provided tours of all the themed rooms.  It was fun to see them first hand (vs on their internet site) and to be able to touch and feel the furniture. One thing that I didn't see on the site was their soon to be amphitheater.  The square slab is going to become a timber frame stage, and as you can see, it's surrounded by natural stadium seating.  Floyd's devotion to music keeps showing itself!

Also taking place this weekend: our new Mexican restaurant, Charros, is finally opening its doors. We won't make it there for its Sunday opening, but never fear, we'll definitely make a point of eating there before leaving for the winter.

It's all very  exciting.  Judy and I ran into a long time resident  at lunch and we were talking about all that's happening in Floyd.  I mused about how growth can be a double-edged sword, to which she responded: "Growth was bound to come...I'm just glad Floyd is doing it on its own terms". This, in fact, was the very reasoning that prompted the creation of Hotel Floyd and the Village Green. The Village Green building was once a local grocery store.  It went out of business a few years back and has stood vacant since. Sooner or later, it would have been occupied...but by who?  A group of citizens stepped up to take the matter into their own hands.

The final weekend activity to note is Spoken Word Night.  It takes place once a month at the Cafe del Sol and this month, the place was packed. I think  the cold weather must put people in the mood to be cozy at a coffee house. I'm glad, since it was my last Spoken Word Night for the year. I'm glad to have such a vibrant session to carry with me as a memory while in Florida.

 

Post Note

Here's one of the poems I read at Spoken Word Night:

I am...
I am not alone.
I feel so alone
amidst the crowd
silently crying.
Look into my eyes.
Can you see who I am?
Who am I?
A shadow in the midst of time.

 

Over The Moon

Wanting to be sure to connect one more time before leaving, we made plans to join our friends from Woods Gap Road for an evening out.  That evening took place last night at

When we got there we saw and sat down with three other friends. We spent the next few hours enjoying:

Good music - a local musician played mostly Bob Dylan songs...in fact, if you closed your eyes, you'd swear he was Dylan...

Good food -organic fare from the Harvest Moon Food Store  below. I tried the buffalo steak and liked it. Later, some hemp milk latte. Very nice...

And good conversation - books, politics, food, shopping local, quantum physics, travel...you name it.

I came home filled.

PS:

Yes, milk can be made from hemp. I knew it was once used for rope and even clothing, and well, you know that other thing...but I never knew about it being used as food. It turns out that hemp seeds are highly nutritious.  They can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, prepared as tea, and used in baking.  They're also being used to make a non-dairy milk similar to soy, ergo my latte.

Floyd Golf Star

I've been remiss in not pointing out to the world that the Floyd County High School's golf team won the Virginia State Championship (Class A) for the second year in a row and the third time in seven years.  It's a co-ed team and its current star is Jessica Hollandsworth. Yes, she's playing head to head against the guys...and...she's winning.

For those of you who follow women's golf, be on the lookout for her in the coming years!  She's the next Morgan Pressel...and perhaps, then some.

Click here to read details of the tournament.

Wonderful Wet

I'm listening to the sound of rain.  I've always liked the sound of it, but this time...this rain...sounds especially sweet...we've waited so long for it. 

It had rained some last night, and throughout the day today there were low clouds hovering. But like so many other times this year, no significant rain came from them.  We had been let down again. That is, until this evening. 

I was having dinner at Oddfellas Cantina when I noticed someone walking by with umbrella raised. "It must be raining...that's good", I said to myself.  But except for the umbrella, I wouldn't have been able to tell. 

Later, when I opened the door to leave, there was no question about it. The light rain had turned into a glorious torrent and the street lights gave it a surreal look you'd see in a film noir movie.

Now usually I wouldn't cherish the idea of getting cold & wet, but tonight I just pulled up my hood and started out. I didn't run to get to my car.  I walked.  I smiled.  The people I passed were smiling too. 

Floyd Happenings

Here's an update on what's happening in Floyd these days...

The "Over The Moon Gallery & Cafe" located above the Harvest Moon Foodstore  is now serving dinner on Friday nights. I've heard it's very good food and there's live music. 

And speaking of new places to eat, the Mexican restaurant Charro's located downstairs in the Winter Sun building will be opening the first weekend in November.

Art Under The Sun is offering galleries, classes, and events.

The Sun Music Hall & Cultural Arts Center is keeping busy with its ongoing list of concerts and events.

The Jacksonville Center is continuing to thrive offering various artisan classes.

Southern Living Magazine was in town last week taking photos for an upcoming feature article on Floyd.

Hotel Floyd, our town's new eco-friendly and themed hotel, seems to be off to a great start. By the way, its web site has been updated to include multiple photos of all of the unique rooms. Take a peek.

And before I head south for the winter...

Both the Village Green & Village Square will be open for business; and the construction of a new park between Cafe del Sol and the Floyd Country Store will be completed.

If you want to read more in depth about what Floyd has to offer, Discover Floyd County  is a good blog to read.

Hotel Floyd

Much to my surprise, I discovered that Hotel Floyd is open for business. It opened October 1st, despite the fact that the parking area and outside landscaping aren't finished. 

Hotel Floyd is unique because it uses green technology to minimize impact on the environment, and because it's a showcase for the art, furniture, music and culture of the Floyd Community. There are fourteen rooms - some are suites - and each one has its own Floyd related theme.  Check out its site for pictures and more in depth descriptions of rooms, rates, and its second phase plans.

What's even more surprising than this is that I've heard the demand for rooms in Floyd is such that there's plenty of "room" for this hotel without impacting the other lodging choices in the area.  In Floyd???  I guess I don't have my finger on the pulse of things.

So far at least, the development is being done in a way that helps Floyd's economy, while at the same time, holds onto the charm that makes Floyd Floyd:  Hotel Floyd and the neighboring Village Green are both attractive timber frame buildings; the Locust Street parking area will  be landscaped and have sitting walls for Friday Night Jamboree attendees; and the park between Winter Sun and The Country Store will have them too...along with a little stage for musicians, etc.   

So, my friends...plan a trip to Floyd in 2008.  There are plenty of options as to where to stay.  Hotel Floyd, Oak Haven Lodge, a variety of B&Bs, and for some...there's even Blackberry Ridge.

 

Fore!

Today...almost five months to the day from when I broke & dislocated my shoulder...I played golf.

It was just the two of us - Judy and me - and we played at Floyd's very own Great Oaks Country Club.  It's a gem of a course...beautifully maintained and on beautiful terrain.  When we first saw it years ago, we were amazed that Floyd had such a great course.  After we got to know Floyd better, we realized it was just another one of Floyd's many treasures.  And the price to play?  How about $39 (that's weekend rates) for cart and green fees!  You can't beat that.

We had a great time:  we enjoyed the course, the weather, and each other's company.  In between shots, we collected leaves.  Judy's thinking of pressing them and using them somehow. Why, we even enjoyed our games.

I think I played pretty well if you take into consideration that I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to hit the ball or if my shoulder was going to slip out of its socket.  The back nine got a bit scraggly, but my final score was 93 with no pick-ups, and no lost balls.  As our friend Anita is prone to say: "it was good enough".

 

 

 

Spoken Word Night

Whew.  It's done.  I survived. 

I went to my first Spoken Word night this evening, and as planned, got up and spoke. I followed after several others...actually, I think it turned out that I was the last.  All who preceded me were obviously quite practiced at not only writing, but also, presenting.  Their poems were as good as any I've heard.  Really.  I'm once again amazed at the diversity and dimension of creative spirit here in Floyd.

I couldn't help but feel transported to earlier times when coffee houses and poets often came together.  The days of Nikki Giovanni...ee cummings...Rod McKuen.  The only thing different was that back in those times, the room would have filled with smoke.      

My turn came.  Judy says I did really well. I know she's supposed to say those kinds of things, but I'm pretty sure she was sincere.   

Here are the words I spoke:

I stand here in defiance of my anxiety.
I stand here to declare one more time in this summer of firsts
that I am who I am and
I am more than I have let myself be...
Physically, intellectually, emotionally.

So, here I go again -

bellying up to the bar
taking a swig
giving it a go
putting my money where my mouth is
letting it all hang out
diving in -
trusting that I will be in tact...that I will be in tact...when done.

You'll soon come to know that my words are
short in length
simple in vocabulary
direct in meaning....
They are uniquely me.

The poem I've chosen to share is called "Fox Squirrel":

there he was, dying
on a day when life seemed abundant.
as I stood there helpless
I found myself examining his face for pain
knowing well that someday
I too would be experiencing death.
but even in this moment of anguish
I admired his full tail
and beautiful coat.
It seemed the right thing to do.

There you have it.  And here I go to bed and good rest after a full day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floyd Harvest Festival

Floyd's long awaited weekend arrived with the remnants of Hurricane Humberto.  Friday brought with it driving rain, and we stayed tucked inside most of the day.  But come evening, I ventured out as planned to meet fellow photo clubbers at Oddfellas Cantina for dinner. The live music was a mellow guitarist.  Very nice.  Afterwards, it was on to the fair site to judge the photography entries. 

Today, the rain gave way to a sunny, mild day.  The perfect kind of weather for fairs and festivals...bright, blue sky; cool air; no humidity. 

Off we went...
                                                 

Our first stop was the Harvest Moon's Taste of Floyd. In addition to the delicious food and good music, it was a great venue for meeting people. I saw and introduced myself first to Fred, and then, David - two established artists and bloggers here in Floyd. Of course I saw Colleen - checking out the festivities with her trusty camera in hand.

All of the vendors were from Floyd County, and they all had delicious foods to sample.  One, Bright Farm, will probably be where we get our Thanksgiving turkey this year.  Also present:  the  Indigo Girls.  We took the opportunity to introduce ourselves to them, and I think Judy arranged for a follow-up call to make a date for a BBR dinner.  I'm not sure because my attention was drawn away to greet our new friend and neighbor, Dennis.  He's the wood turner that gifted us the bowl at our pot luck.  He and Suzie  had biked there. 

We made a date for frisbee golf at their place tomorrow.  That'll be fun. 

Then, we had a bite to eat, while we listened to the next group on stage.  It was Zephyr neighbor Bob Grubel.

He's the one on the far left. I had never heard his music before, and was actually impressed enough to buy one of his cds. 

We're really fans of his new wife, Florence.  She's the type of person who you immediately like and feel that you've been friends for a long time.  Below is a picture of the two of us.  For those of you who don't know what I look like, I'm the one on the right.   Hey, I finally got into a picture!                              

Around about now, Judy and I decided to catch the shuttle bus and head for the 4-H fair.  Once there, we walked around some and stayed long enough to see what it was all about.  It didn't take long, actually.  I think we missed a lot of the events by getting there in the afternoon. 

I will say that one of my romanticized visions of what goes on at a fair was destroyed. Neither this fair or the one in Hillsville tasted the pickle, jelly, cake, etc. entries.  They  were all judged strictly by appearance.  I couldn't believe it.  I mean  in the movie, "State Fair", didn't they taste the entries?!  I distinctly remember the pickle judge smacking his lips!  Sigh. 

I guess my life will go on.  In fact, it's  going on this evening when I go to my first Spoken Word night at the Cafe del Sol.  More on that in my next post. 

A Big Day Ahead

Tomorrow is a big day in Floyd.  The annual Floyd Harvest Festival & County Fair, the Taste Of Floyd, a walking history tour of Floyd, and this month's Spoken Word all take place.   

Last year Judy and I went to the Taste of Floyd and walked the history tour, but missed the fair. So this year, the fair is my priority. I went to its website  and I was amazed at the scope of it.  Here's a short list of exhibits and competitions: 

• canned fruits and vegetables
• cookies and breads
• pies
• jellies
• pickles
• horticulture of all sort
• quilting and embroidery
• handicrafts
• woodcarving
• photography (I'm one of the judges - so can't enter)
  
• livestock
• hog calling, milk chugging, and hay baling

What's this? I'm starting to hum... "my state fair is the best state fair, don't miss it, don't even be late..."  I can't wait to experience it! 

I sure wish that there was a way to taste the winners of the food categories. I'll think I'll pay attention to the names of the winners in case they're vendors at the fall festivals that take place in October and November.