Spatter

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.

Floyd's Indigo Girls

Some who are reading this post also read the blog Loose Leaf Notes , and so have already seen the article written there on Floyd's "Indigo Girls". 

For all others, Something Fishy In Floyd will reveal to you yet another example of what makes good living and living good in Floyd County.   

 

Living Places

Cities are exciting...there's no doubt about that.  There are lots of "things to do" and there's anonymity.  For some, like me, this anonymity provided essential space for community and self expression.  I couldn't have not had it as part of my life. 

But once the dust of youthful exuberance settles and the self has shaped itself...once the soul steps up to take its turn...the very anonymity that was once embraced starts to lose its appeal. 

Take walking down a street.  In a city, this is an exercise of survival.  Cold stares from passers by - if that - as they scurry along...coming and going.  People are seldom present.  Then go into a business place...another anonymous encounter. Get it done.  Go on. 

I now live six months of the year in a small rural town in southwest Virginia.  Here, just about everyone you encounter interacts on some level. People greet you with their eyes as well as their voice, and quite often, the salutation goes on to become a conversation.  The the next thing you know, you're not total strangers any more.  It even happens to me - a part time, transplanted resident who is known to live with another woman! 

They do it to acknowledge.
They do it out of respect for you as another human being.   

In that moment...for that moment...there is connection.  The soul has been touched, and we are the better for it.

 

Hillsville

Our time in Hillsville was great fun. It was just four of us.  Judy passed on going...she decided to stay home with the pooches vs fighting the crowds and walking the hills.   

More treasures found.  I didn't find wine glasses, but did find a couple of pie birds aka pie vents.  These have been added to the two I already had and the two that Stacey & Ellen gave me this weekend.  I guess I now have the start of a collection.

Today's finds are the red and black birds on the right. Stacey & Ellen's gift are the brown one in front and the redish one on the far left. 

Ellen, Jody, and Stacey...

The sun is setting.  Dinner to come. 

A sad note.  We got word that our friend Sandy has taken a bad turn.  She's been living with a form of leukemia for many years.  Up and down...in and out.  This time while in the hospital, she fell and broke her hip.  We hope that she'll be home soon.  It's odd to think that we were having such a lovely day while she was lying in a hospital bed.  Life is such a puzzle.

The Treasure Hunt - Day 1

Cast:  Judy; her sister Ellen; Ellen's daughter Stacey; Judy's daughter Jody; and me.

Time:  7:30am.  It's hard to get Judy going that early, but she's ready to go as planned. 

Off to the Blue Ridge Restaurant for an early breakfast. Yummy pancakes, but no link sausage. I manage.  Then down Route 221 South to find yard sales like eggs at an easter egg hunt.  Today's finds among the five of us:

-a large glass bowl (to be used to mix salads)
-two small ball jar glasses with handles (to be used for cut flowers)
-a screen door plate (to help some way with a warped door - you'd have to ask Judy about this one)
-a very small decorative bird house (to be put on our screened porch ledge with other ones)
-a large and colorful ceramic flower pot (Ellen's)
-a hand truck (Jody's - to help move her girls in and out of college dorms/apartments over the next few
years)
-a couple of decorative glasses (Stacey collects)
-a decorative wall plate (Jody's)
-some old magazines (Stacey's)
-an old children's book (Stacey's)
-a rectangular green glass vase (Ellen's)

I think there might be a few other things, but I can't recall them now. 

Lunch was at a recently opened little shack called "Dino's - The Greek Hillbilly".  Jody had heard it was good.  The menu: Greek, French, Italian, Mexican, and American "cuisine".  Talk about covering your bases!  We had some of the Mexican and some of the  Greek.  It was pretty good, actually. 

Back home  by  mid-aftenoon.  Resting.  Some napping, some watching TV, me on my computer with a glass of red wine. 

We've decided to go out to dinner at The Pine Tavern.  Family style.  Great fried chicken.  Later, it'll be a Netflix movie.  I think we've got "Stranger Than Fiction"...fluff, but suitable for the day. 

Tomorrow's agenda:  Hillsville.