A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a neighbor of mine at the grocery store. When I asked her how things were going, she replied, “It’s cold on the creek.”  Compared to recent winters, I guess that’s a fairly accurate statement. My brother Michael, who lives in Galax, arrived in this area in 1988. The first major snow storm occurred in October; the snow cover lasted all winter and a major ice storm hit in April. There was a time when that was the rule rather than the exception. I don’t intend to get into a discussion of the effects of global warming, greenhouse gases, etc,  etc. Those subjects are becoming just like opinions on religion and politics, and assholes too as the old saying goes:  everybody has one, but experience has taught me it’s best not to share mine in public.

Instead of complaining about the weather like I have in the recent past, I’m trying to embrace it and enjoy the things it has to offer. There are times when the scenic beauty of these ancient mountains can take your breath away. The observation of the natural world around our humble little cottage is fascinating.

As with the December storm, animal tracks are abundant. Though we haven’t seen the bear tracks yet (I guess they finally decided to hibernate), we have seen a plethora of deer, rabbit, birds, and the feral cat that seems to have adopted us.

As regular readers of this blog know, I keep bizarre hours. I sleep when I’m sleepy, and usually no more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. Naps are one of the benefits of retirement. I’m up before dawn most days so I have some interesting photo opportunities.  I just wish my abilities matched my opportunities.

One of my favorite things to do is watch the sun rise over Chestnut Ridge. Standing on the back deck in the bracing cold with a cup of coffee as dawn erupts is invigorating and an excellent way to start the day.

As I learn more about photography, and things like foreground shots and negative space, I realize what a treasure trove of opportunity awaits me just outside my doors. I’ll close out this post with a few more recent shots. Hope you enjoy them.

Oh, and one last thing. I can’t forget to include the most laid back member of our household in all this:

We’ve been in Columbia, MD for the last week or so making arrangements for the care of Anne’s ailing mother. It doesn’t take long to remember why we moved to Wythe County in the first place. The DC metropolitan area is maddening enough to make a Baptist preacher take up drinkin’ and cussin’. Thank goodness we’re headed home later today. I did have one really great day though.  Sunday I went with the Heir Apparent and his dad to the model train show at the Dulles Convention Center. I’m here to tell you it was fun with a capital F!

Billed as the “World’s Greatest Hobby,” model trains have changed a great deal since I was a kid. Some of the layouts were almost unbelievable. In addition to the trains, there were working miniature carnivals replete with lighted carousels, roller coasters, and bumper cars. There were tableaux of European villages, turn of the century mountain towns, and New York City in the 1940s. One of the largest displays had dozens of trains circling the tracks (one train contained an aquarium car with live goldfish.) There were aficionados of all make and manner dressed as engineers, conductors, and porters.

Ultimately, this was a family day. Grandparents, parents and children of all ages coming together to enjoy what just might be the world’s greatest hobby.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been as entertained by winter as I care to be. I’m thinking of changing Chestnut Ridge’s name to Par Mountain because right now, dern near everything around here is below par.

Our humble little cottage is semi-ice bound because I didn’t get the snow guards installed on our nifty tin roof before the pre-Christmas snow storm hit. That led to 3 1/2 feet of snow that slid from the roof stacked against the back of the house and the front porch, which turned into a solid block of ice while we were away for the holidays.  That’s a round about way of saying we haven’t been able to get out the back door since December 18 . That’s not a ski run in the picture above, it’s the front steps.

Speaking of the holidays, we spent some of the time with our son-in-law Jon and the Heir Apparent, which included a trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it.  Cost of admission; $20 per ticket. Lunch: around $40. Watching the excitement and delight of a 6-year-old grandson: Priceless.

P.S. We found Nemo!

I’d like to thank all the people Anne and I have heard from in the past ten months for their love and support. Considering everything we’ve been through, to say that this has been an awful year gives new meaning to the word “understatement”. We will never get over the loss of our beloved Beth. In October,  Anne lost her job 2 1/2 years before retirement. A week later, we had to have Tasha, our 14-year-old Keeshond  put to sleep. At times we felt like we were trapped inside a really bad movie and couldn’t get out. There were days when it was a major effort just to get out of bed. But we did, and continue to do so….and we’re doing better. So to all the folks who have urged me to start blogging again, thanks for hanging in there.

I’ve tried for weeks now to get this blog started up again. I felt like I should say something about my daughter since her death notice was the last thing I posted. I’ve tried, but I can’t write about Beth and what an amazing person she was in a simple blog post. I can’t and I won’t….I’m just going to try and move on.

Anne and I have sort of channeled part of our grief into our garden. We’re harvesting arugula, chard, spinach, and some outstanding strawberries. Plus, the green beans, squash, zuccini, cucumbers, nasturtiums, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes and onions are all up and healthy….the rain plus some increase in our knowledge of organic gardening is really paying off.

One of the things I’m learning from this is a new respect for the small farmer. My garden is a hobby. If I choose not to work in it one or two days because of the weather, it’s no big deal. Farmers don’t have that luxury. They’re out there 7 days a week in every kind of weather trying to eke out a living and provide us with some of the things we need to sustain life. I’m beginning to find local sources for a lot of good to excellent food. Once I have a few more, I’ll post a list for local beef, poultry, pork, lamb, produce, eggs, cheese and any other supplier of locally grown or made goods I think you might find useful. This down economy is far from over and our neighbors need our support. Without them, our quality of life will greatly suffer.

As I’ve said before, think globally, but buy locally.

One other thing. My computer crashed during the worst period and I still have to replace a lot of software…..like the program I need for my photography. I’m taking the shots and will post them as soon as I can.

On March 9, Anne and I lost our only child, our precious daughter Beth. After a 30 year battle with diabetes which led to partial blindness, kidney failure, and failed organ transplants, her fragile body finally gave up. As much as I would like to tell you about her and how special she was, it is still too soon. The tears have not stopped and I just can’t do it right now. Anne and I would like to thank the hundreds of friends and relatives who have contacted us during this most difficult time. If you would like to see what others thought, or you would like to make a donation to the two charities Beth actively supported, please go to www.hinesrinaldifuneralhome.com . In the obituary search space enter Elizabeth Gatti.

I will resume my blog in a few days. In the mean time, I thank you for your continued support and patience.

In the year and a half that Anne and I have lived here full time, we’ve had some some really good times. Usually they involved either music or food, and the best of them involved both. Friday night was one of those times. We drove over to Floyd to have dinner at the new Over the Moon Cafe and to listen to the music of the Bernie Coveney Trio. It would have been worth the two hour round trip to do either, but the combination of the two made the evening special.

Bernie is a musician’s musician, and he’s played with many of the great ones. He, along with fiddle player Martin Scudder and bassist Tom Klingelhoffer, perform a unique fusion that blends jazz, bluegrass, American roots, and country with a little rock ‘n roll and gypsy guitar thrown in for good measure. Much of the music features Bernie’s own lyrical compositions. For better than two hours we were taken on a musical journey by three accomplished musicians who appeared to be having just as much if not more fun than their appreciative audience.

All you foodies out there take note. There’s a new sheriff in town, and if Friday night’s meal of American tapas (small plates) is any indication of things to come, we have a new destination restaurant. Shana Criner, a regional executive with Subway Restaurants, is the new proprietor of the Over the Moon Gallery Cafe. She and her staff are developing a menu based on locally sourced and seasonal products. The small but focused wine list features several excellent selections from Floyd County wineries. They also offer a nice variety of micro brewed beer, and baked goods that are to die for.

Based on one visit to each restaurant, I consider the food at Over the Moon to be far superior to the more famous Harvest Table near Abingdon. Not only is the food better, it is also a much better value. Additionally, the Cafe Gallery showcases the work of local artists and craftsmen, some of which is museum quality. I’ll have more to say about this little jewel after I’ve had a chance to visit a few more times, but I urge you to give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.

As I’ve said before, I’m not much of a winter person, so the arrival of the first blooms of the year always gives me a much needed emotional boost. The crocuses pictured above actually pushed their cheery little blooms up two weeks ago. Judging from their location, I suspect we have some hard working squirrel to thank. Crocuses are not native to this area, and their location on a wild slope behind our humble little cottage leads me to believe they were planted by other than human hands.

The past few weeks have given us some warmer days, including a couple of 70 plus degrees. Daffodils, irises, and day lilies are all showing their tips, and fresh chives are sprouting in their pot on the porch. Sage, oregano, and thyme are starting to green up, and it looks like one of the rosemary plants may have survived January’s sub-zero temperatures.

Spring arrives on March 20 this year and in case you can’t tell, I’m chafing at the bit. In a few weeks, our onion sets and lettuce seeds can go in the ground. I’ve begun the annual clean up of winter debris, and I plan to start prepping the garden soil this next week. I’m as ready as I’ve ever been, and as soon as Mother Nature gives her go ahead smile, I plan to get busy. 22 days and counting.

Sometimes, the majesty of these mountains we call home can take your breath away. The sense of history, both manmade and geological is all around us. A simple drive can take you back to another time. I think because most of us are involved with the activities of day to day living, we tend to forget just how special this place is. As you go about your business today, take a moment to consider just how lucky we are.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve been about as entertained by winter as I care to be. These last few days of warmer weather have provided a nice respite, but I fear it’s like half-time in a lopsided ballgame….. some serious ass-kicking still awaits us in the second half.

I’ve had a particularly difficult time with Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) this year as evidenced by the fact that I haven’t posted anything in almost two months. SAD is sometimes referred to as the “winter blues”. I suppose if I had been able to write about it, I might have felt a little better, but metaphorically speaking, it’s difficult to type from the fetal position with one’s thumb in one’s mouth. The news doesn’t help either. Five minutes of listening to CNN is enough to make you want to drive south until your hat floats.

As our economy continues to deteriorate, we need to give serious consideration as to how we spend our money. LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES NEED OUR SUPPORT. Even during the best of times, these businesses have a difficult time competing with the national chains. Nowhere is this more evident than the restaurant business. Restaurants operate on very thin margins, and often four or five customers a day determine whether a place stays open or not. Instead of having lunch at Subway, go to Fran’s Deli. The sandwiches at Fran’s are not only twice as good, they’re cheaper.

You want a burger and shake? Screw McDonald’s, go to Burger Express. A chilidog from New River General or Skeeter’s beats the dickens out of Hardee’s. The next time you take the family out to dinner, take them to Virginia Heights instead of KFC. These folks are our neighbors, and as times continue to worsen, we’re going to need our neighbors to make it through.

Speaking of neighbors, there is one other thing that has been on my mind lately. I’d like to thank all the booger-eating inbreds around here for continuing to trash our roadsides with their litter. I’m just thrilled that more of our tax dollars have to be spent to pick up your crap. I hope the next time you go home, your momma runs out from beneath the front porch and bites you on the leg. A couple of weeks ago, Kevin Engler, a state senator from Missouri, introduced a bill to make littering a capital offense. Said Engler, “I think that if we kill just a couple of people that we catch, the rest will catch on.” Engler later withdrew the bill saying he was just joking to make a point. I’m not so sure he shouldn’t have left it for a vote.