Landscape of Virginia

The Ice Storm was a bit of a fizzle in as much as there wasn't a lot to it. It did stop the schools from opening but overall it was dealt with pretty well as far as the roads go. We haven't had a good deep snow in a good while, I think back in 1997 was the last time, when we had twenty two inches in as much as I measured it myself in our driveway. That's a good long time to go without having a deep one. But the valley gets the snow around here, as in this photo where a snow squal is crossing the Shenandoah Valley up around Harrisonburg, they get the snow, we get the ice.

If I only had something to say I might be able to speak it with certainty but today is just another day in the life. But I did bike to work. I also introduced my new book's test copy to the Board of Very Special Arts which was helpful in lighting up their faces at a rather dull meeting. I do like the work everyone was talking about having done or in the process of getting done. Without the dedicated folks who liven up people with disabilities there would be no life for me, I would no doubt have done myself in somehow years ago. So I am thankful for the dullness because it helps someone in this case. But I do have to say once I showed off the test copy of the new book "Japanese Memories" of mine, eyes lite up and expressions showed astonishment for the lack of a better word. It was a memorable moment for me, it makes all the work I do worthwhile when I see something like that in a people's faces. And the book wasn't really much of plan on my part,...

It's beneficial for the earth to cool, such is my belief, and it's certainly doing so today right in my neighborhood. I think nature needs to cool off so it can rest itself as a stage in the growing process, just as we sleep. I think most people know this to be the situation. I enjoy the cooler temps and being inside nearby a fireplace or a wood stove. Such was the case for me last weekend, I had the chance to be with a group of people I know from work who gathered before a wood stove in the basement of one of our teachers. It was a real highlight moment with all the credits rolling by because this fella who's house it was is moving on to another job in another location. I've known him for a good while and I do admire his stamina with keeping his temper when working in a difficult and sometimes stubborn situation. My Mom would have said "he's a saint" , well I would go that far because I do know him a little better than those students do...

I took a walk on a cold day upon the Ridge of Skyline Drive here in Virginia. I walked with a friend down the eastern side of those mountains towards the bottom. We saw a few waterfalls and we hiked both up and down that mountain ridge on New Year's Eve. It was snowing lightly plus it was very windy on the top of the mountains on that afternoon. It took us four hours to make the circuit, and I certainly felt it the very next morning. You see I was use to walking upward but not downward so I used different muscles than I was use to working out. The hike was very enjoyable for us, we laughed, and carried on some, but we climbed in silent hard effort when we were heading into the second half of the hike. Before long, we had accomplished the climb and the reward was walking along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains all the while being able to see both eastward and westward for many miles simply by turning one's eyes in either direction. Simply delightfu...