Simple Pleasures of The Mountains


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 delightful!

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What Has Worked;

Penn Academy of the Fine Art Visit in Philly

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I made it up to Sinking Springs Pennsylvania and then into Philadelphia the next day, what a great city! The city was really alive with people and new stores and buildings that I had never seen before. It was really a treat for me. My friends (Mike and Annson) took me to the new school building for PAFA and then into our old classrooms in the Museum building. It was nice to see the classrooms where I worked so hard to "get it right" but I never felt like I did "get it right". But no matter I had the desire to keep working and the teachers were encouraging none-the-less no matter how "bad" I felt my artwork was coming out. I was carefully brought into the creative world during those formative years in the Old Museum Building. I did practice and work everyday I could when I was a student in the certificate program at the Academy. After working on casts, it seemed like I improved in my abilities to bring out something worthwhile because of...
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Hut for a Blue Tractor and a Red Grass-Cutter

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Remains of an Early Virginian Church

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Whiting Oil Company on W. Main St. C'ville, Va.

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On a walk to my day job in the 1980's I would pass this non-important gas station on the main drag of West Main Street. Today its a new and different event taking such a meandering in Charlottesville, the buildings are all redone and new ten story hotels are being placed on that street. The old has been made new. I believe the term is re-gentrification. Such a change happened to this former gas station. It was a building I passed by and never really took a good look at because there wasn't anything 'noteworthy' for me to see in it. It was your average gas station with mechanics working on cars inside of its portals. But then came the changes and renewal occurred. While I don't like change for change sake, the re-gentrification of West Main Street has added some taste to that street's structures, such was what I saw in 'Whiting Oil Co.' It has had some new walls added, outdoor tables and new glass windows that made it somewhat unique to ot...
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