Fun in the Snow

I am visiting friends in Batesville, VA and we are enjoying a spring snowstorm. It won’t last long, but it’s beautiful and fun while it’s here. We had a lovely walk, and then we built a snow-bunny. It fell over and smashed, but not before we took this photo. (The eyes are almond cookies.)

 

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Ahead of Its Time

What’s wrong with this picture? I took it more than a week ago. Snowdrops, of course, are among the earliest of spring flowers—but I have never seen them before February. But here’s yet another quiet little reminder that climate change is here, and now: this little baby bloomed on January 8.

It wasn’t the only plant who got the get-up-and-grow signal: the blades of daffodils are also pushing up, well ahead of schedule, along the carriage trail. I don’t know if they’ll make it through the likely cold snaps we will experience between now and March, when they usually bloom.

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Couture Compost

One of this year’s New Year’s resolutions is to appreciate simple pleasures. Here’s the first: my brand-new compost container, made from two separate thrift store finds that just happened to fit together beautifully. It’s the perfect size for a few days’ worth of banana peels and eggshells, easy to clean, and so, so elegant. It pleases me every time I toss in my coffee grounds.

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Destin’s Best

Others may find more exotic places to dine in Destin, Florida, but the Donut Hole is my special treat. The coffee’s not bad and the donuts are fantastic. This one’s a Sour Cream, perhaps my favorite. I have this bargain with myself: If I walk the (approximately) two miles to the Donut Hole, I eat a donut without a single guilt pang. I savor it as slowly as possible and then dream about tomorrow morning!

Actually, I have been walking all over this funny little town on Florida’s western panhandle this week. I’m visiting with my parents for a few days, and the weather has been…well, better than last year, when it was actually below freezing for most of a miserable month. For the past few days it has been sunny and crisp, about 60 degrees: perfect walking weather.

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Hometown Rambles

For the past few days, I have been visiting my hometown of Bay City, Michigan. Compared to West Virginia’s heat and humidity, the weather here has been glorious: sunny but crisp, actually chilly in the mornings. So I have been walking all over town, looking at what has changed and what has stayed the same.

There are many new businesses. The downtown seems to have weathered a long downturn, and there are lots of new restaurants and shops. On both sides of the river are pleasant walking trails, and I have to admit that this town is just as walker-friendly as Charleston, although the mountains are missing.

But at least there’s a river and plenty of river traffic to watch. In Bay City the bridges accommodate large boats by either turning perpendicular or opening up vertically, as this one is doing. Even though these bridges are nothing new to me, it’s still amazing to watch those giant slabs of roadway rise slowly into the air.

 

 

 

 

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Crossing Borders, Sharing Cultures

For the third year, Michigan State University professors Anita Skeen (wearing the red shirt) and Chris Scales (the tallest one) have brought some of their students from MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities to West Virginia for a long weekend of all things Appalachian. The Appalachian Immersion Weekend is designed and hosted by Michael Davis at Water Gap Retreat, his campground along the Shavers Fork near Elkins, WV. This year the two professors were joined by their colleague Deidre Dawson (top row, second from left) and seven students, most of whom are studying Appalachian folk music this semester.

I was engaged as the Friday evening entertainment (contemporary Appalachian singer/songwriter!) along with my guitar player George Castelle. Luckily, I got to stay around for the whole weekend. I think the students must have learned a lot; I certainly did!

Here’s a quick rundown of the rest of their itinerary:

On Saturday morning, we all took a geology/nature hike with retired Davis & Elkins professor Jim Van Gundy, who helped found WV’s Master Naturalist Program and is one of the best woods guides I can imagine. On Saturday afternoon the students went to the Randolph County Fair, where they saw fiddle and banjo contests, a talent show (one of them took second prize!), and more. They also visited Laurie Gundersen’s dyeing/spinning/weaving headquarters at the Goff House. On Saturday evening, organic farmer and chef Scott Weaner treated us to a sit-down dinner of homegrown, traditionally Appalachian ingredients prepared in surprising and very tasty new ways.

Sunday morning was spiritual in the best sense: we spent it with Irene McKinney, West Virginia’s poet laureate. I am always transported in this woman’s presence: by her beautiful, lilting voice; by her wisdom and courage; by her humor. I think some of the students felt the same. One told me, “This was the high point.”

On Sunday afternoon we visited the farm of Stan and Sue Jennings, former coal miners who turned to making Appalachian Treenware some years ago, and have made a go of it. Once a year they host a buckwheat pancake party and apple cider-making day for their friends and neighbors; Carrie and Michael Kline got us invited. We ate delicious buckwheat cakes and got sticky making apples and pears into juice. Some of us bought some wooden implements from the Jennings’ shop. Some of the students made music along with their professor and Carrie and Michael.

We hated to see our Michigan visitors leave on Monday morning! But I hope they fell in love with West Virginia and will come back again.

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Happy Anniversary

Clockwise from lower left: Ron and Aileen, the anniversary couple; Michael, Ralph, Annie Mae, Cheryl, Kevin, and Colleen.

For those of us who are officially senior citizens, it’s an amazing privilege to be able to celebrate our parents’ anniversaries. I don’t know very many people who can enjoy this sort of event. But, on Thursday evening, I was honored to be present at my parents’ sixty-sixth anniversary. It was an early evening — we all need our sleep, at our ages — but it was festive, and the waitress at the restaurant went all out to take a good picture of us. (“Say, ‘Happy anniversary!’” she hollered before snapping this picture.) Later, at home, my mom beat Michael and me at Scrabble. At 87 and 85, my parents are still teaching me how to live a good life.

For those of us who have been through a number of significant relationships, perhaps even a divorce or two (or three), the prospect of spending 66 years with a companion is, well, fantastic. We can admire it. We can celebrate with them. But this particular achievement is beyond us, now.

Another long marriage was that of my dear friends Wil and Edna Morse, who were like parents for me during my first few months as a VISTA volunteer in West Virginia. Years later, shortly after Edna’s death, I had lunch with Wil. “Wil,” I complained, “you and Edna were married for more than half a century. No matter how wonderful a relationship I may find, I will never be able to do that. It’s too late.”

Wilbur shook his head sadly. “And I will never be able to lay claim to a string of affairs,” he said. “It’s too late.”

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Mixed Messages

Downtown Charleston, West Virginia.

Does it mean, “Two steps forward, one step back?” “Do-si-do?” Couldn’t they find a walker facing in the direction they intended? Maybe the walkers on these signs always aim for the left, and I just never noticed it. At any rate, I think this sign expresses exactly the way I feel on some days. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.

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The Colleen-oscopy

It’s that time of life: I have put off this life-saving diagnostic procedure for several years after my doctor started nagging me about it. Finally I gave in and made the appointment. Yesterday was the drink-gallons-of-laxative day. It was not as bad as some people made it sound. Today was the “procedure.” It was also not that bad. In fact, I don’t remember it at all. When I woke up, my friend Julie was there and (oddly enough) I was fully dressed. Don’t remember that part. (Julie also said I was repeating myself quite a lot, but I was in a high good humor.)

The only really bad part of a colonoscopy is the cost. And the fact that you cannot find out WHAT it will cost beforehand. But, as near as I can tell, this is going to run in the area of $2,500 or more. I keep telling everyone, “I’m having a colonoscopy instead of two weeks in Italy.” Sort of like, “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy” or “I’d rather have a radical throw a rock at me than a radial keratotomy,” except  that, truth to tell, I’d rather have two weeks in Italy than a colonoscopy. But, there you have it, I did the prudent thing.

And, after spending $2,500 on my colon, I went to Goodwill and bought two fabulous tank tops for $2.50. One one-thousandth of the price of a colonoscopy!

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Signs of the times

 

New Mexico

Vermont

Need I say more? VOTE!

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