Three-Star Barn
Blue Ridge Mountain Life
More in Black and White
Being a somewhat “older” enthusiast photographer, with experience in magazine publishing, I learned that many articles I wrote and edited benefitted more with black and white images versus color. I’ve been having fun going back into my archives and converting images to B&W. I found a free Lightroom Preset that helps.
Blue Ridge Store
This restored General Store and ESSO filing station is a popular place to visit, for those with photography in mind. There are others like it where we live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. I give great credit and thanks to those who maintain them with “period” signs and fresh paint. If you find one like it where you live, go get it!
Floyd Virginia – Part 2
If you like Bluegrass music, an Americana atmosphere, artistic endeavors at work and friendly folks, then I suggest you consider visiting Floyd. Obviously you have to live reasonably close. If that applies, you most definitely ought to go to the Floyd Country Store. It’s a wonderful place to step back in time. Live Blue Grass music, food stuffs of various sorts, assorted gifts and souvenirs and fun await.
My most recent visit was on a Saturday, and there was live music in the store, something I’d not expected, so it was a surprise. I hung around listening and looking for a souvenir ball cap to buy I (I’m a “hat nut”) plus I made a short video to show my family when I returned home.
I always enjoy making photos of various items sold in the store. Like this old fashioned candy display below. People were lined up, filling paper bags and purchasing their candy goods at very reasonable cost.
So, this has been just a sample showing what one might experience in Floyd. In Part 3 of this three-part series, I’ll show you some of the “artistic” activities ongoing there. Stand by.
Farming in the Virginia Mountains
Farming above 3000 feet can’t be easy. Living in an environment with rocky soils, harsh weather and relative remoteness in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, hearth folk have thrived for hundreds of years. I love driving along ridge lines and through winding valleys, capturing what I see with my cameras. These images were made last month and reflect the unique beauty of it all.
In the Woods
I’ve written before and I’ll do it again, living where we do in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in SW Virginia, often provides a look back into time, at how people once lived. I was recently exploring on a road trip near our home and I found for the first time a small, log-crib building. Looking up close I wondered about the ladder on the front. Perhaps it allowed for access at the top of the crib.
As I wandered around some more, I saw a small pond across the nearby winding road, and went to investigate. I’m sure many fish have been caught here, and I could hear in my mind the joyful sounds made by people jumping into and swimming it its cool waters during hot summer months long ago.
My discovery brought me great happiness that day. I hope my photos have the same effect on you.
Appalachian Mountain Log Structures
As I travel short distances in the Blue Ridge Mountains I am impressed by the amount of labor early settlers had to exert to make homes, farm buildings and fencing to keep valued livestock contained. Hand labor using axes and saws after felling tree after tree resulted in fairly complex designs, all seeming to make the best use of what they had. Here are some examples I saw recently along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.
Some Views of Americana
Starting with this old “stone” church in the Blue Ridge Mountains, there remain today an almost endless number of historical structures and objects, which are often referred to by photographers as views of “Americana.” Perhaps the modern roof on the church makes it less “historical” but the amount of loving labor it once took to haul and place thousands of mountain rocks together to make the walls and framed windows is impressive.
Looking at some more from our past, it seems as if old wooden barrels will never be replaced with metal or plastic. Thankfully, since I love the rustic nature of the wooden containers, holding fresh tomatoes or flowers.
And then there are many old wagon wheels just waiting for my camera.
And lastly, many “general stores” still operating today sell all sorts of fresh and homemade mountain goodies, with tables waiting to be used by visitors, especially during harvest time.
Cattle in the Blue Ridge
Driving back home from Blacksburg, VA after a visit with our grandson Michael, I decided to drive a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway, to see how Spring was “springing up” above 3000 feet elevation. New leaves on trees were much less than I expected, but the grass was very green with all the recent rain we’ve been having in this part of Virginia. My focus was “cattle.” I did not have to look too hard, although the ones I saw were a bit far away. You’ll have to look closely to see the black shapes in the distance. That was OK because I wanted to show the surrounding landscape too. Enjoy what I saw.
