Signs, Signs - Libby's

Libby's located on Salem Ave, Roanoke

On Saturday I ran over to Black Dog Salvage. They had some chalk paint that I wanted to try out on some tables. I don't really know this area well and so on the way back, I of course made a wrong turn and ended up just a teency bit lost. I have ZERO sense of direction but I knew which way downtown was so I just sort of headed that way and knew we'd get home. Oh, but being a teency bit lost, I came across this super awesome building with the super awesome signage! Of course I had to go over and get a picture!

Sadly this place is up for sale. Here's a bit of info I found:
"The building dates to 1910 and opened as a grocery store. It belonged to Garst Brothers Dairy before the Monsour family took it over. Elizabeth "Libby" Monsour turned the store into a restaurant when her father died. No one can remember exactly when this happened, but Grubb and patrons agree it was in the mid-1940s."

Grubb was the last owner and judging by the results of my Google search, it was a pretty yummy place to eat. I wonder what happened, why it closed?

For the rest of the story I quoted, you can Click Here

Linking with Signs, Signs

Rurality Blog Hop #4 - Revisiting Summer

As I sit here on Tuesday afternoon getting this post ready for tomorrow, I am freezing. Today started out with a freezing rain, delayed school for 2 hours and hasn't stopped all day. The temp is only in the 30's and it is wet and miserable. My feet are frozen. I want summer. I'm done with winter and I'm going to be a big baby about all this cold! I had to run out to the store and took my camera with me but I'm so tired of winter scenes that I decided to just go back and dig through my summer archives to warm up a little. This photo is from summer, first part of August. Football had just started. Those 2 battling it out are my boys, Braden and Dalton, doing some sort of drill. Would you look at those mountains in the backdrop? There's several trails back there that some of the moms and I walk on during practice. I've shown you parts of Greenfield HERE on numerous occasions since it happens to be one of my favorite places to walk. Next warm day I'm heading over there!

Linking with Madge's Rurality Blog Hop!

Barn Charm Tuesday - Brunswick Forge Road

Brunswick Forge Road, Troutville

While driving over to pick Christian up from his friend's house the other day, I noticed this barn. It is much older than the house is sits behind. I always thought that would be cool to buy a piece of property and inherit neat old out buildings with it.

Over by the middle school sits a new-ish house with an old log cabin in the yard. I'd love to know more about that! If any locals drop by, it sits on Read Mountain, past RMMS towards 220.


Can you see that there's a little bit of snow left on the mountains? We were out of school Friday because of some wintry mix that morning. Calling for more Tuesday morning. We'll see what happens.

Linking with Tricia and Barn Charm!

Macro Monday - USA

Yesterday was such a pretty day. Took this shot while sitting on my front porch. Did you watch the Oscars? Seth McFarlane did a pretty good job I thought. The Lincoln joke? Too soon?! The sock puppet skit of Flight was hilarious!

Linking with Machro Monday

p.s. now my blog is loading correctly...guess it was just my computer doing its own thing lol

Weekly Top Shot - Fincastle @ Night

Heading home through Fincastle one evening after the boys' basketball game. To the left you can see the beautiful stained glass window of Fincastle Baptist Church.

For Christmas the town hangs those colorful little lights all over, up and down the streets. I love how they look. I think I took this in early Feb or late Jan but I'm sure they've taken them down by now.

I'm irritated with my blog again. I don't mess with anything, the layout and stuff, and go merrily blogging along when all of a sudden, things are different. My layout is all out of whack again. This happened before and I can't remember what I had to do to fix it. Maybe it will just fix itself if I ignore it long enough?

Are you going to be watching the Oscars tonight? Ashlyn and I love award shows so we'll watching. I'm making pork tacos and salsa and guacamole so it will be an easy meal tonight to get me out of the kitchen on onto the couch in time!

Linking with Madge's Weekly Top Shot

SkyWatch Friday Fences - Blacksburg Road

Driving along Blacksburg Road in Troutville.
Today is a snow day. No snow but we had some icy rain overnight. Thank goodness we'll be warming up for the weekend!
Linking with Friday Fences and SkyWatch Friday

Have a great weekend :)

Signs, Signs - Don't Text & Drive

While looking through my photos of Monster Jam, I noticed this on the back of Mountaineer's truck "Don't Text & Drive" with a picture of Caitlyn Nichole. I tried to find more info about the message to no avail.
Texting and driving is something I worry about, being the mother of a teen driver and another soon to be teen driver, this year. I hope the statistics and lectures on texting and driving have scared them enough from doing it.
Here's some disturbing stats I have found:

DWI: Driving While InTEXTicated

In 2011 at least 23% of auto collisions involved cell phones which translates to 1.3 million crashes

5 seconds is the minimal amount of time your attention is taken away from the road when you're texting and driving : if you are travelling at 55 mph this equals driving the length of a football field without looking at the road.

Text messaging makes a crash 23X more likely : Dialing 2.8X
Talking or listening 1.3X
Reaching for a device 1.4X

77% of young adults are very or somewhat confident that they can safely text while driving

55% of young drivers think it is easy to text while they drive

For more statistics and what is being done you can visit Texting and Driving Safety

Linking with Signs, Signs

Rurality Blog Hop #3 - Crowder House

This is the Crowder House in Fincastle built ca 1791. I've shown it to you before right here. It's for sale. It has been for quite some time. I remember going inside when it was a sort of coffee shop. You can purchase this sweet, historical log cabin for a measly $105,000! Is that crazy or what? Click here for the listing. And no, I'm not the selling agent nor do I get a commission, I just can't believe such an awesome little place is selling for such a little price! If only I had an extra hundred grand on hand!

The red brick building up on the right is the Kyle House. I've shown you William Kyle's grave right here and the steeple on the left belongs to the Fincastle Baptist Church which I gave you a glimpse of right here!

Linking with Madge at Rurality Blog Hop!

Taphophile Tragics - Ewell Brugh

Methodist Graveyard AKA Slicer – Godwin – Godwin Slicer Cemetery Fincastle
Ewell J. Brugh – Died March 25, 1898 – aged 35 years

Trying to find some information of Ewell Brugh, I noticed this post which mentions his wife.

Linking with Taphophile Tragics

Young George Washington the Surveyor

Museum at Mount Vernon


Eager for adventure, George wanted to join the British Navy, but his mother refused to let him. Instead, he accompanied George William Fairfax as a surveyor to the unexplored wilderness of the Virginia frontier. George read mathematical texts to learn the geometric principles necessary for surveying.

In July, at seventeen years of age and largely through the Fairfax influence that he had cultivated, Washington secured an appointment as county surveyor for the newly created frontier county of Culpeper. He was well on his way to a successful and profitable career. In an effort to establish himself as a member of the gentry class, he worked hard, saved his money, and bought unclaimed land.

Happy President's Day. I remember when we used to get Washington and Lincoln's birthday off but the kids have school today.

Weekly Top Shot - Rainy Night Down Town

It was raining on the way last night to Monster Jam. Can you make out the H & C coffee pot in the distance? (If you click on the photo you can see it bigger) That's the same one from my header photo. I just adore that old sign! The "H" is out though. Can't believe they'd let such a landmark sign lose a light for too long! Hopefully it us lit up by the time I'm posting this!

Linking up with Madge in Seattle with Weekly Top Shot!

P.S. Luckily we didn't get the snow they were thinking we might get. I didn't even see a snowflake! Supposedly next Friday is a big disturbance that might bring a bit of snow...come on...really? I'm over Winter already!

Friday Fences - Fincastle Pooch

While walking along in Fincastle the other day, this little dog started barking at us and I stopped to take his picture, at the same time his owner came to the door (probably to hush him) and then he turned his cute little head to look at her and I had to pretend like I hadn't just taken a picture of her house haha...

Look at the eyes on the tree. I'm not going to lie, I think they are creepy and don't know why people ruin a perfectly good tree by putting those hideous eyes on them! Poor tree is probably embarrassed!

Taking the boys to see Monster Jam tonight. Christian won 2 tickets at school and then Braden and Dalton were invited to go with a few of their friends. I said sure, thinking this all worked out perfectly until I realized the day Braden and Dalton were invited was for Saturday, right during their basketball game. So I had to tell them no but bought tickets to take them tonight with Christian. They were really upset since they really wanted to go with their friends but sports obligations come first. I think they'll get over it by the time the show starts, I hope!

Linking with Friday Fences! Have a super weekend...last I looked, the weather peeps were saying there was a possibility of 2-5 inches of snow Friday night/Saturday morning...gosh, I hope not!

Signs, Signs & a Valentine's Day Blog Hop

Cupcake Cottage is a cute new little cupcake shop that just opened up in Daleville. I've taken the boys in for cupcakes and they each picked chocolate, which they devoured the second we got home. They also have cookies and a super cute girlie gift shop with bags and jewelry. It is located on Roanoke Road, in the same parking lot as Subway and Papa Johns (ewww)...

I'm going to be making a stop there later today for all my Valentines!

I am linking today with Signs, Signs and Nancy and Lisa's First Annual Valentine's Day Blog Hop!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Small update to show you what I got today :


I only needed 5 cupcakes but they have a special, if you buy 5 you get the 6th free :)
I got Snickers, PayDay, Resees, Lemon Raspberry (they say that is their best seller), Chocolate Cherry and Carrot Cake...they look too yummy to eat don't they?!

Rurality Blog Hop #2 - Gen'l James Breckinridge

This is the original law office of General James Breckinridge circa 1800. This building now houses the Botetourt County Museum. This is such a super museum. I absolutely love it. I've been a few times and I always see things I didn't see before. Plus they have wonderful history books on the area to aid you in your genealogy research or learn more on the area. Admission is free but they gladly accept donations. Every time I've been the volunteers are so helpful and welcoming!

The museum hours are: Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M., Sunday 2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M., and by appointment.

And if you would like to know more about James Breckinridge you can click HERE!


Linking with Rurality Blog Hop

Taphophile Tragics - Utz Family

Utz Family Marker, Godwin Cemetery, Fincastle

Scott, Jennie Utz 1851 - 1940 ; Utz, Calvin M. 1876 - 1899 ; Utz, H. Hansborough 1875 - 1897

Linking with Taphophile Tragics

Waiting For The Mrs.

Found this guy waiting patiently in the CVS parking lot in Daleville.

Did you watch the Grammys last night? What did you think? Best/Worst? I have to say, I liked Taylor Swift's opening act, not her since I'm not a fan but loved the act itself. Pretty neat!

Friday Fences & SWF - Rivers Edge Park

On a pretty autumn day back in November we wanted to go for a walk and my choice was the Greenway. We parked here, at Rivers Edge Sports Complex. You can see where our trail begins and then in the short distance is the bridge that crosses the Roanoke River. I've shown you a view from the bridge right here. Leaving the hospital is the LifeGuard helicopter. The hospital is just out of the photo to the left.

I know this technically isn't really a fence, more like a guard to keep folks from diving into the grassy area of the park because you know someone would do that.

Linking with Friday Fences and SkyWatch Friday...

Have a super weekend!

Signs, Signs - 24 Church Avenue

According to their website "24 IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST NEW RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTCLUBS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN ROANOKE"

Having never heard of it I mentioned it to my husband. He said he thought they were no longer in business. Tried the phone number and it has been disconnected. Too bad. Looked like a neat place to try out.

Took this photo a few months back while driving by. I didn't notice at the time it was closed. The sign was what mostly caught my eye!

Linking with Signs, Signs

Update with some good meme news! I just got an email from Madge over at The View From Right Here and she is now hosting Ruality Blog Hop.
because we all miss Nancy and Lisa's Rural Thursdays! The Ruality Blog Hop will run on Wednesdays, except for today, the very first one will be today! My post isn't very rural today, in fact isn't rural at all, but you know, I want to play along and share the news about Ruality Blog Hop!

The Giving Tree

“And the boy loved the tree.......very much. And the tree was happy.”
― Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree

This is the tree that is growing into the headstone from yesterday's post but I felt the tree needs a post all its own because well, all 200 year old trees should be the center of attention after all.

If y'all have been following along you know that the church there is the
Fincastle United Methodist Church.

"The original building, very similar to the present structure, was erected shortly after the land was purchased from Patrick Lockhart and his wife for 12 pounds on July 12, 1803."

So that must be when they planted this amazing tree, or right around there.

(Remember the present structure was built in 1840)

Many people believe trees are Sentient Beings. Do you? As for me, I like to think so!

Taphophile Tragics - Wm. Kyle

I don't have a barn to show you today and it's been so cold I just haven't felt inspired to go hunt for one. Being barn-less on a Tuesday leaves me free to try a new meme that I've been really wanting to try out. Taphophile Tragics. I love old cemeteries so this one is perfect for me. Now if only I can find old cemeteries with a barn! Since I probably won't come across many of those, I'll have to bounce back and forth, weekly or monthly, or whatever.

I took this picture while at Godwin Cemetery a few weeks back. Mostly I took it to show you the age of the tree. This Honeylocust is estimated to be over 200 years old and is listed on the The 2011 National Register of Big Trees .

"Measured in August 2010, the Fincastle (Botetourt County) honeylocust stands 121 feet tall - as tall as a 10-story building; 234 inches in circumference (74+ inches in diameter), and has an average crown spread of 114 feet. The tree, estimated to be more than 200 years old, stands in a cemetery adjacent to the Fincastle United Methodist Church. The tree was probably planted in front of the first wooden log church structure that was built on the site in 1804. Today, the trunk of the tree is growing into an old headstone."

The headstone belongs to William Kyle. The inscription reads "In memory of Wm. Kyle – January 9, 1809 – May 6, 1874"

Linking with Taphophile Tragics

Macro Monday - Freezing

You don't really need your thermometer to tell you it's cold outside when it's buried under a sheet of ice!

Linking with Macro Monday.

It's going to be a long day. Up late after the Superbowl.

Weekly Top Shot - Fincastle Baptist Church

A little window to the basement of Fincastle Baptist Church.

The congregation was formed in 1831. This building was erected circa 1896 in the Gothic style and has beautiful stained glass windows. I know, need to show you those one of these days!

Today is Braden and Dalton's birthday! They are 11 years old today! Time flies when you are having fun :)

Linking with Weekly Top Shot!


And good news, looks like an early spring according to Punxsutawney Phil!

February Theme Day - Umbrellas

Changing of the guards, lifeguards that is...Buckroe Beach, Hampton, Va.

Another first of the month and another theme day with the City Daily Photo Blog group. Umbrellas won the vote this time around. Of course the first of the month caught me off "guard" and I had to go through the old archives for something with an umbrella. Lucky me, found this one from last summer!

Visit City Daily Photo to view more interpretations of the theme. I assure you, there will be some creative ones!