SkyWatch Friday Fences - Iron Gate

Gates to Godwin Cemetery in Fincastle. You might recognize the Methodist Church and the old tree from past posts.

Linking with Friday Fences and SkyWatch Friday

*I'm unable to link to SkyWatch Friday this week? Anyone else? It says he messed up the linky and extended last weeks but to go ahead and link anyway. It won't take mine since it says I've already linked but I see others were able to? So confused and it's too early in the morning for this!

Have a great weekend :)

Signs, Signs - On The Rise

On The Rise Bread Company
303 Market Street SE
Roanoke, VA 24011

"We have fresh traditional European style bread baked daily, plus subs, paninis, soups, salads, pizza, and sweets, that are all made in house as well!"

We stopped there to grab some bread to go with dinner after the St. Patrick's Fest but they had already closed for the day.

Linking with Signs, Signs

Rurality Blog Hop #8 - The Vultures

The vultures like to roost up in this tree in our yard. In our house in Georgia, not long before we moved, they cleared out 30 acres behind our house to build a stupid subdivision. We would get so many vultures for some reason in our yard. In the mornings it wouldn't be at all odd to find 30 vultures roaming around the back yard! They must like us. I'd let the dogs out to chase them away. I don't mind them up in the trees, but not so much just wandering around in the yard!

Linking with Madge's Rurality Blog Hop

Barn Charm Tuesday - Daleville View @ Dusk

Corner of Catawba and 220
Nothing "charming" about this but I wanted to show you the view from here. I've shown you this barn before right here. It used to be an antiques shop before I moved here. On this particular evening, a couple of weeks ago, I had just picked Christian up from work and it was such a pretty night. I decided to check out the view from a medical building that sits up on the hill. I hadn't ever driven up there before. It was one of those evenings that you just want to drive around with the windows down. Behind that barn sits Bahama Sno Shack. They have super yummy shaved ice that hits the spot in the summer. That won't be long now!

Linking with Tricia's Barn Charm

It's Spring Right?

This is the view off my front porch, right now. I just took this. It started snowing yesterday morning and never really quit. We ended up with about 6 inches or so. The kids have a snow day. They are all still asleep. I'm sitting here with my coffee and big plans of doing some organizing in their bedroom. Sounds good in my head, until I go in there and get overwhelmed lol.

Next week is spring break. Hoping we'll have some nice weather for it!

SkyWatch Friday Fences - Forgotten Road

Hmmmm, I forgot where this was taken. I sowry! I remember the day. It was late spring/early summer. We were heading to Cascade Falls in Giles County. Sooo, to narrow this down, this photo was taken somewhere between Botetourt County and Giles County. I missed my calling as a detective!

Linking with Friday Fences and SkyWatch Friday

Have a super weekend...we are expecting snow...what? Yes, I said snow :(

Signs, Signs - Selling The Merch

And this little leprechaun was selling merchandise for the band, Madrone (yesterday's post). You can see the Hotel Roanoke in the back ground.

Today is a 2 for 1:

Do you recognize this sleepy little fella? Ha, yes, it's the same guy in the first picture, only from the St. Patrick's Day Festival last year. Poor guy, he must have been wiped out when we found him sound asleep in the booth!

Linking with Signs, Signs

Madrone

The band Madrone rockin it at the St. Patty's Day Fest. For real, these guys were great!

Barn Charm Tuesday - Grove Hill Road 2

Another angle of last week's barn. Linking with Barn Charm...scheduling this to post and then hitting the hay...so exhausted! Nighty night :)

Small funny update for you barn charmers....I had a dream last night that I spotted this great barn off the freeway so the boys and I pulled over and jumped out to take a picture of it. It was a cute little red barn advertising Vodka lol....I'm focusing in with my camera and all of a sudden the barn drives away....I hadn't noticed it was attached to a trailer and I didn't get the picture and was so upset. I guess that's what happens when you go to bed after posting your barn charm pic :D

West Virginia Swag

I saw this guy at the St. Patrick's Day Festival. I liked his t-shirt. I was on a mission to get some random people photos, something I am horrible at. I tried to get this guys picture without him knowing but he'd never turn around long enough. Finally my husband just said "hey, she wants to take your picture" gah! Embarrassing. Makes me feel like a stalker haha...well anyway, I did think he was interesting, so posed or not, here he is!

Weekly Top Shot - Happy St. Patrick's Day

Roanoke's War Pipe performing at the St. Patrick's Day Festival on Saturday, March 16th.

Hope you are wearing green today. I am not and have been pinched several times by my crazy boys lol...you'd think I'd have put some green on by now :D

Linking with Weekly Top Shot

SkyWatch Friday Fences - Fenwick Mines

Fenwick Mines, Craig County

Can you see the sky? HInt...it's not where you expect to find it...

Doing anything fun this weekend? The St. Patrick's Day Parade/Festival is Saturday. We plan to be there. We've gone the last few years. It's one of the most fun festivals in Roanoke!

Linking with SkyWatch Friday.

(Forgot there wasn't going to be a Friday Fences today...my bad)

Have a great weekend :)

Signs, Signs - Food Lion

Food Lion in Daleville. This is pretty new. Opened a couple of years ago. I'm in the middle of two grocery stores, this one and Kroger. I do about 90% of my shopping at Kroger and run into Food Lion for a few specials I find in their ads.

I remember going grocery shopping with my grandma when I was little. We would shop at Safeway, Alpha Beta and Big Bear. These were on 2nd Street in El Cajon, Ca. At the end of our shopping trip, I'd get to pick something out and I'd always pick a big pack of that Zebra Striped Gum. Loved that stuff! Funny the things we remember right?

Where do you do your grocery shopping?

Linking with Signs, Signs

Rurality Blog Hop #7 - Fenwick Mines

Fenwick Mines, Craig County....iron mining site in the 19th century.
Was hoping to see more signs of spring on our walk here but didn't. That's Nick and the boys looking for salamanders.
Last night was the school talent show. It was really cute. Braden and Dalton performed "All I Do" with their good friend.

Linking with Madge's Rurality Blog Hop

Barn Charm Tuesday - Grove Hill Road

Grove Hill Road, Fincastle

With the weather being extraordinarily wonderful this weekend, we decided to get out and do some walking and picnicking. I said "hey, let's go to Fenwick Mines." They have some nice trails there. We loaded the cooler with some water and snacks and stopped off at Subway to pick up a couple of 5 dollar footlongs to share. Saw this poor barn that blew over in the wind I am guessing sometime between the past summer till now. We take this little trek almost every weekend in the summer to our favorite little spot on Craig Creek. I'm sure I have a photo of this barn in better shape somewhere. Might have even posted it for a Barn Charm. Sad to see it topple over.

Update on the movie I took the boys to on Monday afternoon. We saw Escape From Planet Earth. It was really a pretty cute movie. Ashlyn came along to help me with the 5 boys and we all really enjoyed it!

Linking with

Rural Issue #206

"I drove behind a tractor" is a valid excuse for being late to anything...

Heading home on Etzler. If you take a right, you will end up at the Botetourt Sports Complex. The boys play baseball there in the spring/summer and we have football practice there in the late summer/fall. Plus the trails from Greenfield, which I yap about all the time, come through here.

You liking that time change over the weekend? I am so excited about it. Picked Christian up from work at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday and it was still light!

Today I am taking Braden and Dalton and a few of their friends to the movies after school to see Escape From Planet Earth. It's a belated birthday party for them. Their 11th birthday was on Feb 2nd but with everyone's basketball schedules it made it difficult to plan something with their friends. Should be a fun time. :)

SkyWatch Friday Fences - Etzler Road

Coming out of the parking lot of Greenfield Elementary School. A right turn will take me home and a left will take me to town.

All of this snow is almost completely melted. By the end of the weekend there shouldn't even be a trace. Supposed to be enjoying sunshine and weather in the 60's! I hope it is true!

Linking with Friday Fences and SkyWatch Friday

Have a good one!

Signs, Signs - Turd Busters

I've seen this vehicle "Turd Busters" driving around before but didn't have my camera. A couple of days ago, I was sitting at the intersection of 220 in Daleville waiting to pull into Kroger when I noticed it again, and I had my camera! I snapped a quick shot and laughed. I wonder who the poor soul is who answers the phone "Good morning, thank you for calling Turd Busters"....lol...I wouldn't be able to say that with a straight face!

Linking with Signs, Signs

Rurality Blog Hop #6 - Snow Day

Sigh....another snow day. This is what I woke up to. At least I woke up with power though, unlike some of my neighbors not too far down the road. It started last night. The boys had a basketball game. A tournament. We lost the first one by 3 points. It was a rough game with a lot of screaming and yelling going on from the other team's coaches and parents. Some of the parents were even yelling at their boys to "hurt them". Can you believe that? These are 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Not the NBA. It was a Blue Ridge team. I've seen them act that way during baseball too, same loud coach, same obnoxious parents. We are more refined. I like that. Anywho...since we lost the first game, we had to play again right after. Another team. We ended up winning by about 15 points. Our boys were on fire! By the time we left the boys' school, it had started snowing. I didn't think it was supposed to start until the middle of the night. I had planned a trip to Kroger after the game to pick up munchies for the kids to enjoy on their snow day. Started out of the parking lot, made a left instead of the right I usually take to go home. Drove about a mile down the road and decided to turn around and head back home. Snacks weren't worth risking our lives for since the snow was really coming down and you couldn't even see the center divider of the road or the sides of the road. Snow brings out my inner Southern California girl because we DO NOT know how to drive in this stuff.

Ashlyn was scheduled to work till 11 last night. I texted her and told her the roads were bad. She shouldn't try to drive home but get a bed at work and just sleep over. The hospital lets them do that. She hates to though. Had to once already this winter. She told me there wasn't any snow there. She works in Roanoke and we live in Botetourt County which is about 30 minutes from her job. She didn't listen. I had a feeling she wouldn't. She's stubborn that way. She tried to get home but the closer she got, the worse the interstate was and she started to get scared. She ended up going to a friend's house that lives near there and stayed the night. She called me when she got there and told me how scary it was. I was so relieved to know she was safe for the night and a little bit happy she had that scare of the snow covered roads that maybe next time she'll listen. You know, she's young....

Well, checking the weather forecast, it says it may snow throughout the day. We received about 3 inches overnight and could get another 1-3 today. Then winds. Heavy winds. BUT....they say it will warm up into the 40's tomorrow and Friday then the 50's over the weekend. Finally a warm-ish weekend!

Wondering if tomorrow will be a snow day too. Botetourt is pretty big and spread out, lots of rural back roads that won't get plowed making it impossible for the school buses. Fingers crossed...love spending snow days with my kidlets :)

Linking up with Madge at

Taphophile Tragics - Preston

Elizabeth Patton Preston
Greenfield, Botetourt County
Let me see if I can get this correct. She was married to John Preston and their son Col. William Preston owned a large plantation here at Greenfield. I believe I read 2100+ acres. I *think* she came here to live with her son and his family after her husband died. She died here.


Her eternal view. I live somewhere over to the right of the photo. I've told you before I come over here to walk, great trail system. If you look straight out, on that hill in the middle, there is a slave cabin and an old kitchen. The big house burnt down, I'm pretty sure in the 1970's. I've shown you pictures before but you can view some here and read more about the Prestons of Greenfield.

Linking with Taphophile Tragics

Isle of Wight - Smithfield

Digging into the summer 2012 archives again but I don't think anyone minds! Some of you may have heard of Smithfield Hams? Here we visited Taste of Smithfield and shared a platter of different types of sliced hams, peanuts, cheeses and fruits. It was pretty yummo!

Ashlyn is on Spring Break this week. Doesn't it seem weird to have Spring Break when it isn't even Spring yet?

Weekly Top Shot - Wishful Thinking

One day last summer...Buckroe Beach, Hampton...and we are supposed to get a big ol snow storm Tuesday. They are saying 6-10 inches. So annoyed!

Linking with Madge's Weekly Top Shot

March Theme Day - Cafe Chairs

Holy smokes, another month down the drain and another City Daily Photo Theme Day upon us. Obviously "Cafe Chairs" won the vote. It's a bit brisk out so I opted to stay inside and shot CAFEteria chairs at Lord Botetourt High School.

My daughter Ashlyn graduated from this school last year and Christian is a sophomore here. I started working part time here when we moved from Georgia after spending many years as a stay at home mom. Works out perfectly, I don't have to head in until all my kidlets are in school and I get home before them. Not much left for me to do at home now that they are all in school! I miss the days of having them at home. Ok, enough reminiscing...check out cafe chairs from all over the world by visiting City Daily Photo!