Visitor Center

click on photo to enlarge

Woodpecker Ridge . Stoney Battery Road . Troutville

This is perhaps the tiniest visitor center I have ever seen!

This has been a nice week for me and the boys...since football is over now they have had the week off for weight lifting (although that starts back up on Monday) so they have been able to ride in with me in the morning...that also means I have to get to work 15 minutes earlier which also means I actually end up being on time haha...on Tuesday I let them come home early and we stopped at Sonic for shakes and then came home and hauled out all of the Christmas decorations and started on that...you know how much I love my time spent with them so this is what I am most thankful for this week! Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday & Signs, Signs

Black & White Wednesday

click on photo to enlarge

Woodpecker Ridge . Troutville

65 is going to be our high today! As much as I want some snow, I'm also pretty excited for a warm, pretty day! The boys came home from school early with me yesterday since they don't have practice this week and we started hauling out the Christmas decorations...Maybe I can get that finished up today!

Have a great day :)

Perfect Duo

click on photo to enlarge

Stoney Battery Road . Troutville

An old barn AND a coke sign...SCORE!

Linking up with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures

Happy Thanksgiving!

click on photo to enlarge

Woodpecker Ridge . Troutville

Good morning! I'm up bright and early getting the turkey ready to pop in the oven! In just a few minutes I need to get the boys up and fed and drop them off at school...they have football practice this morning, just a couple of hours...they won the playoffs last week so no rest for the wicked ;) Ashlyn will pick them up on her way over to help me cook...then Christian and Madeline will stop over in between their other Thanksgiving visits to Madeline's family...Ashlyn's boyfriend will also stop over in between his running around...I remember those busy holidays of having to visit family on both sides! And for all this, I am thankful today! I am also thankful for you, my blogging buddies...I wish you all a super holiday, and for my non American buddies, have a great day!! Take care!

Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday

Black & White Wednesday

click on photo to enlarge


“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are travelling for Thanksgiving, be careful!!

Train Trestle

click on photos to enlarge


Stoney Battery Road . Troutville

This train trestle is HUGE! It's quite impressive as it pops into view and you drive under it!

Linking up with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures

Red, Yellow & Asphalt

“Autumn brings the falling of leaves and cool days.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita

Okay Captain Obvious ;) ...while looking for quotes this morning this one just made me laugh for some reason!

Happy Monday!

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 152

click on photos to enlarge
1)
A bird nest on my back porch over the summer...aren't birds amazing that they build these perfect little nests without hands?!

2)
A blackberry bush in my backyard...yum!

3)
My sweet boy Ozzy is very nosy ;)

4)
South 16 Apartments downtown...aren't they colorful?

5)
You can lose your shirt but never lose hope...found at Day Creek...

That's my 5 this week friends! Hope to see you join in! Post 5 randoms, link back and visit others as time allows! Thanks for visiting and thanks for joining! Have a great weekend!


Running out the door...Friday's are early breakfast at school for the boys to eat with their team...playoff game #2 tonight against Magna Vista...this team kicked them out of States a couple of years back so should be a good game! Won last week's playoff 51-7!

Wholesale Row

click on photo to enlarge

Downtown Roanoke

Looking at the backside of the Roanoke Warehouse Historic District, also known as "Wholesale Row".

Today I am thankful for early morning texts from my daughter Ashlyn! Her boyfriend's best friend found one of the rocks I had hidden for our Facebook group Botetourt Rocks so she texted to let me know he found my rock haha...it's a small world! Also thankful for sunshine! It's going to be a beautiful fall day with lots of sun and blue skies!

Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday :)

Black & White Wednesday

click on photo to enlarge

Fincastle . Botetourt County

This is the old Fincastle jail built in 1897...I've shown it to you a few times, you can get a closer look HERE ...Fincastle is one of my favorite towns in Botetourt...I've mentioned that a time or 2 :)

1905 Farmhouse

click on photos to enlarge

4890 Mountain Pass Road . Troutville

I drive past this old farmhouse daily...there used to be people who lived here not too long ago but then I started noticing that it is vacant the past few months. Behind it is a newer "subdivision" with big shiny houses on bigger lots for folks that want that "country living" kind of life without all the hassles of country living I guess...I wonder if the land where the new houses are built once belonged to this farmhouse, which it probably did...I read on the Zillow description that the house and land were sold at auction...I'm worried now for this cute little old farmhouse...I hate to think that whoever bought the land to build would tear this place that holds so many memories down, but we've all seen that happen all to often so I stopped yesterday to take a picture just in case...so many times I mean to take a picture of something and then it's gone before I take the time to do it :(


The view looking out from the front yard of the farmhouse...that's a treasure in itself!

HERE'S the Zillow page for the little house with pictures if you want to check it out!

Linking up with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures

Downtown View

click on photo to enlarge

Glass enclosed pedestrian bridge . Roanoke

I've probably shown you this view a few times but I can never resist to take a picture when I'm here...I love how everything reflects in the glass of the pedestrian bridge and downtown always looks so colorful...the mountain straight ahead is Mill Mountain where the STAR is...

Linking up with Mersad's Through My Lens

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 151

click on photos to enlarge
1)
Just a girl...with a ferret

2)
The Roanoke River @ Explore Park

3)
Slick ride...

4)
Cute artwork created by talented students...

5)
My favorite players...tonight is our first playoff game...the high is only in the 40's today with the low in the 20's! It's going to be cold tonight!

That's my 5 this week!! Please join in! Post 5 randoms, link back and visit others! Have a great weekend!

Rooftops

click on photo to enlarge

Downtown Roanoke

"It's a crack, I'm back yeah standing
On the rooftops shouting out,
Baby I'm ready to go
I'm back and ready to go
From the rooftops shout it out....."

If I say the word "rooftops" I start singing this song in my head instantly haha


Today I am thankful for the older generation with stories to tell! On Tuesday I worked the polls and was at the ballot station with another lady. We had a lot of time together and she told me so much about the history of our county, Botetourt...her great grandparents settled here and it was so interesting to just listen to her tell me about the early days and the original families here! Listen up to these people, they have so much to share!

Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday

Have a great day!

Hartsook Building

click on photo to enlarge

Downtown Roanoke

I've walked by this building so many times...some sort of shop is in it now but I can't remember what and I have never been inside...weird of me...anyways, it was neat learning about its history! Here's what I found:
Roanoke City Market, circa 1925
A black and white photograph of Roanoke City Market, Market Square and First Street SE in Roanoke, Virginia circa 1925. The view is looking south with many people and vehicles surrounding the farmer's market. The Hartsook Building is visible in the center of the photograph.
Thomas Everhart Benton Hartsook was a prominent real estate dealer of German and English descent, who moved to Roanoke in 1891 and opened an office on Jefferson Street. By 1896, he had built the two-story brick Hartsook Building that overlooks Market Square at the southeast corner of Market Street and Campbell Avenue. The building served as his office and residence with his wife and daughter. The History of Roanoke County noted that Mr. Hartsook “purchased a farm of 526 acres, known as the Mill Mountain farm, within 30 minutes drive of the business center of the city, a portion of which he intends to plant to fruit.” Known as the Hartsook Estate, it covered nearly half of the community including some of the eastern slope of Mill Mountain. It is currently a housing development known as Mill Mountain Estates.
Here's the photo they are talking about:

I found all that right HERE
and then I also found THIS interesting news story about his estate and where it once stood...I'm going to have to go look for it! Wonder what happened to it? Obviously this needs more digging around!

Linking up with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures ...on Wednesday :)

Jewel Tones

click on photos to enlarge

Fall has arrived in my little corner of Virginia! I'll show you up and down my street...this is what I see when I walk out my front door...

My neighbor's house...

Looking down my street...

Looking the other way down my street...if it was a clear day you would be able to see the Blue Ridge Mountains...but the fog covered them up!

Ozzy really, really loves the cooler temperatures!
Linking up with Mersady's Through My Lens

Happy Monday! :)

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 150

click on photo to enlarge

Roanoke Go Outside Festival

1) Running out the door as usual...Friday's I have to get the boys to school early so they can eat breakfast with their team before school starts...that's a nice thing...

2) Took Ozzy to the vet yesterday...we think he has arthritis :( it comes and goes...why do our pets have to deal with pain? ...makes me sad...

3) Our last football game is tonight...then playoffs...

4) JV was supposed to play yesterday but sadly the team we were playing forfeited...

5) Tuesday I am working the polls again...this time in my old neighborhood so that will be fun seeing old friends! Wonder who our new Governor will be?!

That's my 5 this week...again I apologize for not having any blogging time lately...hopefully once football is over my days will be a little less hectic! Have a great weekend!!

Tall

click on photo to enlarge

Roanoke Go Outside Festival

"It's hard enough for women to walk on high heels. And I'm on stilts!"
Aimee Mullins

Today I am thankful for a little bit of "me" time last Saturday night! Nick was given 3 tickets to the Virginia Tech game and took the boys...it was just me, Ozzy and my dvr! I watched the Loving movie which was a true story from right here in Virginia circa 1950's/60's about a bi-racial couple who get married but it was illegal here in Va so they had to go to DC...it became a Supreme Court case....recommend!

Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday :)

November City Daily Photo Theme Day - Rock & Roll

click on photo to enlarge

Rivers Edge Park . Roanoke

I took this pic a couple of weeks ago at the Roanoke Go Outside Festival ...as with most of the things at the festival, this too was interactive...anyone could jump right in and jam!

To see more "Rock & Roll" photos, visit City Daily Photo

How is it November already?!