One Tree Hill

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Greenfield . Botetourt County

Happy Monday! We are out of school today, Presidents Day :)

Black & White Wednesday

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Greenfield . Botetourt County

The other day I took the boys out to practice their driving skills when we drove by this tree and I yelled "Stop the car, I need a picture of this shadow!" They don't mind obliging me since they get to practice their driving...at least right now ;)

December Theme Day - Transitions

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Greenfield . Botetourt County

This month's theme day was picked by yours truly! My take on the theme this month is the "transitions" Greenfield is going through...many of you know how much I LOVED coming here and using the trail system...then the Board of Supervisors started hacking it up to put in businesses. Bringing jobs is good, I know, but this area was so beautiful, and historic and now it will be nothing but a big industrial park :( ...so since all this started a year ago, I haven't been back till now...used to be able to drive right along the road where the "road closed" signs are...then take a little gravel road to the left which took me to the hill where the old slave cabins stood...it was a gorgeous view and a peaceful place...(notice the "road closed" signs didn't stop me, but I didn't see anything going on, construction had stopped for the day because of the rain I guess...

On top of this hill, which was a bit bigger before they grazed it, stood an old slave cabin and an old kitchen...The hill is terraced for gardening from back in the days that Col. William Preston lived here in the 1700's...
Now they (Board of Supervisors) have removed the historical buildings and relocated them to the front of the park and building a shell building on the historical hill...

And now the trails are closed until further notice...

This is a picture of the same hill, taken back in May of 2015 before we knew of any plans to destroy it :(

I've posted quite a bit about Greenfield since living here and you can see those posts, including the protest to save Greenfield HERE HERE HERE & HERE
The "Friends of Greenfield" had worked hard digging up artifacts before all was totally lost with the construction of the new building...you can see what they found on their Facebook page HERE and you can see more Transition themes by visiting the City Daily Photo Community HERE

Have a great day! It's the 1st of December already, can you believe it?!

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 75

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1)

Etzler Road . Troutville

Last sunday the boys had plans to go play basketball with some friends at Greenfield (their elementary school)...it rained quite a bit but that didn't stop them. Rather than hang around and crimp their style, I drove around and snapped a few pics.

2) Of course I had to go over to Greenfield and take a look at the hill and the slave cabins/kitchen. Remember the whole debate about this? If not you can read about it HERE

Here's the hill where the slave dwellings were built. Here's the hill now void of the dwellings because the Botetourt Board of Supervisors took it upon themselves to move the structures without even once communicating with those who were trying so valiantly to save them. Dispicable.

3) I had to drive to the other end of Greenfield to see where they were now:

The slave cabin, which now looks bowed in the middle, due to its harsh move.

The old kitchen.
These buildings, according to the Board of Supervisors are supposedly going to be restored but since the Board of Supervisors were bent on moving these historical buildings it sure doesn't look like they are going out of their way protecting them. The group is still trying hard to save the old hill that the buildings were built on, which the Board of Supervisors want to level to build a shell building on. Since we seem to have lost the fight of relocating the buildings, I sure hope we can save the hill.

4)

Flag at Camping World . Roanoke

This has nothing to do with 1-3 but it's my favorite sight heading down 81! Yesterday after Braden and Dalton's track meet I had to stop at Gander Mountain (across the street from Camping world) where Christian works to pick up a baseball glove from him. Isn't that flag beautiful?!

5) A few weeks ago I watched Changeling on Netflix. It's based off a true story. Wow, it's just unbelievable what happens. Angelina Jolie stars and does a super job. I really like her! Be prepared to cry though.

That's my 5 this week! I hope you will join in! Post 5 randoms, link back and visit others! That's it! Thank you for playing along and have a great weekend!


Linking with Cath's Fun Friday Favourites!

Tuesday's Treasure - Farmville Baptist Church

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132 North Main Street
Built 1914 & renovated/enlarge in 1960.
I've never seen a church like this one before, have you?

And now a special treasure just for Tom!

Blue Ridge Blvd . Blue Ridge

This little antique store is just around the corner from where I live. The people inside are so nice and lots of little treasures to find!

Linking with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures

On a side note, remember last weeks post about the slave cabins? Well the Board of Supervisors still aren't listening and have moved the cabins ahead of schedule and have started tearing up the beautiful hill :(

Can you please vote for my picture? This is the view taken from that hill a couple of years ago, now on it's way to destruction.

Tuesday's Treasures - Saving Greenfield Preston Plantation I

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These were taken in June of 2012:

This is the little road that leads up the hill to the slave cabins & kitchen which our greedy Botetourt Board of Supervisors are bent on ruining. Please see Monday's post for important information regarding this....

I have been digging through all my archived photos for every picture I have taken at Greenfield. Had I known that we could stand to lose it, I would have taken so many more but I thought these buildings would always be here, right on this beautiful hill where they were built.

I always wondered how long these tracks have been here. Were they made by wagon wheels way back when the Preston's lived here or are they more modern? That is the slave cabin building to the right.

The slave cabin. The structures are safe. They will be restored, BUT the Board of Supervisors have made a deal to move them, then level this hill, then sell this land and build a shell building for a prospective new business to move in. This area is huge. I believe I read somewhere that there is over 900 acres so why this hill? Land is not in short supply here. And why won't the Board of Supervisors listen to the public they represent?

This view! This is the view from the cabin. Isn't it spectacular?! I saw it written on one of the signs at the protest on Sunday that "Greenfield is the Soul of Botetourt." I do believe this is true.

Inside the cabin. We've never been able to get inside as the cabin and kitchen have always been locked up and the windows covered with wire. I took these through little nooks and crannies of the cabin so they didn't turn out real well but you can at least get an idea of what it looks like inside.

My boys...look how young they look 3 1/2 years ago!

Several feet away from the cabins sits the kitchen. I showed you this on Monday but it was loaded up on a trailer waiting to be taken to it's new home :( The citizens of Botetourt & beyond are making enough noise to try and stop this nonsense so it sits, waiting...hopefully to be put right back on it's original spot. Although they have already ruined much of the area's beauty already with their relocation project. It just sickens me.

The old kitchen's chimney. Look at that beautiful stone & brick work!

Please stop by Friends of Greenfield Preston Plantation's Facebook page for more info on this situation and ways you can help save this historical site!

And the day comes to an end...I am so happy to call Botetourt County my home.

I am linking with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures ...I know, I know, it is Wednesday...running late here! We ended up with some snow on Sunday night/Monday morning...lost power sometime in the night Monday but Appalachian Power was quick to get it back on for us...internet went down too, Comcast wasn't as quick...anyways, today is gorgeous, sun is shining, birds are singing, it will warm up and is just like spring outside, expect for that blanket of snow that covers the yards! Snow day again today for us...I guess some of the roads are still bad...ended up with 10+ inches...that was kind of a surprise!

Through My Lens - A Peaceful Protest

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The old kitchen at Greenfield...

Some of you might recall that Greenfield is one of my favorite places here in Botetourt County. I've blogged about it on several occasions HERE

On this hill, sits slave cabins and this old kitchen. We moved here in 2008 and I had heard the county had planned on restoring the old buildings...some day...I never saw anything take place until just recently, very sneakily I might add that the Board of Supervisors have taken it upon themselves to decide to move the buildings and level the hill that they have sat on for nearly 200 years. For what you might ask? To build a shell building for a prospective business to come in and rent...some day...

Anyways, thank goodness for a few good people of Botetourt who don't want this to happen (count me in that camp) and have caused quite a commotion. They are trying to have this fight heard nationally. Sunday they staged a "Peaceful Protest" to save the buildings and keep them right where they belong, on that hill. I am happy to say that I, along with my boys were there to be part of this...

We had just arrived and I was surprised by the long line of cars that turned out!

You can see here the "Jeffersonian Terraces" where they planted their food crops way back when...

A couple of local news stations showed up...

This man, Linnie Gregory was in charge and has worked tirelessly at fighting for these buildings/hill.
This woman is Shirley Lewis. She is a descendant of slaves who lived here.

This Pastor came and blessed the land and us.

It literally makes my heart ache to see this. This is the first time I have been back to Greenfield upon hearing about the moving of the buildings. I just couldn't bring myself to see it like this.

Please visit Friends of Greenfield Plantation's Facebook Page for more info on what is happening and to keep in the loop. Please like the page while you are there. You can also follow them on Twitter

Watch this moving video:


For the rest of the week I am going to post pics from my archives of this beautiful spot and hopefully it will be preserved, right where it's history took place.

Linking with Mersad's Through My Lens

On a funny note:

Upon arriving at the protest, Dalton said "You don't have a peaceful protest. You go to whoever is in charge and say: "Hey, take that off of there and put it back where it was!" That child cracks me up! Wish it were so easy!

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 49

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Greenfield in Botetourt...Just up the trail a bit from the bee sanctuary I posted yesterday. Up on the hill across the way sits a few old slave cabins. I've shown you them before. This is such a pretty area!

Willy Nilly time:

1) Made this yummy Fried Ice Cream for Father's Day. It was so good! We didn't top it with chocolate syrup, honey or whipped cream, just ate it plain and I don't think it could have been any better!

2) Also tried this Cilantro Lime Chicken Fajita Salad for dinner one night last week...also totes delish! A definite keeper and great summer dinner!

3) Photographer Mashes Photos Together For Hilarious Results

4) 10 Dogs Who Think They're People

5)

An amazing old tree in Raleigh, NC

Well there's my 5! Now it's your turn...post 5 randoms, link up and visit others! Have fun and have a great weekend!

Signs, Signs & A Good Fence For Honeybees

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Greenfield in Botetourt

Recently while walking around Greenfield I was surprised to find this honeybee sanctuary! How cool is that?!
For more information on the honeybee sanctuary CLICK HERE

Linking with Signs, Signs and Good Fences (There's electric fencing to keep the bears out, not the bees in ;) )

A Tree on Tuesday

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Greenfield . Botetourt County

Yay, Christian's root canal was easy peasy. It took about an hour and a half and after all the numbness wore off he felt fine! Phew, what a relief!

Lookin' Like Summer

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Greenfield, Botetourt Co.

I couldn't sleep last night. I know I must have slept a little because I woke up from a weird dream where I had donated a pair of my uncles boots to Goodwill, and they were good boots and I knew he would be mad. I was going to go get them back when he came home early...strange since I haven't seen or spoke to my uncle in YEARS..where do these dreams come from anyway....

I have to take Christian to the dentist this morning for a root canal. Poor guy. Hoping it goes smoothly for him!

Signs, Signs & A Good Fence W/Ozzy

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Downtown Charlottesville...
I always get excited when I see an old theatre!
"Following its Thanksgiving Eve 1931 opening, The Paramount became a landmark overnight. Even though the theater came along during the decline of the American movie palace, and two years after the stock market crash of 1929, The Paramount thrived.' For more on the Paramount and its history, visit their website HERE

Linking with Signs, Signs

Now for a fence closer to home:

Took Ozzy for a walk at Greenfield here in Botetourt. If you want to see more walks here just type in "Greenfield" in the search bar up top. Linking with Good Fences

*All these were taken earlier in the month. There is not a speck of snow left anywhere!