Random 5 Friday - Decay

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Some of my favorite trains are these old rusty ones that are just waiting to be used for scrap and parts. The decay reminds me of my pal JM's series @ Lisbon Daily Photo.

Now some randoms:

1) Remember last week when I told you I was stressed? Well it was because I had a couple of skin conditions that were really scaring me. I had a sore on the side of my nose that just wouldn't heal. I had had it for a year and was by now too terrified to go see a dr. (I know, not good, go to the dr.) Then I had these pinkish things coming up on the backs of my hands and then a bump formed on the top of my head. I am fair skinned and spent too much of my youth laying out in the sun in Southern California. Then as I got older, tanning beds. I've gotten better at applying sunscreen by now but alot of damage has already been done. Anyways this has been consuming me, fearing the worst, for a year now. I finally told my husband last Sunday how freaked out I was getting. Monday he made me an appointment with a dermatologist for last Friday. I was scared to go. He went with me. As soon as my dr walked in, Dr. Jason, he asked me what was bothering me and I broke down and cried and pointed to all the things that were scaring me. He just calmly told me that it was ok, none of them are serious and I would be just fine. I had 2 very common forms of skin cancer that he was able to just freeze right off, right then and there. What a RELIEF. I can't tell you what a weight that was taken off my shoulders and like I have a new lease on life. He was the NICEST dr I've ever been to and if you are in the Roanoke area, need a dermatologist, I highly recommend Dr. Jason @ Virginia Skin & Vein.

2) I've been listening to Johnny Cash Radio in the mornings after everyone clears out of the house. I love that music! When I was a kid my mom always called him my boyfriend. I went to a JC concert with her and my grandma and I got to go up on stage and get a kiss from JC. I don't remember this so I must have been super young, I only remember through the story my mom always told ;)

3) I'm ready for spring. Spring is my favorite season.

4) And the thought of spring just NOW reminded me that I need to sign the boys up for baseball. Today is the LAST day. Completely slipped my mind. Writing myself a note right now to attach to the computer!

5) Basketball season ended on Monday but tomorrow we start the tournament. Double elimination. Our first game is a team that's pretty tough. We lost once to them by 1 point in overtime and then won our last game with them. But it's hard. This team plays dirty. So good luck to our Greenfield Thunder!

Have a great weekend :)



Linking to Nancy's Random 5 Friday

Signs, Signs - The Chessie Corridor

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and a bonus:

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More from the C & O Railway Heritage Center. Confused? Back track to Monday and catch up! Linking with Signs, Signs.

ABC Wednesday - G is for Gadsby's Tavern Dining Car

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My favorite part of the train tour was the George Washington. Our tour guide was very informative but my memory is very limited so I'll put out there what I "think" is correct...the rest is up to you to Google it lol....so anyways, again, I "think" that she told us there were 3 of these George Washington trains. Each named after a tavern he frequented. This one is the Gadsby which is located in Alexandria. You can visit their website HERE . The other 2 are the Michie, which is in Charlottesville and has been on my list to go see for a couple of years...it's only a couple of hours away but it's just one of those things we keep putting off for another weekend. You can visit the Michie Tavern HERE and lastly is the Raleigh in Williamsburg which you can visit HERE.
The only one at C & O is the Gadsby. I don't remember if she told us if the other 2 are somewhere to tour.

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Luggage and hats. They actually have old hats in the hat boxes!

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The baggage car..

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Sink in the restroom. Notice the details!

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Pictures hanging of all 3 taverns.

And I think I mentioned before, you can rent this for parties! More info HERE

More tomorrow!

Linking with ABC Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday - The George Washington

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No fear, Braden and Dalton are at the controls....

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A couple of unruly passengers...

Lunch time!

About the George Washington:
The George Washington, first started as a heavyweight train in 1932, was C&O’s premier passenger train with the best service and sleepers. It ran from Washington to Cincinnati, with sections splitting off at Charlottesville to Newport News Virginia in the east, and at Ashland NC to Louisville Kentucky in the west. Through service was offered to Chicago west of Cincinnati via New York Central. The George Washington was completely upgraded with new cars in 1950. The Pere Marquette railroad merged into the C&O in 1947, and the C&O took control of the B&O in the 1960s (and eventually merged it in 1976), hence the presence of B&O cars in C&O trains toward the end of the George Washington’s streamlined era. Read more HERE , HERE , and HERE .

Tomorrow I'll show you more details inside! Linking with Ruby Tuesday

The Greenbrier Presidential Express

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Since the weather was in the 60's this weekend and sunny, we decided to go to the C & O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge.

The train above is the Greenbrier Presidential Express. This train was supposed to carry folks luxuriously from DC to The Greenbrier and back. The plan was initiated in 2011 and then cancelled in 2012 due to numerous issues.

Tomorrow I will show you some of the inside!

CLICK HERE to visit the Heritage Center, CLICK HERE to read more about the Presidential Express.

Random 5 Friday - Love Locks

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On the bridge along the Percival's Island Trail.

Ashlyn texted me last night that a boy from a nearby high school committed suicide. He was the victim of bullying. Schools say they have zero tolerance to bullying but that's not true. A friend of mine has a high school age daughter. She went to the other high school in our county. For 2 years she was bullied daily by the same group of girls. My friend was at the school almost daily to talk with the principal about these girls constantly tormenting her daughter. They just ignored it till one day my friend's daughter had enough and turned on one of her bullies and attacked her. Then of course the school was interested in this. Not with the bullies though, they were more so interested in my friend's daughter and suspended her for fighting. The bullies walked away. My friend's daughter had to change schools to get away from the abuse.

I hate bullies.

Here's 5 facts on bullies:

1) Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year.

2) 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4 percent of the time.

3) 1 in 7 students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.

4) Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective.

5) Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75 percent of school-shooting incidents.

Visit Do Something to see how you and your kids can make a difference.

Visit Nancy @ A Rural Journal for more randoms.

Signs, Signs - Nude Bathing on the James

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We spotted this sign while walking along the Percival's Island Trail in Lynchburg. This is on some private property on the James River. For more info on the James River, visit James River Association and for more signage, visit Signs, Signs.

This is a stressful week. I will be happy when it's over!