Spring Break

This endearing structure lives in a field near the end of the road at Freeport, just up the road from Mathews. I stopped in recently on my way home from having lunch with a friend in Saluda.

The wonderfully weathered wood and the vestiges of vines made it impossible for me to drive by without stopping to say hello and take a few shots.

Pretty soon, the weather will take its turn towards warm, and the weeds will take over my house greenery will take over everything.

There are signs that the process has already started.

I just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime cruise with Baby Sister, which is why this blog hasn't been updated in a while.  On board, we saw tons of live music from bands of the 1970s, including Firefall, Ambrosia, Little River Band, Player, Orleans, and my favorite:  Peter Frampton.  Although the best days were the ones at sea, we also visited Cozumel and Key West.

Now, it's a slow return to the town called Normal Life, where my workload will gradually increase, and much of my spare time will be devoted to work for the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center.

But I do still vow to keep up with this blog.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Wandering

I was on my way to the dump one recent Saturday. Hauling trash and recycling is one of the most least glamorous chores I perform regularly--without the benefit of the almost-mandatory pickup truck that would make the job so much easier. I'm one of the very few Mathews County residents who pulls in to the Mathews Convenience Center (the fancy name for The Dump) in a Kia Forte named Sandy (she's a sandy color) with sixteen bags of recycling, even though recycling is optional in Mathews.

 Before I continue galloping down this tangent 

about the dump, recycling, and my Kia Forte named Sandy, 
which really is unrelated to these pictures,

let's go back to the beginning and try again.

One Saturday on the way to the dump, I had to pull over because one of Sandy's my doors wasn't closed all the way. I glanced over at this delightful old building, which I pass at least twice a day going to and from work, and admired the sun shining on it just so. Luckily, I was able to locate my camera amongst the sixteen bags of recycling that was practically suffocating me in my non-pick-up truck Kia Forte.

Since it is abundantly clear I can't focus on the most important part of this story, i.e. this gorgeous old building, I'll stop trying to explain the circumstances which caused me to pull over a half a mile from my home and rather haphazardly glance up to see this beautiful old building talking to me.

But I was definitely on my way to the dump.

Ridgefield

This wonderful building is on Ridgefield Road, near Wayland Baptist Church, which is where I park my car when I go on my six-mile run.

(I haven't gone six miles in a couple weeks now; my excuse is there's been no time.  But I hope to reacquaint myself with this particular six-mile route  this week! soon.)

I've posted seventy eleven thousand many photos of this structure over the years and never cease to be entertained by and attracted to it.  Alas, I know none of its history, none of its stories, none of its connections.

All I can tell you is it sits patiently on the side of a very quiet road down which I love to run. It doesn't require attention.  It doesn't insist on acknowledgement. It just is.

Still Standing

These were taken a few weeks back just before the leaves started budding on the trees.  Winter is usually the best time to catch glimpses of some of the older abandoned structures that lurk in our many wooded areas, but this winter I didn't get out nearly enough to take pictures.

The poor daffodils sagging in the last few photos were only doing so because it was a cold, damp day.  They perk right up as soon as the sun arrives to warm them up.

(I can relate.)

I pass all of these hidden houses--and more--on my favorite jogging route in the county. That would be the very same jogging route I've visited far too infrequently this year, making me ill-prepared for anything resembling the half-marathon I'm signed up for on Saturday.

(But all will be fine.)

Baby Sis and I will walk a part of this half-marathon if we must, in spite of our inner competitive demons which despise the thought of surrender.  She claims her knees are "bone against bone" with no cartilage to speak of.  I respond with statements like, "The longest I've run recently was six miles one time the other week, but my memory's so bad it might have been the other month--and I've done nothing since then except sit at a desk or in a car. And eat.  I've done lots of eating."

It's almost like we're in a competition to see who is the least ready.

As I've said before though, we need no training to have a good time.

But that's all this weekend.

These next couple of days I'm off from work and will spend some time with Daughter and Son, who are on spring break.  Son will be working at Merroir most of the time, but we'll squeeze in an adventure or two that includes a trip "to town" as we say, also known as a trek "across the river."  Translation:  We're headed to Newport News to take care of things like haircuts and errands that we otherwise never have time for.

And we'll have fun.

Because that's what this family seems to do best.

Beachland

This sharp little shed and plucky old plow live near a farmhouse on the approach to Beachland, one of my favorite homes in the county.

The owners of Beachland held an estate sale over the weekend. Much to my delight, they invited me to take a pre-sale peek on Thursday afternoon.

I'll share some pictures of Beachland's grounds and a story about something I found there in the coming posts.

Happy April Eve.

Three Things

Thursday is here, which means it's time to share three thoughts--even if the person asking you to share three thoughts doesn't feel like sharing much of anything herself.

Let's begin.

1.  I've been sick since February Saturday with a hacking cough and sinus pressure that has not yet caused my head to pop straight off my shoulders.  But it's coming.  It can only be a matter of time. 

2.  What makes the above ten thousand times worse is that I've missed the summer-like weather we've had.  All I can do is glance longingly from inside during the few points in the day I actually feel like living moving about.

3.  The pity party is now over.

4.  (Because three is only a suggestion.)  On Saturday, Son is giving a presentation at Virginia Commonwealth University as part of the Chesapeake Bay Governor's School Science Symposium.  He'll be discussing his senior project for Governor's School which involved creating an underwater microphone.  It also involved many years months of frustration, several trips to Radio Shack (there are no Radio Shacks in Mathews, by the way), a few canoe trips to the Gwynn's Island bridge, and lots more that's way beyond my comprehension.  Hopefully he'll be delivering the speech in layman's terms (that include diagrams with stick figures for old people whose brains stopped working on precisely the exact same day that their child--who is now delivering scientific speeches about underwater inventions to a panel of judges--was born).  Either way, I am very proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his talk.

4b.  (Because I can't leave Daughter out.)  Daughter played her first varsity soccer game Tuesday night.  Even though I was so sick I could hardly see straight, I sat in the stands and watched.  Mathews lost but we played Gloucester which is a far larger school.  All things considered, they did fairly well considering they haven't had much time to practice.  Daughter played most of the second half, and although it's vastly different from JV, I thought she did very well and am very proud of her.

Now it's your turn to share three things or two things or six things or four things.  Whatever you want.

Anything at all.

Community Store

Today we continue with the theme of  Places I Visited On My Drive Down Mobjack.

This senescent structure sits at an intersection in the middle of a neighborhood 

of many houses no doubt filled with people simultaneously tending to their lives

while keeping a close eye on the wild-haired woman hanging 

out her car window taking pictures on such a cold day.

There are many old gas stations/stores like this sprinkled throughout the county.

If I ever get a break from life and a chance to catch my breath,

I'll have to go around and take all their portraits. 

But, as best as I can tell, I won't get any sort of break

until the summer of 2016

for months to come.

The regional basketball game has been moved to Wednesday night at Appomatox Regional Governor's School, which means lots of driving will be involved. That's OK. Luckily I've had lots of practice working long days and driving miles and miles into the night. It's all worth it.  Somehow.

But I would like to state for the record, however, that even though I have a whole third season of sports to get through with Daughter's soccer, and even though Son will be graduating this year, Lord knows I cannot wait for school to be out and for there to be some sort of a break and/or vacation to look forward to.

For now, though, I'll just have to be content with the occasional outing to take pictures--in this case of a quaint little store in a quiet little neighborhood that appears to be extremely tolerant of strange people strangers.

This Old House

This old house lives at the corner of Routes 682 and 643 as you head toward Haven Beach. I've been taking its portrait for years now and really admire it.

Over the weekend I took Commenter LLC's advice from a few days ago and looked into the site Abandoned America:

 "The site "abandoned america" has photos of countryside structures but also will feature old churches, schools, factories, defunct cemeteries and urban decay: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151902567162320&set=a.57751472319.66979.51371492319&type=1&theater....abandonedamerica.org ."


I "liked" them on Facebook and have been mesmerized by the photos ever since.  They're really incredible.

Anyway, many thanks to LLC for turning me on to that site, it's nice to know I am not alone in my love for and admiration of old, decaying structures.  They're absolutely beautiful.

Thankfully there are plenty of old, abandoned structures to choose from around here in Mathews.

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In completely unrelated news, today is the last Monday holiday until Memorial Day.  On the one hand that's depressing, because May seems like it's so many months away.  On the other hand, Memorial Day!  It's somewhere out there just waiting to make an appearance on the calendar!

Let me be the first to say that I simply cannot wait.

Bring it.

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p.s. I'd also like to share my new favorite song and video (click here), which my blog friend Laurie brought to my attention over the weekend.  This may be the one and only thing that pulls me through the month of doldrums otherwise known as February.  This may also be my new theme song.

(Not sure what my old theme song was, that's a question for another day.)

Shed

This little leaning shed lives on the road leading to Locklies Marina.

After lunch on Saturday I had to stop and get its picture.

It looked a little lonely.

The trees coming up around it seem to give some level of support, however slight.

I love this window.

(It doesn't take much to entertain me.)

It was freezing cold today, at least to me.  I believe I saw 40 degrees on the car's thermometer this morning, and when I left work tonight it didn't feel one bit warmer.

On my way home from work, I stopped in Walmutant--not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Driving out of the parking lot, I glanced towards the Garden Center and was shocked to see Christmas trees all lit up. They've probably been lit up for weeks now but I only noticed tonight because of the darkness.

Didn't I just drag that artificial tree of mine down to the basement?  Is it really that close to Christmas?

Again?

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Not that I am rushing Christmas, and if I am I didn't start it, but click here for the story of that Christmas tree  I just put away yesterday.