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.

Three Things

Here we are once again staring at the day called Thursday, where on this blog we are encouraged to share three thoughts--three random or related or semi-related things.  Whatever happens to be on your mind, anything at all.

Because there's no other way around it, I will go first.

1.  Tonight the Mathews girls basketball team takes on Middlesex in a home match THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WIN.  Sorry for the shouting, it's just that my daughter's basketball is about the only thing I feel passionate about these days.

2.  I ran 8.6 miles yesterday, from Wayland Baptist Church to Salem United Methodist Church and back.  Since I hadn't measured the distance in advance, I just told myself to run from one church to the other (and back) in the hopes that it would be at least six miles, which was my goal.  When I clocked it with my car's odometer, I was shocked to learn I'd gone so far.  Mind you, I have a smart phone that could have done this mapping for me.  But thus far that smart phone's owner has not acquired the additional smartness required to use it to its full capability.

3.  Thank goodness for Monday's Martin Luther King federal holiday.  2014 and the month of January have already worn me right down out, and I am looking forward to taking down my Christmas tree maybe a day off.

That's it from me.  If you have one, two, three or more thoughts to share, please do. And thank you for doing so.

p.s. If you're local and are looking for something to do tonight, please come to the girls' basketball games at 6:00 (JV) and 7:30 (varsity) at the high school and cheer them on. I need help in the stands; it's not easy being an overly enthusiastic spectator.

Windows

This building is on the road going down to Wayland Baptist Church,

which is where I sometimes park my car to go jogging.

By the way, I'd better start getting serious about the jogging. Baby Sis,  Mental P Mama, and I are signed up for a half-marathon (13-ish miles) in November.   Ann Marie is doing the full marathon! That's like more than  26 a thousand miles!  Since roller skating is an unacceptable means of participating (I checked), I really need to get serious about this running business.

Anyway.

After a recent four-mile jog, I stopped here to snap a few shots, even though I've taken this building's portrait many, many times before.

These days I'm way more paranoid than usual a little paranoid about buildings being torn down, since several of my favorites recently succumbed to a bulldozer.

As a matter of fact, a farmhouse right across Route 14 from this particular structure was razed shortly before I took these pictures.

Sherlock Holmes I figured out what was happening when, over the course of a week or so, I noticed the preparations, which included the removal of all the windows; trimming and removal of nearby trees; and the telltale sign:  a bulldozer precariously close to the house.

So, although I've previously posted pictures very similar of this very structure, I'm not ashamed to share more.

Because you just never know when this place will be gone for good.


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p.s. Please hold your applause while CBW trots to the stage to accept her award for "Blog Post Containing the Most Fragmented Sentences and/or Sentences Beginning with Conjunctions/Prepositions/Strikethroughs and/or Words Passed Off as Sentences, Such as Anyway."  

Wayland

The other day I mentioned Wayland Baptist Church, which is where I sometimes park my car to go jogging.

Recently I learned that my high school friend Lucy Smith was a member of this church.

(Click here for a picture of me and Lucy at the Mathews Christmas parade last year.)

One day I hope to see the inside of this quaint church. For now, though, I'm thoroughly content to wander around the outside.

Of particular interest to me is what lies out back.  Completely surrounded by woods and hidden from passersby on Ridgefield Road, the graveyard is tucked neatly behind the church.

Most of the graves are quite old.

Some, but only a few, are more recent.

Getting back to Lucy, she's the sort of friend who calls me on every holiday. Valentine's Day? I get a call from Lucy just to say hey. Mother's Day? "Happy Mothers, Day, CBW, it's Lucy just calling to wish you a happy day." She also called the night of  the recent tornado just to make sure I was OK.

Whenever I see her we both bust out laughing. And I'm not quite sure why.

I am quite sure it doesn't matter why.

One of these days I'm going to get her on video so you all can see what I mean. Lucy is a character, a born entertainer.  She exudes happiness, joy, and, most of all, a sense of humor about life. She would definitely be on this TV show I hope to create one day, which would feature the local characters that Mathews has created. I could interview a different person every day for a year and not run out of topics and people. So many ideas, so little money time.

This week is The Week when my project is due, and I'm still working on a loaned laptop that is threatening to put me in the Wayland graveyard to die on me, so postings will continue to be sporadic and stress levels will continue to run high.

Thanks for reading and have a great week.


p.s. If you're interested here is another post about Wayland Baptist Church click here.

Ridgefield Road

Here lately about once a week, I drive down Route 614, Ridgefield Road, to Wayland Baptist Church; park my car; and go for a barely faster than a walk light jog.

From Wayland, I take Ridgefield to Beaverlett post office, then make a right on Beaverdam Road.  Then I make another right on the Autobahn Route 14 back to a right on Ridgefield.  Make sure all of this is clear, because there will be a quiz at the end.

It's so peaceful and quiet on this road.  Very rarely does a car go by.

The woods lining either side of the road are chock full of birds and bugs and unknown creatures that make the most wonderful, peaceful, soothing sounds.

It's like stepping into a parallel universe where there's no deadline looming stress.

I keep telling myself I need to bring my video camera down here to record a walk on this magical road. The sounds even more so than the sights would be so wonderful to capture.

That'll have to go on the list of Things I Intend to Do One of These Days If I Ever Live to See This Book to Fruition.

In the meantime here are a few shots from the vicinity.

Below is one I took leaving Wayland, with the same stretch of road above reflected in the rear view mirror.

Warning:The dirt on CBW's mirror is even worse than it appears.

Who said you can't take a photo while parked in the middle of the road? (Sheriff Howlett, put your handcuffs away hand down.)

The red barn over there has always mesmerized me.

I have yet to learn much about it or rather, I've forgotten whatever I heard, but it just beams with character.

And now for the pop quiz:

1.This is a question for those whose technical knowledge extends beyond the DOS operating system, which dates back to Chesapeake Bay Woman's last first foray into the world of computers.  Using Google Whatever or one of those I-Things, please tell me how far I am jogging if I start at Wayland Baptist Church, take Ridgefield to Beaverdam to Route 14 back to Ridgefield and Wayland. If it is fewer than 3 miles, please don't answer this question.  Or lie and say it's more. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

2.True or False. Chesapeake Bay Woman would rather drive ten minutes to the Middle of Nowhere; park her car; and jog all around the vicinity of Nowhere in 200% humidity on the hottest day of the year thus far than work on her book, which is due in almost a week.

3. If a tree falls in the woods near Ridgefield Road and Chesapeake Bay Woman isn't around to catch it hear it, when will she ever learn that there is a very valid reason why Nike did not select "Just Procrastinate" as its slogan?

OK, so this was more of a rhetorical question sort of quiz, but if anyone can measure out that route for me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Have a great weekend.

"The gate" (aka the driveway entrance) at Wayland. I'll post pictures of the church  grounds soon.

Scenes from Wayland

Wayland Baptist Church was an inadvertent stop a few weeks ago.

Although I took many pictures that day, the one above is probably my favorite.  This headstone struggles to stand even though it would be supported by the church--if only it would lean back.

(I'm sure there's a lesson hidden somewhere in all this. But aside from that, look at the date on this thing.)

Below is a window from the church.

Next to the church is an older building just loaded with character--and a few of its own expressive windows.

Barely visible in these photos is a hook above the door which must have held a light fixture.

But that's just a guess, and we all know about CBW's guesswork.  Chances are good her guess is wrong.

I sure do wish this place could talk.

Behind this church and its charismatic side building is a cemetery, parts of which are being overtaken by Mother Earth.  

I was spellbound by Wayland and grateful to have stumbled upon it on my way to who knows where wherever I was going.  It's a beautiful church with lots of stories to be told, starting with all the unmarked graves in the back.