Around Roanoke, VA (A Daily Photo Blog)

Devil’s Marbleyard 2

2024-01-06T23:36:00.000-05:00

You’re almost to the top here. Over to the left you have to climb up some rocks to get to the very top. Like I said since I had Kane with us I didn’t go to much further.

Kane is watching Braden go up and he really wanted to go! It was too treacherous though because he wanted to run!

Rhododendron

I had Braden hold on to Kane while I climbed up a bit more. This is a far as I could get because Kane was wanting to come with me!

Heading back down…

There is an old abandoned Boy Scout Camp along this hike which is actually my favorite part. I’ll show you that next!!

Devil’s Marbleyard

2024-01-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

Devil’s Marbleyard . Natural Bridge Station . Rockbridge County

Last February Braden and I hiked up to Devil’s Marbleyard. It gets its name from this huge field of gigantic boulders. As you ascend up the mountain there are more and more until they cover the top. You can scramble up the boulders but we didn’t as I had Kane with me. Braden climbed up a bit and said there was a good view up there.

Like I mentioned yesterday, the trail that takes you to the Devil’s Marbleyard, the Belfast Trail, is part of the Old Growth Forest Network. You can read about that HERE

I’ve got quite a few pictures from that hike I’ll share tomorrow!

Reaching

2024-01-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

Catawba

This one look like he’s been around a while.

I was recently reading a book that talked about an Old Growth Forest. I was just thinking about it and was wondering if there is one near me and turns out there is and also turns out that Braden and I hiked through there last year! I’ll share that with you tomorrow!

New Year’s Skies

2024-01-02T22:05:00.001-05:00

Blue Ridge, Va

Winter produces some pretty skies! I also think winter trees are pretty! We are possibly in for some snow Saturday…1-3 inches…we’ll see!

CDP Theme Day: Photo of the Year

2024-01-01T21:49:00.001-05:00

A back road in Botetourt County

Well hello and Happy New Year!! So I only posted a handful of times last year but this was my favorite of them! It was a nice day spent taking back roads and finding hidden gems! If you zoom in you can see the old abandoned farm house peeking through the trees!

Linking up with City Daily Photo

CDP Theme Day - My Favorite Part of Town

2023-11-01T22:36:00.000-04:00

Buchanan . Botetourt County

I know it has been a while! I don’t know why I keep falling off the face of the earth but I’m trying to catch back up!

I would have to say my favorite part of “my town” would probably be taking a back road. You never know what hidden little gems are waiting to be found!

To see more, visit City Daily Photo Theme Day

Salem Museum - Lakeside Park

2023-05-22T00:00:00.001-04:00

Lakeside park opened in 1920 and closed in 1986…

Since living here I’ve heard so many people tell me about Lakeside…I wish it was still here!

I would have rode the roller coaster for sure.

I also would have ridden the carousel!

Swimming half naked on Sundays!

A sad reminder of history….

Did you grow up with a park like Lakeside? Growing up in San Diego we had 2 parks that I loved as a kid…Marshall Scotty’s and Belmont Park. At Marshall Scotty’s my favorite was the pony rides and Belmont Park was known for the roller coaster, The Giant Dipper. In the 80’a they restored the old roller coaster…I’ve ridden it before and after!

I found this video clip of Lakeside you can watch HERE

Salem Museum - Remember The Titans

2023-05-17T22:03:00.000-04:00

I’m sure you’ve seen the movie “Remember The Titans” with Denzel Washington right?

It was a true story…

It’s a great movie…I didn’t realize Salem’s school, Andrew Lewis, played them (T.C. Williams) in the championship game here in Roanoke.

Andrew Lewis lost…

Fast forward to current times…T.C. Williams changed its name to Alexandria not long after the George Floyd protests…

I found this interesting story about the name change HERE

Salem Museum - Photo Dump

2023-05-16T20:50:00.000-04:00

Roanoke College in the 1850’s

I thought this was interesting…Roanoke College was one of the few Southern Colleges to remain open during the Civil War.

This is a painting showing what Salem looked like before the Civil War…I love paintings like this…you can also see the William-Brown house, next to that white house…that’s the house the museum is in today.

An interesting story …

I liked this map…

I don’t really know anything about this but I love old pictures of people…

I wanted to learn more about this but I couldn’t find much…

I’ve got a couple more exhibits to show you before I’m done!

Salem Museum - Walter Biggs

2023-05-09T18:48:00.004-04:00

Walter Biggs was born June 4, 1886 in Elliston, Virginia and died February 11, 1968 in Roanoke, Virginia.

I had never heard of him until visiting the museum and didn’t really know much about him until researching him for this blog post.

He had a very successful career as an illustrator in New York.

In my last post I showed you his illustration of Uncle Watt….here is some more of his work:

I am not sure of the names of these…I need to go back to the museum!

Water Street (what he was working on in the first picture)

I am so sorry for the reflections…I have a hard time getting pictures of framed pictures without everything in the room showing up.

If you zoom in you can see what the church looks like now in the little photo to the left.

It is especially appealing to me that most of these paintings are of real local places that I can go see.

I think it would be fun now to try and find a piece of his work in a local antique store by chance!

I think that is all I have from my trip to the museum on Walter Biggs, but I do have more of the museum to show you tomorrow!

You can visit the museum Here

And I found an interesting YouTube video on Walter Biggs HERE …it’s a bit long but it looked interesting from the part I saw…dropping it here so I remember to go back and watch!

Salem Museum - Uncle Watt Jones

2023-05-05T21:54:00.000-04:00

I’m glad I took a picture of Uncle Watt. I want to learn more about him. I wish I could ask him about his life.

Here he is in “The Letter” painted by Walter Biggs.

I found the short story of Uncle Wat written by John Drinkwater in 1925…you can read it HERE

I have more of Walter Biggs work to show you later.

City Daily Photo Theme Day - Museum

2023-05-01T13:16:00.001-04:00

801 East Main St . Salem

The Salem Museum is housed in the old Williams-Brown House.

It was built about 1845.

It showcases Salem history.

I will show you some of the exhibits this week!

Linking with City Daily Photo

March Theme Day - Comfort Food

2023-03-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

Duck Donuts . 3564 Electric Road . Roanoke

Oops, I forgot to take a picture before we dug into these! Do you have a Duck Donuts near you? They are amazing! Each donut is a little work of art and made to order! You can check their menu out HERE

I like their mural inside!

To see comfort food from all over the world, visit City Daily Photo

February Theme Day - Virtue

2023-02-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

Thomas Chapel . Bedford

Over the weekend Nick and I were just driving some back roads and came upon this old church…

Hmmm what’s that sign say?…

I’ve never seen a sign like this before…

What’s this little Buddha doing here?

So many questions…

So when I got home I Googled Thomas Chapel…

Thomas Chapel was built in 1844…

I found that info HERE

If you want to visit the website there is also a short video showing the inside of the church.

I am going to follow this and see how I can get involved!

To see more on this theme from all over the world visit City Daily Photo

Out of Gas

2023-01-30T08:34:00.003-05:00

Thaxton School . Bedford

Sheep Creek . Bedford

The house caught my eye…looked abandoned so we started to pull in…then a big dog chased us out lol

Sheep Creek . Bedford

Just some things from our drive on Sunday 🙂

Kane

2023-01-13T23:06:00.000-05:00

This guy ❤️

Cemetery at Cloverlea

2023-01-12T22:19:00.001-05:00

Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

Not too far from the farmhouse is this old family cemetery…

There weren’t a lot of graves…

I wonder if they lived in the farmhouse at one point…probably…

If you didn’t know the little cemetery was there you would miss it…

Some of the names there are: Watson, Morris, Reed and Carnefix, that’s an unusual name…

As I get this post ready to go I’m saddened by the death of Lisa Marie Presley…I can’t believe it…they have had their share of heartache ❤️

Today I’m grateful for this whole wonderful week I’ve had! I had to use up some vacation time and it was a nice lazy week hanging out with Kane (our new puppy) and we went and had dinner at Christian’s and his fiancé’s house and then last night I took Kane to Ashlyn’s house to play with her puppy! It’s been a good week 🙂

Linking with:

Thankful Thursday

Signs2

Ash Tree

2023-01-11T22:18:00.001-05:00

Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

When we were here I remember a lady telling us that this Ash Tree is one of 3 of the biggest in Virginia…

I couldn’t find any info to back her claim but I’ll take her word for it…

I wonder how old it is?

Virginia Claytor Memorial Garden @ Cloverlea

2023-01-10T22:56:00.001-05:00

Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

I’ve been showing you around the house, now let’s go see the beautiful gardens…

The views of the mountains are amazing!!

I want a garden like this!

It was September when we were here and quite hot…Nick found a nice place in the shade while I wandered around the gardens…the hummingbirds were so loud flying over his head!

It was fun identifying so many of the plants I have learned about since working in the garden center at Lowe’s!

The reflecting pool…WOW!!

The stairs leading back up to the house from the reflecting pond…

I wasn’t kidding about wanting a garden like this lol…

“This beautiful garden grows in loving memory of Virginia Arnold Claytor May 9, 1927 - January 18, 1998

who so loved the land, animals and flowers.”

Me too Mrs. Claytor, me too…

Linking with Tom’s Tuesday’s Treasures

Cloverlea 3

2023-01-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

Cloverlea . Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

So I just realized I was calling this Clover Lea when in fact it is Cloverlea lol…it does make a difference…

While trying to find more historical info on this house I realized there is a Clover Lea in another part of Virginia…

What does Cloverlea/Clover Lea even mean?

You would think there would be a ton of history out there on a house this old (1780 or 90)

But that’s not the case…I do know an Andrew Boyd Claytor and his wife Virginia owned this back in the 50’s until his death…

It was Cloverlea Farm then …it has had several additions added since it was first built…I read somewhere that there is a “Buttermilk Wing” because an owner saved up money selling buttermilk to add that addition…

I also read that you can spot the original construction in the chimneys…painted rock is original and painted brick was added later…

This part doesn’t look too old to me…

Mr. Claytor donated the house to the University of Lynchburg after his death…

You can rent the house out for an overnight stay or as a wedding venue…I’ve seen mention of using it as a museum…I’m in favor of that!

A few years back they checked out what was up in the attic…you can see what they found HERE

On a side note, that newspaper story is from the Toronto Times…how crazy that I have to link to Toronto because our local newspapers charge lol

Tomorrow I’ll show you around the beautiful gardens!!

(These were taken in September 2022)

Clover Lea 2

2023-01-05T22:53:00.003-05:00

Clover Lea Farmhouse . Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

A little closer view…I want to show you around the beautiful gardens and the super old Ash tree but I’m struggling for time tonight so just another little sneak peek! Isn’t it an amazing old house though?!

More tomorrow lol

Clover Lea

2023-01-04T23:11:00.000-05:00

Clover Lea Farm House . Bedford

Because I said I was going to show you the farm house today, here it is…I have more to show (tomorrow lol) but I didn’t want to miss a post today because I am trying to keep up with my blog again!

The oldest part of this beauty dates back to 1780…we’ll get closer tomorrow…I’m exhausted!!

Tuesday’s Treasures - Claytor Nature Center

2023-01-03T21:08:00.000-05:00

Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

On New Year’s Day we decided to go on a hike…

We decided to go to Claytor Nature Center in Bedford…

We’ve been before but haven’t been on all the trails…

On this day we chose the River Walk trail…

We were so surprised by this beautiful area we came upon…

Kane quite liked it too!…

This area along the trail is called “The Narrows “

While this week has been spring-like and warm, there was still ice left over from the previous week’s freezing weather…

I even saw baby frogs!…

The last time we were here was during the summer and I have pictures around a beautiful old farmhouse that is there…I’ll show you that tomorrow!

Linking up with Tom’s Tuesday’s Treasures

Skirt of Moss

2023-01-02T11:42:00.004-05:00

Claytor Nature Center . Bedford

“And when thou art weary I'll find thee a bed, Of mosses and flowers to pillow thy head.” John Keats

I have a thing for moss!

CDP Theme Day - Photo of the Year

2023-01-01T22:20:00.001-05:00

Ozzy . January 2022

Today is Theme Day and we pick our photo of the year…while looking back at my few posts from 2022 I came across this snowy day the first week of January last year. I had to pick this one. Ozzy loved the snow, even in his old age. This was one of the last pictures I got of him out enjoying the snow (sadly he passed away later in June).

To see more theme pictures visit City Daily Photo