RC Tractor Pull

Another Saturday, another tractor pull. This one was the local redneck/country gathering and mom and I volunteered to help with ticket sales at the entrance. We were able to watch Bryan and the guys pull his farm tractor early on in the day before showing up for our shift during the truck pull part. 

This was the day before the pull looking down at the track from up on the hill where we were taking tickets.

During the pull you can see the crowd of vehicles that came in.

The lights were on and the pull continued well into the night.

Bryan pulling his tractor (rare-usually others drive it and he watches).

Bryan's tractor (easy to spot because of the missing headlight--he is into function, not decoration).

Panorama of the guys smoothing out the track after a pull: they do this after each go at it since the tires of the tractor/truck tend to dig into the dirt towards the end of the pull.

A storm blew around us. We got a lot of wind and a few drops of water for a little while but nothing major.

Sporting my cooling towel (a true lifesaver!) during the windy afternoon.

Mom & I working on our flip flop tans while we manned the entrance.

The sky and subsequent sunset that evening was spectacular! My phone was not able to capture the true beauty.

Examples of other types of tractors and trucks that participate. Bryan's is considered a "farm" tractor, while there are other classes that are obviously souped-up tractors not used to do actual dirty work. Some trucks look like this pretty fuchsia one, but others look like the ones you see on the road: normal but jacked up. 

Bryan came in 1st in all 4 weights his tractor pulled in :)

Little Free Library

I've mentioned seeing Little Free Libraries around New Orleans when I lived there and even said I was going to put some books in one but that never happened and I never actually stopped to look inside one of the book houses. Shame on me! So when I noticed one in Lexington I made a point to check it out. 

This guy is located in the Lime Kiln Bridge Park near Woods Creek. I didn't find any titles that caught my eye but now I know where to check every so often and I can drop some books off there too!!

A variety of genres including children's books, mysteries, text books, and romance novels were available for the taking.

Whole Foods...I've Missed You

It has been over three months since I last stepped foot inside a Whole Foods Market. Before living in New Orleans I had never visited the upscale grocery chain but it quickly became a staple in my life with three locations within easy driving distance of my Uptown house. Little ol' Lexington doesn't have a Whole Foods so when mom and I went to Charlottesville on Saturday we made a point to stop in so I could grab some of my favorites!

This particular store had a pasta bar (none of the NOLA ones have this option) that looked amazing!!

This HUGE Jack Fruit in the produce section caught my eye right off the bat! I have never seen one before, nor tried it. 

I spotted some familiar product in the chocolate section...

While they did not have my turkey loaf (meat loaf made with turkey instead of beef...yum!) or some of the other prepared foods I used to buy, I stocked up on a few items before heading out. Charlottesville is definitely on my radar of places to consider for my next move...

Homemade Ice Cream

Before our bunch of ripe bananas turned to the point of no return we smashed them up and made ice cream out of them on Sunday! Twas an adventure indeed. Choosing to live on the wild side, we concocted the mix without a true recipe. After watching the machine spin and churn the mix into a semi-frozen state we sampled our sweet treat. Unfortunately it was lacking on the "sweet" part a bit... so I hand stirred some additional sugar and vanilla extract in making it more palatable. Dad gave his bowl a drizzle of caramel sauce and I crushed up an oatmeal cookie into mine. It isn't terrible, but I wouldn't attempt to make this again without a recipe that has been vouched for!

I think I'm going to make some coconut streusel to mix in to give it some extra oomph! At least we have the cutest little bowls to eat the ice cream out of :)

Parts Runner

As the gopher for Bryan's business I have been zipping up and down the interstate a decent amount recently. Roanoke/Troutville, Harrisonburg/Dayton. To pass the time as I travel north and south I listen to podcasts, NPR, recent tunes on my phone, and I broke out my CD collection for nostalgia's sake. 

A mixed disc created by Brie. 

I've found lots of gems I had forgotten about through listening to my mixed CDs!

Kiwi Twist, Redbull's summer flavor, wasn't half bad though I think I'll stick with the sugar free variety.

While stopped in a traffic jam I spotted this colorful trailer on I-81. 

I could never be a full-time trucker (I get too antsy for all of that sitting), but an hour or two in the car isn't terrible.

Full Rainbow

Caught a full rainbow in Fairfield yesterday!

Another, more faint one can be seen to the left.

Red Sky At Night...

Just an awesome sunset after the rain Monday night...

Community Theater

Mom & I worked on expanding our cultural sides while it poured down rain on Thursday evening. After seeing "Heroes, Hustlers, Schemers & Scamps (Curious Characters from Rockbridge County History)" advertised in the newspaper my interest was sparked.

Considering the gloomy weather, there was a decent crowd in attendance at VMI's Gillis Theater to watch the nearly two dozen performers recite lengthy monologues as various characters and sing songs from centuries past. Each actor was clad in outfits fitting for the time and character they were portraying and a few had additional props to aid in telling their story. 

The featured heroes, hustlers, schemers and scamps included the following:

• Mary McDowell Greenlee: Independent Pioneer Woman (People thought she was a witch because of her outspoken, independent nature! She lived to be 102 years old.)
• Magdalena Woods McDowell: Wealthy Frontier Widow (Married multiple times she was part of the Borden Grant settlement and lived to be 104 years old.)
• John Peter Salling: Western Explorer & Journal Keeper (Traveled west from Natural Bridge where he spent 2 years in New Orleans held as a captive before escaping and returning to Rockbridge County.)
• Samuel Houston: Patriot & Minister (Cousin to the more famous Sam Houston, his legacy was his service to his country and his ministry in Timber Ridge.)
• Mary Moore: Frontier Survivor (The majority of her family was killed by Native Americans who attacked their home. She was held captive by a tribe for years before being rescued by her older brother.)
• "Jockey" John Robinson: Horse Trader & Distiller (Equestrian dealer and whiskey maker, his estate became a major part of what is now Buena Vista.)
• John Jordan & William Weaver: Men of Iron (Jordan's Point was the home of John Jordan, an iron furnace owner. William Weaver purchased Buffalo Forge and ran multiple furnaces throughout the county.)
• Cyrus McCormick: Inventor of the Reaper (Cyrus created a machine that allowed two men to cut eight to ten acres a day versus four men cutting two acres a day by hand saving farmers time and money.)
• Sally McDowell Thomas Miller: A Divorced Woman (Married at Col Alto, Sally was granted a divorce-nearly unheard of in those times-after being subjected to her husband's physical and psychological abuse.)
• Jacquelin Beverly Stanard: New Market Cadet (A young cadet eager to see battle who was killed in the line of duty.)
• Margaret Junkin Preston: Poetess of the South (An acclaimed poet, Mrs. Preston's brother in law was Stonewall Jackson.)
• Hannah Davidson: Civil War Mother (A woman who lost multiple sons to the war.)
• Lilla Pendleton: A "Modern" Young Lady (Lilla owned a sewing machine and helped the local women expand their fashion senses.)
• Reverend & Mrs. Benjamin Moomaw: Town Builders (Thought they could make Buena Vista the "Pittsburgh" of Virginia. Didn't work...)
• Charles M. Figgat: Bank Robber (Worked at the bank and gained the trust of locals for years before making off with over $145,000 in stolen money leaving behind his wife of forty years.)
• Spotswood Styles: African-American Poet (Local poet who met Robert Frost when he came through Lexington and was praised for his writing.)
• Sally Bruce Dickinson: Irish Creek School Teacher (Taught for five years in the rough and tough area of Irish Creek helping its residence receive a much needed education.)
• Miss Annie Jo White: Lexington Socialite (Founded W&L's Fancy Dress event that continues to this day.)
• Mel Greenberg: Modern Con-Man (Posing as a Hollywood casting director, Greenberg duped locals into auditioning for a fictional movie while passing bad checks at the Keydet General.)

Some of the cast in costume

(Photo by Kelly Nye taken from VMI's website)

Very entertaining and informative, my interest in history and fondness for supporting local arts were both satiated by the community theater event!

Virginia Uncommon: Prehistoric Graffiti

A few weeks back when I was wandering around Roanoke I spotted some interesting graffiti beside the Taubman Museum of Art. It looks like something you'd see inside a cave, created thousands of years ago, but it was featured on a brick wall most definitely drawn within the last decade. 

*As I have ventured around Rockbridge County and the surrounding areas I have been snapping pictures of unique, unusual, and uncommon sights. I plan to feature these fun and quirky attractions in posts titled "Virginia Uncommon" to coincide with my hashtag #VirginiaUncommon being used on Instagram. Enjoy!*

Katie's Chocolate Club: June

Guys! This month I bought not one, not two, but THREE boxes of chocolate!!! Now before you say "good grief that is way too much chocolate!" (which would possibly be the most absurd comment in history by the way), note that there were only nine chocolates in each little red box, making the total count a reasonable 27 pieces. 

Kohler Chocolates has been creating confections for nearly a decade from their Wisconsin kitchen. The summertime fruity flavors had me intrigued and I couldn't pass up the brownie collection! The crimson square boxes came tied with brown ribbon and wrapped with a sleeve detailing the contents. My only complaint would be that there was no flavor guide with descriptions included in the boxes so I resorted to the website for the information below.

I'm working on it! Between running errands for everyone under the sun, tracking down more genealogy information, and staying up to date on my programs (Game of Thrones or Orange Is the New Black anyone?) I have managed to apply to a few places!

  

"Brownies"

ROW #1

Dark Chocolate: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with 63% dark chocolate ganache

ROWS #2 & #3

Caramel: Milk chocolate shell filled with smoky vanilla caramel

Milk Chocolate: Milk chocolate shell filled with milk chocolate ganache

Peanut Butter: Milk chocolate shell filled with natural peanut butter, white chocolate, honey and a touch of sea salt

 "Garden Ganache"

ROW #1

Hazelnut Coffee: Milk chocolate shell with a dark chocolate ganache center flavored with Frangelico and coffee

Pear: Milk chocolate shell filled with a Riesling and sweet pear-flavored ganache center

Coconut: Milk chocolate shell with a smooth coconut and Malibu rum-flavored milk chocolate ganache center

ROW #2

Asian Spice: Milk chocolate shell with a smooth milk chocolate and Chinese five spice-flavored ganache center

Raspberry: Raspberry and Chambord-flavored ganache encased in milk chocolate

Chai Tea: Milk chocolate shell with a chai tea-flavored milk chocolate ganache

ROW #3

Macadamia Nut: Milk chocolate shell with a soft white chocolate, macadamia nut ganache center and Bailey’s Irish Cream

Creme Fraiche: Milk chocolate shell filled with a crème fraîche ganache center

Passion Fruit: Milk chocolate shell with a white chocolate ganache center flavored with refreshing, tropical passion fruit and a hint of orange

"Rare Facets"

ROW #1

Sour Cherry: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of 55% dark chocolate and sour cherry juice concentrate from Wisconsin

Cranberry-Raspberry: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with a ganache of 55% dark chocolate, a little milk chocolate and cranberry-raspberry juice concentrate

Pomegranate: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of 63% dark chocolate and pomegranate concentrate

ROW #2

Pomegranate: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of 63% dark chocolate and pomegranate concentrate

Blueberry: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of white and milk chocolate, blueberry puree and blueberry vodka

Mandarin Ginger: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of milk and 55% dark chocolate, ground ginger, orange paste and Grand Marnier

ROW #3

Pineapple: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of milk chocolate and pineapple juice concentrate

Sour Cherry: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with ganache of 55% dark chocolate and sour cherry juice concentrate from Wisconsin

Cranberry-Raspberry: 63% dark chocolate shell filled with a ganache of 55% dark chocolate, a little milk chocolate and cranberry-raspberry juice concentrate

I'll pick a favorite from each collection: 

Peanut Butter was yummmmmy, yes indeed! It has taken me a long time in life to realize how important salt is to making sweet things taste even better. That touch of salt they mention in the description made this guy my preferred brownie flavor. Macadamia Nut was the winner in the Garden Ganache box. Though I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the Passion Fruit which can be a hit or miss I have learned. Another shocker for me was my preference for the Mandarin Ginger in the Rare Facets collection. I am starting to come around to orange flavors when incorporated into chocolate. Blueberry was another fun one. Sour Cherry was in fact too sour for my taste buds. *pucker*

Overall I was impressed with the flavors and the vibrant cocoa butter colors on each truffle. That golden luster on the caramel brownie bon bon was gorgeous! Another observation I made was the massive size of the Garden Ganache pieces compared to the standard size chocolate I have been getting. They were a good three to four biter! For some quirky and delicious flavors I would highly recommend Kohler Chocolates!

*all names/descriptions were copied directly from the company's website.

Hunter & Janie Get Hitched

I don't know that you could have asked for a nicer day for an outdoor wedding than on Saturday in Mt. Solon, VA. Hunter & Janie tied the knot under a beautiful blue sky by a pond surrounded by lots of friends and family! 

The bridal party during the ceremony

The bridesmaids (and bride) wore cowboy--cowgirl?--boots and the theme carried over onto the dessert table's decor! I liked it!

First used on my grandmaw and granddaddy's wedding cake in 1944, this topper has been used in my aunt & uncle's 1967 wedding, my parent's 1980 nuptials, my cousin's 1989 ceremony and now on Hunter & Janie's cake making this tradition span four generations! It is referred to as "Mary & Herb" after its original users. Perhaps one day it will sit on top of a cake for me...

Mom & Dad rocking their brightest wedding attire and goofiest grins!

Bryan & me playing around as we waited for the wedding party to wrap up their photoshoot! 

Judy & Dale looking dapper in blue!

I loved their use to purple throughout the wedding and the simple flower arrangements of lavender and baby's breath :) 

 

Sparklers and bubbles to send them off!

Their friends really did their car up right!

I didn't get any good pictures of the bride and groom close up (left that up to the professional!) so here is one from their engagement photos!

It has been a year of changes for the couple (who have been together around 8 years to date): college graduation, new jobs, buying a home, adopting a puppy! As they being this next step in their lives together I wish them nothing but love, laughter and happiness!!

Roanoke/Salem Memory Lane

Last week I had dinner plans with Cori in Roanoke so I decided to make a day trip out of it. While she was at work I popped into a few stores, visited the art museum, drove up to the Roanoke Star, and cruised around my old stomping grounds in Salem and the Grandin area. 

It is hard to believe that I have been out of college for eight years. Part of it seems like just yesterday. As I drove around campus I saw lots of new construction and changes to buildings. It looks like they have built more dorms in an effort to house the majority of students on campus. I didn't mind living in the dorms since I had a single room for my sophomore - senior years and it was new construction at the time!

Marion Hall, my freshman dorm. I learned a lot that first year away at school, and thankfully met one of my great friends, Whitney, while living in the all girls building!

Quick shot of the front of campus. They do a really nice job of maintaining the grounds and landscaping everything so beautifully. I guess with the private school tuitions they have the money to pay lots of folks to keep the place looking nice!

Over in the Grandin area I stopped at the Food Co-op across the street from the theater. I always enjoyed seeing films here; it has a historical look to it and made me feel like I was contributing to a small business as opposed to a big corporation (though goodness knows I saw plenty of movies at the Regal theater as well with Movie Sarah!)

Until I drove around the corner I had completely forgotten about the Mick-Or-Mack that I used to go to! It was so close to the house I could walk down and grab a few things when I needed them.

The house that Roommate Sarah and I shared (top two floors, bottom was an older lady) for nearly two years on Lexington Street. I loved having a back screened in porch though I also spent a fair amount of time reading on the front porch too!  

It has been six years since I left that house and time really does start to fly by the older you get. Roanoke, and especially the Grandin/Wasena neighborhoods, is a great little town if you prefer a less crowded version of city life!