The Matrix in snow

Even Jesus loves a bargain

snow tubing in Silver Cove

Christmas Day snow with Julia and Kirby

Penguin.


Exuberance.

Happy Holidays, whatever they may be

A bit of a capella carol singing at Tim and Astra's.


Herb using supplemental lighting.


In honor of Festivus, carol singing was followed by thumb wrestling (our feat of strength). Tim would probably like it mentioned that he beat everyone--although his final victory over Gib was hard won.

Crazy

So Donna Jean had her book made into an e-book file, we put it on Amazon and then I downloaded it to my iPod. Crazy, huh?

Of course, I don't really need it on my iPod since I've read it about six times, but I wanted to make sure it worked. As a side note, you'd think reading on one of these things would be ridiculous, but the screen is sharp and contrasty, you can make the type whatever size you like, you kind of get used to swiping over to the next page every 30 seconds, and it's not bad.

One Year Ago

This is from December 20, 2009. Obsession with the past. Does a winter tree feel nostalgic about its summer leaves now gone? Are the chattering birds discussing their youth? Does the root cellared cabbage remember the light?

Wood-grain ice

The Parkway in Snow

12/12/10 7:30 AM

12/12/10 7:30 AM from Robin Dreyer on Vimeo.

Ingles pileup

Courtney Martin took this picture in Ingles.

Hanukkah Hematoma

Although this neighborhood hematoma had nothing to do with Hanukkah per se, it did, apparently, come into being on the third night of the Festival of Lights; and, as it promises to last through Advent and well into the new year, it has become a minor symbol of judeo-christian understanding.

Turkey Trot

Randy and Nancy hosted another Thanksgiving Turkey Trot run/walk down Hannah Branch and back through the woods. It was a beautiful morning and there was a surprisingly large turnout for a neighborhood event that's not exactly advertised. What a great excuse to get outside with a bunch of friends. I was glad to see my old pal Cindy. We walked the loop, and none too fast as we had some catching up to do.


Here's the crowd heading across the bridge.


And here's the finish "line."

Jeff sells the maids

Jeff Goodman, auctioneer extraordinaire, sells the cleaning services of the fabulous Arthur Morgan School French Maids at Friday's excellent AMS auction (which was at the Burnsville Town Center this year). In honor of their Frenchiness, he auctioned this lot in Euros (helping with conversions along the way).

No writer's block -- just stiff fingers

Donna Jean Dreyer signing copies of her memoir Decrescendo after an excellent reading and book party at the Celo Inn on Sunday. It was packed.

There's lots of information about the book on her blog.

Huh?

Our correspondent Tal Galton (who addressed his e-mail affectionately to the "weird photo guys") photographed this interesting pair of flags in Lee County, Virginia.

Discuss.

Devolution

I spotted this truck in the old Taylor Togs parking lot in Micaville. How much do I love this? Words cannot express.

Jazz and the World Wide Food Forum at CCC

Geniuses in our own backyard.

Our parents loved us, our children listen.

More Happy Hallowe'en

Renowned aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her pal, the explorer Alfred Chumley second Earl of Strathbottom, on their way to the Penland Hallowe'en party.


And some fine Jacks from the Seven Mile Ridge Bridge. Thanks, once again, to Phillip Mitchell for organizing the massive pumpkin carving and display--he's created an actual tradition.


Pumpkin Pi








Yay, Celo 2010.

Happy Halloween

Whazzat?

Here's a daguerreotype I made last week. Anyone recognize this structure?
(A daguerreotype is a photograph made on a sensitized silver surface. it was the first practical form of photography--introduced in 1839.)

Grokfeast at AMS

There's a nice account on a website called Mark's Daily Apple about a "Grokfeast" at AMS that was held back in September. The website invited folks all over the country to send accounts of their Grokfeast, these were put up for a vote; the prize was a cow. Well, all the meat that was once a cow, to be exact (this website is about "primal living"). According to to terms of the contest, a Grokfeast is a "primal feast" and has to involve "primal fun." AMS had a meal featuring local foods, some people wore funny clothes, and they played zoogle and boulder toss.

You can see more pictures, read all about it and see some videos of the games at Mark's Daily Apple.
(I stole this picture from that website.)

Brooklyn in Celo

To my mind, one of the best things about the Celo Ten Thousand Things food co-op is the bounty of items from Sahadi's, Brooklyn's specialty and fine foods importer. Here Saturday storekeepers Theresa and Bruce marvel at the new shipment of hearts of palm, cherries, roasted peppers, smoked paprika, jams and dressings.

Goin' off the rails (literally)

Have you ever wondered what happens when a train goes off the tracks? I never had until I was headed for work the other day and drove across this. What happens is, it makes a big mess. This event, according to the CSX guy I talked to, involved just two cars and two sets of wheels (on either side of a coupling). This is the spot where Penland road crosses the railroad right near the post office.


Which makes sense, if you think about it. I mean, if the engine went off it would drag the whole train with it and end up in a big pile--it wouldn't keep, um, tracking like this. And I would guess that if three or four whole cars popped off somehow, there wouldn't be nearly this much left. It would probably cut all the way through the ties or mince them to bits.


So now they've got a lot of new ties lying around this section of track. I don't know if they've started repairs yet because the damage extends out of sight in both directions. But they definitely have some work to do. Someone told me that the trains have been running very, very slowly through this section lately.

Robin flies a kite

Robin prepares a kite.


Robin flies a kite.

Jeff flies a kite

And what about the turkeys?

Well, they just wanted to get to the other side.

Why did the cows cross the road?

Careful herding.

Goldie in 3D

Walkin'

Keepin' it fresh

I know some of you think I might just go around with an auto air freshener in my pocket so I can hang it in a hemlock tree and make a funny picture. But that's really not the case. I was just riding down the far end of Lower Brown's Creek Road and there it was, trying valiantly to freshen the whole world.