Day 170...A Renewal of Spirit

The Phoenix's promise is always one of renewal....the main reason it is our mascot...because renewal seems to be the theme of our lives. Renewal is more than just starting fresh, though...it also means coming full-circle.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to fill a huge void in my life after almost 25 years. I reconnected with my oldest friend from childhood, Kelley. Friends come and go in our lives. More often, they go. But sometimes, they come and stay, even when it appears as though they've left us for good. This was the case with Kelley.

We met in the sixth grade. I was new to the neighborhood, and she caught me up walking home from school one day. That conversation lasted for the next six years, and took us through some incredible adventures as well as some unbelievably hard times. We drifted apart somewhat in our senior year of high school, as teens often do during those volatile years, but even after I got married, and she moved away to college, the memories we'd made haunted me....and her absence created a void that I was never able to fill...although it took me a few years to realize what was causing the ache in my heart.

Over the past 20 years or so, I've tried so hard to find her....to reconnect to that missing piece of my soul, but time and again, my efforts went to no avail. Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, I was finally able to find her again...and I have thanked God every day since.

The older I get, the more I realize that my friends are a rare and precious gift, and each one is like a fine jewel. I think these jewels must be what our crowns will be encrusted with in heaven, for I can't imagine wanting or needing anything more precious with which to spend eternity. We do not get to choose our family, as precious as they may be to us....but our choice of friendships is ours alone, and can be made or broken by our own hands. These days, I treasure each new friend I make like they are the only one I'll ever have, because I realize that true friendship does not ever grow old. It becomes an heirloom to be passed down...like great memories...to future generations. The older the friendship, the more valuable it becomes. And a friendship that has been carelessly tended or destroyed may never be replaced.

I am truly humbled and thankful beyond measure that my oldest friendship has been restored to me. I have a second chance. In this renewal process, my life has come full-circle, and I am once again whole.

And that is the Promise of the Phoenix.

Day 184...African thunderstorm

Could not help but share this remarkable video with you all. I love it so much I can't seem to stop watching it!

Enjoy...


African thunderstorm

Shared via AddThis

Day 186....Whirlwind exhaustion!

Well, it's been quite a ride on the Ridge for the past couple of weeks, what with family coming in and out, but I think things will quiet down a bit now for a week or so...finally! We've had lovely visits with both my brother-in-laws and their respective families, and some dear family friends as well, two of who form a singing quartet with my oldest b-i-l and his wife, Restoration. They are out of this world, and I ain't just sayin' that cuz they're related....they really are awesome!

This weekend was race weekend at Bristol, the Sharpie 500. So while part of the crew went and spent the day doin' the Nascar thang, the rest of us visited, and then after a brisk 4-mile run this morning, we all went to church, where Restoration sang for us. Wow...

Next weekend, I'll be heading south with the IL's to spend the weekend with my hubby, and the weekend after that, we'll be heading to Atlanta to spend labor day with the rest of the family!

The great part about all of this is that I will be able to take my new laptop with me, and won't have to worry about not being able to stay in touch with everyone...as long as I have wifi, that is...

hmmm....

Guess we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it!

Day 194....A beautiful day, to be sure!

Today is Saturday, and it is absolutely beautiful outside. A good day to be outdoors, but for me, a good day to take a few minutes and update my blog...something I have been seriously lacking in time to do lately. Hopefully, with the advent of a new computer soon, that will be corrected to an extent. In the meantime, I am left with forever playing catchup, I'm afraid.

Last Sunday, I made another Day of Exploration, as I am wont to do, killing time these last few months, waiting for my hubby's arrival. This time, I decided to wander northward into Virginia, and possibly to visit the highest point in Kentucky, which is directly across the state line and just a bit north of Kingsport, TN.

So with high hopes of scoring another Geological Survey Pin to add to my growing collection, I started out, armed with a Mega Sized coffee from the local Mickey D's. The mountains around the Ridge are beautiful, indeed, both on the TN and the NC side, so I had very high hopes for the mountains of VA. As I sipped on my coffee in the parking lot and studied my map, the name Walker Mountain caught my eye....a very large ridgeline, due north up I-81 from me, going toward Roanoke. And there was a lookout point shown on the map. Well....I just couldn't let that pass, especially since I saw a way to make a loop of it and come back down by Black Mtn, KY, which was where I had originally decided to explore. So off I went.

The drive north was very nice...not breathtakingly beautiful, like what I am used to, but I guess maybe after all these months of living in Eden, I'm just spoiled. Miles of open farmland and rolling hills, with an occasional decent-sized ridgeline on one or both sides. A few miles before I crossed I-77, I saw it...Walker Mtn., stretching off to my left. Several minutes later, I jumped off the highway onto a backroad that would bypass the freeway tunnel under the mountain itself, but would also take me to the summit...to Big Walker Lookout. I had high hopes, indeed for that!

A very pretty drive took me to the summit, which I almost passed, for lack of anything other than a beat-up sign or two announcing my elevation, and an old general store that had seen better days...complete with the requisite biker gang parked out front. But there was a small deck at the side of the road with a magnificent view, so I stopped long enough to take a pic or two.

After about ten minutes soaking up the view and observing the blue million butterflies that called the place home, I was once again on the road, up and over the mountain. One parting pic taken over my shoulder on the other side, and I was rolling through some very nice farmland, heading towards I-77, bound for what I thought was KY.

Once back on the interstate, the mountains got more pronounced, and more what I had expected, and the scenery rose considerably in my estimation. This was compounded by the freeway going through a massive mountain by way of the East River Mountain Tunnel, if I recall correctly. I did not take a pic of that, more's the pity. It was impressive, to say the least.

Once through the tunnel, though, I had a rude awakening...the trouble with State maps, I have found, is their veritable lack of knowledge of anything beyond their borders, and the tendency to put legends and information blocks in the very places you need to go once you cross over. What I thought was KY turned out to be West VA, and I exited a few miles up in a town called Princeton, where to my great relief, I found a Mickey D's with both a clean restroom, and a fresh pot of hot coffee waiting for me.

From there, I headed back east, then south on Hwy. 23, which would take me generally toward home, via small towns, but by way of my ultimate destination, which was Black Mtn., KY...the highest point in the state. The hwy wound through WV a bit before turning back into VA, and then I went for miles before finally coming to the road that would ultimately lead me to the summit of the mountain...I hoped. The info on the map was sketchy at best, and I knew that it was gonna be trial and error...like most of my explorations to this point have been.

Although I was fairly disappointed in a general way with the scenery for most of my journey, the road up to the summit did not disappoint. The views, although not nearly as beautiful as the ones I live close to, were nonetheless incredible. Even taking the late afternoon haze into consideration. The only thing to spoil it was the visible strip mining sites on nearby ridgelines, and the fact that it was obvious that I was deep in the middle of coal-mining central...a lot of machinery and gear to be seen. But the ride up...gorgeous.

After my disappointment on Walker Mtn., I was really looking forward to getting to the summit and seeing what KY had to offer her visitors. As it turns out....nothing. Not even a run-down general store. There WAS a gravel turn-around with a spectacular view, and a couple of elevation signs, along with the state line signs. Other than that....nada. Nothing but a view that I'm sure stretched all the way back into TN....which was, by that time, looking awfully good to me.

It was getting late, and home was calling. But I took a couple of pics of the "Gravel Turn-Around" for your enjoyment, so you could see where I was in relationship to the State Line, which you can see next to my truck. Beyond is the view, stretching SE across VA toward TN and NC. And here, you can see a little better the view from the summit, which was beautiful, no doubt. This was taken from just in front of where my truck was parked, looking over the edge. The one to the left was taken across the seat out the passenger window as I drove back down. The road was deserted, so I had no trouble stopping in the road to take a pic or two.

As I started back down the way I had come, I saw many views that I had not seen on the way up. One that particularly caught my interest in terms of perspective was the pic on the left that shows telephone wires crossing the road above me and dropping away down the mountain. Taking this pic was dizzying, and I was glad I was in my truck! But it was a fascinating view, nonetheless. Another I was able to get as I began to round one of the many switchback curves. The trees thinned in that spot and afforded an incredible view that rivaled the one at the summit, although by this time I was more than halfway back down.

One time, I stopped on the side of the road at a small gravel area, and was able to get a pic of the summit, still just visible past a bend in the road. And once I was mostly back down, I came across a place that allowed me to take a great shot of the entire mountain. So....may I present for your viewing pleasure....Black Mtn., KY...population, none that I could see. If you should ever choose to explore it, let me save you some time....

Read my blog. It's far more interesting on the whole.

Day 221....More Falls!

Today is Sunday, and after a full week of nothing but rain, and deciding that it was get-out-of-the-house-or-die time, I decided to go exploring to see if I could find Elk River Falls, which is just over the state line in NC, past Roan Mtn. My mother-in-law had told me about them, and had tried on several occasions to explain the fairly difficult process of getting to them, but even with her excellent directions, I had tried...and failed...several times.

The Elk River runs through the mountains of NC, beginning somewhere north of Boone, I believe, and meandering south through Banner Elk and Elk Park. It is in Elk Park where the turnoff is that leads to the falls, but today I discovered why I could never seem to find it before: It is only visible if you are heading west, which I never am doing, coming from TN as I am. But I just so happened to have taken a scenic drive that put me in a position to be heading back through Elk Park on my way home, and lo and behold....a sign!

So I pulled off the highway, and followed the signs to the falls. Not so hard to do, once you've found the main road in.

Elk River Falls turned out to be located in just as lovely a setting as my mother-in-law had described. The only thing detracting from it was the water, which was very muddy due to the recent heavy rains. Normally, the waterways around here are crystal clear. The path from the small parking area runs through the woods along the river a short way before bringing you out onto a large granite outcropping that juts out into the river, forming the top of the falls.

Situated on this outcropping are also a fair amount of large boulders, just right for reclining and enjoying the view of all the people sunning themselves on the rocks below the falls, and swimming in the pool formed at the base. There are even a few adventurous souls who dive in from the top of the falls from the far side, where someone has attached a rope for the purpose of climbing down to the cliff edge. Not me. That's all I will say. Not me. If you know where to look, the rope is barely visible in both the above pics, dangling from the treeline down across the rockface.

It was my intention to follow the trail on down to the bottom of the pool where the other people were. I'm sure the view of the falls from that angle is spectacular. Unfortunately, my sense of balance is iffy on the best of days, and the trail was very steep, very muddy, and lacked a handrail of any kind. Translation: Me laying in a puddle at the bottom had I tried. And most likely, I'd have had to spend the night there waiting on a rescue party to haul me back up. So I parked myself on the boulders at the top of the falls, and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon in the shade, enjoying the roar of the falls and people-watching. Having no desire to spend the next six months in various casts, I left exploring the lower part of the falls for a drier day, when I can go back and enjoy pristine water, and nice, dry trails...preferably in the company of my hubby. There is just so much up here that I can't wait to share with him, and so much that I know we'll wind up exploring and finding together. It's very easy to imagine what the explorers in the early days of the colonies were met with when they went on their travels, there are places here where you can forget that civilization even exists at all. Perfect.

Day 236...Race Day!!

Good evening, sports fans! Today was the day... the day I declared my Independence from being an official Couch 'Tater and completed the #1 goal on my bucket list...the Peachtree Road Race!

I had arrived in Conyers on Friday morning, and spent a lovely day visiting with friends and family, so I was well rested by this morning. Got up at the crack of dawn, dressed and headed downtown early, so I would be able to find a decent parking spot. I had decided to park at the Lindbergh Marta station, and ride Marta over to Lenox Square.

Coming out of the train station was surreal. I felt like I was in some kind of fog, like I couldn't actually be doing this...for real...right? But I was. There was still a tinge of darkness to the light, but the day had dawned bright and clear, and the air was crisp and cool...perfect for a run.

Heading up Lenox Rd. toward the staging area for my time group (#3), I was reminded of how many memories this area holds for me....beginning with my earliest shopping excursions with my aunt as a child, when the mall was still an open shopping center...through my first marriage, and my second...working at Hertz in the J.W. Marriott with Bill as Valet Manager for the hotel....later working for Lieben just a few blocks away....and even later still...working for London Livery just a block away. It can't be 40 years I've been walking down this street...but it has been.

Time Group 3's staging area just happened to be located on Lenox Rd., right before you get to Peachtree, so I didn't have far to walk. I could hear the helicopters already busy hovering overhead...both police and news copters. That made for even more excitement permeating the air, but also caused problems a bit later on when we had trouble hearing the announcements over the loudspeakers. Here, you can see one I caught hovering over the J.W. Marriott.

I had made sure to eat a good breakfast before I left the house...not too much, but enough to give me the fuel I would need to run six miles. I had also brought my trusty bottle of water, which I can't seem to run without for feeling positively naked. But I was also desperately trying NOT to drink out of it until the race actually started, for fear that the need for a porta-potty would hit me as soon as we took off. Not so much from water, mind...as from nerves. Fortunately, I was able to avail myself of a fresh, clean potty before I got to the staging area, and did not need to go again until I got back home. Once the actual race began, a potty was the last thing on my mind. Still...it was good to know we had so many available to us.

Once at the staging area, there was nothing to do but wait, since our start time was still an hour away. The time was spent to good use stretching, fidgeting with my phone to get the 'right' running music playing, and generally getting mentally into the zone. Then there was nothing to do but sit in the street and wait for our group to be moved up. I wound up striking up conversations with the two ladies seated here, and ran half the race with the one in pink. Unfortunately, I never learned her name, nor she, mine. A terrible oversight, to be sure...she was really nice.

Hearing the national anthem being sung around the corner, and watching a huge Air Force plane go by overhead in honor, was incredibly nerve-wracking, as it meant that we were only moments away from our start. So, we took deep breaths and stood up. Finally, it was our group's turn to make our way to the start line, and they began to move us up Lenox Rd, and around the corner onto Peachtree, toward the starting line. Here, you can see Time Group #4 across the intersection, waiting their turn. Time Group #5, which my cousin Mark was running in, was staged to the right of the pic.

This was probably the most nerve-wracking moment of the whole thing...it was like when you first get into the car on a roller coaster, and the car actually leaves the station with you belted in...you know there's no turning back now. I don't remember ever being so excited...or so scared! Here, you can see the HUGE American flag suspended from a crane. That's the actual starting line, but I was that far back in our pack. I had to hold the camera above my head to take this pic.

Then, before I knew it, we got the green light, and we were off!

The first mile or so, we were still packed tightly, and because of that, we really walked/trotted more than we ran. But as we went, things started spreading out, and the farther we went, the easier it got. Along about the second mile marker, we passed the Cathedral of St. Phillip, an Episcopal church where, having been raised in that faith, I've spent many a midnight mass in on Christmas Eve. The priests are known to stand on the curb there and sprinkle Holy Water on the runners, so at the suggestion of one of my best friends, who coincidentally happens to be a parishoner there, I made sure to run down the right side curb in order to get liberally sprinkled. And sprinkled, I was! He got me right across the face....a blessing, to be sure, if for no other reason than it was July in Atlanta, and I was HOT!

Mile after mile, we ran, slowing or walking at each of the really big hills...of which there are several grueling ones that you don't notice when you are driving, but become unforgettable when you have to run them...and finally, I could see the turn onto Tenth Street approaching. I had set a goal of 90 minutes to finish the race, and as I turned onto Tenth Street, I checked my time. By my calculations, I only had six minutes to finish that leg. At that point, I pulled out all the stops, and FLEW. Now, by anybody else's standards, my speed is laughable. But trust me when I say that by MY standards, my feet sprouted wings. Until I saw what I THOUGHT was the finish line up ahead. For some reason, I slowed down there, and now I really wish I hadn't, because what I thought was the finish line was really the spot where the photographers were waiting overhead to take our pics as we ran under. Thus...I look like I was jogging in my pics. That's because at that particular point, I was. But no matter how slow it looks

like I'm running, I was still running faster than my usual pace! As soon as I cleared under the photography bank, I realized my mistake, though, as nobody else slowed down or stopped...they just kept running full-force. About that same time, I heard someone from the croud holler that we only had a half mile to go, and it was all downhill from there on, and although I was momentarily discouraged, I was at the same time heartened that I would not have to fight my way over any more steep grades. So once again, I picked up the pace, knowing I had only about two minutes to go that last half mile if I was going to hit my goal. That was the point where I found my true focus, and everything else blurred. I've never felt so in the zone in my life...or so alive. The feeling of flying was incredible. And as the finish line came into view at last, I did not slow. I ran faster. And faster. And faster still. I pulled out all the stops, because I knew that this was it....the moment I had worked so hard for for so long. And that this moment would never come again.

As I crossed over the finish line, emotion washed over me, and I felt myself dissolve into tears. Of pride. Of accomplishment. And even at the same moment that I wished it, in this place that was only about 3 blocks from the house where I was born and raised for the first ten years of my life, I felt the overwhelming presence of my parents surrounding me, beaming down on the girl who always failed P.E. in school, and exclaiming "Well done! We're so proud of you!"

And I believe with all my heart that they are. But not nearly as proud as I am of myself. My final time: 1:28:22

I had hit my goal, with time to spare.

Day 239...Here goes nuthin'.

I have a lot to catch up on...things have been hectic lately in this last run-down to the race. I'll have to post more next week when I have more time.

Right now, I can only think of the Race. It is my only focus. I've done everything I can do to prepare. I've put it all out there...every day. I've given it my best. Now all that's left is to step up to the line and go.

I'm heading to Atlanta this afternoon. Wish me luck!