FANCY GAP, VA. On Wednesday, Sep 10th, we returned to the nature preserve that we had visited a few days ago. At that time, Betty was not able to walk the portion that led to the lookouts, so she wanted to return for that walk.
When we got to the first lookout that included a homemade xylophone, Betty played the two tunes that they had listed notes by the number of the bar below. If you click on the images below you may be able to make out the two songs with included bar numbers to strike.
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| Betty Strikes Out a Couple Tunes |
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| Closeup of Xylophone |
Betty also wanted to include photos of the yellow flowers and wild grass that graced the area. |
| Wild Flowers Growing in Area |
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| Tall Wild Grass in Foreground |
On Thursday, Sep 11th, the Eagles had us over for dinner to show off the work that had been done behind their house. This had taken up a great deal of their time in recent weeks as they were assisted by someone they hired to do the heavy work of removing old wooden walkways and replacing with groomed gravel. Also in attendance was their neighborhood friends, the Totzkes. I tried to capture the grand sweep of all the work done by taking some panoramas as guests were gathered on the back porch. As always on this blog, you can click on a photo to enlarge it.
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| On Left Walkway Leads to Fire Pit Area |
Several outbuildings out back serve as hobby enclosures and workshops. |
| This Photo Sweep Shows the Back Porch |
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| This Photo Sweep Includes the Fire Pit and Back Porch |
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| And We Shared a Meal Together |
On Friday, Sep 12th, Betty and I attended one of the free afternoon concerts at the local Blue Ridge Parkway Music Center. The group that was advertised was supposed to be the same one we saw a last year in July with the Eagles. As it turned out, this was a totally different group who were not nearly as polished in their performance as the former group, but they were quite endearing in their personalities. One man sang a solo of the gospel tune, In the Garden, as a tribute to a niece who recently passed away. It was very touching.
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| In the Garden Solo |
The full group unapologetically continued with a string of old gospel tunes, clearly a testimony to their shared faith. I continue to be astonished by the Christian influence boldly shared in this area.
These are a people acquainted with hardship and grief, which is written on their faces. A hard life and a strong faith. It draws them closer together with steady resolve and united fellowship.
The only woman in the group, second from left, was very outspoken and spoke for the group. A very endearing lady. She ironically grew up in Ft Lauderdale. I told her I grew up just up the road in Pompano Beach. We agreed that Florida is very hot and humid. She was very glad that she had moved up into the area of the Crooked Road, a section of Virginia Route 58 that is home to most of these performers.
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