Destination Floyd
As threatening storm clouds loomed overhead Friday night, the streets of Floyd teemed with residents and visitors alike. As I walked among the throng, it quickly became apparent the town has become a desired destination not just for music lovers but also for those just curious about what is happening in this Southwestern Virginia hamlet.
Friday Night Jamboree mainstay Clyde Williams (above) held court in the alleyway between the Floyd Country Store and Angels in the Attic, leading a jam session of musicians. Across the street, Dogtown Pizza dished up stone-oven baked dishes from the back of a pickup truck. Just down the street, a sketch artist offered sidewalk portraits. Cars and motocycles circled the streets looking for a place to park.
Music spilled out of venues from Oddfellas at one end of Oxford Street to Cafe del Sol at the other. Anchoring the festivities, of course, was the Jamboree at the Country Store.
There’s a magic on the streets of Floyd on a Friday night and that magic now extends into the weekend. The summer season also brings Saturday night music to Pine Tavern on U.S. 221 north and the Oak Grove Pavilion at Zion Lutheran Church.
On June 20, music will officially open the Warren G. Lineberry Park between Winter Sun and Angels in the Attic. Area wineries also feature weekend music throughout the summer.
Y’all come.
(Photo from 2008. Sorry, I didn’t shoot any new photos Friday night. I was too busy enjoying the music.)
Hark! What light through yonder cloud shines?
Could it be sunlight? Could it be that light that shines down upon life here in the country when Mother Nature is not dumping inches on top of inches of rain upon us?
God, let’s hope so. Thursday’s deluge destroyed what little was left of the driveway at Chateau Thompson. I graded it enough last night to restore some semblance of a surface but will have to let it dry more to finish the job.
Flash flood warnings expired at 6 a.m. today and the National Weather Service says we might have an "isolated" thunderstorm or two today but that the next three days should be sunny and warm.
We can dream.
Yeah, yeah, we need the rain but how much?
In recent years, we’ve reached this point in Spring with worries about another dry season.
Not this year.
The ground is saturated, rain continues to come in buckets and even Mountain Lake is filling back up.
A warning from the National Weather Service warns that flooding is possible if the expected thunderstorms roll into the area on Thursday and Friday.
Which begs the question: How much is enough? Our driveway looks like an aerial view of the Grand Canyon, the stream at the bottom of our yard threatens to overrun the already soaked grass and area around it and the weatherman keeps talking about more and more rain.
I’m not ready yet to start chanting "rain, rain, go away," but if this keeps up I’m liable to stand out in the middle of the storm, look to the heavens and scream "enough already!"
A question of survival
Bill McKibben is not an easy man to pigeonhole. His publicity materials say "Bill is a futurist, philsopher, environmental activist, professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, an advocate and strategist for sustainable local economies, and author of a dozen books on subjects from climate change to the politics of the global economy."
That’s a mouthful in anyone’s lexicon, but his message is simple: We had better find a better say to sustain ourselves because we can’t last long as a society if we continue to depend on oil from the Middle East or big box store items from China.
The key for survival, he says, is developing a sustainable economy that uses food we grow for ourselves, materials provided locally and energy from renewable resources like the sun.
He delivered that message Tuesday to a capacity crowd at the Floyd Country Store. The event — sponsored by Sustain Floyd — is part of the expanding sustainability movement in the area.
Remembering
What drives more than a half-million bikers and thier passengers to sit under a hot baking sun in a Pentagon parking lot for six hours? Rolling Thunder. What makes it worth the risk to participate in the world’s largest group motorcycle ride where the bike overheats, the clutch turns rubbery and Bermuda Triangle-threatening potholes await [...]
The sound of thunder
Shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday, I’ll wheel my Harley Super Glide out of the garage, fire her up, and head for the Cracker Barrel at Troutville to meet up with veterans on their way to Washington and Rolling Thunder 22.
It will be my first visit to Rolling Thunder in 11 years: 11 years too long. That event that brings a half million motorcycle riders — most of them vets — to Washington as an annual reminder of the debt that all Americans owe to those who served their country.
I was lucky enough to be there when Rolling Thunder started 22 years ago. I photographed it, reported on it, and wondered then if there would be a Rolling Thunder Two. It has continued — and grown — ever since. I went to the first 11. My last was in 1998.
It doesn’t matter if you agree with war or not. It doesn’t matter if you are Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, independent or a political agnostic. Memorial Day is a time when we remember and honor those who served and those who died in wars just and unjust, popular or unpopular, legal or illegal. From the Colonial volunteer who fought in the American Revolution to the men and women serving and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan: All serve their country in ways most Americans can never image.
If you have a veteran in your family or know one that served in the armed forces, take a moment this weekend to stop and say "Thank You." And when you see that man or woman ride by with an American flag flying from their motorcycle, give them a wave. Odds are, they earned it.
The Moving Wall
The Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall is a 2002 documentary filmed and produced by Amy and I. It tells the story of the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial during a visit of one of the memorials to Fairview Heights, Illinois, near Scott Air Force Base and St. Louis. With Memorial Day approaching, I thought it would be [...]
Futurist Bill McKibben in Floyd next Tuesday
Sustainability is a big thing now, not only in Floyd but elsewhere and one of the big names in the sustainability movement is coming to the Country Store next Tuesday.
Says Country Store owner Woody Crenshaw:
The Floyd Sustainability Group, whose name is now officially "SustainFloyd" is hosting a special event on Tuesday morning May 26th, @ 9:00 am at the Floyd Country Store. This will be a rare opportunity to meet and hear Mr. Bill McKibben speak about his work and vision. We are planning a round table discussion in front of an audience.
In case you are not aware of Bill’s work and celebrity you may want to Google him. I did, and after 30 pages of links to his work you’ll get the picture. Among other things, Bill is an futurist, philsopher, environmental activist, professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, an advocate and strategist for sustainable local economies, and author of a dozen books on subjects from climate change to the policitics of the global economy.
It will be a rare opportunity to converse with someone at the forefront, who posesses a broad vision of our chalenges and possibilities, and who will help us envision the future of our own community and how to make it a better and more sustainable place to live.
If you wish to attend please call Dawn Taylor at Crenshaw Lighting. 745-3900. or email her at dtaylor@crenshawlighting.com
To see McKibben in action, check out this YouTube video
Crime wave
Heading for the County Courthouse today to cover a regular session of Circuit Court for The Floyd Press. Seems like I spend more and more time sitting on the hard benches in the courtroom.
Court used to be an occasional thing in Floyd County. A circuit judge came through once a month to hear cases and general district court met every other week.
Not now. Circuit Court meets at least twice a month, maybe more. We’ve had more jury trials in the last year than in the five previous years. General District Court meets every Thursday. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court every Friday.
The docket today is long: Several probation violations along with crimes ranging from breaking and entering to computer fraud and theft. Many will involve drugs. At least two defendants will be in shackles because they were arrested as fugitives after they failed to appear for earlier hearing. An interpreter will be on hand for Mexican defendants who can’t — or won’t — speak English.
One only has to read the paper to know crime is up in Floyd County and elsewhere. Court stories dominate the front pages of The Floyd Press at least twice a month.
For longtime residents who used to leave their homes unlocked and the keys in their cars, the new reality is Floyd is troubling but not unexpected in a county that is growing in population and diversity.
In Galax, city officials want federal help in fighting what they call "an epidemic" in crystal meth, the drug of choice for young adults now and the primary cash product for Mexican gangs operating in the region. Drug use often spawns crime as users steal to get money to support their habits.
Many of the drug cases that come before the court in Floyd County involve meth. It’s easy (but dangerous) to make and labs exist in this county and elsewhere. You can spot a longtime meth user by their rotted-out teeth and jaundiced skin that comes from failing kidneys and other vital organs.
But other drugs figure into the mix, including cocaine, crack and marijuana. Joshua Hairston, the teen aged drug dealer from Henry County who found a fertile market in Floyd, testified in a murder trial here that he liked to get high on "that good Floyd County weed" while peddling crack and cocaine to his customers. A jury two-weeks ago found him guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of one of his customers in Floyd County last year.
Law enforcement officers who work with the New River Valley Drug Task Force say there is a proven link between drug use and crime and I see that link played out in the Floyd County courts. Yada Bean, the former high school honor student, Eagle Scout and rescue squad volunteer, got mixed up with drugs and broke into a vet’s office to steal some. He also stole computers in Radford to sell for money for drugs. He’s in jail now after violating his probation after he tested positive for drug use.
Maybe I need to buy one of those Virginia Tech stadium pillows. It might help during the increasing number of long days on those hard Floyd County Courtroom benches.
Frost? Did they say frost?
The National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory for early Tuesday morning.
Frost? Yes, frost.
Temperatures are expected to dip into the low 30s in the "higher elevations," which includes us and frost warnings are out for Floyd County.