Our apologies for the delay in updating posts.  On Nov. 9, 2012, Blue Ridge Muse publisher Doug Thompson was returning to Floyd after photographing the high school varsity football team in the first round of the state championship playoffs when he encountered cows blocking the southbound lane of U.S. of U.S. 221 south of Roanoke.

Swerving his motorcycle, he missed the first cow but did not see a black cow also in the lane.  By the time he saw the cow, it was too late to swerve or stop, so he laid the bike down in an effort to miss the animal.

Thompson suffered a broken leg, many broken bones in his face, a dislocated right eye, brain damage to his temporal lode and multiple cuts, bruises and abrasions.  After an extended period in intensive care, his condition was upgraded from critical to serious and he was transferred to Carilion Rehabilitation Unit for the beginning of extensive therapy to teach him to walk again and to regain the memory functions of his injured brain.

Doug will be released for outpatient rehab soon and we will welcome his return to Blue Ridge Muse at whatever timetable he chooses.  In the meantime, we will try to keep Muse current.