Floyd County Scenes

Wildwood Farms - 1200 varieties of daylilies

Drive a few miles south of Floyd, VA on Route 221 and you will come to Wildwood Farms, a treasure trove of daylilies. Mid-June to mid-July is their peak blooming season, but they are open through September with late-blooming varieties available.

Judy Bowman and her family operate this tastefully landscaped garden in a way that provides a memorable customer experience. You are greeted when you arrive and you get a price list that helps you wander through the garden beds and identify the plants you want to buy.

Judy has made daylily buying a pleasant family excursion even for spouses who are not up to browsing 30 beds of daylilies. These spectator spouses can relax  in the comfort of a padded swing seat while sipping ice-cold bottled water provided by Wildwood Farms management. Life doesn't get much better!

When the lily buyers finish their selection, the staff digs up the selected plants and bags then for your trip home. They will even ship your plants, if you are just visiting Floyd from a distant location.

There are over 50,000 named, registered daylily varieties available worldwide and the team at Wildwood Farms is adding to that list every year. While I was there I spoke with Judy's niece, Caitlin, who was working on new hybrids for the next season.

The daylilies at Wildwood show many variations in color, form and texture. They also come in a variety of sizes. If you browse through the two Wildwood Farms photo albums on the right side bar, you will see a hundred different plants that caught my eye while my wife was selecting ten varieties to plant in our garden.

One thing I learned from Judy was that daylilies are not prone to disease and insects. I saw Japanese beetles swarming on the blossoms, but they were not eating them. For those of us who have had entire trees denuded by these hungry pests, daylilies offer a welcome rest from battling beetles.

Make Wildwood Farms a stop on your trip through Floyd, VA, even if you aren't yet in the market for daylilies. You will come away inspired and will have beautiful memories of possibilities that you never anticipated.

Wildwood Farms
2380 Floyd Highway South
Floyd, VA 24091
email:rjbow91@aol.com
phone: 540-745-5155

All is well...

I was driving back to work last night and pulled off the road to take this picture. It captured the concept for me that there is beauty in all things if we can only take a few moments to enjoy them.

It also suggests that the end of a day or of a career is the beginning of a new day or a new career elsewhere. We just need to keep our eyes and minds open for the next opportunity to serve elsewhere.

I have more work to do than I ever imagined. I have a great team to work with and I find more creative people in my environment every day.

I am continually inspired by the concept of sustainable economic development. It is an economic idea whose time has come. It embraces the Luddites in our county and the cutting-edge geeks who see that life does not have to be sacrificed for speed. It also embraces those who seek to farm in ways that enhance the land instead of depleting it.

Instinctively, we all realize at some level that we need to find a way to keep this county green and develop a lifestyle that allows our best and brightest children to build a satisfying and prosperous life here instead of leaving for better opportunities in less harmonious places.

We have an abundance of creative and public-spirited people living in this county and a number of programs in place which can open the door to new economic realities.

I feel very fortunate to have arrived at such a propitious time. It feels very much like there is an convergence of activities and people which is going to transform Floyd in some significant way.

Our biggest task will be to channel the transformation in a way that gives us new economic opportunities while preserving those qualities which make Floyd so desirable.

The Pine Creek Mill

The Pine Creek Mill in Floyd, VA is located on Sandy Flats Road just a few hundred feet North of  Shooting Creek Road. It was restored by Phil Gettel, who died in late 2005 leaving the mill to his first wife and daughter.

I first discovered this mill through a phone call from a member of SPOOM, the Society for the Preservation Of Old Mills. He was visiting Floyd specifically to see the old mills in the county and he could not find anyone who knew where the mill was. I Googled Pine Creek Mill and located some old photos and sketchy directions to the site.

I drove to the site and took enough pictures so that you can see construction details and the current state of repair. The mill was restored by Phil Gettel, who died in late 2005 leaving the mill to his daughter, Sara Gettel. I understand that Sara is trying to find a way to keep the mill in fully restored condition. Although it looks well cared for, it has lost a few clapboards on the South side of the building.

All images of the mill can be found in the Pine Creek Mill photo album on the right sidebar. The images have been reduced in size for high speed downloading. If you want high resolution images or photographs, send me an email.

Other images of the mill taken by others:

Mill photo by Janet Hill.

More pictures by Ruth C. Taylor in 2004.

A photo by taken by Dan Gutierez in 2005.

Hard to find but worth the effort - Whitlock's Garage

There is a garage in Floyd, VA that provides far better service for my Dodge B3500 Van than I ever got from the biggest Dodge Dealer in Charlottesville, VA.

Whitlock's garage appears to violate every marketing rule except one, and it has been operating in the same location for 45 years!

That might give you a clue that Mac Whitlock really understands how to provide customer satisfaction. His business model does not depend on signage, architecturally clever building exteriors, or landscaped grounds. His operation is focused on providing a superior customer experience in the form of a correctly repaired vehicle.

You cannot find this place without directions and it is several miles from the nearest main road. The sign is so small, you have to drive up in front of the building to see what it says. The exterior shows signs of extensive patching and the landscaping will never win the fancy garage award. But, when you walk inside, you get competent service using the latest in technology and they can handle vehicles of great size.

Unlike the Charlottesville Dodge dealership I described in Fumble, Stumble, and Fail, Whitlock's personnel are competent! Every single one of them! They could tell me immediately what they could handle and what they couldn't.

When they handled something, it stays handled! For example, they fixed a long-term heavy, clunking noise in the rear end in minutes, which my old Dodge dealer could never seem to find!

My Charlottesville Dodge Dealer with its smartly uniformed staff and a million dollar facility had struggled for 2 and 1/2 years to deal with this problem and had failed to fix it even after I had spent more than $500 on one retrofit after another. They were so inept at preventative maintenance that it cost me a $4000 engine job with several trips back to fix what they broke during the repair.

So what is the difference? Whitlock's garage seems to put attention on fixing vehicles, not on fancy facilities. I was able to ask questions and get clear answers from David Radford and Mac Whitlock. From my old Dodge Dealer, I got a lot of glib assurances and spotty service.

On the other hand, we have a Subaru and we received excellent service in Charlottesville and in Roanoke from Subaru dealers with neatly groomed staff and spotless shops.

If all car dealers in this area operated at that level, Whitlock's business might be confined to farm tractors and large trucks. Fortunately for us, Mac Whitlock  provides good service at a great price and he is only a few miles away...as the crow flies.

If you need vehicle service in the Floyd area, get somebody to tell you how to get to either end of Huckleberry Ridge Road. Drive until you see the building in the photo and tell them I sent you.

The address is 1075 Huckleberry Ridge Road NE in Floyd, VA and the phone number is 540-745-3585. They are good people.

The Jacksonville Center in Floyd - an unusual resource for artists and craftspeople

Located near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, Virginia, the Jacksonville Center for the Arts is home to Virginia's first residential crafts school. Now in its second year of operation, it offers numerous opportunities to learn a new craft and to study with some of the best artisans in the region.

There are so many high-value courses available that I plan to post frequently about upcoming courses and what makes them special.

I recently wrote about the Learn to be a Blacksmith course and was fortunate to see the course in action today. If I had not had an appointment to keep, I could have stayed and watched for hours.

David Tucciarone makes blacksmithing accessible and understandable.
Pulling red hot iron out of the forge, he deftly shapes it on an anvil with effortless strokes of his hammer while describing what he is doing and the things to watch out for.

While his blacksmithing students watch attentively, he discusses the finer points of the hammer work necessary to achieve certain shapes. He is able to focus on what he is doing and share the experience with his students at the same time.

I have seen blacksmiths at work before, but none who possessed the ability to explain the finer points of what they were doing while they were doing it.

UPDATE:
If you have any desire to acquire blacksmithing skills, you should check out the next course, Introduction to Blacksmithing, taught by  Jessie Ward, a fourth-generation female blacksmith. It will be offered May 13, 20, & 27, Saturdays 9am-4:30am. Visit the Jacksonville Center website for more information.

Antique Ford Truck - eye candy for a Spring day

I saw this immaculate supercharged pickup truck today in the parking lot at the Harvest Moon foodstore in Floyd, VA. I hesitate to call it a restoration because I'm not sure how much of the original metal, if any, still remains.

It seems to have been a very early Ford pickup and has found a new life as a toy for an older, and well-heeled, sports enthusiast.

The body shell and the doors may be original, but everything else seems to have been fabricated of new material to very high standards. The seats are cream-colored leather and the interior is spotless.

This truck is a real showpiece, but it is used for runs to downtown Floyd and is attracting lots of attention. At least four people came up while I was shooting these pictures, including one fellow who said, "It's a shame they didn't leave the flathead engine in it!"

I wanted to bring you some history of this vehicle, but I traipsed through the Harvest Moon foodstore and the coffee shop Over The Moon asking for the owner of the Yellow Ford Truck in the parking lot with no results.

I talked with several well-groomed sportsmen who looked very much like show car owners, but no one was willing to admit to owning this treasure.

If anyone knows the provenance of this beauty, please send me an email.

It has a Lucky Lady insignia in the rear window and Moon insignia on both sides of the cab. It also has a radiator ornament that seems vaguely familiar.

You can click on these images to get a full-sized image.

Here is a view from the front.

UPDATE:

It's a big help having knowledgeable friends!

Iowahawk says, "...that appears to be a '33 or '34 Ford, chopped about 3" and channeled about 7", frame has likely been Z'd . That's a stock '33-'34 grill, but he's running an old Model T radiator cap on it. 

Engine is a small block Ford, probably 302 or 351, looks like a B&M supercharger setup. The pickup bed looks like a shortened Model A. Wheels are either Cragar or Centerline."

There are more cars like this to be seen in Floyd. Here is an article titled, More Eye-Candy from Floyd.

The new Bell Gallery - another reason to visit Floyd

William and Joanne Bell opened their Bell Gallery & Garden today and it's everything we had expected it would be.

The gallery displays work by top local artists as well as work by William and Joanne themselves.

There was so much to admire and the quality was so uniformly high that it was hard to pick out a display that stood out from the rest, but the large framed photographs by William Bell were truly exceptional.

As you can see from the image above, the photos are so realistic that it is like standing in front of a window. William has developed a revolutionary mounting technique for his large format photos that does away for the need for glass to protect the photograph! As a result, the clarity and intensity of the framed photograph is undiminished from the original image.

After seeing one of these photographs, you will never want to go back to the old method of framing again.

The gallery is spacious and occupies the entire first floor of the building. There is a framing shop on the premises and a garden at the rear of the gallery. You will find it easy to lose an hour browsing through the imaginatively designed displays.

Everywhere you look, you will see evidence of the care with which the Bells created this gallery. For example, in the renovation of this historic building, they discovered that the walls were constructed of 8-inch-wide stacked hardwood boards!

As you can see in this photo, the boards were simply stacked one on top of the other with each row offset from the next to provide a gripping surface for the original plaster. The boards were nailed down and were overlapped on the corners like log cabin construction. You can see the inside view of one wall and a detail view of one of the corners which was exposed during renovations.

An original wall section has been varnished and left exposed in the rear of the gallery. For those of you who are architectural history buffs, it makes for fascinating viewing.

While I was shooting pictures and interviewing the Bells, Gretchen fell in love with some of Joanne's unique hanging glass. As a result, we now have some of these pieces hanging in our picture windows. Very nice!

Drop in and visit the Bells if you are in Floyd. The Bell Gallery & Garden is at 112 N. Locust Street in Floyd, VA, and is located right next to Oddfellas Cantina, where you can retire to celebrate your purchases.

Tell them you saw their gallery on the Internet.

Tag: Floyd, VA

Cafe del Sol in Floyd

The Baristas at the Cafe del Sol in Floyd, VA, are constantly seeking to improve themselves. They are not content with producing excellent espresso-based drinks, they insist on making them attractive as well. I am in favor of experimentation especially when it comes out like this.

A young woman named Tiger created this chocolate design on top of our two lattes. It not only decorated the drinks, it added a subtle taste of chocolate.   :)

I will definitely order this again.

Many thanks to Sally and Frank Walker, owners of the Cafe del Sol, for encouraging their staff to produce a superior level of service.

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in the Cafe or in any of the establishments in Floyd that I write about. My sole purpose in recommending them is to enable others to take advantage of the unique services that these establishments provide.

Country living - what is your comfort level?

How many times have you thought to yourself, “I’ve had it with urban life. I want the quiet and charm of the country.” Perhaps you have spent weekends exploring those distant and picturesque little towns that lie off the beaten path just a few hours drive from almost every city in the US.

You may be one of the fortunate few who has found a town that seems to offer what you desire, or you may still be looking after years of searching. Either way, I'd like to suggest that you ask yourself a few questions which relate directly to your comfort level on things you will find in the country.

Country living offers a gradient scale of comfort with a corresponding gradient scale of price. At the lower end of the price spectrum, there is the fixer-upper dwelling with minimum amenities on the outskirts of a town that has a store and a filling station. The upper end of the country living spectrum includes gated mountain-top communities with shopping, spas, and all of the accouterments of high-end suburban life.

At the bottom end of the spectrum, you are literally up to your ankles in the countryside much of the year. At the upper end, you are safely insulated from the countryside and its inhabitants and your big-city guests will feel right at home.

Since there is a vast middle range of lifestyles available in the country, each with its particular level of comfort and intellectual stimulation, I propose that we out here in the country might organize a set of questions which we can pass out to visitors carrying real estate brochures.

The first set of questions were proposed by Doug Thompson and tested on a young couple thinking of finding a home in Floyd.  Read his account of the conversation and the comments too as both illuminate the difference between suburban and country life.

I think there are other questions that might help guide a visitor in choosing whether to live in Floyd, VA:

1. Are you planning to commute?
We have mountain roads that are icy in winter and clogged with traffic in the summer.
2. Do you have your own business?
Floyd has very few employers. Unless you are self-supporting, you have few alternatives to minimum wage jobs. If you are self-sufficient or an artisan/crafter, you will find Floyd to be a stimulating place to live.
3. Do you have at least one vehicle that has four wheel drive?
If not, plan on spending much of the winter unable to get in or out of your driveway.
4. Are you comfortable driving 40 miles to do most of your major shopping?
We have a supermarket and hardware stores in town, but it is a 40 mile round trip to the nearest city.
5. Are you a private person who enjoys living a quietly anonymous life?
In Floyd everyone will know more about you in the first week than your neighbors back home ever knew. It is far easier to remain anonymous in a city or a typical suburb than in a community like Floyd.
6. Are you handy with a chainsaw?
If not, better consider propane for heating.
7. What are the amenities that you count on every week to provided a satisfactory quality of life?
This can be a make/break discovery because few country town have an espresso bar, wi-fi, or a New York style deli. Your Jaguar or your Hummer will be many miles from the nearest mechanic and there is no source of freshly baked croissants for a hundred miles.

Happiness is all about having your expectations met. If you come to the country with expectations that match the amenities provided, you will be happy. If your expectations are not met, you will be wasting your time and money moving. Life is too short to waste time in the wrong places.

Make a list of the amenities that define your lifestyle and use them as a checklist when you find a country town that you like. It may save you a lot of time and money!

Good hunting!

Signs of Spring on Highway 221

This flowering tree was a burst of Spring energy on an otherwise dark grade on Highway 221 north of Willis, VA. It was almost 5 o'clock and the light was going fast, so I grabbed a few shots while I could.

Fortunately, there was a nearby pullout so I didn't have to risk life and limb dodging late afternoon traffic.

It seemed to be some sort of weeping cherry, but I left the identification to my usual panel of local experts.

They subsequently informed me that it was, indeed, a weeping cherry.

What's in a name...

I am sure there is a logical reason this picturesque old country store was left to decay, but Poor Farm Rd would not be my address of choice for a commercial venture.

The customers are long gone and the building is beyond renovation, but it provides a constant source of inspiration to those who muse about the ebb and flow of country businesses.

Cows graze contentedly on the lush grass, pausing occasionally to look at the daily cavalcade of vans carrying realtors and buyers in search of the perfect spot to erect a country mansion.

This country store may be history, but hordes of new settlers arrive every month, completely undaunted by the prospect of living near Poor Farm Road.

In a way, this street name typifies the spirit of Floyd. In some communities where growth is occurring, this road would have been renamed Windy Hill Way, or Vista Rd to give the neighborhood a better image for real estate ads.

I hope this building stands for a few more years. Like the old barns that dot the local countryside. it is a reminder of our rapidly receding past. Graceful, even in ruins, it is part of our local legacy.

Early impressions of life in Floyd

I am a new settler in a place that poets, farmers,
and hard-working business people have helped create.

It is a community of many contrasts, many lifestyles,
yet there is a sense of community.

It feels more like home than anywhere else I have ever lived.

There are people here who live in houses
without electricity or inside plumbing.
If you like 19th century living we have it here.

If you want to live on a mountaintop
and reach out to the world with electric fingers,
we have that here also.

We are a county with one stoplight
and more creative genius than you could imagine.
This is Floyd, VA, a place which embraces
both outdoor plumbing and fibre optic infrastructure.

I live here now, far from the beaches of Los Angeles
and far from the frenzy of Silicon Valley.
The palm trees and traffic of South Florida
are but a dim memory now,
as are the people-hives in the ever-growing
megalopolis of Washington-NY-Boston.

I came here to build a new life in a post-corporate world,
to write books and build woodwork of my own design.
I want to put down roots into this community
and turn my swords of corporate life into plowshares
with which to turn up opportunities
for myself and others.

This is fertile soil for new ideas,
but it is no land of milk and honey.
If you want work, you had best bring it with you.
Wresting a living out of this rocky soil
is a challenge for farmer and craftsman alike.
Only a talented and industrious few
have created businesses that employ many others.

One of the best things going for Floyd
is the plug and play aspect of its culture.
If you settle here, you will probably fit right in somewhere.

You will see hand-tooled boots and bare feet
passing each other on the main drag,
and rusted pickups with doors wired shut
parked next to armored Mercedes SUVs.

There is still room enough for all of us
and there is still a sense of caring for others
that has been lost elsewhere.
I can sit and have morning coffee
ensconced between people buying mountaintop McMansions
and a group of disabled people on an outing from their care center.

In Floyd, we all seem to be welcome somewhere.

Here, people work hard, but they make time for play.
When I see children clogging on the sidewalk
at the Friday Night jamboree,
it makes me more certain than ever
that I have come to the right place.
In this community, enjoying life
does not set me apart from others.

I am a blogger and I have so much fun
it is probably illegal somewhere.
Fortunately, the spirit of play
is a non-taxable intoxicant,
and I can drink as deeply as I want.

Citizen publishing (blogging) sets my ideas free
and the barriers are so low that the process is frictionless.
I write. Others read. They comment and tell others.
More people visit and the word spreads.

When you get tired of big city life and 24x7 traffic
and are ready to strike out on your own,
come to Floyd or some place like it,
this is your chance to pitch in and contribute
where your efforts will have some effect.

If you come equipped with talent
and a determination to make things go right,
you will fit right in.