Blacksburg/ Livability

Here is an interesting link about my home town:  http://www.livability.com/cities/blacksburg

A Special Mail Carrier

Most of the time people are excited about getting their mail.  But in the case of my parents it is the mail delivery that is most special.  Their house is on a rural route so they want to see the mail lady, Kathy, drive up to the box.  The wave from the carrier is just like a cheery note that she may be delivering.  On special occasions, she may bring something to the door; it is not always packages and she may not stop at the door.  She has been know to set a flowery plant right on the coffee table or deliver a basket of muffins to the kitchen table.  The standard joke we always had about  a former mail carrier  was that he read the post cards.  Kathy probably doesn't have time to read the cards but she does note the volume of cards and asks about birthdays and special occasions.  She shows concern if she thinks there are a lot of "off season" cards that might be get-well cards.


We have a vacation house next door.  She automatically delivers any mail I might receive to my parent's house since she knows I'll be there when in town.  But the mail box next door is not useless since it is close to the road.  My parent's driveway is steep and snowfall can make it treacherous.  Kathy  knows that senior citizens, especially, like to get mail, so more than once she has put the mail in the box next to the road and called the house to ask the next person out to pick it up. Anyone else would have taken it back to the P.O. and delivered it when the roads were clear.


Carrying the mail has been a part-time job for Kathy.  Her other job has been to drive a school bus for special needs students.  We know that the USPS will replace her with someone to deliver the mail.  But if she needed to give up one job and keep the other, we are so glad that the kids will get to keep their caring driver.


This is a tribute to a lady that did not only  the job for which she was paid; but you couldn't pay her to be so caring, considerate, and kind.  We will miss the SUV and its friendly driver. I'm sure that Kathy didn't see her job as delivering envelopes and packages; she seemed to know she was delivering messages and gifts!

Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival 2010

It isn't convenient to spend the nights at the Cozy Cottage and attend the Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival but Syria , VA is only about 3 hours from Blacksburg.  The 2010 festival was number 18 for the Graves Family and experience shows. It shows in the quality of groups that came to perform, the general organization of the event and the large geographical pattern of attendees.  One group from England planned their U. S. vacation around the GM Bluegrass Festival and the main liners included Cherryholmes, Rhonda Vincent, and Dailey & Vincent.  But you didn't have to wait until Saturday night to hear outstanding bluegrass music.

A relatively new group , The Church Sisters,  opened the event with harmony that comes most easily from blood relatives.  Lonesomes Highway, Seldom Scene, Darren Beachley & Legends of the Potomac, and the United States Navy Band's "Country Current" Bluegrass Group gave the festival an enthusiastic start.

The crowd continued to grow to hear  Cherryholmes, Dailey&Vincent, and Rhonda Vincent  & Rage close the three day event.

The U. S. Navy Bluegrass Band represented the military in fine form, especially when they changed their approach of entertaining from the stage to entertaining in the pavilion when a violent spring storm struck the peaceful valley.

A memorable moment was when the Graves Mountain Memories performed by a group of entertainers including the songs writer, Carl Jackson.  The song recorded in rhythm an abstract of the 5 generations of Graves that have practiced hospitality at the base of the Blue Ridge.  Carl artistically profiled the beloved Mrs. Kate and Captain Jack,  the first generation to see the dreams of Jimmy and Rachel start to take shape.

The Friday program was recorded with Kyle Cantrell of Sirius/XM Satelite Radio as the Master of Cermonies. Friday features were: The Crowe Brothers, Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Lou Reid & Carolina, The Lonesome River Band, and Russell Moore & IIITyme Out, plus

a regrouping of the above.

Jimmy announced that the 2011 program is already shaping up with the Rye Holler Boys and the U. S. Navy Band committed to be there.  It will be a long year to wait! 

Crows Nest Greenhouse

When we are in Blacksburg we like to visit the Crows Nest Greenhouses in Prices Fork.  It is located on Brooksfield Road just off State Route 685. Prices Fork is west of Blacksburg on SR 685.  They have agood variety of plants and a knowledgeable and helpful staff.