In Charleston

31°f/0°C, clear. Light dusting of snow overnight tgat only stuck here and there, and is fast melting.

Our State Capitol building in the fog looked spooky. There are a few ghosts stories connected with it.

Across the Great Kanawha (pronounced KenAW) River, the University of Charleston also looks ghostly.

Closer up, not so much fog

The coal miner tribute sculpture on the Capitol grounds.

and the war memorial.

Behind the restaurant where we had dinner, someone was getting in trouble with the law.

Across the street from the restaurant this window caught my eye.

Dinner was not at the Irish pub, as we had planned; they were closed for a private event. We struck out at other places too. Who knew so many restaurants are closed on Sunday evening? We finally ended up at a place called Kel's Tavern. My smothered chicken was delicious and plentiful, enough for another meal. Larry could not eat all of his club sandwich and homemade fries either. We went into an Italian place across the street first, only to discover it was Muslim-run and so served no beer or wine. This was our Valentine's day celebration so we opted for Kel's, where Larry could have his Guinness and I had my favorite, Chardonnay. But we may try the Italian place again one day.

Murals around town: this one is the work of the late Jupiter Hamilton,  I believe.

I liked this one with the story of West Virginia legend John Henry.

Cute use of the awning!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

At Mountain Stage

31°f/0°C, very foggy this morning after yesterday's rain and continued thaw. Partly cloudy the rest of the day. 

What a show! It has been a long while since we attended a Mountain Stage show, and we picked a good one. How well I remember the first Mountain Stage---I was working as a security guard in the building that housed WV Public Radio, and I remember the excitement of the creators the night before and then the next night after the show (I worked 5pm to 1am then, 6 days a week). In later months and years, I was able to attend occasionally,  but then the ticket prices became unaffordable for us. This time we splurged and it was well worth the cost! 

We were excited to see local girl Makenna Hope on the show! You might remember that she performed at our local open mic a month or so ago, and we thought she was terrific. Well, apparently we're not the only ones! Since Julie Adam's retired, I wonder if they ard looking for a replacement? Makenna would be a good one, in my book.

Here are a few clips from the show. They have to be less than a minute because of copyright,  but at least you can get a sense of it. This show will air in a few weeks, if your local station carries Mountain Stage.

The start of the show always features this song.

The Amanda Cross Bluegrass Band was high energy.

Tim O'Brien and his wife Jan Fabricious. I think i spelled that right. Excellent vocalist and mandolin player. This song, Back to Eden, was really beautiful. 

There were other excellent groups performing, but I didn't video them all. Here is a short clip from the final song, which included everyone who was on the show. I clipped the part with Makenna singing so you could hear what a fine voice she has. She follows Amanda Cross in the clip.

And last, but the best part of yhe show and our main reason for going, this little taste of Solas. Tim O'Brien came onstage to harmonize with Nuala Kennedy. 

It was a late night for us old folks, but we'll worth the drive home in the foggy dark. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Thinking about Houses

18°f/about -8°C, clear, then clouds in the afternoon. High of 54°.

Did you know ow tgat according to old folklore, birds were believed to begin mating on Valentine's Day? We have been hearing birdsong around here again, which is lovely to our ears. Does that mean they're beginning the mating season, or that they are just happy to see lots of seed in the feeders? 

At least we are going into a warming trend this week, which is another happy thing. Temps in the 60s? Yes please. Maybe the rest of the ice and snow will finally disappear.

I was listening to the radio this morning as I cleaned silver. The NPR show This Old House was on, and they were discussing the building materials of the future. One of the hosts lost his home in a California wildfire, and he was looking at ideas for rebuilding, on the same spot.

While they visited some of the unique homes being built on the ashes of the old, including one like our Sarah's cabin, built out of steel storage containers,  my mind was stuck on one thing: why? Why would you rebuild in what they acknowledged is a "fire zone"? Isn't that the same as building in a flood zone? Even with new, fire-resistant materials, it seems to me to be an exercise in futility. Because if there was another fire, would you want to have to live through your neighborhood burning a second time? 

One of the materials discussed was a type of super-laminated wood called CLT. Google AI says "CLT chars on the outside during a fire, creating a protective insulating layer that prevents the inner wood from burning. These structures are durable, sustainable, and capable of withstanding intense heat." Okay, but going back to a home charred on the outside? Wouldn't be my cup of tea.

It was an interesting show, delving into pre-fab houses and the difficulties of meeting thousands of different building codes across the country. I was impressed with the forward thinkers of the industry, striving hard to make housing affordable and quickly built. By the time the show was over, the pile of silver in front of me was polished. I looked around at my 50-year-old house, which would probably go up like tinder in a fire, and wondered, would I rebuild here if it burned? And if I did, what kind of house would I want? 

When our next door neighbors' house burned, they bought a modular house, and put it back in the same place as their old home. (At least we are not in a fire or flood zone!) Perhaps we humans, like the wild things, want to go back to the same nest/den/cave where we have always found security and comfort. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.