Where To Start?

37°f/2.8°C, clear. Expecting a high of 70°f today.

I am so behind, friends, both on posting and reading other blogs. I am trying to catch up with everyone, though. And I will try to backtrack over our past few days, which have been very full.

But first, this sad news, which is heavy on my mind right now: I have been very worried about Bruce, who had not posted on his blog, Oddball Observations, since March 13. I have been checking in, hoping for a new post, and even emailed him, so I was so sad to see this morning that dear Bruce passed away. How we will miss his humor, his cooking, and his fascinating life stories. Rest well, friend, with your sweet Judy. (Wiping tears now).

Well, I needed to write that.  Our blog friends become like an eclectic family, don't they? At least to me, each of you holds a special place in my heart, and I feel like I know you well. As we get older, I think these close connections, even if just online, are an important part of our lives. We learn from each other, see places we would never see otherwise, and enjoy watching children and grandchildren grow up. Some of you, like Quinn, have been readers here almost since I started blogging in 2007. That's almost 20 years, a long time for friendships to deepen. 

Most of my real-world friends live a distance away, so online is where we keep in touch. And yesterday, I was so glad to see many of them in person at the No Kings Rally in Charleston,  WV, at the State Capitol. We had a glorious day for it, and, as is usual at these rallies, this was a happy, positive crowd. 

My friend Trinny, a stand up comic and child psychologist.

My friend Ron Sowell, playing protest songs we all knew.

With my friend Lynne, gardener extraordinaire.

We saw so many people we knew, even though this was an hour from our home: musicians Paul, Pam, Doug, Bill, and Becky, writers Debby and Colleen, fellow Jackson counties Roy, Blue, Linda, Detra, Sherree, and of course there were other friends there that we missed in the crowd. It felt so good to reconnect and to feel that solidarity and strength in being together.

After the rally, we drove to tiny Clendenin, WV, home of the first library I managed, for lunch in the tiny brewery located inside an old bank building.

The main reason for going to Clendenin, though, was to take a walk on the Elk River Rail Trail. While at the brewery we met this man named Rodney who is a veritable walking West Virginia flora and fauna expert of the self-taught kind. He offered to take me on a walk on the trail to see what plants might be popping up. Of course I eagerly agreed!

So off we went. Larry moved at a slower pace and Ridney and I soon left him behind. I later asked Larry if he was worried about me wandering off into the woods with a complete stranger, but of course he wasn't! It was clear that Rodney was 100% focused on the plants, and besides, he was very well thought of by the people at the brewery who knew him well.

We had a great wander, about a mile, and then back again. Rodney taught me to use iNaturalist, an app for identification. 

American rosette lichen, up close 

Bloodroot

Carolina Spring Beauty

Coltsfoot

The beautiful Elk River

Yellow cordalis, a new flower for me.

Red elf cups fungus

I learned new plants, and even found out that even the smallest lichen on trees have names, and are pretty astounding when viewed up close. I hope to go back and find Rodney again, because silly me forgot to get his contact information. 

By this time, it was after 5 and we went back to Charleston to yet another brewery for a salad supper and music by a bluegrass band. 

We listened a while, but as the place got crowded, we decided to meander homeward, stopping at Shari's to meet up with a few friends and listen to a young local singer, Gracie Mae, who was very good.

And finally home just as it was getting dark, to be greeted by happy dogs and a hungry cat!