Buffalo Mountain

Named for its hump-like shape, Buffalo Mountain, elevation 3,971 feet, is the highest point in Floyd County. The summit provides a 360 degree view that takes in the Blue Ridge, Piedmont and part of North Carolina.

I’ve climbed “The Buffalo” a few times, including twice with my daughters, Beth and Caroline. It’s not a difficult ascent, especially if you drive up the dirt road to the parking area about a mile and a half from the summit.

However, my first Buffalo climb on a hot summer day wasn’t easy. That’s because I carried Caroline (age 3 at the time) all the way to the top. (I was the red-faced one in the group photo.)

Now that it’s late spring, I’m anxious to climb Buffalo Mountain once again.

Mow-jo

There are many signs of spring. One is the sound of lawnmowers. It wakes me from my bear-like winter hibernation. Got to mow!

I was intimidated by the mowing regimen when I first moved to Floyd three and a half years ago. Our sloping, acre-plus lawn on Oak Hill Drive dwarfs the small city lot we had in Seattle.

I realized the only way to conquer my fear was to mow my way through it. So I bought a new self-propelled lawnmower from Sears. (No rider for me.) Then I mowed and mowed and mowed. As I used to joke to my wife, I was either mowing or thinking of mowing.

I’m glad it’s spring. I got my mow-jo back. I plan on keeping it until early November.

Elephant Curve Road

Three miles north of town off Virginia Route 8 is Elephant Curve Road.

Several years ago many of the numbered county roads were given names, including Elephant Curve Road. Oftentimes the roads were named after a mill, a family, or perhaps a destination. Not Elephant Curve Road. I’ve been told that Elephant Curve Road was named after an actual elephant.

Now you can expect to see plenty of cows in Floyd County. Deer will dart in front of your car at any moment. And you might even spot a black bear on occasion. But an elephant?

Yet, as a name Elephant Curve Road makes as much sense as Moles Road or Woods Gap Road. You just need to know the story.

Long before they straightened Virginia Route 8, Elephant Curve Road was part of the main highway between Floyd and Christiansburg, a rather steep and crooked stretch.

One summer when the circus was en route to Floyd, the vehicle transporting the elephant failed to negotiate the curve at the bottom of a hill. The elephant tumbled out but apparently was unharmed. The elephant was retrieved and the circus proceeded to town.

The circus surely brought joy to the townspeople that summer. And the elephant definitely left its imprint, not only on the audience, but on a road that now bears its name.

We Are Virginia Tech

(Excerpt from convocation at Virginia Tech, April 17, 2007)

Through our blood and tears
Through all the sadness

We are the Hokies

We will prevail
We will prevail
We will prevail

We are Virginia Tech

– Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor of English

My Annual Use for Nail Polish Remover

Living in a female-dominant household, I’m used to the smell of nail polish remover. Although I don’t really care for it.

Tonight it was my turn to use the nail polish remover for my annual ritual of replacing the county stickers on our two vehicles. Apply the nail polish remover to the old decal and scrape, scrape, scrape. Repeat. Again. Once more. There. Now try to put the new sticker exactly where the old sticker was. Nice and straight. (Sorta.) Done.

Glad I don’t have to do that for another year.

Tread Loss

I love living in Floyd County, but it’s hell on tires.

It’s time to put a new set on our Ford Freestyle, a gently used vehicle we picked up last October. The Freestyle had a decent set of Pirelli (top of the line) tires when we bought it. Seven thousand miles later and those tires are pretty much shot.

My car guy, Leo, says it doesn’t make sense to put expensive tires on your car if you drive these roads. I’m taking his advice.

Nabs

I still have a lot to learn about living in Virginia, Appalachia and the South. For example, understanding the lingo and slang terms.

Take “nabs.” I kept hearing people say they wanted some nabs, picked up some nabs, had some nabs.

What are nabs?

I didn’t ask. I guess I didn’t want to reveal my ignorance.

Finally my wife told me. Nabs – short for Nabisco – are those prepackaged crackers of the cheese and peanut butter variety.

Oh. Another Southern mystery solved.

Now if I can just get all my BBQ styles straight.

Stickers

I saw the flashing lights in my rear-view mirror and pulled over at the intersection of U.S. 221 and Long Level Road just outside of town. “Why am I being stopped?” I thought. “I wasn’t speeding.”

The state trooper approached. “Your state inspection sticker has expired,” he said.

I took a look at the sticker on the windshield. Of course. Almost three years in Virginia and I still can’t remember to get my annual state inspection. If I don’t receive something in the mail, I don’t think about it.

I tried an explanation out on the trooper. “I’m still kind of new in the area and forget to get my state inspection sticker.”

I immediately felt stupid. How many times had he heard that lame excuse?

I went on to tell the trooper I had an appointment at the garage the next day to prepare the vehicle for a trip. (True.) I would get the state inspection sticker then.

The trooper asked for my license and registration and retreated to his cruiser.

“I tend to believe you,” he said upon his return. “If you take your state inspection receipt and this yellow summons copy to the county court clerk, you won’t have to appear in traffic court.”

“Thank you, officer.”

I was reminded of this encounter from last summer when I purchased my county decals at the courthouse today. I have a couple of weeks to put them on our two vehicles. I better not forget.

Georgia Ice Cream

Living in southern Indiana until the age of 12, I was familiar with grits long before I moved to Floyd three and a half years ago. Fluffy white and piping hot with butter and salt and pepper. Good eating, to be sure.

Still, I had (and have) plenty to learn about grits. For one thing, there are more ways to eat grits than one might imagine. There are cheese grits, shrimp and grits and all manner of grits casseroles. Eat them for breakfast. Or for lunch or dinner.

Not long ago I learned a new name for grits: Georgia ice cream. You’ll find Georgia ice cream almost everywhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But not at Ben and Jerry’s.

Denied

My oldest daughter and I made the long trip to Richmond and back on Saturday to watch the Floyd County High School girl’s basketball team play in the state championship game. After the tragic death of 3-year-old Joshua Cantrell — the grandson and son of head and assistant coaches Alan and Travis Cantrell — it seemed the title belonged to us.

(Not that it could possibly heal the hole in our hearts.)

The girls had courageously played through much stress and adversity since Joshua was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December. They were determined to win the trophy for their grieving coaches. They entered the final game a perfect 27-0.

Clark County High School did not cooperate. They played with a ferocity that mimicked our Lady Buffaloes. In fact, their coach said he patterned his team after ours. We lost 69-64. As disappointed as they were, these girls know that it was just a game — an extremely important game, but still a game. For they had already experienced a deeply profound loss.

As for me, I was happy to make another large deposit in the memory bank — going to a high school state championship game with a very excited daughter. That’s a win for me.