Bits and Pieces

It's always good to have a Plan B. The clouds began forming about mid afternoon, and just as we were preparing to leave for the second night of the Fiddlers Convention, the rains came. Even if it stopped raining in a short time, we thought we would be walking through mud to get to and from the Convention parking lot. So, we opted for Plan B--fried chicken at Duke's in Wytheville.

This also gives me a chance to sneak in a few photographs and stories about some leftover topics.

My morning walk sometimes provides an opportunity to take a look at scenes that I would often rush pass. Such a scene is this one of a spider web on a barbed wire fence and fence post. Seeing this was a nice start to the day.
-----------------
There are many of these signs along Route 58 and other highways marking the designated roads as part of The Crooked Road Heritage Trail. This one was on a stretch or road that had space for me to pull over and take a photograph of the sign. They are beautifully designed signs and have become so popular that people are stealing them. At designated stores, these signs are for sale for $40; at that price, the photo was much cheaper.

While taking a picture of the sign, I noticed the road behind and in front of me. While this would hardly qualify as "really crooked," it shows some curves in the road where it is possible to stop for a photo. My aim was to get the road ahead and behind in one photo.

As further evidence of the relative straightness of this section is the reference to Shooting Creek Road (Route 840) between Rocky Mount and Floyd. I have learned to avoid many roads in the 600s, so when I read the following I eliminated all roads in the 800s: "Shooting Creek Road is the place where if you run off the road you'll starve to death before you hit bottom." The name comes from a history of trespassers and "revenuers" traveling this road.
---------------
Back to Duke's. This is a barbecue joint, but it also serves some of the finest fried chicken we've ever had. It was really crisp, a crispness resulting from a thin coating of seasoned flour. The pieces had a light coating and a very moist piece of chicken underneath. And served with some of the great barbecue baked beans that are found everywhere in this area.

The walls of Duke's are covered with sports memorabilia, record albums, signs, and photos of country entertainers. A true neighborhood joint in all the specialness of that term.

Plan Bs are different, not necessarily more interesting than Plan As, but sometimes they present the unexpected.



The day ended with a nice sunset--and a prediction of rain for tomorrow.