I am chomping at the bit to get in my garden and stick something in the ground. Seeing that first little green shoot erupting from the earth is one of the most amazing sights of all. In preparation for the big day – which is I hope comes this week when the ground dries a bit – I have purchased a pack of Frosty Peas. Not Frosty the Snowman’s peas, but a variety called Early Frosty … [Read more...]
Par for the Course of Life: Part III
(Part III of a sermon preached by the Rev. James A. Rhone on July 27, 1986.) Par for the course of life is a possible perfection: it is to love the way God loves. The kind of love God which is includes all, everyone. It is a love not measured or limited by the character of the objects of His love. It is uncalculating, never a strategy for serving His own ends. God does not … [Read more...]
St. Patrick’s Day Concert
Mark your calendars. There will be a late, late, late Winter Ensemble Concert on Sunday, March 17 – St. Paddy’s Day – at 2:30 pm in the Municipal Arts Center (the Band Building) at 1119 5thSt, SW. There will be Free Admission to enjoy the CMB Dixieland Band and the Brass Quintet. Plan to attend. … [Read more...]
Road Trip to Smith Mountain Lake
For our 50thwedding anniversary on March 3 last year, Nancy and I went on a cruise to Hawaii. It was magnificent. This year, we stayed a little closer to home since we only had two days to get away. Nancy said, “Surprise me.” It had to be near water, since we are both enchanted with those water views. We love Nags Head, the Eastern Shore and anyplace with the smell of salt water in … [Read more...]
About Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake is a 20,600-acre lake in the Roanoke Region of Virginia, located southeast of the City of Roanoke and southwest of Lynchburg. The lake was created in 1963 by the Smith Mountain Dam impounding the Roanoke River. The lake has become a popular recreation spot and has also experienced significant development in the last decade. It is the third largest lake in Virginia, … [Read more...]
Where to Stay?
Some of the best places to stay at Smith Mountain Lake are the homes and condos on the Airbnb site. I saw dozens and dozens of wonderful places at very attractive rates, but I was making reservations just a few days before our trip and would be arriving after business hours, so I decided to go through a real estate management company where I could ask questions, get directions and … [Read more...]
Fishing Smith Mountain
Smith Mountain is a striper lake, pure and simple. There are lots of other fish to be caught, but the lake’s main attraction is the striped bass. Each spring, the stripers in the lake try to spawn, but are unable. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) helps out with generous stockings each year from their Brookneal Hatchery. VDGIF says that stripers are … [Read more...]
Tee it Up at Smith Mountain
If you get tired of fishing and water skiing at Smith Mountain Lake, there’s always golf, and there are a couple nice courses open to the public. Mariner’s Landing, for example, is an 18-hole layout designed by Robert Trent Jones. It’s a semi-private course with practice facilities and a nice grill on site. Another opportunity exists at the Westlake Golf & Country Club. I had the … [Read more...]
Eatin’ Out: Napoli Cowboy
Believe it or not, there is a restaurant at Smith Mountain Lake named Napoli Cowboy. Really! As weird as it sounds, it’s a great place to eat. Nancy and I were searching for a nice restaurant for our anniversary dinner and were disappointed that the Blackwater Cafe was closed on Sundays. We had never eaten there, but it came highly recommended. But we came across a place called Napoli … [Read more...]
Par for the Course of Life: Part II
(Part II of a sermon preached by the Rev. James A. Rhone on July 27, 1986.) The problem we face as disciples of Jesus are not unlike that of the golfer who needs to improve, to become better. We know that the trouble is not with the design of the course of life, it is not that the teachings of Jesus are unrealistic, they make perfect sense. The trouble is with us, the … [Read more...]
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