Riding Thru Fall: Virginia Style: Part One

[the_rocketman]

This is from a ride report I posted on the local BMWBMW board Snce I found myself with a "free" day in the middle of the week on Oct 3 I headed out for a fall ride to find some color. Not much I'm sorry to say, its been way to dry.
-------
Due to a corporate funding snafu I was given the day off yesterday (without pay unfortunately, but what the hey!) so I decided that since all you poor bastards were stuck in the office slaving away at some pointless task as least one of us should get out and enjoy the day!

So I decided to head out for the Blue Ridge Mountains and see where the roads would lead me and perhaps catch a little of falls first colors. At first I had planned on riding out to Warrington for a cup of Starbucks but wound up just riding right on by and making for the mountains. I went past Leads Manor road so decided that I’d head up that way. I took that all the way up to 55 and then, having never done the last, most northern part continued on past the Naked Mountain Winery (one of my favorites) and on up to Rt. 15. At 15 I headed back toward 55 and rode east to The Plains where I turned up Halfway Road then decided to take the right fork onto Hopewell Rd since I had never gone that way before. I very nice little road, narrow without any markings and mostly shaded as seen below

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00730.jpg

On Leads Manor I also came across this funny little building, I remembered seeing it before recently but forgot where until today. This is the second one like this I’ve seen so there must have been a particular use for such a structure on farms though I have no clue what, but it can’t be coincidence that there are two exactly alike, the other one I saw was one from I picture I used for my poem “Silent Friends Together”.

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3172.jpg


Then I found myself at 17 and 234 and made the mistake of going toward Bull Run battlefield on 234 which took me into Manassas *sigh* so I hopped on PW Parkway and headed home. All in all about 140 miles and 4 hours. Funny thing was, I probably saw more color in PW Parkway heading home than I did up in the hills! Ha Ha!
Still a nice ride. Below are more pictures from the ride, sorry if some are a bit blown out, the sunny came up as got to nice roads and at high noon shooting can be tricky. I really need a way of viewing the pictures on the road on something other than the little bitty screen of the camera. (Which I now have, and it’s a really trick little set up, I’ll post another thread on it, its about the coolest gizmo I have gotten to date!)

(note these were taken with both my Nikon and my little P&S cameras)

Enjoy!

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00716.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00720.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00722.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00723.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00724.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00725.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00726.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00727.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00728.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00729.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00730.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC00731.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3157.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3159.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3162.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3164.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3166_edited-1.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3167.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3177.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3179.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3180.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3181.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3182.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3183.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3184.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3186.jpg

http://roadrunes.com/Fall%20Ride%20Oct%2007/images/DSC_3189.jpg

RM

[Dick]

Great report, RM. I didn't think the colors were too bad. Some good looking shots; and like you, I'm wondering about the use of that funny looking, spired building. I tried Google, butt couldn't connect on wordage to use!!!

Thanks again for the write-up. Hope you don't get too many more days off under those circumstances!! Take care.

BTW - I'll be looking for the thread on your camera set-up you mentioned.

[the_rocketman]

Thanks!
Here's a picture of the other one like the small pointed roofed building (yeah I know its a bit lop-sided) along with the poem I worte for it as part of my "Images On Words" series for my web site.

http://roadrunes.com/Rural%20Romance_files/image001.jpg

Rural Romance

Silent friends together,
looking so forlorn.
Hiding in the grasses,
their builders now un-born.

Two silent friends together
sharing memories.
In quiet contemplation,
amongst the swaying trees.

Never to be rescued,
nor used by man again;
They serve a difference purpose now,
for Sparrows, Mice and Wren.

I stopped to ponder how it was,
that thus they came to be.
Abandoned and forgotten,
in a green and grassy sea.

I stood there long and strained to hear,
Their tales from years long gone.
But all I heard was wind and sun;
So I once more traveled on.

As for the deivce I got for viewing digital images on the road its this handly little item

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xgfb-BfXL._SS400_.jpg

http://www.archos.com/products/gen_5/archos_605wifi/index.html?country=us&lang=en

Man OH Man is this sucker SWEETTTT! It does everything and more....

At first I was really looking for something I could store and view photos with on the road since the little viewer on the Nikon ain't really much use beyond showing you that you've got Something rather than nothing (yes, I've taken "nothing" shots so I know!) then as I looking into these things I realized it had lots of other uses. The fetures that sold me on this one were three fold


1. Resolution: its got an 800x480 screen, the sharpest on the market in any size that fits the pocket, combined with a 4.3 inch screen size plus 16mil colors with great zoom, so I can ACTUALLY see the image and check for detail/sharpness etc

2. Direct download of files from my camera (or via a micro USB reader) in the field, no PC needed since it has a USB Host function.

3. WiFi: I can connect it to my home network without cables plus connect and view the web anywhere with WiFi on a screen I can Actually SEE! I've tried it on a phone or smaller PVP, and it ain't worth the effort unless you have 20 20 20 vision and are around 18 years old!

That plus touch screen and everything else, its a real wizz-banger of a toy!


Now finially I can check my picture files right on the spot and if I don't like it, reshoot, without having to take 20 different shots just to cover myself. It will make editing much easier since I will have fewer to go thru once I get home and it can also act as a storage device if my cards get full. Transfer is pretty fast as well which many other units seemed to have a real problem with.

Oh yeah!!! Baby!!!

only regret is not shelling out the extra 50 for the 80 gig version (I got the 30gig one) Oh well...(anyone want a really kool PVP?? so I can get the bigger disk version?? ) just kidding, though, as I don't think I'll need more than 30Gigs of storage, but still.... :D

RM