Virginia is for lovers...and drunkards alike!

This morning I awoke, our ninth day in Blacksburg, to the dense valley fog that plagues every a.m. kiss of the sun. We've been here over a week now, and we're getting into the swing of things. Just yesterday we got the internet hooked up at our little farmhouse. Instead of browsing craigslist and facebook for the past week, we've been doing what people did before those two things came around: working on stuff and drinking a lot of beer.

Let me start by saying that the drive to Blacksburg was largely uneventful. Woodford slept in the truck with me, and Goose perched on Trip's shoulder in the Penske truck the entire way. Also, Woodford threw up on me when we were literally less than 20 miles away.

Upon arrival, at a very late hour, we decided the last tenants left the place in a very subpar condition. There was so much dirt, cat hair, and mouse poo that it made piles everywhere. So for the next four days, we cleaned. We cleaned more, then we cleaned. We figured out the best way to cope with so much cleaning was to drink during such acts, so we drank. We drank more, then we drank.

These are the kinds of surprises you find in a dirty farm house. He really bridged that gap! ^

After a few days, we did some shopping for house goods and more exploring of the area. It is WONDERFUL here. The entire community is full of farmer's market/small-business locality. They have bumper stickers all over that read "Buy local. Eat local. Be local." Everyone rides their bikes everywhere, therfore, there are bike lanes, bike paths, and sidewalks everywhere you turn. I can't wait. Woodford and Goose are also pleased, but still enjoy nap time together about 18 hours per day.

We went hiking at the Poverty Creek trail system, where we were rained on, but the views and reality check of our out-of-shapeliness were quite worth it. Over the weekend, we drove to the very small town of Shawsville to see the EastMont Tomato Festival. We ate BBQ chicken, met a duck named Rover, which prompted my purchase of one dozen home-grown duck eggs, bought some goat's milk soap, met some local CSA (community supported agriculture) farmers, and bought some of their DELICIOUS beef. Read about them here. Apparently they ship their Ancient White Park cattle yummies to NYC and Washington, DC. We made burgers, and they were absolutely marvelous.

Anyway, so, what we've been doing. Our largest projects have included, but are not limited to: machete-ing the hell out of our overgrown lawn, learning how to inappropriately rig a dryer to get its' duct out the window, overhauling a futon we bought because we were not communicating at our finest, hanging Roman shades in Trip's office, and re-screening a door with a Woodford-made doggie entrance (who knew he was so crafty?). Also, our ongoing project; testing the plethora of microbrews that are abound in the area. There is no end in sight.

But I'm sure you want to see our cute little house. I'm not taking picture of the inside yet because, frankly, it looks moronic. We have very little storage, so we are still coming up with innovative ways to place things around other things. However, you can see the exterior of our little slice of peace and quiet, along with our view from the front porch swing.

Recently, after clearing some brush, we realized we had a side "yard", though its more of a huge field that I desperately want for my own. I took a little video clip of Trip and Woodford playing in it, maybe you want to see it for yourself.

For right this second, thats all.