A Picture is Worth...

I took my camera with me today as I did errands in Blacksburg and Gaffney.  Gaffney is about ten miles from Blacksburg heading west and where I go to do banking and Walmarting.  There are some sights around this area that only a picture could do justice.

Sometimes, when I am in a new area, I will see something that reminds me of someone or some place I’ve been to before.  It's so cool when this happens.  It's like a surprise visit from an old friend.  So far I've had two such surprises.

There is a street I pass on my way to the Post Office that reminds me of two great people who were leaders in our Bible Study Group when we lived in Mobile, Alabama.  Chuck and Sharon Whisonant are the nicest people you could ever meet.  They immediately took Rick and me in as friends when we started going to Cottage Hill Baptist Church.  We feel blessed to know them. 

I think of Chuck and Sharon whenever I pass by WHISONANT STREET.  I don’t think it’s a very common name.  They are the only Whisonants I know.  Chuck and Sharon have come to this area of South Carolina on vacation in the past, to visit family I think, so it could be a distant relative of Chuck's that this street is named after.  You never know.



I am curious to find out if this sign has any connection to Chuck.

Another person I think about often is my best friend, Barb Bergstrand.  She lived in Pittsfield when I lived there.  I miss her dearly and haven’t seen her since May of 2008 when we passed through Pittsfield on our way to a job in Gillette, Wyoming.  However, when we talk on the phone, we pick right up from where we left off.  Friends do that. 

Lots of changes have happened to Barb this year.  She retired from teaching elementary school and she recently moved with her husband Kevin to Indiana.  They sold a great home near Pittsfield that Rick and I dubbed “The Bed and Breakfast.” We loved staying there whenever we came to visit. 

Their cabin-style house with its huge front porch was located on Ambrosia Hollow Road.  Barb would often say they lived in the “holler,” just like a hillbilly from Appalachia would say.  [No Barb, I am not calling you a hillbilly.  I would never do that!]  Now they live on Possum Trot Road in Indiana, another unusual street name. Don’t you think? 

Besides naturally thinking about Barb because she is my friend, I also think about her whenever I pass this historic landmark in Gaffney.  It’s a one room schoolhouse that was built in 1880.  It’s a double whammy reminder of Barb because it’s a schoolhouse and because of its name, Possum Trot School.  As soon as I saw it, I knew Barb would love it, so this picture is for you Barb!

This one-room schoolhouse was restored in 1969.

According to information I found on the web, the name “Possum Trot”
mostly like came from the fact that the students reached the school by following
an existing possum trail through the nearby woods.

   

There are a few other pictures I want to share with you that don’t remind me of anyone or any place I’ve been.  They are just cool pictures of things I found interesting in this area.

The first is a water tower, but it’s not your typical water tower.   It is in the shape of a giant peach. They call it the Peachoid. The peach is South Carolina's state fruit.  There are several peach farms near Gaffney and this may be why they decided to build this unique water tower.



The Peachoid looking east. 

It is listed as one of the state’s famous roadside attractions.

  

The Gaffney Peachoid was built in 1981. 
It's an awesome sight as you drive along I-85 between Exit 90 and 92.

Looking straight at the peach is not the best way to view it.  Rick

says it looks like a fat butt, crack and all!!  [Pardon my French.] 
I think the Fatz sign is very appropriate considering!!  LOL



Part of my errands today included stopping at the Work Boots Plus store to pick up some Boot Guard for Rick's work boots.  It’s in a quaint little shopping center.  Next door to Work Boots Plus is the Bargain Shoes store.  What I particularly like about the Bargain Shoes store is not necessarily their shoes, it's what they have added to their sign.  See picture.

What a blessing to see this bold statement of faith!!

After leaving here I went to Walmart to shop for groceries.  I passed by McDonald’s and I noticed their marquee sign was flashing this message: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”  I am happy to see more and more Christians taking a stand for what they believe in. 

So there you have it!  This completes our mini tour of my little corner of the globe.  I firmly believe you have to make an area your own.  You must claim it for yourself.  If you have no family or friends around, that's all you can do.  I claim Whisonant Street, Possum Trot School, the Peachoid, Bargain Shoes and Jesus.  What do you claim?

Peace and Love,

~ P