Just Looking

Local children enjoy the show as the Lexington Fire Department "rescues" a dummy that had been hung on the local hotel balcony for an April Fools gag.

A pair of mothers capture the moment as their children pass during the opening of graduation ceremonies at Washington and Lee University.

A Break in the Battle

As a forest fire burned near Goshen -- it eventually consumed over 3,000 acres -- the firefighters took a break after setting up a containment line.

We object!

After the King parade, the Virginia Flaggers gathered in the cemetery around the grave site of "Stonewall" Jackson for speeches, music, and tributes.

The Flaggers object to the campaign against the Confederate Battle flag, targeting Lexington in particular after the city refused to hang Confederate flags from lightposts for the annual Lee-Jackson Day parade.

I Protest!

 

 The backlash against the election of Donald trump was felt even in tiny Lexington, Virginia, where we saw a march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., carefully scheduled to displace a parade by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in honor of Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson.

 Later, protestors gathered outside the office of the conservative Republican member of the House of Delegates, Ben Cline, mostly to protest his opposition to abortion and Planned Parenthood.

 

First Communion

The priest enjoys a moment of respite (and a piece of cake) during the reception after First Communion Mass for 18 children.

The President Arrives

President Trump spoke at the commencement for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

I was assigned to cover the airport arrival.

And the travel pool was covering him as well.

Song of the Mountains

For a while, I worked through a production company on the PBS show "Song of the Mountains." Before then, while I had a general appreciation of bluegrass and oldtime music, I was no great fan, but hearing these top notch bands and being around the people increased my appreciation of it.

A fiddler practices in the stairwell backstage before the show. The musicians often warmed up here or in the dressing rooms along the stairs, and the sound was remarkable as it echoed through.

Host Tim White, who introduces the acts and also acts as the host of the TV show, recording separate introductions for that at a time after the actual performance. Here he looks out from the wings before the show began.

Unfortunately for me, the producers decided to go with another production company about a year after I started working on the show. It's not just the income I miss; the fraternity of oldtime music is quite remarkable.