Making Ripples: post-corporate adventures in Floyd County Virginia

A good day to be working at home

Here in our corner of Floyd, Virginia, we are enjoying this last day of November from our vantage point near the woodstove.

It has been raining and freezing all night. As you can see from the weather map, we will probably have more of the same for the rest of the day.

This winter storm also means that the astronauts now in orbit will not be landing at Canaveral today where their families are waiting. They are expected to land in California instead. We hope that all goes well.

We are cloud-bound at this moment and our visibility is less than 75 feet. The wind is blowing from the east and the ice-covered trees are creaking in unison. The tinkling sound of falling ice continues unabated.

I put out some seed to see if I could attract some feathered visitors and the birds acted like shoppers on Black Friday. The freezing rain did not slow them down at all.

As you can see on this feeder, icicles continued to form even though the temperature is above freezing.

This year, I was better prepared in terms of an adequate firewood supply. I found someone who needed firewood and we worked out a deal where they cut up logs and took home half of what they cut. I am not as well stocked as blogger Fred First, but I have enough well-seasoned firewood for several months. A tractor and an electric log splitter makes preparing more firewood an easy chore.

We now have electric heat, but there is nothing like a wood stove for comfort on a day of freezing rain.

On the other hand, I need to get back into the workshop this afternoon because our custom framing business seems to have picked up again and I have a project to complete for a local musician.

With a pellet stove to keep the shop warm and a CD player keeping the beat, it is a grand way to spend my working hours.

I hear that other small businesses are also seeing an upturn and I hope that it continues for a while.

Like so many other business owners, I have been working to create bargains for those customers who are looking for something different. I think I have found something that is quite appropriate for the uncertain times we find ourselves in.

In this part of the country, recycled materials are viewed favorably when incorporated into new designs. I have found that customers appreciate opportunities to purchase custom frames at huge savings. Cutting down existing frames and refinishing them opens the door to offering superb designs at unusual prices.

I haven't had a chance to update the website yet with the newest product offerings, but I am very pleased at the opportunity to work with local artist Karen Sewell on a line of custom etched mirrors.

Things that ought to be treasured

The recent loss of our beloved cat Sherman has me looking with new eyes at the many things Gretchen and I view as being important in life.

Not all aspects of life contribute equally to our emotional well-being and it feels like it's time to reassess the relative importance of things we have against the things we do and the actions we share with others.

We have worked hard over many years to acquire the skills that will enable us to earn a living under many different circumstances. These skills and their use to help others seem to be of paramount importance in a continually changing world where passive investments or government programs may not be able to help us now or in years to come.

At the same time, we learned that working in an environment that provides income at the cost of personal integrity and sanity is a losing game. We decided that whatever we do to earn a living must be something that enhances our lives rather than drains it of meaning.

The accumulation of things, like clothes, shelter, vehicles is only important as far as these things provide a working framework in which to get on with life and share it with others. Too few things and one's attention is stuck on the grim necessity of surviving on a day to day basis. Too many things and one's attention is stuck on protecting it all from loss and not enough attention is available for living.

Our relationships with others and our ability to share experiences in a meaningful way are the real treasures that often slips through our fingers in the press of meeting deadlines so we can pay bills.

We need to deliberately chart our course in life so that we create time to share moments with family, friends, pets and others who fill our lives with joy or inspire us.

At the end of the year do we remember the satisfaction meeting deadlines or of paying our bills? Perhaps. But it is far more likely that we look back fondly on those few golden moments when we shared a moment of understanding and we communicated in a way that increased our affinity for someone.

Those moments are what make life worthwhile. If we have none to look back on, we have a barren and lonely existence. If we have many of them, our capacity for facing the future is enormously enhanced.

Care for and treasure those who enhance our lives. Put those relationships at the very top of the list of things to do every day and life will be a lot happier and we will probably be more productive. Our attention will be on the things that are really needed by ourselves and those we care for.

Building strong relationships with those people, pets, plants and other living things that share our lives is more productive and more pro-survival than merely accumulating things and eating well. All of these are necessary, but maintaining the correct balance is vital.

People who give of themselves

I am constantly amazed at the number of people in Floyd who put service to others above self interest. In this county where there is very little money to spare, there always seems to be people willing to give a helping hand to others.

McCabe Coolidge and Karen Day operate Wildfire Pots located under the Sun Music Hall in Floyd. When they are not making pots and creating artwork, they are heavily involved in food programs for school children and help distribute produce to folks who can't get around very well.

I caught them in the midst of preparing produce for distribution.

The fresh produce looks delicious in McCabe's pottery. Actually, we have found that everything looks better in his pottery. The forms are organic and every piece shows the touch of the artists hand.

They are open from 11 to 4 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday.

If you are in the vicinity of the Sun Music hall, drop in and enjoy their hospitality.

McCabe and Karen have always provided space in their studios to promote other artists. It is just another aspect of their willingness to help others.

When you drop in at Wildfire, you will see work by other artists such as handcrafted jewelry and the fiber art of Glenda George in addition to McCabes unique pottery.

Karen is developing a new promo piece for their expanding activities and I felt it should have wider exposure. It tells their story on one small piece of handmade paper.

(click to enlarge)

Serendipity plays a huge part in career decisions

Forty years ago when I was designing electronic systems to capture missile test data, I would have laughed uproariously if someone had suggested that I might end up framing artwork in a rural community in Southwest Virginia. My goal then was to live on the beach in California and drive fast cars.

Twenty years ago I was living on the beach in California and driving a Shelby version of the Dodge Charger. If someone had made the same suggestion, I would have carefully explained to them that I had a mission to change the world for the better and I could not see Virginia and picture framing as part of that goal.

Fast forward through numerous career changes to last year when my wife Gretchen asked me to frame some of her pastels for an exhibition. I found it to be more of a challenge than I ever expected. By the time her friends had asked me to frame their artwork, I was seriously engrossed in learning the ancient art of picture framing and I realized that I had an awful lot to learn.

It is now a year later and I am deeply involved in cutting-edge picture framing which marries computer technology, fine woodworking and many aspects of graphic design to enhance the presentation of every kind of artwork imaginable. At Floyd Custom Framing, I am using every bit of my technical and business training and am scrambling to learn more about design every day.

Custom picture framing is every bit as challenging as designing computer systems and is a lot more rewarding. In both cases, one has to think outside the box to come up with a viable solution and pedestrian solutions are not acceptable.

Successful computer designs may affect more lives, but there is a "wow" factor in completing a challenging custom frame design that creates a bond with clients and enriches my life.

Every day I have to solve design problems that test me to the limit and give me added insight into the complexities of making artwork "pop" without overwhelming the art with an overly elaborate design or intense color scheme. The technical and artistic challenges are significant. See floydcustomframing.com for more information on what is involved.

Fortunately the picture framing industry is a tightly-knit group of fairly small businesses and these business owners share business and design information freely on the Internet. Most of us have an abiding interest in art and in preserving and displaying it. We are beset by competition from big box retailers and few of us are computer literate.

My recent entry into the field has not hurt me in the least. There are new tools available this year which have changed the ground rules for running a framing business and have opened up new opportunities to give customers better service. The entire industry is in the throes of major changes and the playing field is no longer stacked in favor of old established framing companies.

I am receiving help from well-established framers and I can return the favor by helping them with technology issues. We are all working together for mutual support in this period of economic uncertainty. All in all, this is one of the most satisfying careers I have ever had.

It is also the most challenging in terms of creating a profitable business. Anything that involves custom work always carries the risk of discovering unknown issues and then having to solve them with style and grace. Great stuff! I wouldn't have it any other way!

How has serendipity affected your career choices?

House Concerts and 21st Century Touring

In response to my last post, Fran Snyder, a singer-songwriter based in Lawrence, KS, sent me a link to his website ConcertsInYourHome.com which is a resource for musicians and house concert hosts alike.

He also has a blog, house concerts and 21st century touring where he discusses the growing "house concert" movement  which creates meaningful and financially rewarding opportunities for artists and which brings neighborhoods and music lovers together in a common cause.

The music industry is changing and the old business models need to be re-examined if musicians are to thrive in a world where labels no longer control distribution and the economics of playing noisy clubs for tips is increasingly less rewarding.

Perhaps musicians can take a lesson from writers who have turned to self publishing in order to reach audiences and have successfully bypassed the traditional publishing industry and its insider network. Very few get rich, but most of the writers I know who have done this have managed to sell books and generate some income.

More and more musicians seem to be self publishing also, but what if they really got behind a grassroots effort to augment their income with performances in house concert venues?

One musician friend feels that playing for tips is demeaning for a professional musician. How about working for donations?  Working for a living always involves having to make choices and being able to draw an audience.

Providing background music in a club means that you are always interrupting someone's conversation. If you are good enough to command the attention of the crowd and willing to overlook the screamers in the front table, you may pull in enough tips and applause to make the day worth while.

How about setting up a few house concerts with congenial hosts?  Donations are understood to be the price of entry and you get an attentive audience. Your only problem as an entertainer is drawing a crowd through reputation and promotional activity.

I would be interested in hearing if there is a down side to house concerts from the musician's standpoint.

Let's have some discussion on the 21st Century touring model.

House Concerts are a time for coming together

It was a fine way of starting off the new year. People from all over Floyd County were greeting friends and making new ones at Mac and Jenny Traynham's farmhouse in Willis.

Mac and Jenny were hosting a house concert by the Hushpuppies, a Greensboro, NC, old-time music revival band.

It was an evening to remember, a full house of music lovers, lively tunes, and a bountiful spread of pot-luck refreshments.

The Hushpuppies entertained the packed house with old-time and gospel music they have learned from elderly fiddle and banjo players throughout the South. All four musicians sing and play several instruments. They are talented and likable entertainers.

From left to right in the photo, they are Molly Stouten, Jon Newlin, Amy Davis, and Steve Terrill. You can find out more about them and their music here.

They have a refreshing naturalness about them and they manage to integrate tunes from many sources into a style that is very much their own. From rousing dance tunes to wry musical commentaries on life, this talented quartet held the audience spellbound from their opening notes to the final flourish.

They shared the histories of the songs and told us about the musicians they had learned them from. They also invited the audience to sing along with them and there were many who joined in on the old time songs. People were happily singing along to tunes I had never heard before!

House concerts are becoming an increasingly popular venue for musicians and audiences alike. House concerts are hosted by fans in someone's house or private space. Donations are requested and go directly to the performers. CD sales are an important part of the evening for performers and the audience alike.

Everyone benefits. The audience gets to hear music performed in an intimate environment and can actually chat with the performers on a personal basis. In a house concert, the musicians get an attentive audience that is there to hear the music and they find house concerts to be more financially rewarding than playing cafes.

If you would like to find out more about house concerts, perhaps to put on one of your own, talk to Mac and Jenny Traynham or Google "house concerts". There is a lot more information available on this do-it-yourself concert phenomena.

Things to be thankful for

Finding someone to share your life with.

Good friends who enjoy helping you out when you need it.

Finding new skills and being able to use them.

Finding a community that is big enough to survive and small enough to get to know everyone.

Being able to share your joy in life with others.

Finding a place where talent is encouraged and recognized.

Being able to pause in the headlong pursuit of future goals and to realize that we have accomplished what we set out to do in many areas.

The pastel drawing of this charming young couple was created by Karen Sewell. I created the custom frame. It is absolutely incredible to be part of a community where this type of creative activity happens every day.

I am very thankful for all of this and for the support and encouragement of my readers.

I hope that all of you have things to be thankful for.

If you are visiting Floyd this Fall, read this...

I am getting more email every week from future immigrants who ask how to make the most of their upcoming visits to Floyd. Some of them have already bought land in Floyd or in the nearby counties and are now bringing relatives here to share their discovery.

For those of you who are considering country life, here is a quick take on how to decide whether Floyd is for you and you are right for Floyd:

1. Check out my website Discover Floyd County. It is a quick overview on some of the factors I found important about country living. 

2. When you bring your family or friends to Floyd, you need to have them wander the streets of Floyd on foot and to visit a few key locations to get a feeling for the lifestyle and ambiance that is Floyd. Make sure that you all talk to everyone you meet.

3. Have them visit the following places and have them ask people about Floyd and how it is to live and work here. If your friends are planning to open a business here at some point, the questions will be different of course.

In no particular order, visit these places:

-Cafe del Sol (several times - in the morning especially)
-The Jacksonville Center, in the afternoon and ask about the classes
-The Bell Gallery - admire the art and Darcie's Kittens
-Oddfellas Cantina on Saturday night or for the Sunday Brunch
-The Over the Moon Gallery and Coffee Shop for lunch and on Friday Nights

-The Blue Ridge Restaurant for breakfast any day and take note that this is the only restaurant open on Mondays and Tuesdays except for Subway and Hardees.

-The Floyd Country Store for lunch and on Friday Nights for the Friday Night Jamboree.

-Visit the Harvest Moon Food store and compare to the Sweet Providence Farm Market on Hwy 221 Northeast of Floyd.

-Visit the Winter Sun which houses the Cafe del Sol and a soon to open Mexican Restaurant. Explore the galleries and studios downstairs. The artists in the Art Under the Sun Studio and Gallery can give you more tips on cultural and other attractions for those moving to Floyd.

-Eat at the Pine Tavern and enjoy family-style food service and hospitality.

-Browse the Farmer's Supply Hardware store next to the stoplight in Floyd.

-Buy hardware or supplies at Wills Ridge Supply off North Rte 8 on Lumber Rd and stop in and check out the Bread Basket bakery on the way to or from Wills Ridge Supply.

-Browse Slaughter's Market and Garden Supply (two stores). Check out the Food Lion

-Stop in at The Pickin' Porch and chat with working musician Scott Perry and admire his vintage and homegrown acoustic instruments.

-If health issues are a problem, ask about practitioners, doctors, dentists, etc. There are a few locally, but most people go to Christiansburg or Blacksburg for treatment.

-For information about local real estate, you might contact Julie Arrington, a friend of ours. There are others, but their names escape me at the moment. I will add them later.

-The Chamber of Commerce Office is staffed by friendly volunteers and they can provide a wealth of information about the area also.

-Visit Mabry Mill  and the Overlooks on the Parkway for scenic beauty. See also the Morrisette Winery and the Villa Appalaccia Winery.

Drive the country roads around Floyd County and drink in the scenery, but look carefully at the range of accommodations on almost every back road. We have beautiful views but we also have residents who don't just accumulate cars in their yards, some of them collect school buses.

Rural living is not tidy lawns and gated enclaves. It is hard-working people struggling to make a go of it however they can. They are good people and make wonderful neighbors. You just have to decide whether you will fit in and make a welcome addition to the mix.

A lot of Some talented people have come to Floyd and reluctantly decided that LA or DC or KC was where they needed to be, and they left after a few years of trying to make a go of it here.

Country life in a small-town environment makes a few demands on you and the most important is that you need to be the kind of person who makes haste slowly and are willing to understand and work with the many groups that make this county what it is today.

Those who are comfortable with themselves will do well here. You can change Floyd, but living in Floyd will probably change you more than you realize.

Please take note of the following, as it can be a real deal-killer for someone planning to move to Floyd:

Plan on bringing your job with you or be ready to invest in a local business because we don't have a robust economy yet.

We need self-starters who will find ways to serve this growing community with goods and services that are needed.

If you have other questions, please send me an email and I will be happy to meet you at the Cafe Del Sol where we can chat. I may be able to introduce you to people who really know what is going on. I am always interested in meeting people who can contribute to the energy that is building here in Floyd County.

You should also read our local Floyd County bloggers to get a multi-dimensional view of life in this county. They make excellent reading and will give you valuable tips for understanding Floyd.

• Blue Ridge Muse
• Fragments From Floyd
• Loose Leaf Notes
• Oh Papa Blues Blog
• Dark Chocolate, Red Wine

Springtime in Floyd

We had a break in the weather this week, so I got away from computer for a few hours.

I walked out into our woods accompanied by my cat and thought about all of the projects I had planned and had not gotten around to doing.

I am not into self-flagellation concerning undone tasks, because the time was well-spent on matters of higher priority, like producing income and recovering from a debilitating series of nasty colds. Now that Spring is here and we are well again, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and see what we can achieve before Summer arrives.

I have broken branches and fallen trees to handle as soon as the weather warms up, but we are still burning logs in the stove so I figure I have a few more weeks of cold weather before I need to begin a full-fledged assault on all of the winter-damaged trees.

I hope to use those weeks catching up with a backlog of unwritten posts and long overdue website redesigns. I am also getting the urge to write another book, but I will probably stifle that impulse and concentrate on developing several weblogs instead.

Classes have started at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd and I have already started taking pictures for next year's catalog.

Potter and Course Instructor Jayn Avery was just completing a class in Paper Clay when I took these. Paper clay is an interesting medium and opens up new possibilities for hand-built pieces.

Gretchen will be showing some of her pastels at the Jacksonville Center starting this weekend, so we have to set up an exhibit tomorrow.

She has managed to keep painting even though her volunteer workload had tripled in the last few months.

Her online gallery can be seen at artbygretchenstlawrence.com.

How much technology do you use to solve a problem?

If you concur with the idea that the proper use of technology is the solution of problems, the next thing that might be useful is considering how much technology to use.

It is never a case of no technology, only a case of how much? Do you wash clothes on a flat rock in a stream with a brush or with your bare hands?

At the other end of the spectrum the question is, "How much intelligence does your watch need to have?" After all, once you have your pulse rate, text messages and emails coming in on your timepiece, do you really need streaming video?

I spent most of my life building and using systems and tools that would let me do more things faster. It has only been the last few years that I have realized that the sheer joy of designing and fixing highly complex and unstable systems blinded me to the fact that many were a huge waste of time.

There is a burden of self-training, and adjustment and repair time that needs to be considered when adopting new technology. There is also the possibility of hiring somebody who is more technical to adopt the technology for you and just produce the results you want.

I recently came up with this rule of thumb: If learning how to setup and use a tool takes more than 15% of the time to complete a one-time project, it is not justified.

If a tool like a software application used for many projects takes more than 5% of your working time to adjust and maintain, it is probably not worth fiddling with. Can you imagine driving a car that you had to spend several hours a week tinkering with? I used to have one of those, and it wasn't worth it!

How do you choose how much technology you need for comfortable, stress-free living?

When do you decide that you need to get personally involved in the technology versus having someone else do the heavy lifting?

For example: Designing your own website or having someone else help you with it? Repairing your own car vs having the garage do it? Publishing your own books or letting a publisher do it?

Do you do better with more technology at your fingertips or less? Share your thoughts with us.