MamaBaby

All you folks sitting out there reading my blog, strutting around like you're all that and taking credit for how successful you are.....just remember that YOU would not have been possible without Mama....Oh sure, you've done well on your own, but Mommy wiped your nose and lord knows what else, fed you when you were hungry cleaned up messes you made that a sewer worker wouldn't have come near, went around in torn underwear so you could have the latest fashions, drove you in the rain, sleet and snow so you could take that piano lesson or play in a ballgame....have I laid a guilt trip on you or do I need to go farther.
Here's what you ARE required to do this Mothers Day weekend. Feed her..shower her with flowers...and give her a day she won't forget Bring her to the Bridge for a Mother's Day spoilin'. We'll have special dishes cookin' on the stove just like she would do for you...What do you want...let us make her feel like the special Mother she is with a beautiful flower that you should have bought, plus we'll feed her too. It's a Win-Win situation.....you and your Mom are both winners. Come to the Swinging Bridge this Mothers Day weekend and come
across to the street to the Depot Lodge and say Hey...I'll say Hey back at you,
you'll know me, I look like a Mama...all haggered and worn out,but with a smile on my face.

Haven't found him Yeti

I can't tell you how disappointed I am that we haven't found the big guy. We did have a few close encounters of the 4th and 5th kind, but no big guy...oh well, there's always next spring cause you can count on one thing...I wouldn't search these mountains in the winter for anything...not for love nor money. So we're on to the more important upcoming events. First, there's the day that should be marked in big letters on your calender...MOTHER"S DAY. That's the day buddy-row, that you'd better get your ducks in a row and take care of MAMA. Bring her to the Bridge for a great Mothers Day Encounter. We'll feed her a home-cooked meal almost as good as she could cook, but we'll treat her like a Queen...even give her a corsage in recognition of her importance to mankind. Better yet,treat her to a whole week-end. Rent the family-house, bring in sissy and bubba and have a real get-together...we'll provide a picnic lunch for the family...call me at 1-800-970-3376 or shoot me an e-mail and ask about our Family House rental package. Coming up toward the end of May or Memorial Day weekend is the Mountain of Misery bike race sponsored by Virginia Tech. We will be one of the pit stops and plan to have lots of fun things going on.

Come by the Swinging Bridge today for one of our Sunday Specials. As always we have country pan-fried chicken...Our own Highlander Pot Roast or garlic butter shrimp skewers. Along with good food, comes good homemade deserts...just the right combination for a great meal. When you've completed your "nector of the gods" meal, walk across the street to the Lodge and say Hey...I'll say Hey back at you. You'll know me,I'm the one with the Saquatch Welcome Mat at the front door...it never pays to be safe rather than sorry.

Chili Today Hot Tomallie

I can't tell you how ready I am for the warm weather we're expecting today and tomorrow. It's about frogging time. I'm near the point where I lose that school-girl, uptown, too cool for school calm and move into sweat-flopping, spit-flying claw-ripping, eye-gouging mood. Why?...You ask. Chill-bumped arms, blue-lipped smile....no-toe show shoes. I'm, ready for the heat, the bear-footin, the show a little body dressin'....good ole' summer-time...I deserve it!...Paint Bank deserves it!....YOU deserve it!. So this week-end...we're gonna give-it-to-ya. Paint Bank General Store and The Swinging Bridge have all kind of HOT DEALS AND HOT MEALS...SO COME IN YOUR HOT WHEELS. You'll enjoy all the new signage in the retail store upstairs...new summer Woolrich clothes and yada yada yada. And the food...check these "EATS" specials out.

Thursday Lunch...Open Face Buffalo Roast Beef Sandwich....Man-o-live...served with mashed taters and gravy...Hot dang

Thursday night...Spring Chicken...covered with onions, peppers, mushrooms and provolone
Maybe a big ole Fat Fried Flounder Fillet will grab you

Friday Lunch you got your Fried "Po Boy'Oyster Sandwich served with our homemade coleslaw and fries.

Friday Night Date Night offers a tender Bison Strip Steak and on the side is Spicy Onion Marmalade....Get Out!!!

Stuffed Herb Roasted Cornish Hen...both come with great sides.

Saturday Lunch...Stack em high Tuna Club...a triple decker sandwich with Tuna Salad,sliced boiled eggs,provolone, lettuce and tomato

Saturday night...Porky's Buffalo Filet Mignon...6 ounces of healthly tender tasty bacon wrapped filet of Buffalo.

You clucked up with the Stuffed Five Cheese Chicken...stuffed with Ricotta, Parmesan, Swiss & Provolone and then topped with cheddar...

Sunday brings good ole Pan-fried Chicken...Ole Virginny Ham and King Neptune's Fried Oysters.

YOU HUNGRY YET!!!!! Better come and get it.

While you're there, walk across the street to the Depot Lodge and say Hey...I'll say Hey back at you, you'll know me, I'm the one with the bikini on top of my long johns...it still ain't warm enough for a bathing suit, but that don't stop me.

A Whiter Shade of Pale

This week past, the nicest couple Faye and Jim Rose had driven from Florida and spent the night in our Caboose at The Depot Lodge. Having lived in the Roanoke area for a brief time, Jim had been carrin' on about our place for years to Faye, but she had no idea what kind of ride she was taking from the Depot. They took a drive to check out the area and as they were topping Peters Mountain on the West Virginia Side...this is what they encountered..............
IT'S A REAL ALBINA DEER...
NOT TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY .
Was it Procal Harem or the Moody Blues that sang a whiter shade of pale...Whatev....it's the real thing, as rare as the white Buffalo...maybe not, there's more Deer than Buffalo..anyway,thought you might enjoy this.

olly olly in free

I really know what a teeny tiny part of the Universe we are just by looking out my window in the kitchen. The Birds....Birds of all kinds and a momentary observation
will make you understand that we're so small. For instance, there's 2 morning doves atop my root cellar on the roof. You can tell they're having a conversation about something and planning their next move. Perched way up in the Locusts and Maple trees is a Murder of Crows and cowbirds...raising immortal cane because I hadn't schlep out to fill their feeder and a note to the fact that the morning doves were back and they bet that THEY had eaten all the food. At the thistle feeder are these tooo energetic for the morning finches and chick-a-dees,,(I know that's how people feel about me in the mornings.....dern...why don't she slow it down. Hey, suck it up...I got one speed. I regress,sorry! In the side yard are the independent Robins....steadily going about their business of worm searching, cocking an eye to the grass, finding and pulling one of those long slimy suckers out..yummy what a breakfast. Oh well,it probably has more protein in it than what you eat. Wait a minute....is spell check really right....who checks them...whatever happened to i before e except after c...and slimy doesn't look right either...whatev....KISS My GRITS SPELL CHECK, IT'S NOT WHATEVER ANYMORE, IT'S WHATEV...UPDATE! Anywho...Birds don't have our problems...who is smarter???
Paint Bank still searches for Sasquath...somewhere in the woods is a big hairy
whatever...Chubaka...like Harry and the Henderson's....watching us looking for him...who's smarter??? Oh well, after you have a great meal and shopping adventure across the street at the Swinging Bridge....walk over to the Depot Lodge and say Hey...I'll say Hey back at you...you'll know me, I'm the one standing next to the birdbath, catching up on the news.

Birding versus birdwatching

Both in Britain and in the U.S., 'birders' often differentiate themselves from 'birdwatchers'. At the most basic level the distinction is one of dedication or intensity. Self-described 'birders' are more focused on finding and studying birds than on general observation, and they tend to be more versed in such minutiae as moult, distribution, migration timing and routes, and habitat usage. Dedicated birders tend to invest more in high-quality optical equipment, such as spotting scopes, and many birders travel widely in pursuit of their hobby. Birdwatchers tend to have a more restricted outlook, often confining their birdwatching activity to local nature reserves, their own gardens, or places visited on holiday, and, in general, they invest less in optical equipment.

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Carpe Diem

If there was ever a better time to "cease the day" I don't know it. 80 degrees...everything starting to bloom birds singing,smells in the air flip-flops(no socks of course)....man what a world. The only thing missing in Paint Bank is you.
It's a trip you'll never forget...whether it's the search for Sasqautch or a plate of Buffalo short ribs at the restaurant, you can't go wrong. Let me tickle your taste buds with our weekend specials...see if you can resist.
FRIDAY
Lunch....Fillet of Trout Sandwich with our homemade tarter sauce...fries or our hand cut fresh everyday Buffalo chips....try them dipped in some saucy Kickin' Sauce
$8.95

Dinner....A healthly tender and our own grown Buffalo T-Bone Steak $24.95
Perfectly grilled or fried fresh-water Perch $18.95

All entrees served with sides and Fresh baked rolls
cornbread and our yummy cheesy-dill biscuits.

SATURDAY
Lunch...Big Bite Buffalo Steak and Cheese Sub with fries and Buffalo Chips
$8.95
Dinner...Rib-a-licious Braised Buffalo Short Ribs on a mound of mashed taters
with reduced brown gravy & salad and or course homemade breads.
$24.95
ee-ahh Cindy's Saucy Shrimp Gumbo over great Jasmine Rice w/ two
sides.
$18.95

SUNDAY
Lunch....Always good...fixed like mama does...Country Pan Fried Chicken
$13.95
Sunday "Go To Meetin' Buffalo Pot Roast $18.95
Slow cooked with Potatoes, Carrots and Onions w/ a crisp green salad
And as always homemade breads.

Seafood Lovers Fried Scallops...$18.95

Always Always...gooood made from scratch desserts

While your in Paint bank...walk across to the Depot Lodge and say HEY..I'll say Hey back at you...You'll know me, I'm the one with the flip-flops and socks on....
mama wouldn't let me take off my socks till June 1.

Double Oh Seven Eleven

Is it ever Sunday and you don't know how you got there? A little weird, but happens all the time...you woke up Monday with a list to do and it's Sunday with half a list left. I always feel that an alarm will go off if I don't finish what is on that list....sooo all day today will be a finish-up-the-list day, just so I don't get 3 demerits. Hold on to your launch seat Bubbie, we're starting on a Mach II ride .
All aboard for Do-ville.......First...Sunday Specials at the Swinging Bridge

Country Pan Fried Chicken...$13.95
St. Louis BBQ Ribs..............$15.95
Sliced Roast Beef w/mushroom gravy..$14.95
Of course , plenty of great side and yummy to the tummy deserts...homemade breads, fresh-brewed tea and coffee and better than great surroundings.

This weekend we had some cancellations at the Depot Lodge because some
fisherman didn't think the trout would be bitting....well think again......
Ben and Dana Dishman from Newport News, Va....tied a "woolly bugger" and a sinker on their line and caught about 7 beautiful rainbow!!!
Ain't fishin' life great, proof we're smarter than the fish.

This coming weekend we will have a "Squash the Sasquatch" give out at the store
that will consist of a sighting map with directions on how to get there....the person who brings in the most believeable Yeti clue will receive a gift certificate to Paint Bank General Store and Swinging Bridge Restaurant...at the end of the month....the person with the most believable Sasquatch clues from a 60 mile radius will receive a night's stay at the Depot Lodge....get huntin.'