Powered By Blogger

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

322- AND FOR ME, TONIGHT?....BAKING GRANDMA STEFFEY'S RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE BISCUITS!....

A) Ever get a hankering to whup up a bit of food just for the smell of it, no matter the time of the day or night? BISCUITS are on my menu tonight, before completing my latest 101st newspaper essay on my native Virginia's 180+ still-standing old train depots! My grandma, Willie, had no secret recipe notbook nor cookboo. She cooked and baked from pure experience...and memory! Those biscuits were high and, yes, light. And she always left a handful of dough to not roll out and to shape a special one for my gandfather, Carl...one big odd looking biscuit. Oh, and how did I get her recipe that didn't exist? Cleverly watch her a few times whup them up. Mine don't, by the way, come anywhere near her's!

B) Over time, the depots were all researched, searched for, found and carefully photographed all over the State. Yes, took some time to do....
Most, by the way, left standing in nearly every small town and village, have been left decaying along the tracks.
C) Signal towers are rusting. Once vibrant communities are now leaving for urban areas, taking their jobs and local cafes and businesses elsewhere. This week one more tiny depot was uncovered in New Kent County between Williamsburg and Richmond. It took me several passes along the country road to spot the two wooden depot buildings along the tracks. The narrow strip between the road and tracks was covered with vegetation and trees. Viola! There was an outline. Walking around onto the tracks I could see it better...Nikon in hand. At least the location and pics, saved, will tell posterity, if anyone cares, that the local tiny community along Rockahock Road once existed......

No comments: