Trip: 52
Nights: 178-179

The weekend got off to an interesting start when I thought I knew better than Google Maps how to get to Seneca State Forest in WV. We arrived 90 minutes later than planned, and got to cross a mountain on a sketchy barely paved and then not paved road as part of the trip. We followed the Google directions home. I do learn from my mistakes.

Once we arrived we found a really great dry campground. There are only 10 sites, of which 3 or 4 had tents, and us in the Ascape. The Ascape is about the largest camper you can get into the place. There were several clean pit toilets throughout the campground, and showers at the ranger station about 1 mile away. We were there because it is about 30 minutes from Showshoe Resort, where Robert John and the Wreck where headlining the Saturday night of the annual Blues and Brews festival. We will get to that in a minute.

So on Friday night, we did the campfire and chill followed by board/card games thing, then went to bed. I had intended to get up and do a hike to a fire tower on Saturday. I ended up not doing the hike, which was a good thing. Michelle and I drove up to the fire tower to climb it for the view, only to discover that you can rent the fire tower as a campsite, and it was occupied. If I had walked uphill the 3 odd miles to get there and then been immediately kicked out after the hike there, I would have been pissed. We did some birding in the AM, then after lunch at the camper headed to the Green Bank Observatory and the largest movable radio antenna in the world. They make a big deal out of not allowing cell phones or even digital photography, basically anything with a circuit board is not allowed because it can cause interference. There was a sign stating that they can pick up your cell phone in airplane mode. On Saturn. The entire county is supposedly a quiet zone for wireless signals, although that appears to be more myth than reality. I followed the rules so the photos below are from the public domain.

After doing science, we headed up to the ski resort for the concert. Prior to the show we had dinner at The Village Pub, where I had a fabulous grilled ham and cheese sandwich made with Pimento Cheese. I will most certainly be recreating that one at home. Tickets for the festival were $15 for non-drinkers, or $55 for drinkers. I knew I'd be driving back to the campground after the concert, so I went with non-drinker tickets. When we got in I saw that Athletic Ale (the NA beer) was one of the sponsors. So I asked them if I could get Athletic Ales without having a drinker ticket. The official answer is no, but what they told me was that I was welcome to all the free samples I wanted. So I ended up drinking 2 Athletic Ales during the show. So a big shout out to the staff there that let me drink their NA beers for free. I don't think their booth was particularly busy, as the brewery booths were pouring 8-10 oz samples, and all the drinker tickets came with 10 samples. Thankfully, it appeared as though 99% of the people there were staying at the resort, so not driving.

Speaking of the resort, I loved Snowshoe. The scenery with the "village" sitting on a mountain top with stunning views in all directions was sublime. It was 90F and humid at the campground, but only 80F and not so humid at the mountain top. There was some affordable rental property for sale, and I found myself wondering if I could make enough during ski season (as we don't ski) to cover costs and give me a "free" mountaintop condo to spend a chuck of the summer at every year. I have not done the research but I suspect the answer is yes, or close enough. Note, I just started a company. I'm not buying a ski condo. Not this year anyway ;)

The show was fabulous. The first band was Jake Walden, a young bluesman from Florida. His set kicked ass with a mix of originals and covers, including particularly inspired takes on Dark Side of the Moon and Whipping Post. Robert Jon and the Wreck did not disappoint, as they played a couple of tunes off the new record coming out in August, and a bunch of their "hits," or songs that should be hits if we had any taste in this country. I was very into the moment with the music and all I have for media is one photo of each band. So the links below are all from Youtube.

The Blues is Back - Jake Waldon
The 12 minute Pink Floyd jam from Jake Waldon
Oh Miss Carolina - Robert Jon and the Wreck
Gold - Robert John and the Wreck

After the show we headed back the camper and after a 3 mile walk in the sun to get close to the that largest antenna in the pictures above, plus standing at the concert for 4 hours, I was beat. We barely got through 1 game of Gin Rummy before I was falling asleep.

So that is 3 times in the last three years that I've visited West Virginia. And it's 3 times that I've loved everything about my time there. Yes, the state is struggling in many ways, with an economy still too dependent on fossil fuels, some of the worst Oxy issues in the county, and bottom of the list rankings in healthcare, education, jobs etc. And you can throw in a population that overwhelmingly thought the answer to all the above was Donald Trump.

I should kind of hate the state. But instead, I love it there.

I’ve had a couple of the 2024 Weller by Cohiba cigars resting in my humidor since November. I wasn’t about to light up such a pricey cigar in the dead of winter, so they waited patiently. After a recent pour of Weller Full Proof, I was reminded of the cigars and finally pulled one out to enjoy.

This 2024 release marks the third annual collaboration between General Cigar and Weller/Buffalo Trace. For this edition, the binder leaves were aged in Weller Full Proof bourbon barrels — shipped from the Buffalo Trace Distillery to General Cigar’s factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The cigars come in sleek aluminum tubes (which I removed before storing) and are presented in a classic 6 x 50 Toro format. 

The draw was on the snug side, though it still produced ample smoke. Unfortunately, the first inch and a half developed a significant run, leaving much of the wrapper unburned. A touch-up fixed the issue, but not without some regret for the wasted leaf. Thankfully, the remainder of the cigar burned evenly and without incident. 

The Weller by Cohiba 2024 settles nicely into a full-bodied profile. Dominant notes include oak, leather, and black pepper, supported by underlying sweetness — fruit, cream, and occasional hints of sweet bourbon. Compared to the 2023 version, this year’s release has a bit more body and complexity. Overall, it was a very enjoyable smoking experience.

Naturally, Weller Full Proof was the pairing of choice. The bourbon’s rich profile — caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, and candied fruit — drew out the sweeter tones in the cigar, creating a balanced and decadent pairing.

Yes, this is a pricey cigar and a hard-to-find bourbon, but the combination made for a rewarding treat on a (relatively) cool evening. I’ve still got one more from the 2024 release, along with a few from 2023, in the humidor. While I may not always pair them with a pour of Weller, both versions are exceptional cigars for bourbon lovers.

Cheers!

I’d been looking forward to trying this Hermanos de Armas cigar for some time—well, at least for the past four weeks since picking up a selection of HDA cigars during a stop at Hogshead Cigar Lounge.

Hermanos de Armas Cigars is the creation of two U.S. military veterans with a deep passion for cigars. The name, which translates to “Brothers in Arms,” reflects both their bond and background. The cigars are produced at the Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua — the same factory behind Black Label Trading Company and Black Works Studio, both of which I enjoy regularly.

The Hermanos de Armas Cataclysm is a 6 x 54 Toro featuring an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. A Nicaraguan binder encases a blend of Ometepe and Condega Nicaraguan leaf. The reddish-brown wrapper is oily and beautifully finished, with an impressively smooth construction.

Cheers!

Happy The Eagle Has Landed Day to all who believe it actually happened.

For the first time since losing my job on June 1, I was busy all week. One of my consulting contracts kicked in 100% and my other one starts tomorrow. For all practical purposes, I'm fully employed again. I'm just working for myself. With the Trumplicans dismantling the heath care system in the US my monthly health insurance premium is likely to increase from $850 to around $1800 in 2026, but I guess I will deal with that next year. There is nothing I can do about it now. It has not escaped my notice that I don't need to be in the US to do my job, and getting the hell out may be the long term solution.

It's been brutally hot again this week in RVA. I was thinking that summer is no longer fun. When I was kid I was outside from 9 AM to 6 PM every day all summer. My mother would not have let me sit around inside all day. Of course, with only 3 or 4 TV stations and no computers or video game consoles, there wasn't much to do inside except read, which I did plenty. You don't see kids out playing baseball or soccer at all anymore. You might see then after dinner for a few hours, but the all day background noise of kids enjoying life is not something you hear when the heat index is over 100F every damn day.

And now that I typed the above I had to find data to back up my feeling. The data doesn't really do it though. This chart of average daily highs and lows in RVA in July does not support the idea that air temps are rising in July. This is not to suggest that climate change isn't happening, because the global data don't lie. This data may support my idea that RVA is not a bad place to be during climate change. Our latitude plus the relative nearness of oceans and mountains may be moderating the extremes? I don't know, but I did expect the July temps to show a more pronounced upward trend.

Last night was a date night. After dinner at the always good Greek on Cary we hit our favorite local music club for Mackenzie Roark and the Hotpants. It was the first time we had seen her and it won't be the last. Although I do wonder if we'll be seeing her in small 100 seats clubs in the future. They sold it out and it seems like they could be a band on the rise. It's loud, twangy, classic country, the kind of tunes you'd hear in classic honky tonks and juke joints, if those places still existed. Here are a couple of tunes. I will say that their recorded music doesn't capture the energy they exude live. On stage they come across more like a loud rock band.

Ghost of Rock and Roll
Take my Money

This article about the Starbucks near Gallaudut University (a university where sign language is the primary language) is interesting. All the staff are deaf, giving the average commuter stopping in for a cup of caffeine a brief look at life when it is not organized around them.

I was looking through my bookmarks this week and rediscovered this piece of short fiction from my friend Charlie Kondek.

This would never work for me, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate these thoughts from Richard MacManus about blogs borrowing the concepts of seasons from podcasts or TV shows.

I thought I bookmarked a couple of other things this week, but if I did, I don't know where I put those links.

And that is it for this week. Remember, in a world where you can choose to be anything, you can choose to be kind.