Friends,

I think that most of you that follow this blog know about the place where we live but for those of you who do not here is a little bit about our town.  Around here we say "Todd is not a zip code, it is a state of mind".  Todd is a tiny community tucked into a bend in the South Fork of the New River.  The river's name is misleading as it is reputed to be one of the oldest rivers in the world.  There is not "town" of Todd either incorporated or unincorporated.  It is just a geographic area delineated by the boundaries of our little post office.  It is endlessly beautiful with amazing mountain and riverscapes which are breathtaking in all four seasons.  But it is the people who live and visit here that really makes Todd a "state of mind".  An eclectic group of eccentric, wonderful, amazingly diverse and kind folk have found their way here.  As I have said before - if I were driving down Railroad Grade Road and saw the Delai Lama fly fishing in the New River with a raccoon on his head I wouldn't be surprised, I'd just say "that's Todd".

Here's a Todd story for you.  I recently severed a tendon in my left index finger which may well have ended my days as a guitarist (which I thought was the ultimate bummer until I got the news about you know what).  Anyway, I keep a bunch of instruments around the Mercantile including a guitar in case visitors want to do a little pickin'.  A guest was in the bakery and asked about the guitar.  Helen told him that it belonged to her husband and that he was depressed about not being able to play because of an injury.  He told Helen that he knew how I felt because he had arthritis and asked for my name and number.  The next day I get a call from him inquiring about what I was up to the next day at 10am.  I told him that I did not have plans and he said that he would see me then - mind you , I had never met this guy before.  Anyway, in he comes to my office at 10 the next morning with two guitar cases in hand.  It turns out that they were Dobros which don't require left hand finger dexterity as they are played with a "steel" that slides up and down the strings.  We sat down and he showed me how it worked, listened to me fumble around for a few minutes then said "you'll do fine, just keep that dobro as long as you want".   This kind kind man, someone I had never met before, has put music back in my life.  That is the kind of thing that happens here in Todd.

Helen's bakery and store are located in the Mercantile as is my office.  It is a 100+ year old building built mostly of American Chestnut which was abundant when the building was erected.  Todd was the southern terminus of the Virginia Creeper Railroad and was a bustling community at the time.  Lumber was the main commodity that drove the railroad.  As is typical in the boom and bust history of the Appalachian Mountains, the railroad failed after the last tree was cut and the timber dried up.  In short order the bank manager (yes there was a bank in Todd as well as two car dealerships, a hotel, a theater and, rumor has it, a house of ill repute) ran off with everyone's money and,  a few years later,  most of the town was swept down the river in the flood of 1940.  What was left is the sleepy little town you see today with a few historic buildings including the Mercantile.

Once a month the Mercantile plays host to a Contra Dance which is a kind of square dance with a caller and a live band playing old time music on fiddle, banjo, guitar and base.  Last night was the latest dance and it was a ton of fun.   The band sets up right in front of my office which I think makes my office one of the coolest around.  The dance takes place in the upstairs gallery and other folk relax on the front porch or browse in Helen's bakery/store downstairs.  Here are some pictures........

Dancing in the Moonlight

Looking out from my office and, yes, that is a washtub base.

The hat rests while its owner dances.

Evening on the front porch

I hope that gives you a little taste of the place I love, so that you will know that I am very happy to be here always, no matter what the circumstances.  Stop by and visit - you'll be glad you did.

J

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