Roanoke College Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally Coming Up!

 My Artwork

 

Color Blast    Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

A terrific example of gorgeous evening color on The Blue Ridge Mountains!

 

Cloud Color    Original 5″x7″ Oil Painting       $75.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas  Available at       KENDALL KESSLER ART

 

One of my favorite cloud paintings!

 

Riverview Reflections       Original  30″x40″  Oil Painting       $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at      KENDALL KESSLER ART

 

If I had to pick a favorite painting, this is it!  The intricate surface, colors and textures are wonderful!

 

The Haunted Guest House of Roanoke College

The Monterey House on High Street on Roanoke College’s campus is said to be haunted. The house was purchased in 2002 and is used for a guest house and meeting space.  According to Dr. Tom Carter, the owner did not want to sell the house and told her children that the college would get the house over her dead body.

Supposedly the owner’s body is one of many ghosts people come in contact with at the house.  Students that have stayed over night have claimed they heard noises or felt tapping on their necks and hands. Dr. Carter asks his students to consider how their beliefs shape their findings and to try hard to discern exactly where the noises are coming from.

I don’t know if this is something to boast about, but Roanoke College has a year round Hall o’ ween house!

 

I got this information from Roanoke College online.   There is a picture of the building in the article.

 

Life with The Bird and Word Man – Clyde Kessler

The much anticipated Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally is almost here!   All are welcome for this great mountain event!

 

The 40th Annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally

This BRDC signature event highlights the crown jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwest Virginia.  The Mount Rogers area, which includes Virginia’s three tallest peaks, has long fascinated scholars and explorers.  Not only is there a wide variation in altitude, there are many different ecosystems and mini-ecosystems within a short drive or hike of each other.

The 2014 Rally will be May 9 & 10.

Friday Night Speaker –  Nancy Lee Adamson PhD, Pollinator Conservation Specialist – East Region, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. An Introduction to Native Bees and Other “Beneficial” Arthropods of the Mid-Atlantic – learn about common native bees we can support by protecting and planting pollinator habitat. The program will highlight nesting habits of some of the 500 species of native bees in Virginia, as well as other pollinators, predators, and parasitoids that benefit from pollinator habitat.

Friday night entertainment – Ronald and Ellie Kirby will be bringing in the evening with some traditional old time tunes.

DOOR PRIZE! – David Richert has offered a free afternoon consultation on forest management as the friday night door prize.

 

 

Bedford Virginia Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and The Word Man does it Again!

My Artwork

Monarch   Original 15″x21″   Acrylic Painting on paper  $652

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Here is a great warm weather painting to brighten up anyone’s day!

 

 

Natural Rhythm  Original  30″x40″ Oil Painting       $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Another Spring Beauty!  I have sold many canvas prints of this work.  The original painting is still available!

 

 

Road To The Blue Ridge    Original Oil Painting has been sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas are Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Bedford Ghost Story

 

I am still finding great New River Valley ghost stories!  I don’t necessarily believe they are true but they are interesting!  You never know!

The Seven Gates of Hell

This ghost story is about a place in Bedford, Virginia called the Seven Gates of Hell.  A house on a hill has seven black iron gates that lead up to the house.  The story goes back to a legend that began in the 1900’s about an insane family that went on a killing spree of African Americans.

Supposedly in the 1930s more were killed by the Klu Klux Klan.  My source says The Knights on Columbus but I believe that is an error.

Anyway, the grounds are so spooked that people are too afraid to walk up the hill to the house.  The gates are always open on Hall ‘ o Ween.  Spooky stuff!

I found this story on Ghostvillage.com

Life with The Word and Bird Man – Clyde Kessler

My poet husband is publishing all over the place these days!  The other day he had one poem accepted for publication in Decades Review.  The poem will published a few months from now.  Way to go Word Man!

Clyde has been published in over 200 magazines!  He is in communication with a publisher regarding a book!  I see that day coming!

 

My Guy!

Radford Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and More Blue Ridge Discovery Center News!

 My Artwork

 

Mountain Sunset   Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Evening River Motion   Original 16″x20″ Oil Painting   $670

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

THINGS I CAN’T EXPLAIN

 

I mentioned before that I am a very skeptical person and always look to logic and science to explain phenomenal happenings.

I also check people’s motivation regarding their supernatural experiences.  Does the person gain money from people’s belief in their presentations?

Over the years people have built up a legend around Houdini as if he really did perform magic.

If you research his life you will find out that he did not consider any of his tricks to be supernatural and could explain each one of them.  He did go around and expose mediums that claimed to be in contact with the dead.

I also mentioned that I have had three strange occurrences in my life that I cannot explain, but I forgot about this one.

Ghost at My Piano

I come from a family that has many artists and musicians.  My grandmother and great uncle attended Peabody Conservatory and both taught music.  My grandmother believed everyone should play an instrument and practice every day.  She did not consider the arts to be an educational frill.

I have been working at my Art all my life.  I cannot remember a time that I didn’t spend time drawing and I didn’t like coloring books.  I wanted to make my own drawings.

I also enjoyed music.  My mother wanted us to take lessons but she didn’t make us take lessons.

 

When I was twelve I decided to take lessons and it was one of the best decisions of my life.  I play every day and it is a wonderful experience.  There have been times that I didn’t play every day but I recently have gotten back to it and do my best to play everyday.  My fingers are not as good as they used to be so I am working hard to improve my technical skill.

 

A few months ago when I was playing I could have sworn that I heard soft foot steps behind me as I played.  Since I am so skeptical I just considered the sound to be a  trick of my mind.

It happened a number of times the next few days and now I don’t hear them.  I would like to think my grandmother was there with me!  Who knows!

 

Life with The Bird and Word Man – Clyde Kessler

In addition to The Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally on May 9th and 10th, there is a Farm Days outing coming up on May 21st through 23rd!  This great event will be at Matthews Living History Farm Museum !

The event will include educational demonstrations and programs for kids!  Come on out!

 

Another Roanoke City Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Murphy is stalking me again!

My Artwork

 

Poppies and Lace   Original 30″x40″ Oil Painting     $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Roanoke City Ghost Story

I keep thinking I am going to move on to other interesting aspects of the New River Valley and The Blue Ridge Parkway and then I find another ghost story to share!  Ghost stories are so much fun and I didn’t know about any of these until this year!

Here is another Roanoke one!

At The Patrick Henry Motel there are a number of ghostly apparitions. The Motel was built in 1925 and there are three ghostly men that supposedly hang around the ball room to keep an eye on things.

On the second floor there is a man with a pipe that sits at one of the tables. Some people say he kicks the tablecloth with his foot.

Many people claim they feel the presence of an elderly woman who died in one of the rooms!

I found this information on the online publication, Haunted Places.

Murphy’s Law

When I was working on my Master’s degree I worked for a professor that had a huge poster of Murphy’s Law.  He said a friend gave it to him.  I read the whole poster and have never forgotten all the things that this mysterious Murphy does to us.

Sometimes I feel like Murphy is stalking me!   My latest example of how, if anything can go wrong, it will, involves my favorite sport.

I have been skating since I was a child and my sister is so accomplished that she teaches ice skating in Sterling, Virginia.

Since there isn’t a skating rink nearby I have been roller blading for many years in Christiansburg.  The rink closed down but a few years later a fantastic one opened near the old one.   The boot on one of my skates finally cracked apart and I had to buy new ones.

I have never liked the new ones so a while ago I ordered a very expensive pair that I knew would be great!

Last Sunday I drove to the rink with my old skates and they were closed.  I figured that they were starting their summer schedule early so I went home and looked online.  I was stunned to see that they were closed permanently!

The next day my new skates showed up!  AAAARGH!

Dominion   Original 30″x40″ Oil Painting     $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

A Beautiful Moment    Original 20″x 16″  Oil Painting     $660

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Life with The Word and Bird Man – Clyde Kessler

Since my husband is on a computer eight hours a day he knows more than I know.  We did not grow up with them so we are baffled at times.  Now I am trying to figure out a Yoast plug in that I downloaded.

So far we aren’t cussing the computer but I think we will be soon!  I wish one of us was a computer whiz!  I hate how we have to call on someone that is our son’s age to help.  Such is life!

Peaks of Otter Resort on The Blue Ridge Parkway and The Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally is almost here!

My Artwork

 

Now that the weather is finally warming up I am thinking about all the beautiful spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Peaks of Otter resort is high on my list and I have a number of paintings that were done from that beautiful place.

Here is the lodge.  I am especially pleased with the dreamy reflections in the water and the serene mood in this painting.

Peaks of Otter Lodge      Original 16″x12″ Oil painting        $484.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Color Swirl over The Peaks of Otter is my favorite one of the series.  I have sold a number of prints of this colorful vista.   The original painting is still available!

Cloud Swirl over The Peaks of Otter    Original 18″x 24″ Oil painting  $864.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at      KENDALL KESSLER ART

 

Craftsman  Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or canvas are available at       KENDALL KESSLER ART

Craftsman is my tribute to the great mountain people I have come into contact with through my husband.

 

The Peaks of Otter

The Peaks of Otter has drawn settlers and travelers for more than 8,000 years.  The community began in 1776 when Thomas Wood came down from Pennsylvania and settled there.  The wife of one of Wood’s descendants opened her home as the area’s first lodging for travelers in 1834.

By the late 1880s the Peak of Otter was home to 20 families, a school, church, and resort.

In the mid 1900’s it was selected for special attention as the National Parks Service developed recreation sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Abbott Lake was constructed and the resort opened in 1964.

I got this information from the Peaks of Otter online website.

 

Life with The Bird and Word Man  – Clyde Kessler

My husband is still hard at work uploading over 2,000 bird files to Cornell University.  He hopes the research he has been doing on the wildlife of this wonderful mountain region will be of help to future generations that seek to preserve his homeland.

 

The Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally

 

The 2014 Rally will be May 9 & 10.

Friday Night Speaker –  Nancy Lee Adamson PhD, Pollinator Conservation Specialist – East Region, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. An Introduction to Native Bees and Other “Beneficial” Arthropods of the Mid-Atlantic – learn about common native bees we can support by protecting and planting pollinator habitat. The program will highlight nesting habits of some of the 500 species of native bees in Virginia, as well as other pollinators, predators, and parasitoids that benefit from pollinator habitat.

Friday night entertainment – Ronald and Ellie Kirby will be bringing in the evening with some traditional old time tunes.

DOOR PRIZE! – David Richert has offered a free afternoon consultation on forest management as the friday night door prize.

_____________________________________

Another Radford Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Not just any Idiot…

My Artwork

 

Winding Flower Path    Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

 

The beautiful weather has inspired me to put up this colorful floral that was sold in a gallery in North Carolina

 

Mushroom Clouds   Original 30″x40″  Oil painting        $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

There is nothing like the beautiful light in the mountains!  Not a cloud in the sky is fine, but I prefer skies with clouds!

Another Radford City Ghost Story

I having a lot of fun looking up New River Valley Ghost stories.  I am a very skeptical person but they are great stories whether or not they are are true!

La Rivierie which is located in Radford by The New River is said to be haunted by a Lady that appears in a mirror.  The 10 room mansion was constructed by Mary Draper Ingles grandson but was destroyed in a fire before the couple moved in.  The mansion was rebuilt according to the same specifications.

Some say the woman that haunts the mansion is Mary Draper Ingles.  There is a woman’s image that seems to be burned into the mirror that can be seen from a certain angle.  Another theory is a that the image is of Anne Mclanahan who was a frequent visitor to the mansion.  She was looking for her cat during a thunderstorm.  Supposedly she was standing in front of the mirror when a lightening bolt blast seared her image in the mirror.  The mirror was new and residents noticed the change after her visit.

People say she haunts the mansion and is referred to as The Lady in the Mirror.

I got this story from Strange USA.com

Life with The Word and Bird Man – Clyde Kessler

My husband and I have had a lot of trouble with vacuum cleaners.  I always look for objects that will break them, but, either I don’t find them all, or the vacuum cleaners just aren’t any good.  This time I am determined to take good care of the one we recently bought and I have the box with everything in it so we can return it for a full refund.   I don’t like to insure household objects, but this time I am making an exception.

I used to have one that required bags but our new one has to be emptied.  I am trying not to do anything stupid so I asked Clyde to empty it and then show me how.  He showed me where the lever was and I then remarked that, of course, any idiot could put it back together.

He said, with eyes wide open, not just any idiot, this idiot!

No problem.  Maybe we can hang on to one this time.

La Riviere”, or Ingles Castle as it is known locally–sits alongside the New River in the City of Radford. The 10 room mansion was constructed by the grandson of Mary Ingles Draper in 1893. Prior, the extravagant mansion had been constructed but had burned down the night before the couple moved in. Blueprints were given to a contractor with the request that he re-build it on the same grounds to the same specifications.