Introducing....Roanoke, VA

The Roanoke star was built in 1949 and for awhile was the largest in the country. They change the colors according to national events- there's a nice write up in wikipedia.



The view from the star is quite nice. Look, Roanoke.




July 4th weekend I went across the street from the hospital and watched some fireworks. A 29 minute firework display! With awesome fireworks! Very nice- best I've seen since the July 4th in Washington D.C.!




For those of you wondering what a portable washer machine looks like. As you can tell from the picture, it rolls over to the sink and connects to the kitchen sink faucet. So far my clothes smell pretty good, but I'm checking them very carefully. Other than having the temperature controlled at the faucet, it works just like a regular washer. When I'm done, I roll it back over the the steel structure that supports the dryer and shove it into place.



The first weekend I went exploring I stumbled on a car show reminiscent of Moab, UT. I'm wondering what the MPG are on this monster.

On a personal note, Roanoke is nice so far. I've already agreed to stay an extra month beyond what I was initially contracted. The unit is nice- I miss MBSSs, but I'll have opportunity for those again after this assignment. It's a small unit with an excellent team- I haven't seen a great deal of friction and that's always nice. The church I'm attending, Our Lady of Nazareth, reminds me of my childhood parish in WV. People really greet each other, and we pray aloud out intentions, and we hold hands during the Our Father. I've been bike riding, and have 2 possible hiking buddies. We're planning our first hike next week after work.

All is well! More later. Take care!