Ryland's Farm

Just returned from Southwest Virginia, where we enjoyed a much needed break from city life. We spent a lot of time walking around in the woods, visiting with family, and enjoying some fine country cooking...banana puddin' - I miss you already.

We spent part of our time on my great aunt and uncle, Jan and Ryland's [pictured here as a boy] 100 acre tobacco farm. Tobacco is no longer grown here and it's amazing to climb through the old log houses where the leaves were hung to cure. This is where my dad brought us to hunt with Ryland when we were kids.

I no longer hunt, but I still get very nostalgic and long to be out in the country around this time of year. After seeing these old buildings again, I realized how much growing up in this environment has influenced my work.