Photo Trips to Staunton, Va

Over Thanksgiving break, I made a trip to my grandparent's house in Staunton, Va. I haven't been to this house in almost 6 years. There are many memories of growing up held inside those walls and revisiting the house was very sad. My grandmother has been in a hospital for almost 8 years after having a brain damaging stroke and my grandfather has been left to live in this house alone. As a result, the family no longer meets for family holidays in Staunton, but in Charlottesville (where the nursing home is located). The house is a mere skeleton of what it used to be and it's hard not to compare my memories to the empty home.

Aside from setting up shots in their house, I took time to rediscover all the old rooms and artifacts I found intriguing as a child. The downstairs closet still smells of mothballs and the wall paper throughout the house is just as 70s as it always was. Old portraits still stare out of their dusty frames and the curtains stick from not being opened in years. I realize I miss the old days of family Christmases and Thanksgiving dinners and that I never appreciated them as much as I do now.

I took the liberty of bringing back one book that I always thought was particularly interesting and just plain weird. I don't think my grandfather will miss it. I don't even think either of my grandparent's knew it was there. I don't plan on ever giving it away. It's strange what objects we eventually find ourselves attached to.

"Gnomes"
Text by Wil Huygen
Illustrated by Rien Pourtvliet

This book is a detailed description of almost every aspect of gnome life. It covers skeletal structures, evolution (primitive gnome species), family life, animal interaction, dangers, healing, and various gnome legends. I remain amazed that someone went into such detail fabricating a non-existing species, documenting their existence, and explaining their ability to live undetected among us. I couldn't help but entertain their possibility when I was a child as I scanned their bizarre living habits.

Here are some pages I found interesting and strange:



As a kid I found the above page rather shocking, if you can imagine. The gnome's height is such that gravity does not affect their bodies the way gravity affects ours. Female gnomes go through life without ever wearing bras. Strange detail.


Honeymoons with animals as transportation.


Half the map of a traditional gnome house.


Due to their harmonious relationship with animals, gnomes acted as doctors for many species. Above, a gnome performs surgery to remove a sharp object lodged inside a goat's paunch.


Gnomes also have enemies: trolls (particularly in northern Europe, Russia, and Siberia). Trolls have been known to catch gnomes and torture them!

Hope this post is amusing for you as well!