Anniversary

300th Adventure

Stinky is always excited to see Periwinkle, but he is happier than usual, as they have excellent weather for today’s adventure, which will be outside. It has been so hot, humid and rainy, that he’d been thinking they wouldn’t be able to do what he planned.

As Stinky paces in front of the teleportation tunnel waiting for Periwinkle’s arrival, his mom brings him two bike helmets and reminds him to be extra careful. Moments later he sees the teleportation tunnel begin to vibrate, and Periwinkle pops out with a whoosh. He immediately drops the helmets so he can grab her. As usual, she is giggling but stops to give Stinky a kiss and paw hug, which he reciprocates. Before Periwinkle can speak, Stinky hands her a helmet, takes her paw and leads her to the back driveway.

When Periwinkle sees what is parked in the driveway, she starts firing questions at Stinky: “Stinky, is that a scooter? Do we get to ride on it? Is that why we have bike helmets? Where are we going?”

Dorothy Gillespie Abstract Mural

Stinky, replies, “Yes, yes, yes, around town to look at some of the murals. First, we are going to go downtown to see the first modern-era mural painted in 1979 by renown local artist, Dorothy Gillespie. So buckle up your helmet and let’s get a move on.”

As they admire Gillespie’s work, Stinky tells Periwinkle, “Advertising signs were painted on the sides of buildings primarily from the 1880s to the 1950s. We have many of those here in Roanoke. Of course, they faded over time. They are called ‘ghost signs.’ The same thing happened to Gillespie’s work. So, a couple of years ago, it was repainted by Jack Fralin of Best Bet Arts and Media.”

“It definitely is bright now Stinky,” exclaims Periwinkle.

“It is the only abstract mural we will see today,” Stinky tells Periwinkle, as he hops back on the Scooter, then takes her paw to help her up. As they head off, Stinky tells Periwinkle that they are heading back to his neighborhood to see one of his favorites.

Jon Murrill Murals

Stinky explains to Periwinkle that they only will be seeing murals by local artist, Jon Murrill. He is a professional muralist with an MS in Fine Arts from Radford University, concentrating in painting and drawing. He has also taught college-level courses in Watercolors, Drawing, Design, Art History and Art Appreciation.

“This one is just a few blocks from my house, Periwinkle. The “Giant of Wasena” covers two sides of the building. This is the best part of it.” The tabbies hop off the scooter to get a closer look. After admiring this mural, Stinky tells Periwinkle they are headed to his second favorite, “Nature Train,” which celebrates Roanoke’s history as a railroad town.

“Stinky this reminds me of our adventure at the Transportation Museum in June, 2023. Let’s give our readers a link to that post.”

“Good idea, Periwinkle!” Here it is: The Virginia Museum of Transportation.

“Where to next, Stinky?”

“We are going to see a series of three murals from the “Lady Appalachia” series. The first is in the neighboring town of Vinton, the second in Stuart, Virginia and the third here in Roanoke. We’ll hop in the teleportation tunnel to visit the one in Stuart. In order these are: Lady Appalachia #1, Lady of the Pines and Lady of the River. The woman represented is local resident, Bri Aarons.”

“Let’s go check out another one, Periwinkle.”

“Stinky I love all the stunning butterflies on this one. Does it have a name?”

“I couldn’t find one for it on-line,” Stinky replies.

“I am just going to call it ‘Gorgeous Butterflies,’” Periwinkle tells him. “What’s next?”

“Another, located not too far from my house in Grandin Village is entitled, ‘Mothers of the Forest.’ It is on the back of a restaurant and can be seen from the shop across the parking lot, which is Cardinal Bicycle.”

“Oh, Stinky, that was very clever to paint this mural here. I think this is my favorite. The colors are so vibrant.”

“Let’s check out just a couple more today, and then we can head home for a picnic and to celebrate our 300th adventure. Lot’s of the murals are on the Roanoke River Greenway where Mom and Dad ride the tandem and Dad rides his e-bike. This is one of the first ones they remember seeing.”

“The tabbies stop and admire the ‘I ❤️ SE’ mural, and then continue on to two additional murals on the Greenway.

“This artist likes to paint birds it seems,” remarks Periwinkle.

“Yes, he does. There are lots more that we didn’t visit that have birds,” Stinky tells her. He continues, “Periwinkle, Jon Murrill is not the only local artist  painting murals in our area, and those of Murrill’s we saw today represent only a few of the stunning art created by him. So, we will do this again in order to share more of those murals. Plus, at some point we will have an adventure where we visit the stunning mosaic creations of Steve Paul. He’s the artist who did the mosaics on my house.” Periwinkle claps her paws together and tells Stinky she can’t wait for those future adventures.

“So are you ready to head home for that picnic and to celebrate our 300th adventure?” Stinky asks Periwinkle.

“Oh my cat, Stinky, I totally forgot this is our 300th adventure. Yes, yes, let’s celebrate with a picnic,” exclaims Periwinkle.

300th Adventure Picnic Time

Please join Periwinkle and Stinky and enjoy a piece of cake and some lemonade.

After Periwinkle and Stinky’s picnic, they head to the catio for a nap and visit with Stinky’s fursibs. Finally, the time arrives for Periwinkle to head home. She and Stinky spend several minutes paw hugging and whisker kissing before Periwinkle enters the teleportation tunnel. Then with a wave and blown kiss, she is gone in a whoosh. Stinky returns to the catio for another nap and dreams of Periwinkle.

The End

Websites of Interest:

Jon Murrill
Cardinal News: Dorothy Gillespie
Dorothy Gillespie

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Thanks for joining Periwinkle and Stinky today for this memorable adventure.