Simple Pleasures

We're gearing up to take off again. As such, I'm feeling a bit rushed and frantic and wanted to take a moment to sit back and chill. Here are some photos I've taken over the course of the past week, scenes and such that bring me simple joy.

How delicious does line-dried laundry smell? It is energy efficient (dry times are a bit annoying on humid days...), no dryer heats up my house, and no neighbors have complained yet. Because I do laundry twice a week we have smallish loads allowing for easier line drying. I also set up the folding dryer as well.

And then, there are the gardens. Who knew I could find such joy in gardening? Seriously. :o)
This is the one basil plant that looks even remotely decent. I'm a bit worried as to what will happen to it (and all my plants, really), when we're gone. Yikes!

I had planted cherry tomatoes in the bed that get scorched and they've done nothing. I also planted two plants in pots and here are some babies growing. Hooray! Cherry tomatoes after all! :o)

My crazy garden. The onions are almost ready to be harvested. I'm going to harvest the beans tomorrow, pull out the plants and plant more beans. I'm so excited! The tomatoes were recently staked and the peppers look great. :o)


And the corn. :sigh: The corn would look amazing if it weren't for the darn treachery squirrels. They've been eating my baby ears and breaking the stalks to boot. Drat. :o(

The tomatoes in this bed are the slicing variety and I've got some green babies coming in here as well. Yippee!

I know it's rather difficult to see in this photo, but this is one of the many volunteers coming up from the compost bin. There are grape tomatoes growing on this. Wow. Who'd've thunk it?

And, Hannah's garden continues to produce. Look at these beauties. There are tons of buds so it looks as if they'll be with us for a while yet. The last of the lilies are blooming as well.

I'm not quite sure what this is--again, remember, Lil helped "clean" the garden by pulling out all those handy little signs--but it smells sweet and delicious.


I'm not sure what this guy is either. I remember I had initially thought it was a weed to be pulled but decided to wait and see what happened. This is what happened. :oP

The shade garden is doing well too. The columbine have really taken off, as have the hucheras.

Jules, this is a huchera/coral bell. I also have one in lime green and one in a garden green. They're supposed to flower, but so far nothing from mine this year.

Alas, as good as the garden is looking, I'm plagued by pests. Anyone know what leaves these sorts of trails and what I can do to curtail the action? Three of my columbines are affected and I'm getting sort of grumpy about it. Gr.

And, finally, one of the day lilies. I'm really thinking of turning that bed behind the pergola/porch swing into a day lily bed. They are hardy and beautiful and easy peasy to grow. This one looks more Hokie colored in the natural light. :o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. I made that enchilada casserole for dinner again this evening. It is time intensive, but boy is it GOOD.
2. I got some good news from school today. I can't share yet, but I will as soon as everything is set in stone. :o)
3. I love summer with all the reading time I get. Ahhhhh.
4. I made the cutest template today (a take-off from other cards I've seen) to use for Lauren's welcome baby card. :o)
5. The tree frogs are back--sort of. They're not here in mass quantity yet, but I've seen them peeking around here and there and I saw goldie on top of the front porch light the other day. :o)
6. Pop let me know about free movies at New Town theaters on Tuesday and Wednesdays in the summer. I'm going to try to find a schedule to see if Lil and I want to go tomorrow.
7. It was a nice low-humidity day today. Ahhhhhhhhh!

No milestones.

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Oh how I wish Han were here to not eat supper, telling me she doesn't like it and it's gross; to help with the garden and composting; and to exalt in all the beauty the backyard has to offer. :sigh:

Weekend Review

We didn't do much this weekend, as I wasn't feeling too hot Saturday. However, Friday and Sunday sure were fun.

Friday we visited BG for the first time this year. We met up with Lola, Nick and Elijah and Scottie, Joe and Caroline and had a BLAST! The park was eerily deserted for this time of year and for a Friday night, but we were able to capitalize on it. With so many adults around, we were able to share child-watching duties and have some grown-up fun as well. As we rode the "string ride" over the park, I saw the line for the Griffon roller coaster was unbelievably short and as I had yet to ride it, determined I was going to do so. As we exited the gondola, I announced to Lola B and I were riding Griffon and she replied Nick was as well. So, the boys and I headed to the Griffon and waited in line for less than 15 minutes for the front! HOLY COW!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!! WHAT A RIDE!!!!!! I screamed all the way down the first time. It turns out that was rather fortuitous as Lola instantly recognized my scream and knew it was us on that car in the front at the top of the first drop, lol! She and Scottie and the kids then watched us as I screamed my fool head off. ;oP

Since the line was so short, B, Nick and I decided to do it again. Hee hee! Talk about a rush. Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed the rush and can't wait to go again. :o) We all had a fantastic time at the park. Lil rode about 9 or 10 rides(!), some with me, some with Brien, some with the others. Lil and Elijah held hands as we wandered through the park and were way too cute. We arrived around 6:00 and wound up closing the park down. I couldn't believe Lil held on that long. She was even awake when we got home!

As such, the child slept in yesterday, so no FM. It's probably just as well as we'll be once again heading out of town for the July 4th holiday. We'll leave Wednesday and won't return before the 7th. Soooo, it's probably a good thing we won't have a bunches of fresh produce left to rot.

We decided Lil was old enough to go to a movie in the theater and took her to see Up--not the 3D version. Apparently, I missed the fact the movie was PG, crud. Lil did beautifully in the theater, but the dogs were rather frightening, poor Lil. She wound up in in my lap and would periodically pull my arms around her and then release them once the scariness was over. I can't begin to tell you how proud I was of Lil's behavior. She was SO good. :o)

I'm hoping to get to down to Newport News tomorrow to check in on Sarah and her family. I'm going to take some sort of yumminess that can be frozen and I'm sure Lily and Erin will LOVE playing together. :o) We've also got to get things organized so we can take off for almost a week. I've got to groom the dogs, do laundry, clean and straighten and all sorts of other un-fun grown-up things. Geeze. Why is it we all think the best thing in the world would be to grow up? :eye roll:

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Weekend Sparklies:

1. Lily's good time at the Gardens.
2. Riding the Griffon.
3. Time spent with friends. :o) Oh that was fun!
4. Having time to read this weekend.
5. Taking Lil to the movies.
6. Not having to rush around on a Sunday night because the next day is a workday. :o)

Milestones:

This was Lil's first movie which of course made me remember the first time with took the Monkey to the movies. Han was also as good as gold when we took her. Those memories are beginning to fade and I'm once again afraid I'm going to forget everything about her. With the easing of the pain of grief comes a dimming of memories. Oh how I wish there were some way to have the pain go away but keep the memories fresh and crisp, with no blurring or fuzzing around the edges. This grief thing really really sucks.

Enchanted

Lauren is absolutely delicious. That's where I was last night, you know, at the hospital visiting Sarah, Erik and Lauren. What a sweetheart. She is utterly gorgeous and yummy as only a newborn can be. Of course, she is not your "standard" newborn size with her 9 pound 12 ounce body, but she's still so teeny. Sarah is doing very well for someone who just had abdominal surgery and I'm really impressed with how well she's getting along.

When we arrived, Lil was a bit nonplussed to be in the hospital once again, but she soon calmed down when she realized she could hold the baby. As soon as I was finally offered an opportunity, Lil asked to hold the baby once again. And then again. And then, AGAIN! She held Lauren as much as she could (which was more than me, lol!) and when we had to pick up some items for Sarah in the baby section at Target, she BEGGED to have a baby at our house. I couldn't believe it. Hannah was so indifferent to Lil and here Lil actually wants one, even when faced with the screaming and crying that babies inevitably do.

We'll go visit again this morning and then come home to rest. You see, we're taking our first trip to Busch Gardens this evening. We had a wonderful morning and afternoon with Lola and Elijah yesterday and Lil wanted to get together again so we decided to do so this evening. Of course, it's summer, so I completely lost track of the days of the week and forgot tonight is Friday and therefore dinner with Mom and Dad. Could we reschedule for tomorrow, guys? :o)

I hope Lil has a good time at the park. She didn't enjoy it much the past few years so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for improvement. I think being at the park with Elijah will certainly help and I'm hoping the new Sesame zone will be an enticement. That, and I think we're meeting Scottie and her kiddos whom Lil loves as well. With any luck, these folks should help Lil to have more fun than last year.

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Anyone else out there stunned Michael Jackson died yesterday? I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. Wow. I just feel so rotten for him--he was doing a final comeback tour and everything. Again, wow.

I'm going to hold off on the sparklies, but know Lauren and our visit with Lola and Elijah are right up there for yesterday. :o)

Happy Friday, everyone! :o)

Summer Glorious Summer

Whew you can get a ton done during summer break! Yesterday was spent cleaning and scrubbing and trips to the doctor and lunches with friends and out WAY too late to write. Today was spent grocery shopping, cleaning, going through ALL the kitchen cabinets and making piles of items to donate versus items to be chucked. I did three loads of laundry and hung them all out to dry, cooked and cleaned the kitchen and mowed. And now, I'm utterly, totally, completely knackered. Ugh!

The temperatures are starting to creep back up again and the humidity is coming back to play, :sigh:. Summers here are just so darn hot and humid. I feel like such a whiner, but I can't stand it. Ick ick ick. But, I'm getting out there, I'm weeding my gardens and deadheading, and still enjoying the beauty of it all. Lil is out every day riding her trike, playing in the sun. Why is it heat doesn't seem to bother children? That, and sand in bathing suits and on your skin and mosquito bites and all those other nasty things that children seem to ignore. How is that possible? At what point do we realize we are being tortured by the discomfort of those things? And, why do we have to start noticing them? Why can't we just go around innocent to the yuckiness of it all?

But I digress. I expect tomorrow is going to be as jam-packed as today. Lola and Elijah will be coming to play tomorrow morning and then tomorrow afternoon or evening I get to visit Sarah, Erik and their new daughter, Lauren Elizabeth. Yes, you read that right, a new baby!!!!!!!!!!! :o) I'm SOOOOOO excited!! :o) If I don't wear out my welcome, I may just visit again Friday as well. ;o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. Lauren Elizabeth. She came two weeks early and still weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces. She's 20.5" long and just wonderful from what I hear. :o)
2. Getting my kitchen de-cluttered. Yay! The de-cluttering continues. :o)
3. Spending time with Lil. It's so sweet to have this time with her.
4. Summer break. I can just take it easy and rest if I need to, although I haven't done so the past few days, lol.
5. I just got off the phone with Sarah and I could hear Lauren in the background making those wonderful baby noises. I could just squeal!
6. Jessie and fam will be here in VA by the end of the week. Holy cow!

Milestones:
Listening to Sarah talk about Lauren and Erin had me remembering the day Lil was born and Han coming to see her. :sigh: Hannah still seemed so small until she was next to Lily. Suddenly my little girl seemed SO big. And, she was so sweet and gentle with Lily those first weeks and months, carefully holding her and snuggling her. I can still see her with her hair chopped in the front--Han did like some scissors--grinning so sweetly as she held her baby sister for the first time.

There is always a low-key missing, it's always there. Some days, some events bring it closer to the fore, intensifying and sharpening the longing and pain. I'm SO excited for Sarah and Erik and I can't wait to meet the baby, but this doesn't stop my heart from stuttering and aching just a bit.

Mountain Lake Hotel and Resort

Brien and I left W'burg around 11:00 Thursday, much later than either of us had anticipated. But, we really were in no hurry and were content to be riding together on a mini-adventure sans children. We tooled down the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping to picnic along Otter Creek, finally arriving at Mabry Mill around 7:00! Wow! I can't say as it has ever taken us that long to get to southwest Virginia before. ;o)

We made a brief pitstop in Blacksburg to have dinner at El Rodeo (B's most favorite Mexican place--inexpensive yet utterly delicious food) and finally made it to "the top of the world" by 9:20 that evening. I can tell you I was shattered by the time we arrived. Brien went in to take care of registration while I sat in the car. When we walked up the stairs to our room, the manager met us and said something along the lines of, "Your husband mentioned it's your anniversary. You've been given room 224, but this one is available for the weekend if you would like it instead." She let us look at both rooms and I chose the "up-graded" one. The room looked out over the front of the hotel, onto the lake. The most delicious breezes were floating into the room and the mountain air smelled heavenly.

Our room was a suite, with a king size bed and bathroom with whirlpool tub.

The suite included this sitting room as well. B and I spent a good bit of time in here resting from our hikes. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.


When we checked in, the manager provided us with information on everything that is available for fun and entertainment at Mountain Lake. We promptly decided to scrap all our sightseeing plans and instead hang around the hotel and the grounds for the rest of the weekend.

This activities barn had a number of games including billiards, ping pong, foose ball, Ms. Pac Man and on selected evenings, karaoke. There was also a sauna and two jacuzzis,
tennis courts,
putting greens,
and a pool, hot tub and kiddie pool.

Those buildings hovering around the background are cabins that are available for rooming as well. Brien and I have discussed it, and we'll definitely be making family trips up here in the future; we know Lil will LOVE it! There are over 22 miles of trails to hike, frisbee golf, mountain biking and more. Wow!


The website has a wonderful history of the hotel. The stone lodge that still stands today was built in 1936.

Much of the stone used throughout the resort is sandstone and it is utilized in many interesting ways. :o)

As I have mentioned in the past, the lake had all but disappeared by Christmas this year, due to drought and that fissure in the bottom of the lake. You can read more about that here as they can tell you much more about the situation. I can say that I can no longer refer to the location as "Mountain Meadow" as there is definitely water filling the basin once again. (Do you see the bunny in the photo up there?)


However, the water level is still quite quite low. If you have seen the moving, Dirty Dancing, you have seen Mountain Lake full. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, much of the movie was in fact filmed here. In fact, for those of you who simply LOVED the movie, Mountain Lake has begun sponsoring, Dirty Dancing Weekends and you can find all sorts of information and souvenirs here.

Alas, the lake doesn't much resemble that full body of water in the movie. This area has been in a drought for a number of years, causing the continued meadow effect. The animals have LOVED the meadow. Brien and I spent close to 30 minutes watching a buck and doe dine in the meadow grasses. We also saw swallows, gold finches, doves, humming birds, bunnies and groundhogs.

The dry lake bed also provided an interesting mystery in the form of a pair of shoes sitting on the bottom of the bed. (This is a fascinating tale and I highly reccomend you read it when you have the time.)

At one point, this gazebo sat right at the lake's edge and provided a wonderful setting for weddings. Brien and I used it to hide out from the scattered rain showers Saturday afternoon while listening to HP.

This boathouse also used to sit at the water's edge. The water here at the south shore of the lake surely must have been much shallower than that of the north end. The north end has a definite bowl shape to it.


If you look off to the left, you can see the gazebo. This path is now soggy and wet from all the rain and springs once again filling the lake. The path led to the newest dock and boat landing which eventually wound up in the middle of the meadow as well.

Brien and I decided to use Friday as a day to explore the grounds and the trails. We absolutely fell in love with the Indian Trail and hiked it more than once. These images are from that hike.


I often felt as if I was hiking through a rhodie jungle. Everything was so verdant and green. There was a wonderful earthy fragrance in the air, redolent of rain and soil.
These bench were scattered along the trail, most of them situated in such a way to afford a beautiful view of the lake.
We saw this fungi (and many many others) all over the place.


The cottage off to the left is the Newport, one Brien and I would LOVE to rent one summer with Jess and Bob. I like this photo for a number of reasons. First, the Newport used to be right on the water. Second, you can see the bowl shape of the lake. Third, if you enlarge it by clicking on it, you can see the waterline on the rocks to the right. Can you imagine how deep that water must have been?!?
The plants weren't choosy about where they grew, often seeming to sprout out of rocks.

The root networks were also incredible. I couldn't stop gawking at the way they wove together and apart and over and under and around one another. A tree's need for nourishment is great and nothing will stand in its way.



We were wondering if this was some sort of fungus as well.

This is one of the multitudes of mountain springs that are breathing new life into the lake. It (and many others) crossed our path.

I can't resist water sparklies. ;o)

A view of the lodge from the north end of the lake. As you can see, there is in fact water. Hooray!!

This photo shows the auxiliary boat ramp which is almost in the water again. :o)

The boathouse is off to the left in this image. I love how you can see the shoreline of the lake when it's full by looking at the vegetation around the rim. All the trees and plants seem to be hovering in midair, awaiting the water's return.

Another tree allowing nothing to get in its way. :oP



This photo has not been edited or altered in any way. That moss was that green and it was everywhere.

More of that strange fungus.

I'm terrible about straying off the path if I think there is something interesting or exciting to see. When we were playing WoW, I would often stray leading Brien to ask--in a very wearied voice--where I was once again. It's funny how gaming patterns reflect your real life personality. Anyhow, I strayed and found the most incredible cove of boulders. It was like nothing I've ever seen, and Robin, if you're reading this, I promise to post more photos of it tomorrow. :o)

The boulders were massive and looked entirely out of place in an otherwise vegatative forrest.


Now, on to the sad tale of the hemlocks. I've previously mentioned the hemlocks have been dying in hoardes due to an infestation of an exotic pest. These beautiful, impressive, stately trees have been devastated and unable to fight off these predators, due in part to the drought. One line of defense against these critters is sap, and in times of drought, sap production is low.

All the grey and brownish areas in the otherwise green forest are dead hemlocks. :sigh:

So, I'm sure you can appreciate my excitement when I saw this little guy growing and thriving. In fact, many of the hemlocks had new, green growth. :o)


After our hikes both days, B and I returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Oh, what wonderful fare. Ahhhhh. Dinner was wonderful both evenings and I can't begin to say enough about the friendliness of the waitstaff. They (as well as all the employees we encountered) were extraordinarily helpful and kind and always had a moment for a bit of a chat, albeit brief.

In the mornings, I would look out my window to this view. All three mornings I anxiously checked the water level, convinced it had increased even thatmuch over night. :o) The swallows were up exceptionally early (5:30 or so) all three days, the babies squawking and hollering for their breakfast. And yet, B and I were able to roll over and go right back to sleep. :oP

I cannot begin to tell you just how wonderful this trip was. I am so anxious to visit again I'm ready to start hounding Brien to book a weekend in August. ;o) Nana and Pop were real troopers keeping Lil for us, especially given her penchant for saying exactly what she shouldn't at exactly the wrong time. ("You're fat!" EEEEEEK!!!!!!)

The dogs were overjoyed to see us this morning, showing far more excitement at our arrival than Lil did when we came to get her yesterday. :oP They're now busy snuggling against us as they nap. Apparently they had a trying weekend. ;o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. The pest guy came to spray. Hooray! No more teensy weensy ants in the kitchen!
2. I think Lil grew into a big girl the four days we were gone. I can't stand it.
3. I've made plans to get together with Sarah and Erin tomorrow. Sarah will have her baby Wednesday and I wanted to make sure there is nothing I can do to help her out before then.
4. I also made plans to play with Lola and Elijah Thursday, and maybe we girls can get together Friday for dinner and a movie...
5. Brien's anniversary gift arrived today--an iTouch. Woo hoo! :o)
6. How much do I LOVE the new Mac?!? :o) It is SOOOOO easy and wonderful to use. :o)
7. Jessie and her family are going to be back in VA in a matter of days! I'm SO excited!!! I know there is SO much she needs to get done before then and that's tough, but I still can't wait!


No Milestones.
Brien and I have been talking about what we want to do to honor Hannah's heaven day this year and are as yet undecided. We know we want to do something to mark the occasion, we're just not quite sure what.