News From The Hill

A Lingering New Years Goal

2016-01-07T17:32:00.001-06:00

I had such high hopes last year when I announced that we were going to finish every little nagging detail which made our house incomplete.

Our list of 97 projects seemed attainable.

But since all work and no play isn't what this stage of our life is about, I'm not going to kick myself for failing to achieve my New Years goal of 2015.

I rode Cloud; travelled to NYC, Seattle, Nashville, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; took a cruise with my cousins; had countless dinners with friends; played bridge (a lot!); read some amazing books; worked at the kitchen shop; gardened; tutored at the elementary school; hiked; happily entertained houseguests; and drank quite a few cups of coffee and tea out on the back porch.

It was a good year for living life!

Getting over half (barely) of our list of projects done was "Lagniappe" as we'd have said in Louisiana.

I'll admit it.... our projects take so long because we're ridiculously anal about perfection.
Here's an example:
(yes, he's wearing a headlamp)

It took me days and days of searching the internet to find these pulls.

Then figuring out precisely where to place them on the dining room cabinets took us hours!

And so did the meticulous measuring and leveling.

but they're perfect and we're happy!

As of January 1, there were still 48 items left lingering on the "Projects" list.
That's a lot but I'm ever hopeful....
We're setting our sights to finish it totally this coming year.
We did mark off 49 last year; we got halfway there!

Hanging on are a few difficult ones but the pantry and garage doors are the only true giants of the list.
I'm sewing challenged so the various curtains on the list are looming like specters in the shadows of my mind.
Some things are eluding me: there's a perfect light fixture out there somewhere in this world for the front porch that is as difficult to find as the Holy Grail!

Wish us luck! But whatever happens, we'll be finding time to smell the roses along the way!

Newest Member of the Family

2015-12-31T16:43:00.000-06:00

She's here!

Presenting Adelaide Laura....

Sweet, sweet....

At 2 1/2 weeks, she's doing wonderfully and so is Mama....

Her Daddy's a hands on guy

and has learned the art of baby fingernail trimming.

We'll be flying out soon,

but for now FaceTime is filling the void (sort of!)

Dealing with a Problem- Laundry Shelf Pt Two

2015-11-11T09:41:00.003-06:00

The hole in the wall couldn't be patched.

We don't have any more whole tiles so cutting the tile out

and replacing it wasn't an option.

Something was needed to cover up that hole....

Every choice I thought of for shelf material

seemed wrong and clunky until I thought of a glass shelf!!

There's an internet vendor for everything:

Glasstopsdirect.com to the rescue.

We measured and marked and then set about drilling into the tiles for the brackets.

My job contribution was misting the drill bit and wall with water

to keep down the heat during the drilling.

This is the bracket that is covering the hole...

it was just wide enough to allow the wire hole to be straddled by the two toggle bolt screws
and exactly tall enough to span the gap of the hole.

Shelf up!

Hole hidden!

Perfectly centered on the sink and brackets evenly spaced!

And best of all it looks really good and not like a patch job....

I finally found a spot for my father's brightly colored Navy certificates:

one for crossing the Equator, another for being the first group at Ellyson Field NAS and the third for crossing the International Date Line all as an aviator during WW2.

Forty seven projects done!

"The List" and What To Do With An Unwanted Wire!

2015-11-09T14:59:00.000-06:00

My first post of 2015

was about my New Years Goal to get the house finished.

Shortly after I wrote that post,

Joe and I walked through every room of the house

plus made a circuit outside

writing down each thing that we needed to do

in order to consider the house "finished."

Lest you think it was a small handful:

there were 97 items on our list.

Ninety seven.

We could easily have probed a little deeper

and rounded it out to an even 100

but 97 was where we stopped.

When they hear about "the list",

it becomes apparent that many of our friends are "enablers!"

They tell us,

"Oh, you're never truly finished with a house."

I'm not believing it.....

sure there are some unforseen repairs and changes on our list

but the bulk of it is unfinished construction details

or delayed decorating decisions that have drug on way too long!!

We're almost at the halfway point of whittling down the list.

We've completed 46 projects/jobs since January.

Here's a one that we completed last month in the laundry room....

There was supposed to be a shelf above the laundry sink,

but while the carpenters were here,

I was too busy painting and staining to make a decision on what kind of shelf to buy or have built.

This is what we've been staring at since moving into the house:

a beautiful tile backsplash

ornamented by a metal junction box

covering up a hole and wire.

Now isn't that sort of pitiful?

Step One was to take the junction box off to see what kind of hole we were dealing with....

Thank goodness our tile installer had made as small of a hole as possible!

After a few more weeks of thinking, I had a plan!!!

I'd spent a lot of time researching under shelf lighting strips,

so it was difficult to finally admit that the best choice of shelf

involved NO lighting.

So the wire had to go.

It was secured to the studs in the wall so there wasn't any pushing it back.

Joe double and triple checked

that he'd disconnected the wire from any existing lights and the wall switch.

Then took a few deep breaths

and cut off the wire even with the tile.

He lived without even a tingle!

Part Two tomorrow!

Fall Color Lingers On....

2015-11-04T20:49:00.002-06:00

I'm ensconced with my laptop in a cafe on W&L's campus,

trying hard not to appear too clearly out of place among the coeds;

(I'm aiming for the professorial look)

because our internet is "gone."

Kaput.

Throttled to the point of nonexistence.

Used up.

Bandwidth zip.

Various other terms that mean that three of us

aren't able to get by on our meager HughesNet

monthly internet allotment.

Ah the joys of rural life....

But I wouldn't give up these views for an internet connection!

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

― Albert Camus

Our evergreen cedars and pines in the westward view

keep us from having a total color change.

Sometimes we wish we had fewer of them,

but we're glad to have their greenery during the winter!

The kitchen window has been like looking out at a new world.

Glory all around.....

Things I Didn't Post About in October

2015-11-02T11:41:00.001-06:00

A few things that I left out in the October posts...

Way back in the spring, we said goodbye to Carter as he left for another summer as a guide in Alaska. He's now back in the lower 48 and staying with us for a while as he figures out what he'll be doing next. I'd about gotten used to cooking for two, so he may starve during his stay!

Sarge's injury meant we couldn't go camping on one of our planned weekends so at the last minute we volunteered to be hosts again for a Parents Weekend fundraiser: Habitat Hotel. We had a lovely W&L Mom of a Freshman who stayed with us for two nights in exchange for a donation to the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. Thanks to about 50 hosting houses in the county, the Habitat chapter raised over 13K pure profit in one weekend!!!!

VIPs from Louisiana came for a repeat visit!

Sunset Dinner on the Porch

We had such fun with Charles and Brenda!

Barboursville Winery

Winery visits .....

Barboursville House Ruins

I hate to admit that we went to the Trump Winery

but it was close to our day trip to Monticello

and the scenery was gorgeous.

Technically it's The Donald's son who is the absentee CEO

but despite the fact that the sparkling wines were good,

I couldn't quite bring myself to buy any bottles!

View of vineyard from the Tasting room Patio at Trump Winery

We forced Brenda and Charles to sit through a lecture I wanted to attend at W&L,

so then we toned it down a little and brought them to the Safari Park....

Yes, the camels really do steal the feed buckets

AND

Yes the animals really do get close!

The floor of the truck is still swimming in spilled feed pellets!

It took a while for the elementary school's bureaucratic wheels to get moving, but I finally got started with reading tutoring again. I had my fingers crossed that I could be matched with the same second grader whom I had last year, and I was!! He's a terrific kid.... and he's making mind-boggling progress!

We enjoyed beautiful fall day out one Saturday.... a trip to the barn,

loading up on pumpkins for the porch at Swishers,

an hour or so at the Wade's Mill Apple Butter Festival.

Stirring apple butter over a woodier in a copper cauldron

Wade's Mill

Followed by serving as hosts

for a Newcomers Dining Out dinner at Emilios in Staunton.

Perfect day!

And then scads of other "littles".... Oktoberfest at McKethan Park, planting 30 new plants for the garden and hillside, working on that pesky house To-Do list, Bridge (the game we never stop learning!); music performances (Symphony fundraiser, Sonokleet Jazz, and Chanticleer) and some riding.

Sarge is continuing to improve and we're hopeful that he'll be back to his old self soon.

I'm ponying (leading) him alongside Cloud, but we haven't had him carry a rider yet.

And finally the world didn't fall off it's axis when I attended a yoga class last week! Hard to believe I know! We'll see if I'm motivated to keep it up!

A Fall Ride .... Our last for a while?

2015-10-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

The day before we departed for New York,

we trailered the horses over the the National Forest

and had a lovely 8 mile ride.

We've been enjoying mapping out more of this sections of the forest

in the Maple Flats/Coal Rd area.

This was our first time to come upon this particular "vernal" sinkhole pond...

Doesn't Cloud seem to be saying,

"What?? Are we back in Louisiana?"

It does look a bit like a swamp!

The leaves beginning to turn

and the horses were perfect

After I snapped this photo, Joe saw the stick stuck in Sarge's bridle... what a sweet horse!

For a little while we were bushwhacking around,

trying to connect two trails

which dead end at the forest border

in order to combine them somehow to make a loop.

Using our GPS's we were trying to be careful not to wander onto private property.

In most areas there's nothing to give us a clue,

but I got a kick out of these opposing signs....

Hmmm don't want to go left onto the Hunting Club property!

Better stay on the "safe" side.

Speaking of safe...

You never know what you'll come upon out in the woods.

This sign looked a little bedraggled from the recent rains; it hadn't been there the previous week.

Who would post a sign out in the woods?....

Maybe a lost dog?

What??

The East Coast Bigfoot Researchers Association??

"We believe in educating the public to bring awareness of whats really hiding among us all"

I couldn't have made up such a fantastic sign!

If Joe and I roust up Bigfoot on a ride,

you'll all be the first to know!

Unfortunately the day we returned from NY,

Sarge was found to be lame.

He's not telling us what happened,

but at age 19, we're a little worried.

We've cancelled our plans to go back to the Flint Hill Trail Ride

at the end of the month

and our fingers are crossed that he'll be sound again soon.

Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge

2015-10-12T15:16:00.001-05:00

One of the things on my To-Do list for this trip to NYC

was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Since I am a tourist when in NY,

I see no shame in acting like one!

Asher was a sport and joined in on the walk

even though it made him look like a tourist too

instead of the metro-wise local resident that he is....

(I'm just now seeing that we have similar taste in sunglasses styles!)

We took the subway from Manhattan over to Brooklyn

so that we were walking back toward the city

and had the NYC skyline ahead of us the whole time.

The bridge has been open for over 120 years (1883)

and was the world's first steel cable suspension bridge
.....previous suspension bridges were built of iron.

The two gothic towers which hold up the cables

have a cathedral like appearance....

what a struggle it must have been to lay these huge granite blocks....

At the time of it's completion, it was the world's longest suspension bridge;

it has been way eclipsed now and ranks as 91st in the world.

It was a fun mile long walk....

bustling with people...

the day was clear and the weather couldn't have been finer.

To set up the following story:

Lexington is a town of about 7,000,

the surrounding county is about 35K,

NYC is just a tad larger.... oh around 8.5 million!

Lexington is a minuscule drop in the ocean of humanity.

But look!!

Who's that coming across the bridge

wearing sunglasses?

Fellow church members and bridge players

from tiny Lexington....

Frank and Cecile.

I didn't realize that I'd snapped their photo until I got home,

but as soon as they came alongside us,

we of course recognized each other.

and stopped and chatted for a while.

This was done in true Lexington fashion:

we messed up the progress of other walkers

across the bridge in much the same way

that we routinely clog the aisles of our local Kroger ..... visiting while we shop!

Ahhhh what a lovely small world we live in!

NYC Part Two

2015-10-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

Bronze doorway leading into the narthex of Trinity Church

We repeated a few of our usual tourist activities:

walking in Central Park

and along the length of the High Line,

plus spending a morning at the Met.

Panorama of the skyline from rooftop of the Met

With Asher and Chris... Roof @MMA

But over our 5 day visit,

we got in quite a few firsts also....

Each restaurant we ate in was a new one for us

and unfortunately since Asher picked them all

and served as our walking navigator,

I don't remember the name of a single establishment!

We met Chris' parents for the first time

and were treated to a meal at their lovely apartment in the city.

We'd never to the MOMA before....

We took our first Uber rides

(our first Lyft rides were in Seattle.)

BTW, I checked my phone app

upon our arrival home....

no Uber cars in Lexington yet.

And of course I saw a Pope in real life for the first time!

We spent an afternoon at the 9/11 museum.

From the outer fountains and memorial,

to the preserved portions of foundation

and displays within

it was a remarkable tribute to those who died on 9/11

in NYC as well as DC and PA.

The setting and the displays were both

instructive and sobering.

Since our return,

I've been surprised by the number of people

who've told me that they don't want to see it,

.... don't want to be depressed etc.

All I can say is "Go anyway."

I was relieved that I didn't feel that I was being mawkish

or disrespectful.

The afternoon reminded me that 9/11 wasn't just a national "event"

which altered our political course and attitudes

but a human tragedy on an intensely personal scale affecting individuals and families.

Another Trip! NYC

2015-10-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

From a hike in the woods to.....

The rooftop bar at the Viceroy Hotel in NYC.....

I don't think we're in Kansas, Toto!

The bar had a sweeping view of the length of Central Park....

We were way overdue for a NY visit!

Look who joined us for a glass of wine

when he got off work!
(sorry for the weird backlighting.... I think I need the newest iPhone)

We came to the big city to see Asher and Chris,

but it just so happened that there were scads UN dignitaries in town

for the opening session of the UN General Assembly.

And there was also this older guy in a little black Fiat

who drove right past us on his way to church....

Seriously!

RIGHT past us!

We were walking toward Asher's apartment

after our rooftop drinks

and there he went.....

The policeman in the above photo is being hyper aware of all potential danger to the pope...

Not!....

He's just like the rest of us

and taking a photo with his phone!

And to think that people stood in line with tickets to get a glimpse of him!

We were in the right spot at the right time!

More NYC tomorrow!

Hike to the Old Lexington Reservoir

2015-10-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, the hiking outing was to the Moore's Creek Reservoir.

Entering the clearing for the reservoir after 2.5 mile hike in.

It's also called the Old Lexington Reservoir,

not only because the digging and dam were begun 100 years ago in 1915,

but because it's no longer used to provide water to town.

The reservoir only served those in the immediate town limits.

County dwellers had to do dig wells

or pipe water from creeks and springs to serve their homes

and that's still the case today.

We were relieved when our well came in at 180 feet.....

the house was already pretty far along

and in retrospect it was pretty dumb not to drill before we started construction!

Bridge below the dam

A treatment plant for Maury River water now provides Lexington's water

so the reservoir sits untapped.

The 22 acre lake and it's dam are still owned by the City of Lexington,

but the surrounding watershed of 2,300+ acres

is a gorgeous wooded tract

now owned by the Virginia Dept of Forestry.

Peaceful and isolated, it sits 11 miles from town....

there must have been quite a system of pipes running from it once upon a time.

The hike in is 2.5 miles from the end of a gravel Forest service road,

totally wooded until reaching the reservoir clearing.

The hiking gang on the dam

We'd had a month long "drought" so the water was low.

I can hear friends in CA laughing now at that description

since their drought is epic and ours was only a temporary blip.

My original plans for the day were to return home from the hike;

go up to the barn to ride;

and then rush home to attend a concert that evening.

The beginning of some fall color along the trail

Time management isn't my forte:

no matter what, I think that I can fit everything I want to do into a day.

But after getting home, taking off my boots

and having a cup of mid afternoon cup of coffee on the porch,

commonsense took over and my plans to ride were jettisoned.

We were hosting the two artists for the Krantz' evening House Concert,

so being late to the performance wasn't an option!

Sally Barris from Nashville and Rebecca Folsom from Colorado

were superb even though the crowd was slim.

It's always a pleasure to talk to the musicians

and hopefully help a bit by giving them a "free" convenient place to stay....

My "fee" for hosting is a CD, and I scored three of them!

I missed the next week's hike and rain cancelled the one a few days ago....

Why wasn't I hiking a week ago???

That's the next post!

Bad News For Birds

2015-09-24T22:10:00.000-05:00

For a year now, we've enjoyed watching birds at the back yard feeder station.

Yes, I've become my mother!

The pole is about 15 yards from the corner of the back porch

and I put special thought into buying an 7' tall official Squirrel Buster pole.

And it's worked like a charm....

no squirrels.

But bigger pests never crossed my mind.

What a sight....

All 5 of the feeders torn from the pole.

Torn to smithereens...

Two hauled into the woods to be chewed open and snapped.

It was a sad day for birds....

But a good day for a bear!

Seattle Souvenir

2015-09-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

Before the Seattle trip,

Clark and I were on the phone discussing plans for the upcoming week.

We each had a few ideas and

because I figured that Clark might assume that his mother had gone crazy,

I mentioned with some hesitancy that I'd like to visit a smithy/studio in Fremont

where someone was making hand forged skillets.

You know the saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"?

Clark exclaimed that this sounded familiar;

he'd met a skillet maker at a cooking demonstration at his university!

Surely it was the same one...

after all how many skillet makers can one city have?

And yes, he'd love to go see where the skillets were made!

A partner in crime! I love that young man!

BluSkillet hand forged carbon steel pans

are the brainchild of blacksmith/artist Patrick Maher and partner Caryn Badgett.

Shortly before our visit, they hit the big time

and it couldn't have happened to a nicer pair.

An August review of their 13" pan in Cooks Illustrated

has had them sold out non-stop since the magazine hit the shelves.

An online order waiting list is periodically opened

and within minutes are all pans are pre-sold for shipment a later shipment date.

On Sunday afternoons, they have an open door policy

so that nutty people like us can wander in and pester them!

Since their website showed every pan as sold out

and because I really didn't need a new skillet,

I tried to convince the rest of the family that I was going only to look.

I think they'd heard this type of rationalization before.

Photo lifted from BluskilletIronware.com website

Repeat after me....

only going to look....

don't need to spend money on a skillet....

maybe I'll order one next year.

Since they're slammed trying to fill orders.

I expected them to nod and smile

and that's about it.

Instead they were SO gracious.....

explaining, demonstrating, showing off the tools and equipment.

Tools and a stack of 13" pan bases awaiting handles

They were understandably proud of what they're creating

and didn't seem a bit fazed that 4 people had crashed in to disrupt them.

Various stages of handle shaping

And to my delight they had a couple of skillets to sell!!

My plans to "look" flew out the door as soon as I touched one.

The handle is perfect, the balance and weight....

They're just gorgeous.... can a skillet be gorgeous?

I was tempted by a big 13" that someone was late coming to pick up,

and was equally torn between the French style pan with its deeper sides

or the traditional fry.

In the end a 10" fry pan came home to Virginia

and drew a quizzical look from airport TSA as it rolled through the scanner in my backpack.

With my new pan.... all wrapped up to go.

Carbon steel is a different animal from my All-Clad stainless and cast iron.

It's lighter than cast iron, quick to heat, browns in an instant

and with each use it gets a better patina.

From tuna steaks

to a simple breakfast of spinach and fried eggs,

it seems to turn everything into a gourmet experience

This is going to sound ultra zen and new agey,

but it's a pleasure to touch and look at as well as to cook with;

I realize that I just said that I like to touch my skillet!

There might be a rush to lock me away soon!

One day I'll probably put it away,

but for now it's living out on the stovetop

so that I can see it even when I'm not cooking;

An odd reminder of a special vacation

and also a son and daughter-in-law miles and miles away,

but close to our hearts.

Before leaving the studio,

I'd promised Clark the skillet as an inheritance....

He's his mother's son.

Seattle Sights (Food!) part two

2015-09-12T23:49:00.002-05:00

More than a little eating went on during our trip.

Italian, Afghan, Pizza, Clark's homemade Kombucha, seafood, salmon....

Din Tai Fung had some crazy delicious foods and a kitchen viewing window;

dumplings were made so fast

that it looked as though they were rolling and crimping at 2x fast forward speeds!

And then there was pie....

Oh, the pie!

I need to go back.

A few days before our trip,

we accidentally turned on a PBS show called A Few Good Pie Places

.... a drool worthy hour long visit to you guessed right: a few good pie places.

If you could watch without craving pie then you're not human.

One of the seven featured shops was a cafe in Seattle;

A la Mode Pies Cafe on Phinney Ave in Seattle.

So don't you know we had to find it?

They only sell pie (with or without ice cream) and coffee

but we each had quite a struggle deciding which choice to make.

Can you tell that each piece is about a sixth or so of a whole pie?

No skimpy pieces here! They're huge!

Toasted Coconut, Spiced Apple, Peach and Mexican Chocolate!

The pregnant lady threatened to claim them all as we were getting settled but we fended her off!

And then two days later....

Why mess with success and order dessert at the Italian restaurant where we'd just eaten dinner

when there's PIE, lovely pie across town???

We headed back to A la Mode

and got slices to go and eat at home during our evening domino game.....

We ordered our four huge pieces to go

and they gave us three slightly smaller (aka normal sized) pieces for free....

Three for Free!
What's not to love about pie.... especially free pie!

Guess we made an impression with our effusive glowing pie love!

Final Seattle memories in the next post

and then it's back to Virginia life!

Seattle Sights

2015-09-10T00:14:00.001-05:00

It was a grand week in Seattle!

The first question most people ask was

"Did it rain?"

So let's get that out of the way!

There were a few brief sprinkles but nothing that required a raincoat

or that lasted more than a couple of minutes.

Notice the brilliant blue skies during our harbor tour!

One of the best things we did

was to participate in two small group walking tours

given by the Seattle Architectural Foundation.

Each tour lasted two hours and was a total bargain at 15.00 per person.

The first tour focused on ornamental elements of various downtown buildings

and was also a great historical overview of Seattle's history.

Raeanna was working for our first tour,

but was able to join us two days later for the second which focused on

the history of numerous significant or unique buildings.

We couldn't have found a better way to spend two hours

getting to know the downtown area.

I visited Experience Music Project

shortly after it opened in the early 2000's and it was just the EMP.

Now it's EMP and Sci-Fi and Pop Culture (which mostly means video games and cartoons).

During that first visit Carter wasn't with us and I kept thinking how much he'd enjoy it.

I can't hear Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn or Jimi Hendrix

that I don't think of him and his high school guitar playing years.

He'll be visiting Seattle himself this week and I hope he gets to spend an afternoon there.

The addition of the Sci Fi and gaming exhibits didn't

earn any brownie points with me,

perhaps that means I'm an old fogey

and time marches on!

Although it was mostly a week of touring, playing and eating,

we tackled some odd jobs around the house and tried to be useful.

A kit from an auto parts store and a new cordless drill enabled us to perform

the most impressive, astonishing DIY of the week:

clearing the yellowed....totally yellowed...

headlights on Raeanna's SUV.

Who'd have thought such a crazy method (power sanding) would work?

No photos of the headlamp restoration but here are a few more from the week.....

Seattle Part Two (or is it Three) to follow

when we will see how much pie four people can consume in one week!

Hint: It's a lot.

Biggest News Yet?? Seattle

2015-09-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

The last time that we saw these two

was in New Orleans.

We the drove down and were treated to an amazing stay

at Brenda and Charles' condo in the French Quarter.

We ate, and ate and ate, shopped and relaxed;

but mostly we were there to applaud as Raeanna was awarded her medical school degree!

Graduation was mid-May and last week we flew out to visit at their home in Seattle

where Raeanna has begun her first year of residency and Clark is finishing up his Masters degree.

What a difference 3.5 months can make!

A new job thousands of miles from New Orleans and.....

Do you see us standing next to our youngest son, our lovely daughter-in-law and our grandbaby?

They sneakily made the baby announcement over lunch at graduation

in the form of a slightly belated mother's day gift....

a Washington and Lee newborn onesie.

It took about 5 seconds for the news to soak in

as I pulled the tiny cotton baby wear out of the box!

Too bad nobody got a photo of my delighted face when I finally realized what they were telling us!

We're tickled pink (or blue) as the case may be....

the gender will be a surprise for everyone when he/she arrives in early December.

The next time we see them will likely be after the first of the year,

so they'll be old hands at parenting by then.

Feeling the baby move was a highlight of the trip but we managed to fill the week with a few other sights and experiences!

Iron Mountain Horse Camp Weekend

2015-09-05T14:59:00.001-05:00

I said that I wouldn't try and catch up with old news,

but this was only 10 days ago so I'm giving myself a special dispensation!

The tires on the living quarters trailer were growing square;

it has sat unused by the garage since last winter!

We've been riding regularly and trailering the horses to day riding spots with our small trailer,

but hadn't planned an overnight trip since last winter.

Finally the stars aligned:

we thought the horses were in good enough shape to handle some back-to-back long rides

AND we were able to set aside a few days to get away.

We decided on the eastern section of the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area for no particular reason other than that we'd never been there and it was an easy 3 hour drive from the barn.

There are several primitive (and free) campgrounds in the area for horses,

but since it was a weekend

and we wanted to be assured of a place to park,

we anted up and paid in advance for a reserved site at Iron Mountain Horse Camp.

Cloud and I at the camp entrance

Atta's trail riding days are over, especially in the mountains,

but she was along for the adventure and so was Noel!

We decided to give the old 19 year old tabby a chance and see how she'd handle camping in the RV and she did brilliantly, loving every minute of being in the trailer.

Sleeping in.....

She rode over and back in the truck securely in a crate next to Attagirl;

aside from a few quiet meows to remind us that she was there,

she didn't even seem fazed by the truck ride.

We joked with people that if she escaped and was lost at the campground, we'd never be able to Lexington. So we were paranoid about remembering to close the door immediately

though she never gave any sign of wanting to slip out.

While Atta and Noel entertained each other in the air conditioning,

we logged almost 30 miles on the trails and never had any issues.

It was rocky.....VERY rocky.... in places

with a some substantial elevation changes but nothing we weren't expecting.

Thank goodness that we both ride with a Garmin GPS because the map provided by the camp was more confusing and wrong than helpful!

The most difficult section of our weekend riding: Devils Den

Parts of the Virginia Highlands Trail were dead ringers for our old regular riding territory near Gloster MS, in the Homochitto National Forest.

This was one of the very few distant mountain views as we were largely in deep woods,

but if we go back in the fall or winter there should be plenty of visible long range views.

Noel isn't the only one who is 19.....

Sarge is also closing in on 20 and is still looking good and showing no signs of needing to retire.

The camp was quiet, neat and clean and the manager was very helpful and friendly. The barn was also spic and span and with sturdy stalls.

Posing at the camp entrance sign

All in all a great weekend and a fun getaway.

Friday Hike: Sharp Top

2015-09-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

It's been almost six months! I've thought about posting almost every day but it remained just a thought and a nagging desire.

I had to do some thinking about why I was blogging. I guess it's a natural temptation to try and "grow" the blog, get comments and have an audience. But that's NOT why I started recording my thoughts and activities. It was primarily for me in order to remember this period of my life and stay in touch with friends and family.

A very wise son told me yesterday that I should "Just Post"; the blogging version of Nike's Just Do It. Dive in and not worry about trying to catch up.

So here goes.... a deep breath in,
a step to the edge,
and a post....

I'm still hiking with the Friday group through Newcomers but rain and travels have made me miss quite a few recently so I had to stop and catch my breath more times than I'd like to admit and I was sorer than I'd thought possible after the hike to the top of Short Top Mountain.

Without a doubt it was the hardest hike I've done lately.

We're headed up to the top of the mountain on the other side of the lake. With it's steep little cap, you can see why it's called Sharp Top. The trail gains 1,500 feet in 1.5 miles and we hiked a little over 6 miles that day by returning along a different route.

When we reached the top there was a stone summit shelter nestled in among the boulders.

I couldn't find any info on the web about who built it and whether it ever served any purpose, but I'll guess that it was another of the many CCC projects that we still benefit from in our forests and parks across the country all these years later.

Once again, I was proud to have a son who works for the NPS which administers this area off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

It was a hazy day with low clouds but the 360 degree views were worth the aching thighs that plagued me for two days post hike!

The day after the hike, I varied between thinking that I was woefully out of shape or that I was doing better than many my age who wouldn't have even attempted it!

Tonight when trying to research the history of the shelter, I found that in 1815, Thomas Jefferson and two friends climbed Sharp Top with surveying equipment in order to try and estimate the height of the mountain. Jefferson was 72 and I'm only 59; so that's a little embarrassing, but maybe he rode a pack mule?

I'm a lucky person to live among this natural beauty.....

Sarge's New Saddle

2015-03-19T23:05:00.000-05:00

Sometimes husbands need to be gently lead to the right decision.....

Last fall (and this will also give you a clue as to how far behind I am on blog news)

I decided that Cloud's saddle (an adjustable "Specialized Saddle") needed to be refitted.

After a little Googling, I found Terry Peiper who owns Fit Right Saddle Solutions

and scheduled a date to bring Cloud up to her place in Carlisle PA.

Its definitely doable to tweak and refit your own Specialized Saddle,

but I just didn't want to do it.... Terry's charge wasn't that much

and more importantly, I had an ulterior motive.

I suggested to Joe that since Carlisle was only a short drive from Gettysburg,

"Wouldn't it be fun camp for the weekend and ride the bridle trails at Gettysburg National Park?"

So..... Sarge got to come along.

And my plan was in action.

Because riding at Gettysburg wasn't the ulterior motive....

it was the carrot on the stick.

Ever patient Sarge has been tolerating a poorly fitting saddle for some time now.

He's eighteen years old and between muscular changes due to age,

his 8 year old custom built saddle from California wasn't right for him

and hadn't been a good fit from the very beginning.

So after Terry finished with my saddle and Cloud....

Well....

Since Sarge had come along (you know for the ride at Gettysburg)

..... why not have him looked at too?

Terry measured and checked over Sarge, analyzed his saddle and watched Joe ride.

The verdict was what we already knew in our hearts: his saddle woes weren't fixable with a pad....

Sarge needed a new saddle.

I believe this was Terry's husbands saddle that she's trying on Sarge for a comparison....

Sarge is a sweetheart.....

and Joe was glad to try and make him more comfortable.

Sometimes it helps to have a tiny push to get the wheels of change in motion!

Hearing Terry's explanation of what was going on with Sarge's old saddle

and the intricacies of his back made it much clearer for both of us.

And easier for Joe to accept writing the deposit check!

Based on the tree and the pommel clearance that Sarge needed,

Joe picked out the saddle style, color, and a various other options,

and his saddle was ordered.

Specialized Saddles are made in Texas and it takes a while to have one built.

Note that in the above photos, Terry is wearing a short sleeved shirt!

The saddle came in at Christmas time but we couldn't get away.

And then we cancelled because of snow.....

and then because it was 12 degrees and icy....

and finally we braved the elements

and got up there in February on a frigid 15 degree morning!!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Sarge's back was carefully measured again....

Isn't this a cool flexible caliper thingie??

The removable under saddle panels were carefully shimmed

to fill all the hollows of his aging back and give support where needed.

I wish I'd have gotten more photos but I was afraid my hands would freeze off!

We'll go back in a few months after Sarge gets back in shape and have another fitting done.

Everybody's happy now!

Even Sarge is smiling!

And yes, we did camp and ride at Gettysburg!

Another Project Finished!

2015-02-28T09:28:00.000-06:00

The frames of the cabinets arrived like this

and have lived in the basement all this time.

Joe's job of assembling the cabinets went much faster than my painting.

Finally the doors were finished and it was time to bring them upstairs,

level and make them look like built-ins.

Drumroll ...... time for the grand reveal.....

Soooo much better not seeing a gaping hole with stacks of plastic storage tubs

We're both proud of how nicely the top piece that matches the crown molding came out.
And Joe obsessed over the side trim that joined the boxes to the walls,

but did such an excellent job that they look for all the world like master cabinet makers built them in.

Now I can hide the big basket of ironing!

And I unpacked my hardanger and hand sewing....

who knows maybe one day I'll take it up again.

There were over NINETY things on our To Finish the House

"punch" list and we've whittled it down by about 12 completed jobs so far!

Louisiana Travels Part Two: "Home?"

2015-02-06T22:35:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed every minute of my trip back home to Louisiana.

OK.... Honestly I didn't miss the Baton Rouge traffic and it has been ages since I've seen men walking awkwardly holding their baggy pants with their underwear showing.....

But those two things aside, it was good to be hanging with friends

Vern, Ada, Me, Suzanne and Matt

as well as family (although once again I didn't pull out the camera to get photos with Randy).

Yearlings at Ada's Farm

I brought home a roll of fabric which I hope to turn into draperies for the dining room (it may be a major leap of faith to hope that my long dormant Home Ec skills will be able to pull this project off!), a few Christmas presents for next year (yes, I'm thinking ahead) and a sack of about 25 grapefruits picked in Suzanne's backyard.

Even though I was in little Bernard the Mini, I could have fit in much more for the return trip,
but it wasn't tangible items that I'd returned to Louisiana to fetch....
I wanted to tuck away some new memories.

Podcasts filled the hours of the uneventful return drive
and before I knew it, I was greeted by the lights of our house on the hill, a smiling husband and delighted pets.

To people who have moved often in their lives this may be a no-brainer, but I had a revelation on this trip and it's that I can now say the word "home" to mean two different places! Semantics is important to me and when we first moved to Virginia, I thought that I had to quit referring to Louisiana as home.
I had this idea that Virginia was now my home.... the only home.

But now I realize that I didn't need to have create such a black and white distinction.

Of course, home is where the heart (or is it hearth?) is,
but can't it also be where the heart (or hearth) was.

This might make sense only to me:

I'm glad that I went home and now I'm glad that I am home.

Confusing??

Fred the Donkey at Ada's

Louisiana Travels Part One

2015-01-30T23:05:00.004-06:00

I was sure that I'd clicked the button to publish yesterday's post but apparently it went to drafts instead! SIX days ago!!!

I've been tooling around Louisiana for a week and am just getting a minute to sign onto Blogger.

I'm back in LA for the yearly gathering of girlfriends at Carol's camp which has become an every other year event for me. 2011 was the last time that I was still living in Louisiana and could make an easy 45 minute drive to attend. Since then I've missed a year (2012-due to house construction), flown down in 2013, and missed last year (2014).

The lower cost of gas and plans to linger longer in Zachary and Baton Rouge made driving the best way to get there this year and besides I was looking forward having the luxury of some hours of reflection while driving.

I was ahead of schedule to arrive at the camp so made a stop in Jackson MS in order to pick up a few groceries at Whole Foods, wander in my favorite southern bookstore “Lemuria” and buy bread from Broad Street Bakery.

During my first visit to Lemuria in the 80's, I bought Carter a book about Lego's; and now he's in his mid 30's??!! How has so much time passed?

The camp is just over the Louisiana border south of Woodville MS. When I arrived it was chilly and damp but the drizzle that I'd been driving through all day had finally stopped!

I had to laugh when I made my final turn and looked at the road sign that greeted me. It wasn't a "Dead End" as far as I was concerned! It should have said "Friends Ahead" or "You're Here! I'd gone more than 900 miles and about 1/2 mile past the dead end was the place I was heading for!

No cell service, ensures that the “Girls” Retreat/Reunion remains a true getaway.

Everyone takes turns preparing a meal….

Sunrise over the pond…..

View of the camp from the pond levee

As you might expect there's a lot stories shared and plenty of considerate listening.

I’m honored to be a part of this unusual gathering of women.

Three days at the camp passed quickly and it was time to get back in the car. My plans to visit our former church and the cemetery in St Francisville changed. Rather than take a nostalgic and perhaps sad trip down memory lane at my parent's graveside, I instead went straight to Paige’s.

How best to describe the next three days?

Talking and eating! We had a lot of catching up to do and plenty of meals to do it over.

But like a dummy, I didn't think to snap any photos of the two of us or even one of the pets.

Sometimes I'm so caught up in a moment that it never occurs to me that it will end, or perhaps I was in a food induced stupor; but either way, photo taking never entered my brain except for this one moment when I wanted to brag to Joe via a text that I was eating a Jay's Po-Boy!

Likewise I didn't take a group photo at dinner with the Steibs or Williams.

I'd a lot rather have some photos of dear friends than one of a sandwich. What was I thinking?

More to come......

More Laundry Room and a Painters Holiday

2015-01-30T21:27:00.000-06:00

The spices took an afternoon,

but the laundry room cabinets are still a work in progress.

They come looking like this

and with the magic of a few screws....

The insides are pre-finished perfectly and left plain,

but I paint the front edge so that it matches the overlay doors.

There will be three sections stacked, joined together and screwed to the wall. Filler pieces affixed to the sides will make it look built-in and there are several shelves for each cabinet.

This is the view toward the laundry room from the sofa area of the den.

I usually keep the pocket door closed

because of the stack of plastic bins and tubs that have been towering in plain view behind the hole.

It won't be long before the door can stay open to show the cabinet!

Joe is working on leveling and screwing together the sections

and who knows maybe he'll knock out something else on our list, while I'm on a "painter's holiday"!

Road trip!

Off to Louisiana!!!!!

Spice Drawer Rehab

2015-01-23T08:01:00.000-06:00

We came up with a massive things that need to be completed or started in the house.

Some are daunting (the pantry and garage doors)

while many are small details like a couple of missing door stoppers.

This is one of the littler manageable ones,

but even I'll admit that this post that may have you thinking that I need to join OCD Anonymous.

Lurking behind inside this seemingly neat corner by the stove

was my mess of a spice drawer.

A jumble of tins and bottles sliding around

and stacked 2 deep on their sides

since the bottles were 1/4" too tall to stand up in the drawer.

Not awful but the containers were stuffed in willy-nilly.

Last summer I saw a Brother labeler on close out and bought it planning to get organized.

It's been languishing in it's box ever since but finally got to see the light of day!

I don't know when I've seen such a lame excuse for an owners manual,

but eventually I got a the better of it and was able to churn out some labels

for the spice drawer rehab.

Meet the players:

a few large glass jars with seals for large and bulk spices,

tins with clear lids for easy pinching of leafy herbs,

and glass bottles with removable sprinkle caps the right height to stand up in the drawer.

With the help of a coupon and sale, my World Market purchases came to about under $50.

Voila!

The garage may be a wreck but the spice drawer is perfection!

Laundry Sink Cabinets: Finished!!!

2015-01-18T14:19:00.000-06:00

After a little more than a week of paint drying

(isn't that supposed to be the most boring thing ever?)

Joe attached the lovingly painted fronts to the six drawers

and the hinges to the two doors.

Then it was time for him to take a deep breath,

put on his glasses,

and say a prayer asking for the courage

to drill into the cabinet fronts for the handles.

After all my painting,

I'll admit that I might have had a total meltdown if he had mis-drilled ... :)

Because he wanted a happy wife,

it was a case of measure 25 times and drill once!

And he did it perfectly!

Why in the world did it take us 2 years to get this done???

The Barker cabinets are terrific!

I've almost convinced myself

that I could survive devoting a few weeks of my life to painting

in order to use them in the pantry.

(Yet another project to be done this year!)

Dovetailed drawers, formaldehyde free

a gorgeous finished maple interior,

soft close hinges and drawer glides.

Solid US wood and totally sourced and made in the US.

I wavered back and forth between using "fun" and colorful handles or knobs

but traditional and classic won the day

and I ordered more of the same bronze pulls that I used in the kitchen.

Halfway through the month and already one project checked off the list!

This morning I was in the mechanical room putting the final coat

on the six cabinet doors

which will be opposite the sink cabinet.

Part Two of the laundry room project:

The cabinet boxes are assembled (Barker again)

and Joe has work to do getting trim pieces cut;

while I take a break and watch paint dry!

Products/colors used:

Cabinets: Barker (Paint Grade Adler and Maple Front, Boxes Prefinished White Maple),

"San Francisco" Door Profile

Cabinet Paint: "Feather Down" Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo

Handles: Hamilton Sinkler Tradiitional DP collection Bronze Pulls

Walls: "Inner Balance" Benjamin Moore Regal Eggshell

Counter and Backsplash: Quartzite/Slate with Murano Glass Accent in Lagoon

Floors: Terrazo Tiles

Sink: White Kohler Glen Falls with Grohe Concetto Faucet