Seasoning

Every time I go to my sister's home in Virginia, I'm amazed by the views. In every season, this place looks so different. In spring and summer, you can't see the mountain range in the distance but come fall, once the leaves have fallen to the ground, this place takes on a different feel. In the top picture, the view was amazing. Too bad my camera couldn't capture what my eyes could clearly see. There in the distance is the Blue Ridge Mountains. When I hiked high enough up the mountain, I could see down into the Shenandoah Valley.

Saturday night, Mareseatoats and I showed our age and decided not to go out. We'd been out shopping (yarn) during the day and had stopped for a bite of lunch. On our way back home, we made the executive decision to be lazy and stopped at a market to stock up on local cheese, wine, crackers, bread and fruit. That would be our dinner. We turned in early after we watched the movie Juno.

Well rested, we got up early Sunday for a hike up Taylor's Mountain before we had to leave for the airport. The views were stunning. We got slightly led astray when we lost the forest path (should have followed the dog) and had a bit of a time finding her house. We got chased by two persistent and very pissed off Australian Shepherds before they hit their electronic fence and we found the road. We couldn't find the path because of all of the leaves. Still, Cayda Bella knew the way since she spends all her days terrorizing chasing the deer here and really, don't you think we'd have been smart enough to follow? Nah. I will say though when she knew those shepherds were after us, she raced to our rescue in an effort to save us from ourselves.

Tonight, my back, behind, thighs and calves are barking at me and me feet are tired. That mountain was pretty steep and I stopped just short of making it to the top. My back wasn't cooperating. Still the views from where we did make it, were stunning. My trip was short but oddly rejuvenating.

Sadly, my feet, shown here in hand knit socks and my Keens, are safely on the ground in Detroit. I miss Virginia already.

All photos by Rudee K, the one with the cows, courtesy of Mareseatoats.