Always music...

I love having a house that is so often filled with music.

December hike

Just a few days past Christmas, one of my friends called to go for a hike. My niece had a friend up as well, so we cooked breakfast at the mountain cabin before starting out. We walked past the ruins of the old commissary of the Peavine RR where glass that was melted 100 years ago is still on the ground.

There is also the remains of the settlers' old walkway to the spring.

Then we reached the falls. They were majestic with water! We had to wade through the creeks to cross them, but the weather was mild enough to do so. See our wet jeans?

We befriended another family's bulldog on the hike, and it posed charmingly for photos.

Sara's friend brought his banjo and carried it through the woods like the pied piper. It was a charming and blue-grassy sound coming through the woods.

Come see...

I have created a new blog about my travels...

Remembering...

John Lennon
October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980

Fun day in Asheville

This past week, we went to Asheville with two sets of friends and family. It was a cold, wintry, wonderful day of exploration at the Mast General Store, lunch at the Bistro, shopping at Ten Thousand Villages, and finding delectable desserts at the Chocolate Fetish...mmmm.

Thanksgiving Day

I'm thankful my internet is back up!! That is a flippant but sincere top of the list. It has been a sweet day. I'm thankful for my precious parents, my loving family, a visit from Brad and Sara, that Ellie the dog is home at last, and for our new puppy Piper...

Another site...

I found a fun site - http://burntmarshmallows.ning.com/. It's all about camping - you can read and post blogs and share photos!

Challenges

Life has been filled with some pretty challenging things lately. In the midst of it, I realized that it would be very easy for me to give up and to slip into middle aged complacency. That gave me a start, so I'm going to start to fiercely recognize some desires I still have. One entails a masters degree in museum studies. The other ~ my body. So, I have decided to start training for a journey through Wilderness Travels that goes to the base camp of Mt. Everest.

The wonder of it is, to train, I am doing a variety of things - I've pulled my ballet shoes back out; I'm starting a zumba class tomorrow, and best of all, I'm climbing mountains. This past weekend, my sister and I started out with nearby Viking Mountain. It was later in the day, so we hiked to the fire tower and then to the Blackstack Cliffs...not long trails, but the chill air was wonderful, and the brisk walk got our hearts pumping. The autumn scenery was fabulous.





Blackstack Cliffs
"I'm sittin' on top of the world."

One of the next trails to take...

Blue Springs Reenactment

Out West

One of mine and Emily's jaunts ~

Appalachia

And then, here am I. Part of a vastly beautiful and slowly decaying world.











What shall we do next?

Wilmington

I have a definitive kinship with Wilmington. It started during the training trip this time last year, and it has done nothing but grown this go-around. The work is satisfying, the company brilliant, the food insatiably satisfying...and the brooding river sets the scene for all. There are coffee shops and carriages, used book stores and Italian gourmet shops, art galleries and weekly wine tastings. I've never seen a place where you so easily become enmeshed in the scene.

This week has been so needed. My coworkers/friends and I have talked about books, movies, politics, current events, trivia, philosophy, travel, parks, archives...so stimulating and outside my usual scope. I must remember to be larger.

Ahhh...

Back in Wilmington, NC. One of my favorite places ever. What do you think of my room two streets up from the Cape Fear River?

Time traveling...

An acquaintance of dad's asked him to paint a picture of his house. It just so happens it is a fabulous old antebellum house that I have wanted to see for ages. We were able to go and visit and take photos. It was like going back in time.



The old slave quarter is still intact, and the fellow has restored it inside.





Outside he had 80 acres of golden tobacco and an old shed overgrown with ripening grapes.





There was even a wonderfully friendly dog named Speckles! It was a delightful afternoon.

Birds

There has been a plethora of bird life this weekend. I think they are feeling the change in the air, heading toward fall. A gaggle of geese flying overhead woke me on Saturday, then later I saw a dove sitting on the edge of the goat's water bin, having a drink. Toward dusk a whole group of turkeys were silhouetted against the distant hillside, and explosions of flying birds in the air look like fireworks with their aeronautical skills, plunging and diving and rising. I love to watch them all.

Buddies

This is an example of one of my afternoons...")

Reflections...

Today mom and Aunt Marie and I went to my Uncle's pond where he and dad were fishing. The water was a beautiful color, and there were many wonderful reflections.

A new place...

I have started another blog. This one is for my photography, primarily. Hope you will come and enjoy... Seeking Solace and Sublimity

Kenna

A long ride.

Sara isn't into looooooong road trips, and the trip from Barbate to Segovia was looooong. You know when the fingers start snapping that the infamous version of "Jingle Bells" isn't long in coming...

Mas photographias de Espana

We pushed the twin beds together in Emily's apartment and zonked out!



Sara won a photo contest with this picture of the three of us behind the Roman theatre columns.



This is of Sara and me looking at the Eiffel tower in Paris (of course). She had just taken my arm as we walked toward the overlook and said, "Is this real?"



Sara in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid.



This is an example of a restaurant in Spain. Notice there is no one in it and no food to be seen.



The Plaza Mayor in Madrid.



The wise men bring the Christmas gifts in Spain.



Rhonda in the Parque de Madrid.