A lovely visit in July to my cousin Fred and his wife Kathy in Raleigh and then down at their place along the water in Belhaven. Oh yes, and Kathy’s seeing-eye dog in the their boat.
Sun 9 Jul 2017
Visiting Relatives in North Carolina
Posted by Bob under Family and Friends, Travel
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Sun 2 Jul 2017
June Garden and Rambles
Posted by Bob under Hiking/Sauntering, Nature, Vegetable Garden
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Another trip up Humpback Rocks, this time with Dan Moler. A beautiful day! On a hike there two weeks earlier, Sue Rucker and I got to watch a bear calmly foraging.
Looking at the view to the east from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Having a tree in our front yard taken down (it was shedding large limbs onto the street) revealed multiple snakes living in the hollowed out trunk and limbs. It also enhanced the view from our living room window quite spectacularly.
Back in the vegetable garden, the two types of garlic I grew this year, Inchellium Red and Music, were pulled and laid out to cure in mid-June. 42 bulbs total.
 
By the beginning of July, our many varieties of lettuce were beginning to bolt, but we’d been regularly harvesting kale, chard, arugula, and other greens for some time, along with a first crop of wax beans, cucumbers, zucchini (enough for six loaves of zucchini bread so far), yellow squash, and a few ripe tomatoes and peppers.
Wed 24 May 2017
May Flowers and Hikes
Posted by Bob under Appalachian Trail, Flower/Rock Gardens, Hiking/Sauntering, Nature
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It’s been an unusually wet spring, but with enough sun to make flowering plants very happy, it seems. And several different hikes this month have offered varying vistas and plant varieties. Early in the month, Holly’s sister-in-law Lonni (and her two dogs) and I hiked along the Appalachian Trail a ways up The Priest, and found, as we had hoped, Mountain Laurel in bloom. (As always on this blog, click on individual pictures for a larger image.)
Shortly afterwards, I hiked the Fortune Cove trail on the other side of the county with a new friend, Jim, where beautiful stands of mountain laurel were likewise in bloom.
With almost perfect timing in the third week of May, our friend Sue and I hiked up Spy Rock, with great views and with a quite extraordinary abundance of wildflowers along the trailside on the way up.
Click here for pictures of some of the wildflowers along the trail
At the foot of the rock dome, the Flaming Azalea were spectacular, with Rhododendron just beginning to bloom:
As always, the challenge of climbing Spy Rock was rewarded with fabulous vistas.
Fri 12 May 2017
Spring Outings and Projects
Posted by Bob under Hiking/Sauntering, Nature, Our New Home
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Upgrading, Clearing Out, and Selling Holly’s House at Lake Monticello
This process dominated our lives between March and May. We benefited from help from John and from our lawn cutter and friend, Joe, who donated his truck and labor to help us move the larger items. The good news at the end was 1) that the house sold quickly once it was put on the market; and 2) Holly and her belongings are now fully ensconced in our mutual home in Roseland, Nelson County. We’re relieved, happy, and loving life.
Exploring Crozet Tunnel
This railway tunnel, which was constructed at great financial and human cost, opened in 1858 and was the longest tunnel in the United States at that time. After years of decay and vandalism, it is being reconstructed as a Rail to Trail Project. We were lucky to be able to join a “Hops and Headlamps” occasion to explore the first 4/5 of a mile the dark and yet-to-be lightened tunnel. The various tour groups collected and were transported from and back to the various participating Nelson County breweries and wineries. A fascinating and sobering experience–and a nice day off from moving.
Crabtree Falls after a Wet Spring
I hiked this long-favored trail while Holly was away at a knitting retreat. The high water made for many new and unique vistas.
Thu 11 May 2017
A Quick Visit from Holly’s Daughter
Posted by Bob under Family and Friends
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A short but wonderful visit from Holly’s daughter Lyara, who managed to squeeze in time with close family friends Robert and Barb in Delaware; aunt Lonni in Staunton; brother John in West Virginia; aunt Constance in Charlottesville; and a longtime school friend from Crozet; ….plus a great dinner at La Fleurie.
Thu 6 Apr 2017
Grandson Felix Comes for His First Visit!!
Posted by Bob under Beer, Family and Friends, Hiking/Sauntering
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My first grandson, Felix, was born on July 8, 2016, while Holly and I were taking our honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. We got to see Felix for the first time at Nic and Alison’s place in New Haven in August, and then once again at Christmas at Tim and Megan’s. So it was a big deal to host Felix and his parents at our place for two nights this April! He is, as all his admirers say, adorable, always with a smile on his face. Wonderfully good-natured. In addition to hanging out at our place, we took a walk around nearby Sherando Lake, ending up afterwards, via the rough remains of the old Howardsville Turnpike, at Blue Mountain Brewery. (It was Devils Backbone Brewery the next day.)
 
 
 
Thu 6 Apr 2017
The Arrival of Spring
Posted by Bob under Flower/Rock Gardens, Nature
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A largely snowless winter and a surprisingly warm February merged into an abundantly colorful March and April. As usual, sugar snap peas were the first crop to be planted, beginning on March 9th. By the end of the first week of April, the annual spectacular display of the weeping cherry and crabapple trees was past its prime. But then came our Rosebuds, planted way back in 2010 and finally blossoming fully for the first time this April! And shortly afterwards, Virginia Bluebells and our Dogwood.
Mon 23 Jan 2017
Blue Rock Lane, 2017
Posted by Bob under Nature
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We’ve only had one significant snowstorm so far this winter, but our street view remains uniquely magnificent each day.
Mon 2 Jan 2017
Holiday Season: Two Christmases, a Birthday, and a New Year
Posted by Bob under Family and Friends
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 Outdoor fun at Wintergreen and Devils Backbone: Bob and Lyara on The Plunge Trail, John and Lyara snow tubing on Christmas Eve.
Lonni, Gloria & Draco & Zeus joined us for Christmas. The next day we celebrated Holly’s 65th birthday at the Old Mill Room at the Boars Head in Charlottesville.
Then on to Tim and Megan’s home in Maryland, where we were joined by Nic, Alison, and 6-month-old Felix, and for a great Christmas season reunion with members of the Deppen clan! (Felix of course pretty much stole the show.)
And then back to our home for an informal and delightful New Year’s celebration with our friends Tom and Kathy and Nicky and Bob.
 
Sat 26 Nov 2016
Days of Thanksgiving 2016
Posted by Bob under Beer, Family and Friends, Farms and Food, Hiking/Sauntering
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Above: Preparing for Thanksgiving. Tim and Megan arrived on Wednesday, and we had a Mediterranean-style fish soup (and a copious amount of wine) that evening.
A walk on Thanksgiving morning; Megan with Lonni’s dogs, Gloria and Draco.
 
 
Constance, Lonni and John joined us for a mid-afternoon dinner Thanksgiving day. Played the card game “Recipe” in the evening.
The next morning, John and Tim joined me in taking “The Plunge Trail,” at Wintergreen, with great views of the Rockfish Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
And that afternoon, a hike along the Blue Ridge Railway Trail, followed by a visit to our friends Kathy and Tom (who shared his amazing collection of player pianos).
On Sunday afternoon, Holly and I checked out Wood Ridge Farm Brewery on the eastern side of Nelson County. Situated on a functioning farm which produces all the ingredients that go into its beer, the brewery offers “dirt-to-glass beers, with all the ingredients (malts, grains, hops, yeasts, etc.) grown on site. The brewery and tap room is rustic, with gorgeous views in all directions from the windows, porches, and decks. I’d never had a “shandy” beer before, but we both particularly liked that one. A nice relaxed ending to our lovely Thanksgiving weekend.
