Tag Archives: nature
Makes me happy every time I see it bloom
A Beautiful day for an Adventure
Among the many things my family enjoys doing, is being in the great outdoors. My husband and I have led many trips with teenagers in tow, most of which were not ours; but these days one of the teens in tow does belong to us. We have gone on 20 mile hikes, 3 day camping trips, rock climbing, kayaking, and now mountain biking.
This particular trip was a weekend camping trip so we could ride our bikes down the Virginia Creeper Trial. This was a very new experience for me. I have not been on a bike for any serious amount of time since I was a kid. Oh sure I’ve tooled around the neighborhood on my bike but nothing more than a short mile or two. This would be the make or break it moment of truth. Do I really want to mountain bike?
We spent about 3 hours in a car driving to get to the camp ground on Friday. We would set up camp, then set out on the trail the next morning after setting shuttle. You can pay a company that will happily shuttle you from one end to the other of the trail but we had the people and vehicles so we just set our own. The trail is about 18 miles long depending on where you start on the trail. It is mostly down hill but you will definitely get a work out. My hind side was very aware that we had been on a trail all day. I was only able to snap a few pictures as the teen on the scene wasn’t photo inclined. He was in the need for speed.
The trail is called the Creeper trail because at one time it was an old railway line. There are several old bridges and the winding trail is beautiful. There are some lovely spots to pull off and take a breath of fresh air or have a snack. About half way is a stop, that when open, you can grab some ice cream to encourage yourself to finish the ride.
After the long ride I was certainly thankful for the awesome campground we were staying in. The Creeper Trail Campground, in Whitetop, Virginia, is run by a wonderful couple. They are super friendly and have great tips; not to mention yummy cookies. They offer clean restrooms, hot showers and a store for some much needed pick me ups. They are also close to the trail head. And the views from the camp sites are great. They have been very busy making the place family friendly, pet friendly and camping friendly. They have an interesting story to tell about how the camp ground came into being. So make sure you stop in the store and get the full scoop. I’m sure you’ll be just as fascinated as we were.
They even offer wi-fi at the patio area of the store and some yummy breakfast options, if you don’t want to cook over a fire. Or they sell eggs if you want to fry up your own, but be sure to say hi to the chickens.
And for my hubby, no camp experience is complete without a great meal. I love being married to a creative cook.
What’s all the buzz about?
The day started out just like any other day. Sitting at my desk in the masonry office doing my thing.
I opened the door to walk out to get the mail and the air was filled with a buzz. What in the world? Bees! Lots and lots of bees! Big fat honey bees. The yard was filled with honey bees looking for a new home. I watched with interest but kept my distance; mainly because I am slightly allergic to said creatures. Then, I remembered what my husband taught me. Bees will not sting unless they absolutely must at this stage. They have gorged themselves on honey to make the transition to the new hive and are much less likely to sting. So I got a little closer for some photos.
They clung to a branch about 20 feet in the air. My husband, who has kept bees, said it looked to be a couple pounds worth of bees. Normally we wouldn’t mess with them so high off the ground but my sister-in-law has a homestead and wanted bees. So we gave it the old college try. Hazen has caught and removed several swarms over the years, so he came to assist.
There was a lot of effort but it is always a gamble. You may or may not get the queen. You may or may not kill some of the bees. You never get them all and you never know if they will stay in the “new home” you give them. These particular bees did not stay. You win some, you lose some.
For the full story check out my sister-in-law’s blog https://youtu.be/CjxsmT-Dqn8
While you’re there for this story check out some of their other adventures! You won’t regret it.
See ya next adventure!
Another Contraction
When last we visited, we were in a flurry of “do overs”. After chasing down correct documents, signatures and making things all official; there was one paper holding up the whole package. Our updated FBI reports. Oh Please! Come On!
Finally, we got an email with a tracking number. I started following it closer than the paparazzi follow the royal family. I watched it get snowed in and snowed out of various cities. I talked with my agent several times during this waiting period. I vowed if that piece of paper ever gets close to me, I’m driving it to you myself! She laughed. I was profoundly serious.
It finally did get close to me and I made good on my word. I drove to the facility and begged the lady there to help me. I convinced her I needed it immediately. She stopped the delivery truck to search it down for me. Then, as only a fellow mom would do, she bounded back through the door from the warehouse yelling “I got it!”. She had me sign for it and with a big smile, gave me the very precious package.
Bear with me. I know you are all probably thinking, “What’s the rush? Just express mail it or something” Right? Well, here was my other monkey wrench. Weather. Here in the good ole south, snow and ice are a real pain. It shuts everything down. We just are not as prepared for it like our friends up north. But that is a topic for another time. We had been watching the radar. Snow. My agent told me they were preparing to close her office to keep the staff safe, as conditions looked bad. She also told me DHL would not be picking up if it snowed. In addition to all that, we were facing a deadline in Ukraine. If we missed this one it could push us even further out.
I called the hubby. What do you want to do? I asked. He answered quickly. I’ll be home in 20 minutes. Have everything in the car. We drive it to her.
Now to drive like Cruella De Vil!
I loaded the car and called our agent. She was so kind. (Or maybe she thought we were nuts?) She agreed to drive part of the way toward us. It was a 7-hour drive one way to meet her. The drive home was interesting as we watched the snowstorm on the radar follow us back to North Carolina. We pulled into our driveway at 4:30 am. It began snowing at 5:30. I got a text at 6 am package sent. Now it’s up to Ukraine.
Callthehousewife 