My daughter Elisabeth lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and recently spent time in Shenandoah National Park at the height of the fall colors. Her beautiful photos reminded me that those of us who now live in Florida miss out on this spectacular transition of the seasons.
Of course, I also don’t have to rake up 435 million leaves every October/November…. I guess there are some positive aspects to living in palm tree country. But having said that, I wish that we had been able to delay our return home a couple of weeks to see the spectacular scenery up in the Appalachian Mountains, or in the Adirondacks…
Having hiked a lot in the Shenandoah, this would have been a useful stop to get rid of some of the trail dirt and sweat after a six hour day on the Appalachian Trail; regrettably, I never found such a luxury, so my hiking companions and I had to wait to shower until after the long drive home… “Phew! Hey, Ty, open the window, would ya please! You stink!”
One of the iconic structures on the Appalachian Trail is Wineberry Cabin near Lydia, Virginia. There is an interesting warning posted here:
“WARNING: Beware of wasps, ticks, and copperhead snakes in season. Please do not disturb or harm any black rat snakes you may find in the area. They keep the copperheads away and help control the rodent population. Cattle may enter the surrounding yard and should not be antagonized.”
Sounds like good advice to me!
Here is Elisabeth relaxing in front of a fixer-upper cabin she’s thinking of buying. 😉She’s always loved the outdoors, but I think that this takes “minimalist, sustainable living” to a new level… “Hey, Liz, two questions: where are you going to park your Veloster, and how are you going to get Internet access here?”
While Suzanne was finishing up her SOAR! Workshop in Cherry Hill, I was at dinner with her mom Ruthie, and brother and sister-in-law, Brent and Cheryl Smeltzer. It would have been Ruthie and Bill’s 66th wedding anniversary, so it was a very special night. (I also learned that Brent and Cheryl are playing golf 6-10 times a week. It’s no surprise, though, since Brent is a retired Air Force officer, and as every Navy officer will tell you, golf is a required skill in the Air Force, much like marksmanship is to the Marines and seamanship to the Navy… 😉
Finally, announcing the latest Geo-Quiz winner; the best answer was received from Susan Price, who correctly stated that the building in question was (1) Citrus Tower, (2) located in Clermont, Florida, and (3) that hard freezes which killed the orange groves nearby caused its loss in popularity. Congratulations to Susan, and thanks to other respondents, including Chris Lavender, Bob Blythe, Laura Frucht, Marlene Moe, and Flo Tejeras.
2 Comments
Jennifer
Thanks for those beautiful photos Elisabeth! They are exquisite..
Although It's easy to miss those Florida winters, living in the Blues Ridge mountains does give one a chance to enjoy Fall in all it's glory….
angeldust
Ty,
Great fall pictures from Elisabeth! If you can't be there, this is the next best thing! SOAR workshop making rounds around the country…wow!! Good stuff! Been trying to figure out how to play golf 10 times a week. Have to think about this one. Wouldn't I be on the pro tour then? Yes!! Should have realized this sooner.
Happy Halloween! Will look forwrd to more tricks…and treats, on your continuing blog. Great variety of topics!!
xxxooo,
Gloria