Where has the summer gone?! I don't know whether it's because we are getting visibly older and they say time just slips from under you when that happens, or what ... but this whole year's been nothing but a dream ... Here and gone before you knew what's what ...
This summer's been busy beyond words with all its summery events and long, languid days of dolce far niente - if that can be ever busy ...
We visited the cool mountains, hiked alongside fast springs and calm, deep, cold lakes; we drove on steep, twisty green roads, framed by roadside waterfalls and rhododendron-covered cliffs; we sipped sweet (or dry, but mostly sweet) Southern wine right from the wineries; we made some smoke in the back yard cooking meats, or in the woods while camping; we scouted numerous farmers' markets in search for just the perfect fruit and tomatoes.
We listened to live music in the toasty evenings, and marveled at the gorgeous sunsets at the end of hot days. Have you noticed how sunsets are more colorful because the days themselves are literally burning in the summer?! We chased butterflies and breathtaking rainbows after hot summer showers...
We are lucky to be here, to be mobile, to be healthy, to have the energy and mind and willingness to explore and learn another thing about our town, our state, ourselves, to have each other and to live another day to tell the tale ... And all this with almost no vacation days. Just weekends and national holidays. Time is always here for us to fill up, and for that, I am so grateful!
Here's to a long and hopefully gentle fall, and to more summers to come ...
Some of the sights of this summer:
Sunset on Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Camp fire on Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Chasing dragon flies in Natahala National Forest, in Highlands, NC
Sitting by Mill Creek in Highlands, NC
The dam and rhododendron at Cliffside Lake in Natahala National Forest, NC
Grilling in the back yard
Listening to Booker T at the NC folk festival in Greensboro, NC
Chasing birds at Duke Gardens, in Durham, NC
Chasing butterflies ... everywhere ...
Relaxing on the patio of our neighborhood bar after a hot day
Chasing rainbows on Haw River - Pittsboro, NC
Sunset in Hickory, NC
The view atop Grandfather Mountain, in NC
Out of all the wineries we visited this summer, this was our favorite: Grandfather Vineyards outside Blowing Rock, NC
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