5-5-5

This year July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years. Like all our other days, we made the most of it!

Picture from each week: (1) Bob at Goshen Church; (2)Mom, Dad & Bernice on Dad's 89th Birthday; (3) Me at Goshen Pass, Virginia; (4) Our beautiful yard after a day of work; (5) Produce from Fish Hawk's Acres.

Scenic Byways

After our ride on Cass Scenic Railroad, we continued traveling the scenic highways to Lexington, Virginia. It was 230 miles from home to Lexington, with no interstates and much of the trip through National Forest. The road was so pretty, we decided to travel back the same way we came and stop at sites along the way. In Warm Springs there was an overlook where a toll house once presided on the Virginia "Turnpike". We traveled through a gorgeous section called Goshen Pass with more overlooks and trout stocked rivers. All along the highway were rock formations and on Brown's Mountain was a geologic oddity called "Devil's Backbone" Anticline. The short definition for anticline is "an upfold or arch in rocks". It extended for 65 miles!

There were many twists and turns in the road. When I asked Bob once why he stopped, he replied that "the turn radius of the road exceeded the radius of the car". In 2 consecutive turns with a 10 MPH sign he said "that means you're going back the way you came"! The scenery was so beautiful, I never picked up a magazine the whole trip. We rode with our windows down-no air conditioning-and used less gas than we would have on interstate travel.

We also stopped at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Science Center in Green Bank where we got some fun pictures I'll save for another layout.

We'd planned on stopping at an historical cemetery further north but were delayed--for 1 hour--at literally, the worst parade ever! Here's a picture, with a caption I'll have to censor:

"The _ _ _ _ _ iest Parade Ever".

After Kids (Cass Scenic Railroad)

We came here before the kids, with the kids and now after the kids. I even took my Mom and sister here with the kids. All of the trips were fun.

Cass Scenic Railroad, WV, 2011

Digital Journaling Block (Sande Krieger "Fine China")

8-9-0

On Dad's 89th birthday, I took his first cousin Bernice and her niece Gerry to visit. Since Bernice will be 90 this month, I added candles 8-9-and 0 to the cake. When we left, Bernice told Dad, "I wish I'd met you sooner." For Mom's upcoming 86th birthday, we'll turn the "9" over!

2011

Rest Stop

We exited the interstate to get gas and instead shared a cup of coffee at a rest stop along the highway. There were walls, perhaps from an old grist mill, where we made portraits of each other--so happy.

2011

Graduation 11

Nothing makes a parent happier than when their children are happy too. Chris looked so happy, proud and relieved at his MHS graduation. We shared in the pride and excitement. After the final march, Chris wanted pictures of him with as many friends as he could locate in the crowd of well wishers outside WVU Coliseum. He ate lunch with (Uncle) David and us, then visited all day with other families and friends. 2011

Digital Journaling Block (Echo Park "Be Mine").

Change of Color

Some of Chris' favorite pictures after his high school graduation 2011. Since we live in a college town, many of his classmates will attend WVU. We called this a "Change of Color", changing from MHS Blue and Red to WVU Blue and Gold!

Digital Elements (2 Peas in a Bucket, Rhonna Fayer) (Michelle Coleman "Wild Sorbet" clips)

2011