Fall Flowers

Although the temperatures have remained rather warm (it was 86 degrees today!), Fall has definitely arrived in Mathews County.

Along with the brownish colors of the corn crops that are ready for harvest, beautiful wildflowers abound.

I'm not sure what these pretty yellow ones are called, but they're growing like weeds wildfire along the roadsides.

Although I don't have pictures handy, there are also beautiful purple and pink flowers making themselves known along the roads and in the fields.  I've been picking the ones at the end of my lane and enjoying them in flower arrangements.  They last a good long while, although some of them do leave a ton of seeds when they're finally giving up on life. It's a small price to pay though.

We survived the hurricane that wasn't supposed to hit us.  Technically it didn't hit us, but the storm delivered a great deal of residual wind and rain.  Some folks here lost power, there was some flooding in some areas, but eventually things returned to normal.

Whatever that is.

The weather is supposed to turn a little cooler this weekend, just in time for the Gloucester Wine Festival.  Baby Sis, Middle Sis and I will be attending this event on Saturday.  We were supposed to go last year, but a little life-changing event known as my car accident (click here for that story) changed those plans.

This year will be different.

I cannot wait.

I hope all is well in your world.

Aaron's Beach

Sunday afternoon after a four-mile run, I drove down to Aaron's Beach just to say hello.

Although the sun was shining brightly, the wind was brisk.

Temperatures were only in the forties.

(Saturday, when I went running down Redart, it started snowing!)

(I'm really ready for warm weather to settle in and for the cold to go away.)

Anyway, the sand at the beach's entrance has shifted since I last visited.  

But most of the rest of it 

looks the same.

It was another busy week here in the Chesapeake Bay household.  Daughter purchased her prom dress, and in a few weeks I'll be taking my very last prom pictures as a mother.  Sunday night was her basketball banquet, the very last sports banquet I'll be attending as a mother.  Her cap and gown recently arrived, and before too long I'll be a blubbering idiot blinking back tears at her graduation.  She's very eager for high school to be over and done with, and she can't wait to get to UVA.  I'm so proud of her.

I continue to press the limits of an odometer with my 100-mile daily commute, but I have been doing some fun things as well.  On Saturday, Middle Sister invited me to an oyster roast at the Mathews Yacht Club, where she recently applied to become a member. We thoroughly enjoyed a seafood feast with some fascinating people.

Baby Sis and I are once again traveling to Nashville to visit our blog friend Lauren.  We will also attempt to run another half marathon.  Since my car accident, I've not been able to get back to where I was physically.  There are more aches and pains and I just feel older different.  But I'm not letting that deter me.  I'm able to run six miles without stopping, just not sure I can do 13.1 miles without walking, so I'm not making that a priority.  I just want to finish the race and not worry about my time or whether I have to walk or not.  Plus, it's not really about the race.  It's about the adventure that Baby Sis and I will have with our friend in Nashville.  That doesn't happen until the end of the month, but I'm gearing up for it nevertheless.

There's more to tell, and when things simmer down here I will tell the story from beginning to end.

It's a very good one.

I hope all is well in your world.  Have a great week!

Boats and Other Good Things

These boats out of water caught my eye

as I was driving to Bethel Beach a while back.

This one in particular seems slightly out of place.

In other news, this past week has really been a whirlwind of good things, not the least of which is reconnecting with someone I haven't seen in 35 years. There will be plenty more to tell about that in the weeks to come, as usual I have enough swirling in my head to write a book. And when my daughter goes away to college, I'm going to do just that.

Speaking of my daughter, she traveled to Tappahannock yesterday to interview for a scholarship that would pay $6,000 per year if she wins it. Even if she doesn't win it, I'm very proud of her for taking the time and effort to drive the hour for the interview on her precious day off from school.

Friday I reconnected with one of my very scarce first cousins, Mary, whose son was undergoing a risky surgery in Georgetown to help correct a situation caused by a very rare genetic disorder. He came through the surgery just fine, and we had a marvelous time catching up with each other. That night I visited my friend Iris, who lives in McLean. Our 30-year college reunion is in June.

I cannot believe I just typed that number. I've been out of college 30 years?

Another nice surprise was receiving an email from two readers in Vermont.

Who knew I had two readers anywhere, much less in Vermont?

I always enjoy hearing from anyone out there, it makes me feel there is a purpose for continuing on with this silly website. I do it mostly for my own entertainment, but if it brings a smile to someone else, all the better Anyway, that was a nice surprise.

So, for now, I'm venturing to say that in spite of the awful year that was 2015, which included major upheaval and a near-death experience, 2016 is going to be my year.

So far, we're getting along famously.