Prom

This was my daughter before this weekend's Mathews High School prom.  Saturday was yet another marathon day that started with a trip to a neighbor's house for activities related to hair, makeup and nails.  Then there were multiple stops for pictures, dinner at Bangkok Noi in Gloucester, more pictures in our back yard, the prom itself (conveniently located at the Piankatank Ruritan Club which is a cartwheel away from our house), and ultimately the after-prom at the high school.

I helped out at the after-prom and didn't get to bed until after 3:00 a.m. (*yawn*)

Daughter was absolutely stunning, and she had a great time.

In short, although it was a very long day that didn't really end until early Sunday morning, a good time was had by all.

Now, I could really use a nap. (*yawn*)

Redart

This vast expanse of field and sky was captured on a recent side trip to Redart, which I always remind folks is Trader backwards.

There is something so inviting about this field--but the line linked to the fence posts perched on either side of the driveway says everything a potential trespasser visitor needs to know:  Today's not a good day for an invitation to proceed any further.  Try again some other time. Or not.

In other words, keep out.

The busy week thus far will spill into what promises to be an even busier weekend.  It's the Mathews High School prom, and not only is Daughter going, but I'll be heading up some sort of game at the After Prom, which starts at 10:45 p.m.--normally the time I'm curled up in bed beginning the very careful and methodical study of the back side of my eyelids.  I've been told the After Prom ends well after 2 in the morning.  I've asked the coordinator if I might be able to use the teacher's lounge for napping purposes, but so far have not received the answer I'm looking for.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Prom

This is my son Sam.

This is Emmeline.
They went to the prom together.

Emmeline, an exchange student from Belgium,
lives with Anna Hudgins, who lives
just across the creek from me. 

This is Emily Brown.
And that's Queens Creek in the background.

The girls

The guys

The group

These two get my vote as cutest couple.
Of course, I am very, very biased.  

Not all the photos were serious.

There was lots of Snap-Gramming and Insta-Chatting
(or whatever it is these young whippersnappers do these days)

I love this bunch. All of them.

During one of these group photos, one of the parents--hoping to rein in the 
attention of so many teenagers--said, "Go Hokies!" I then said, "Go Hoos!"  
Emmeline, unable to identify with the college references said, "Go Belgium!"
I thought it was pretty darn funny.

There was one obligatory photo with the elderly
old-looking mother, whose only wish for the night was that
everyone arrive home safe and sound. Thankfully, they did.

In the background is Sam's grandparents' house.  

Cutest couple ever.  (Did I say that already?)

I am most grateful to Tim, Frances and Peggy Hudgins for hosting the pre-prom photo shoot on their perfectly situated Queens Creek property--so conveniently located that my friend Thomas and I could arrive by canoe.

I'm also grateful to the powers of the universe that allowed these youngsters to have a night of fun without anything awful happening.

Finally, I am in awe of--and perhaps even a bit envious of--all the life and living these beautiful teens have in front of them.

The world is their oyster.

Field

This field full of fallen corn stalks sprinkled with spring blooms lives down Redart, which for anyone who hasn't heard is trader backwards. It's pronounced as if it were two words:  red art. (Except a little more quickly, without hesitation.)

I have two words for this weekend:  serenity now.

Friday after work I will race to Daughter's home soccer game.

Saturday night is the prom.  Son is taking the exchange student from Belgium who has been living with my friends across the creek. The evening will commence with a photo shoot at their house, followed by dinner at Sandpiper Reef.  The actual prom will take place at the Piankatank Ruritan Club, conveniently located a mere cartwheel from my house. After the After Prom, Son informs me he will be bringing some friends over for post-After-Prom WhenDoesItEverEnd festivities.

I just want the evening to come and go with everyone staying safe, happy and healthy. Half of me says of course everything will be fine--while the other four-fifths simultaneously reminds me that anything and everything can go wrong.

(Math was never my forte.)

Anyway, I hope to report back on Monday that everything is fine and dandy.

I hope your weekend is fine, dandy and worry-free.

Have a great one.

Tin Can Alley II

Here are more jetties from Tin Can Alley. Almost all of these One or two of these may have been taken when my feet were planted outside the boundaries of the public beach and oh so briefly in the sands that make up private property. But it was just for a split second. Or two.

Promise.

I went to high school with the new sheriff in town, so hopefully he'll overlook this slight infraction. To be specific, I actually went to the Prom with him. He was a junior and I was a sophomore. If memory serves, and it may not, he wore a powder blue tuxedo. When I was a freshman, I went to the Prom with someone else who also ran for sheriff.

I'm not sure what any of this means, but one possible extrapolation is that anyone interested in running for Mathews County sheriff should have "Went to the Prom with CBW" on their application.

Sometimes I wonder just exactly what part of my deteriorating brain words like extrapolation are pulled from. Probably the very same section that authorizes and condones a reference to sheriffs, deputies and Prom dates when I clearly started off talking about jetties on Gwynns Island.

Maybe I'm just getting all nostalgic for Friday's 30-year class reunion.

(Or maybe I can't stay focused on one topic to save my life.)

Either way, this word association exercise blog post is now ending.

Have a great day.