Jeep riding in Sedona

After another breakfast buffet provided by Carol, we all piled into the car to head over to Sedona. We took the scenic route through Cornville and some other small town along a creek where John McCain lives before Aaron took over the driving for dirt roads though Red Rocks State Park.

Our first stop was some indian ruins. Dad complained about the hike even though it was really short, but Kelley also thought that it was something we could drive right up to. There was a docent on hand to remind us not to touch the walls and answer any questions.

After that short excursion, Kelley and I opted for the trail in the other direction to see some pictograms and Old Man Williard's Man Cave - the man who originally homesteaded the site.

We went to lunch at the Red Planet Diner that had a very well done alien theme and the food was good too. And bonus for Aaron, the greek plate was fantastic!

Then we went to pick up the jeep rental. This took forever because of all the paperwork and because of the helpfulness of the lady to go over all the maps and routes and everything. Soon enough we were on the road and then on a jeep trail. Some of the road are dirt roads that probably everyone can drive on and some of them you really need a four wheel drive jeep for. And sometimes they put ugly obstacles purposefully on the trails to make sure that you have a four wheel drive.

We started with the top down, but soon the monsoon hit and Dad and Aaron struggled to put the top back on and then roll up their windows. Fine for them... but the back didn't fully cover Kelley and I in the back seat and it also dripped off that edge, so Kelley and I got pretty soaked. Yuck, sitting in wet underwear. We laughed anyway as we were jostled all over the place along the trail.

Our first stop-stop was at a sink hole. The lady at the jeep rental place made it sound like all the sinkholes in the west were connected and that the indians used them as underground superhighways to disappear and reappear. Maybe that's not what she meant, but that's what it came out as.

We went up Shnebbly Hill just for the views coming back into Sedona. We went to Submarine Rock and Chicken Rock for more views and then onto the playground where Aaron could really have some fun going up and down inclines. I didnt mind it, but I had more fun running around taking pictures of it.

Our last stop was to see an interesting chapel built into the red rocks of Sedona with a super mansion built across the street. We returned the jeep and headed to the locals beer choice - Oak Creek Brewing Company for some nut brown ale and popcorn. We took the road over Mingus Mountain to get home so I get to see the crazy hill town of Jerome again - still haven't stopped there, but maybe some day.

It's not letting me post new pics - but you can see them by clicking on the slide show in the top right corner.

Indian (Hell Hole) Gardens with Dad and Kelley

My Dad has never been to the Grand Canyon. So while he was in Arizona we (Kelley and I) decided that he needed to visit. I think everyone who visits the Grand Canyon (who is wearing appropriate footwear and carrying a decent amount of water) should hike at least thirty minutes down a trail to see how the view changes and really appreciate the depth of the Grand Canyon. It is one thing to know how wide and deep it is, another to experience it. The Grand Canyon is magnificent, but the distances are so great that sometimes when you look at it, it looks like a painting.

I said Dad needed to hike at least thirty minutes down, Kelley decided we were going to hike to Indian Garden along the Bright Angel Trail which is 4.6 miles from the rim. We prepared for this by buying five times more food than we thought we needed, outfitting Dad with a camelback bag and a lightweight UPF shirt, and by stopping at the fabulous Pine Country Restaurant in William (famous for pie) for breakfast. It is a long way to the Grand Canyon from Kelley's house in Prescott, so even though we left at 6am, it was not that early by the time we started.

We started with a short hike along the Rim Trail so Dad could 'see' the Grand Canyon before 'experiencing' it. Kelley pointed out the bottom of the trail (Indian Gardens) we would be taking (it can be seen in the bottom right of this photo).

It was hot. And there were lots of stairs. I have old knees that don't much like stairs. I don't remember the stairs because last time I saw Bright Angel it was covered in snow and just a flat path.

There were a lot less people on the path than I expected and the further we went down, the less people there were. I enjoy people-watching when doing hikes like this because there are lots of STUPID people who are wearing ridiculous shoes, or blue jeans, or are carrying a twelve ounce water bottle or NO water at all. IDIOTS!

Spirits were high on the hike down and we spent most of the time teasing each other. Dad always pointed out the negatives and Kelley countered with positives. We both got after him for not drinking very much water. Dad said if he died to just kick him over the edge after emptying his pockets and getting the car keys. Other people were enjoying our banter back and forth too. I laughed so much that my stomach was sore. I walked behind them because I was walking slower, but also so I could take photos.

At the Three Mile House, Dad had to make the decision, turn around or keep going down to Indian Garden. He asked our opinions which I am sure was unhelpful (unhelpful because I cautioned and Kelley urged on), and decided to keep going. Then we passed a volunteer who gave Kelley (the leader) a lecture about being safe and how it was the wrong time of day to be hiking and how she needed to be thinking about everyone in the group. Kelley pretended to listen but I could tell she wanted to keep walking away from this man. Why don't they have a volunteer policing the top for all the idiots not carrying water?

The last mile and a half was an easier hike because there were less steps, but still difficult because we were tired. There were also more clouds so the sun wasn't beating down on us as much. Though Kelley did say the last little stretch of the hike was known as 'the oven.' Also there is a sign saying Indian Garden long before where we were stopping for lunch - on the benches next to the water fountain. There were a bunch of signs saying we were almost there before we actually got there and that was annoying.

We finally made it to the benches and collapsed. We cooled off and then started eating. And avoiding the squirrels. I even had a stick to try and beat them back. These were the fattest most aggressive squirrels I have ever seen. They crawled right near your ankles, tried to crawl in your pack, and chased all the skinny squirrels away. They didn't get anything from us! Indian gardens is an oasis about half way down the canyon that has a wash with running water and large trees. There is a campground there and some picnic shelters, running water and a composting toilet. This is where a lot of the donkey trips stop.

Eventually it was time to go up. We started up the path and had barely passed through Indian Garden when the monsoon began. It poured on us for a good twenty minutes, soaking us, and causing the path to look more like a wash with water running through it. I didn't mind the rain and actually enjoyed how cool it was - besides the water dripping in my eyes and the fact that my shoes were soaked.

The trip us was long and tiring. Walk for a bit til you were wheezing and then rest until you caught your breath. Kelley said she wasn't having much of a problem, that she was just as out of shape as us, so it must be the altitude and that we weren't used to it. Sure. Dad led the way up - he says out of desperation - but his pace was much faster than mine. The hike out was grueling and a lot quieter than the hike down. Because it rained the temperatures were cooler, but it was actually more humid - no more dry heat.

We eventually made it out. Dad didn't think we were ever going to make it even when Kelley and I pointed out how little we had left. At the top we went to get the shuttle back to the car. Kelley and Dad decided they didn't want to ride the shuttle through the whole loop so we walked back along the rim - a decision that was later regretted.

Finally the car was in sight. Water soaked shoes came off, sweaty clothes shed, and dry clean clothes put on (all in the parking lot of course). We went back the Pine Country Restaurant for pie and then home for showers and bed.

Now two days later, we are all still sore. Dad wont really tell us how much pain he is in, but he looks less stiff today. I think that he enjoyed it (after hearing Carol talk to someone on the phone about it). My calves are really tight, but it is getting easier. I've hiked Bright Angel three times now, so I am done with that trail. Next time I hike the canyon it is going to be cooler and I am going rim to rim.

Finishing Hoover Dad

After viewing the Stairway to Heaven our tour was pretty much over. We got in the elevator one last time and exited in a very small ornate marble room. Then we exited the room onto the top of the dam through some brass doors. Dad and I walked along the sidewalk of the dam, dodged some cars and walked back the other way. We took some photos and then headed to the gift shop so dad could buy a mini hoover dam - just kidding. I thought I might want a snack, but the overwhelming small of burnt grease turned me off from even an ice cream cone.

Dad and I headed home and it took a long time. Dad's commentary on the beautifulness of rocks and scrub brush and cacti is very entertaining. Arizona is a striking place - but I am certain I could not live in this part. We stopped in Kingman at the buffet to get our fill of vegetables, MEAT, and people watching.

On the way home we were overtaken by Monsoon. Monsoon is what Arizonians call thunderstorms. It is monsoon season now in Arizona which means that there will be thunderstorms and rain just about everyday and could happen at any time of the day, but from what I have seen mostly in the afternoon. Sometimes it is sprinkles, and sometimes it really pours! Because the sky is so open - the land is flat, the trees are short of non-existent, and there are big mountains but sort of poking here and there - you can see the thunderstorms and rain wherever it is. On the way home, Dad and I saw it in every direction so we knew it was inevitable.

Another funny thing in Arizona is a wash. A wash is basically a ditch or a dry stream bed filled with dust and gravel. Dad told me one of his goals was to see one with running water in it. After a monsoon that is pretty easy. We eventually made it to Prescott, went to the grocery store to buy five times the amount of food we thought we would need (Kelley decreed that was the amount of food we should plan for) for our hike into the Grand Canyon.

Hoover Dad

Today Dad and I went to the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam is not necessarily near Prescott, but it is in Arizona, and I knew that Dad would love to go. Kelley did not fancy the drive so we decided to go on a day while she was working.

We didnt really know how far it was. We had a light breakfast with Carol and then got on the road. We decided to have a more substantial breakfast when we got to Ash Fork. Ash Fork is depressing. There was only one place to eat, but it was packed with locals, so we figured it had to be good. And it was. Kelley told us later that Ash Fork has a militia and that we were lucky. The locals seemed pretty friendly to us.

We then got on the long road to the Hoover Dam. Dad is not impressed with the scenery. He laughs as we pass through Prescott National Forest - which has trees, but none of them are over twenty feet tall and are shrubby looking. As we moved farther west the trees thinned out completely and were replaced by spiky shrubs and cacti. There were even chollas in some places.

It was hot outside. HOT. Breezy, but more like the heat escaping an oven than a relief. Traffic to the dam was not too heavy and the trip through the security check point was a joke. I dont think we even came to a complete stop before we were motioned to roll through. In reality I have a hard time believing that a bomb would have that much affect on a concrete structure so massive, but maybe.

The water level is way below where it was when I saw it a year and half ago. Our tour guide let us know that the water level was about 65 feet below normal. Don't worry there's still something like two hundred feet of water still behind the dam - maybe more.

We signed up for the next available Big Dam Tour and we were handed two yellow plastic hard hats. I thought it was weird and commented that I didnt get one of those last time. We had to have them for the tour, but Dad refused to wear his, and after mine blew off into traffic, I stopped wearing mine too. We had some time before the tour so we checked out the view, watched the little video, and went through the two museums.

The Big Dam Tour is pretty awesome. You squish like thirty people into a large elevator and then travel down down down to where the generators are. We went down a dark rocky tunnel to stand on top of a humming vibrating intake pipe where the tour guide explained the ins and outs of the dam. We then went into the room with the Nevada generators. The purpose of the Hoover Dam is to regulate water - not make electricity. Making electricity is just a profitable byproduct of releasing water for human's use. That's a weird concept to me since green power is just buzzing right now.

From there we went into the older parts of the dam that were designed for visitors in the thirties so they are beautiful. We then went back to the elevator to go in a service tunnel. From the service tunnel we could walk to the end and look out the vent. This tunnel was HOT because of all the outside air blowing in and short - just tall enough for me, but Dad had to duck the whole way down and back. Our nice tour guide offered to take a photo of us.

We went further down the hall to see the Stairway to Heaven - the escape stairs for when and if there is a fire because the fire would cause the elevators to stop working. I do not want to think about walking up all those stairs.

Battery is dying.... Oops.

Tomorrow Kelley, Dad, and I are going to try hiking down in the Grand Canyon. We will see how Dad does - wish us luck!

In Transit

Normally I pack days before go anywhere and call this the initial pack. The initial pack is enormous and includes everything I think I might need. It does not include the things I am forgetting. As more time passes, things get added, but mostly things get weeded out.

I returned home on Monday evening and started the initial pack. I had less than 24 hours to get my packing situated for my flight to Arizona. It was agonizing to make those 'do I take this?" decisions in mere hours. Plus I had to do the laundry from when I was in South Carolina so that I could have those clothes available as options as well.

My mom likes to watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette shows and I keep her company some of the time. It was the "Men Tell All" episode full of juicy bits, but I tore myself away during commercial breaks to dutifully weed out some of the 11 shirts and other odds - I was only going to be gone for a week! Mom claims that a tshirt doesn't take up that much space which is true, and I want to be prepared for any occasion, but 11 is too many!

To be continued... It's happy hour at Coyote Joe's Prescott after a busy day at Sultana Cycles.

The next morning I really got to packing. Lightning was totally in the way. She tried to crawl all over my clean clothes stacked on 'her' bed and I had to move her to prevent an overwhelming amount of cat hair. She persisted and eventually climbed in my suitcase. That made me laugh, so I snapped a few photos and moved her again. (Photos forthcoming)

Eventually I narrowed down everything and got everything packed with plenty of room to spare and headed to Richmond. I stopped at Whole foods and picked up a sandwich, a cookie, and an apple for less than ten dollars to counter my later frustration with hoe expensive airport food is and then went to meed Dad's friend John. John lives near the airport and was actually going to drop me off (and pick up me and Dad when we returned - same day, similar times, different airlines (yes this could go totally wrong)).

When I tried to check myself in, it told me I needed to see an agent. Boo. That meant waiting in line. Turns out my outgoing flight was already delayed an hour. If I had known this I could have tried to come in for an earlier flight, an option in Australia, but apparently not here. I asked if I would make my connection in Atlanta and the agent told me that I might, but that I was already pre-booked on the next flight to Phoenix just in case. Well nothing to do but wait, so I settled with coffee and a fresh book and waiting it out.

The flight was delayed a little bit more and I missed my connection in Atlanta by twenty minutes. I went to an agent to confirm my next connection and my ticket said I was sitting in row 2. Could that be first class? This flight switched gates and then was a little delayed as well. Maybe there was some horrendous weather happening across the country?

2D is indeed first class, the first row. They had a wood floor in the tiny first class bathroom. Mark, the gentleman sitting next to me, was an interesting seat partner and we spent most of the flight chatting. He works at making nuclear power plants even safer and we had similar interests in science, traveling and life. When is this going to happen with someone more my age?!?! First class = free booze so I had some Bailey's in my coffee and free snacks so I had another apple. My delicious whole foods dinner on the first flight seemed like forever ago.

I finally landed in Phoenix around eleven - their time - meaning it was two east coast time. Kelley picked me up and we chatted on the way north to Prescott. We arrived at Aaron's parent's house to find that only my Dad was smiling and awake. Kelley woke up Aaron and they headed to their apartment and I settled onto the couch for some much needed sleep. If I waited a couple of hours more I would have made it a full twenty four hours - yuck.

Hostess

Karrie is an excellent hostess and cook...

and if I stay here any longer, my fupa will grow out of control. I learned yesterday that fupa (female upper pelvic region - that area below your belly button) actually has a technical name as well - something like paddis (but I cant remember).

Last night James cooked steaks while Karrie did the veggies, then she made lemon poundcake with blackberry sauce. The day before it was blackberry grunt after a dinner of gumbo... you get the idea. This is not counting breakfasts and lunches she's prepared for me...

So I have to leave, after a piece of poundcake for breakfast, or I wont even be able t fit in my fat clothes.

weekend in Greenville

it takes forever to drive to Greenville. Ok maybe not forever, but longer than the four hour jaunt that was in my head.

Karrie and James have moved into a cute historic district full or pretty houses with nice gardens and nice neighbors - except one set of mean dogs. I know the neighbors are nice because I have met a bunch of them and they were all very friendly. One of the best things to do here is go for a walk and Layla is always ready for a walk so that gives me ample time to gawk at the houses.

Karrie and James live within walking distance of downtown and I have walked there four times. Once with Karrie just to hang out, then later with Karrie and James for dinner and music on the street, then in the morning for the farmer's market. I thought it was four times, maybe it was only three. There is a waterfall and a park downtown that are nice to see as well as all the shops with shady benches on the sidewalks.

Karrie and James are excellent hosts and are taking good care of me - making sure I am well fed and entertained as well as clean and comfy. Karrie and I have run a bunch of random errands, listened to blue grass on the lawn of a nearby university, walked into town a few times, went berry picking (Karrie's favorite sport), walked less than two blocks away for a couple of bands and today a big hike.

Today we hiked Raven Falls. Karrie and James have decided they are going to hike on Sundays with Layla because nothing opens until after two anyway. Last week they started this hike and went to the observation deck, but didnt have enough supplies to do the whole hike. The whole hike is 8.4 miles and the Dismal Trail section is not as strenuous as the Gum Gap Foothills Trail.

With some new hiking books I helped Karrie pick out, we looked at our strategy. This trail included a wire bridge and three ladders - how on earth was Layla going to make it? James and Karrie decided on a route so that even if we would have to turn around they would be satisfied.

We set off in the morning and up the windy curvy highway. A quick stop at the ranger station and the rangers let us know that Layla should make it despite the ladders and be able to cross the stream under the wire. OK and off we went.

The trail was beautiful and heavily wooded. Layla led the way and kept us at a quick pace. The wire bridge was interesting. James and Layla jumped on the rocks in the stream, well James did, Layla jumped wherever she pleased including the water. Karrie and I took the wire bridge which meant sliding your feet along one wire while sliding your hands along a top wire. I didnt like it, but it got me across.

The ladders were not tall ladders. And there were ways around them for Layla, but for some reason once there she didnt want to lead the way and couldnt be coerced to move. James picked her up and lifted her up the area - good thing Layla is mostly skin and bones.

One of the coolest places we stopped was called Cathedral Rock - a huge rock all with water dripping in some places and plants growing along the ledges. We stopped here for a rest and a snack and to take some photos. I think it was a good idea to stop because after that it was less than a mile to the top but it was less than a mile straight up and it wore me out.

We eventually made it to the falls - a suspension bridge over the top of the falls. What I could see was very pretty, but apparently it was only like one sixth of the waterfall - you can see most of the rest of it from the observation point that Karrie and James had visited last week. We stopped on some rocks to eat lunch and laugh and cringe at some older ladies butt cheeks that were hanging out of her skirt as she crossed the bridge above us.

They informed us as we passed them (they came up and were going down the easy way) that there was a five foot rattlesnake they killed on the path through the rhododendrons about a mile away. They killed it by throwing rocks at its head because it wouldn't move off the path so they could get by.

Karrie, James, and I kept an eye out while discussing what we would do if encountering such a snake. I know I would not have killed it. I am not in the snake and spider killing camp - they have important ecological roles. We did find it and it was still dead (we joked about what would happen if it had slithered away), but it was only three feet long.

The rest of the hike passed quickly. It was much wider and with gradual changes in elevation. We passed more people at this point - because it was an easier more traveled path and because church let out. Most of these people were not the skinny hiking type and most did not look well prepared for the five or so miles it would take them to get to the falls.

Now we are home and resting. Tomorrow I am going to have breakfast with Chrissy and head home to pack for Arizona.

one to three hours from home

Saturday morning I got up bright and early to drive to Charlottesville to help Lauren move from one apartment to another. I think she was surprised that I remembered, but also glad that I came.

Lauren’s move went very smoothly. Probably the easiest and fastest move I have ever helped out with. Everything she owned was already in a box and labeled except for her hanging clothes which were draped over stuff at the very end. Her uncle had a trailer and was very accustomed to packing it tightly and well, so after a few trips up and down, he stayed in the trailer and arranged things while the rest of us carried things down the stairs. Everything was loaded in an hour and a half. There was some loading before I got there of boxes into her car and Trevor’s truck… but even adding that it still didn’t take long.

We arrived at the new apartment and Lisa and her family were already there. We helped with the tail end of Lisa’s truck, and then all of them helped unload Lauren’s trailer. There were ten people carting stuff into the house and it didn’t take long, especially since Lisa and Lauren had already talked about what would go in which rooms, and because it was on the ground level. By noon, both trucks were unloaded and everything was in the apartment. That is amazing. Something to strive for when I move… so I am going to need a lot more boxes.

We sat around for a bit to rest and then started rearranging the stuff to get furniture where it was supposed to go, beds set up, and things more organized. Knowing Lauren, everything probably had a new home and was in its place by the time she went to bed. I headed over to Adam’s house for lunch, a chat, and a shower before heading to Lynchburg for Jamie’s get-together.

Googlemaps let me down. They gave me an exit number for a city that does not use exit numbers. I think I picked the right one anyway, but then there was some confusion on turns and street names so I had to call Jamie to figure out where I went wrong. Turns out it wasn’t that bad and I joined the gathering in less than ten minutes.

Jamie’s house is small and super-cute and I am green with house-envy. I think Jamie’s get together was sort of a Watson Avenue reunion and everyone was happy to chill, chat, and relax. We interrupted Jamie’s thought process a million times and put the boys in charge of grilling, but eventually a delicious dinner was served and enjoyed. Thank you Keegan for the tips on grilling squash, and thank you Jamie for suggesting the Creole seasoning.

Talking and drinks and Apples to Apples lasted well into the evening and eventually I called it quits. I thought it was ten thirty when I texted Adam to let him know I was heading back to his place, but it was one thirty. Oops. It didn’t matter. It was great to hang out with everyone and see Ellen and Keegan one more time before they head back to Korea.

Adam woke me up in the morning and we shortly hit the road with pit stops at the atm and Bodo’s Bagels. Bodo’s Bagels is a great bagel shop in Charlottesville that I have known about since middle school gym class (thank you Mr. Burke), but didn’t actually know was a real place until recently. The bagels were delicious. After that it was the long drive to Baltimore for the Orioles game. I didn’t mind the drive because I like talking to Adam and we talk about everything and anything.

Sort of like my goal to visit all 50 states (2 left), Adam wants to see every team play at their home stadium. He’s been to most in the Midwest United States, but still has a few to go. What’s interesting to me is that I have been to 4 major league baseball games and three of those are at stadiums that Adam has yet to visit, Seattle, San Diego, and Toronto, and I am not really a baseball fan. Also, if teams open new stadiums, then he is going to go back and visit those new stadiums as well.

Walking in, people were selling sodas and snacks and loudly proclaiming on the loudspeakers that they were cheaper than what you could get inside, and you could carry them in. We each bought a soda and walked in. I was expecting guards and bag checks and possible pat downs, but you pretty much just walk in with a cursory bag check. We could have brought a cooler filled with beer and it would have been ok as long as it fit the size requirement and there was no glass.

Adam purchased us 15 dollars tickets that he was pretty sure were 5 feet from the sun in the nosebleed section. I don’t care; I think baseball games are fun. Turns out they were rocking seats right above home plate and in the shade (and the third row down from the very top). There weren’t many people around us so we were able to stretch out and have space.

We watched the game for a while and then walked around so Adam could get better shots of the field. I followed him and took pictures of him taking pictures. The stands were fairly empty (they were playing Toronto) so we kind of sat wherever we wanted and in good seats. I also had the best sausage hot dog ever.

I like baseball games because the people-watching is interesting – especially when they start panning the cameras to show them on the big screen. Some people never notice and other people it seems like it makes their whole day. Plus some people start doing really funny things.

The Orioles won 4-2, but truthfully I only remember seeing one person round third and sprint for home. Adam says he saw all the scores; maybe I was doing too much people watching. It was surprisingly easy to get out of the parking lot and back on the highway and get all the way around DC.

When we arrived at Adam’s house, I tried out the new air hockey table and did much better than I usually do, even beating Adam to seven with the greatest comeback ever, but losing when playing to ten. He has a really neat puck that has twelve sides instead of being round that is fun to play with – using that puck is when I made my comeback.

A good weekend away, but time to get home and buckle down and work on that scrapbook, especially since it is already noon. I am leaving for Greenville to see Karrie and James mid-week and then flying to Arizona to see Kelley next week.

Sorting

Dad has challenged me to get my scrapbooks done in a week and half. I sort of need this kick in the pants to keep me motivated and make me stay home and get them done. Because I know that if I dont get Australia and New Zealand done before the end of the summer, it is doubtful it will get done. It is sort of Dad's fault though for encouraging me to leave home more than I was sort of planning in the first place.

So... I went to Walgreen's and got the rest of my Aussie pictures printed and all of the ones from New Zealand. I printed about 900 photos. This takes some time because my camera takes an odd shaped rectangle so when I get them printed I have to look, edit, and crop EVERY photo to make sure what I want actually gets printed. I was there for a few hours... but now all 900 are printed, sorted, and the Aussie ones are even in order.

Not only do I have to print the photos, I have to have the old blogs that go with them, which is fine because they are all here... but it takes time to copy them and the comments (thanks for your comments! they make my blogs even better) and you have to have internet to do it. Then I read through and edit them and make sure they will print nicely.

Its more time consuming I think than people think - and this is all the things that take time before I even start pasting photos onto paper. Regardless, this afternoon I will try to finish Australia... and if its not finished today, then Monday after a hectic weekend involving moving someone else, partying, and a baseball game.

Whoa What a Weekend

I returned from the National Education Computing Conference in DC on Wednesday. Traffic was pretty heavy on 95, but the big boat of a county car that I was driving made it just fine. Apparently I told Mom that I would be back on Thursday. So then we had to wonder, when were the couchsurfers were coming? Which date had I told them?

They showed up later in the afternoon. ‘They’ are Guenter and Frauke from Germany on a 30-day road trip around the US. They used to live in Charleston, SC, and have traveled the US pretty well, but were back for more. Their english is excellent, though they had some trouble thinking of exact words they needed. Guenter had heard about Couchsurfing on a radio program (probably like NPR) and looked it up to see what it was about. He was hooked, and I was their first Couchsurfing spot.

They were interested in doing things that locals do that may not be in the travel books, and I think I was able to give that to them. They had only been at the house in Cuckoo for about 45 minutes when it was already time to leave. Our first non-tourist destination was church dinner at Bethany Christian Church, only held on the first Wednesday night of the month. Mom had taken Michelle last month, and Michelle reminded Mom the day before that it was happening soon. The thing about church dinner is that if you are new, or with someone new, then you get to eat first. So Michelle and Mom got to eat first last month and then again this month. Guenter joked that they were rent-a-guests brought solely for being able to eat first. I am not sure what Guenter and Frauke thought about the church bit, but they did enjoy the food.

The next day after a leisurely morning drinking coffee on the back porch and a filling breakfast at Joe’s, we headed to Richmond. We walked around Belle Isle, Brown’s Island, and the Canal Walk. I was looking for something specific I had seen when doing that Stride Through Time and it was a lot farther away than I thought. I was looking for the markers along the levees that indicate the water level during historic floods and storms. We did find them eventually.

By that time we were hot and could use a break… and we were at 17th street (we were parked near 2nd), so we walked up a few more blocks to Café Gutenberg to sit and chill. Then we went to the Farmer’s market and then into the train station. They were very impressed with the train station and could see why Karrie wants to get married there. Then it was a loooong hot walk back to the car.

I had asked Guenter earlier if they liked ice cream when I was brainstorming things tourists might not do, and he gave me an emphatic “Yes!” So our next non-tourist stop was Ukrops for bananas and then Brusters for half-priced-bring-your-own-banana-banana-splits. Yum. We stopped by Dad’s for internet and then headed home.

Non-tourist stop number three was a real winner. We grabbed some lawn chairs and headed into the town of Louisa for the 4th of July Fireman’s parade and some good people watching. The parade was good for Louisa, but it was so weird because none of the many ambulances and fire trucks had their sirens going and only like three people were throwing candy. I commented probably five times how weird I thought it was that it was so quiet because of the lack of sirens. I later found out from Lloyd Hicks that there was a big sign at the beginning of the parade saying ‘No Sirens / No Throwing Candy.” I don’t know who mandated these two rules, but there weren’t at all the makeup of my parade nostalgia!

We did have a good time. Its not every day that you can go to a parade that has lawnmowers, tractors, ambulances, firetrucks, tow trucks, random cars that serve no purpose other than coolness, a dozen beauty queens of various ages and crowned in many different pageants, horse riders, clowns in mini cars, people on mini-motorcycles, girl scouts, boy scouts, chubby baton twirlers, and more. After the parade we went to Obrigado’s for cool drinks and a light dinner.

The next morning (Friday), Guenter and Frauke hit the road for Charleston, and I headed for Charlottesville to meet Chrissy and Ryan. Too my surprise, Ellen and Keegan were there too, a welcome addition. After lunch at Chipotle (because Ryan and Chrissy get their fill every time in C-ville bc there are none in A-Ville), we went to Polyface Farms owned by Joel Salatin, most well known for his cameo in Omnivore’s Dilemma by Micheal Pollan, though he does write plenty of his own books. Polyface Farms is pretty far off the main road, but in a beautiful hilly part of the Shenandoah Valley. Its surprising how many farms we passed along the way that follow conventional farming practice – and by conventional I mean as prescribed by the USDA.

When we arrived, Joel was in the little office and spent more than twenty minutes talking with us (a free $5000 speaking engagement says Keegan). Joel was ranting and raving less than when I saw him last (which was at a public speaking engagement) and was happy to have us at his farm. He described a circuitous route for us to take to see the farm and sent us on our way. Later we realized that one of the five of us should have paid better attention to those directions.

It was interesting seeing his grass-farming methods at work. We saw chicks in moveable sledges as well as chickens in the Eggmobile. I guess I thought the Eggmobile was an actual vehicle, but maybe I didn’t read the description accurately when I read Omnivore’s Dilemma a year ago. After visiting these chickens we realized that we didn’t know where we were supposed to go next, so we randomly traipsed through fields. I noticed and pointed out how few weeds were in the fields.

We eventually found the young turkeys that ALL flocked towards Keegan and then the rest of us as we circled their enclosure. We set off the find the cows and were successful at finding Polyface cows and the neighbors cows.

The real trick was finding the pigs. Ken and Barbie (as Keegan nicknamed a couple that was returning from a farm walk when we were arriving (and yes they were blond and in a convertible)) didn’t have any luck finding pigs and even Joel says he sometimes has troubles; this only made Keegan more determined. Keegan traipsed all over the woods and found only one, but he found one! So we did feel a little victorious.

We found the rabbits and the chickens that feed underneath them and then other rabbits in little portable cages so they can nibble fresh greens. Apparently Polyface has quite the market for rabbits for upscale restaurants in the area. We returned to the shop to make some purchases and shoot the breeze with some of the other farmers that worked at Polyface. We asked all the questions we could think of that we thought of while we were walking.

After Polyface, Ellen and Keegan went home, and Chrissy, Ryan, and I went to the BookFair. I purchased a few new books (to add to the giant stack) and so did Chrissy. I like to think that we saved some money because we bought a few books to share and some of the books Chrissy wanted to buy, I already had. After all of this excitement I went home and should have gone to bed, but instead I watched a movie and then went to bed.

The next day I met Chrissy and Ryan again in Charlottesville. Our stops for this day was Star Hill Brewery and then Sue and Steve’s in Crozet. Both Ryan and I like their beer and wanted to go see what the brewery had to offer. Chrissy doesn’t like beer, but she likes to learn new things and she and Ryan are a package, so she came too. : )

We arrived, though we were not certain that we were in the right place. We stepped up to the bar and Ryan and I got to taste all of Star Hill’s brews. I like tasting beers because some of them I might not normally like, but sometimes I do. Ryan and I even tricked Chrissy into trying the IPA… haha. And she drank it even though Ryan and I both mentioned how bitter it was. Her face was priceless.

After tasting the brews, we took the tour. Star Hill only does tours on Saturday when their machinery is not running. Our first stop was the freezer to pick up our twelve packs. This is not normally included on the tour, but we wanted beer to take to the party and wanted it to be cold, plus we were the only ones on the tour. We learned all about the brewing process and how their equipment worked. We also learned about their plans for expansion from five states to the east coast and how they were planning to do it. Chrissy also questioned them on their eco-business practices.

After the tour, we picked up our cold Star Hill mixed twelve packs and headed right down the road to Sue and Steve’s home for their Fourth of July party. Sue and Steve are Keegan’s parents and what I remember about them is that they are very personable and very social. Of course I have only met them at social events and parties, so that would make sense. I had told Ellen and Keegan the day before that I was going to ask Steve to try and find me some dates and they were nice enough to mention it to him so he was prepped and ready when I brought it up. And he is totally for it. So that’s exciting and should lead to some interesting dates. Steve also thinks I should live in their cottage, which could be very cool.

Chrissy doesn’t actually know how to get to Sue and Steve’s house because she always parks at Ellen and Keegan’s cottage and walks up the back, so that’s what we did. Steve welcomed us to the party, got our beer into a cooler and iced, showed us around, and introduced us to the house rules for Bocce and Ladder Golf (known as rope-a-dope here in the sticks). I say that he introduced us to the house rules because I know how to play the games, but Chrissy and Ryan didn’t know how to play. Steve and I schooled them at Ladder Golf, but Ryan beat me at Bocce according to the house rules.

Here is a photo of me double fisting Star Hill brew and mold grape (moscato) wine. It was a very relaxed party of sitting back and enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather while talking with folks. Dinner was potluck which meant there were lots of interesting dishes to try. There weren’t any fireworks there, but we could see bit and pieces of Charlottesville, Nelson County, and Wintergreen’s firework shows. After a very late evening, I finally returned home.