Three Days, One Post

We had a most excellent weekend! We took a little getaway without leaving home. It was spontaneous and it was exactly the refreshment we needed.

I found two of these old, rusty enameled pots in the woods. They're fun to use in the garden.

1. We spent Saturday in the garden. I enjoy co-laboring with my husband (when I can get him outside) and he was amazingly helpful this weekend. I said, please dig here and he did. I asked, please move this over there and he did. We paced ourselves to enjoy the work and it was all good. The reward of relaxation at the end of the day was worth every minute spent in labor.
2. On Sunday, we sat in the shade of the tree on the hill and watched the mockingbirds chase the bluebirds. We read on the porch, I baked a little, and we went to check on B.'s bees. Our goal was to find the queen in Hive #2 and we did!
 

B. is allowing her bees to lay a natural foundation which is very pretty.

                                                                                   

This photo shows pre-laid foundation on one of the nuc frames.

3. Monday brought us to the Appalachian Trail where we were looking forward to providing Trail Magic for thru-hikers. We wanted to celebrate Chelsea's continued success by passing it along to others, so we went big- time and brought the grill. Our menu: Hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, chips, tubs of soda on ice, pudding, and carrot cake. Audrey and Bella-the-Dog joined us along with Tess. We enjoyed hanging out on the Parkway, sitting in the shade and chatting with passing visitors.
3a. One man, who was recovering from a knee replacement, sat with us a while. We chatted a long time before he introduced himself as David Horton. If you click his name it will link you to some of his amazing feats of endurance as an ultra runner. He was humble and I had no idea of his extensive accomplishments until I came home and Googled him. You never know who you might meet on the trail. We met several other thru-hikers who all partook and were extremely grateful for the food. One young man had been worried because he was running low on supplies before his next re-stock. This meal bought him some time until he came to the next convenient town.
3b. A college grad and his petite mom stopped for a soda. They were hiking from one college in Virginia to his next college in Georgia. They were S. Korean and his mom did not speak English. However, Steve listed all the Korean sagas he's been watching and the mom knew every one of them. I will have now have to stop teasing Steve about watching his Korean chick flicks. After all, they provided common ground for him to connect ever so briefly with these total strangers.

"AT Trail Magic brought to you by the family of Sunrise"

This is the trail, looking south.