Where to Hide It?, Gathering the Colors, Mini Pot Pies

1. Gray squirrel scampers across the lawn with a big Black Walnut in his mouth. He dig, dig, digs in the grass to bury it. Nope, not the right spot. Dig, dig, dig. Nope, not the right spot, Dig, dig, dig. Nope, not the right spot. He tries again and again and ends up scampering away with the nut still in his mouth. If he's going to be that neurotic about burying his nuts, he'll never be ready for winter.
2. It's both balmy and blustery today, blowing the leaves straight off the trees. Henri and I took a stroll to gather a bouquet of leaves in red, orange, and yellow. I got up under a Maple covered in yellow leaves and pushed my head into the lower branches to reach some nice ones. The blinding yellow leaves rustled and swirled around my head making it feel like I should back out and return to reality.
2a. Pressing leaves in wax paper.
3. I made our chicken pot pies in the little pie tins. This made them taste better, of course : )

The Piano Guys, Home in the Country: Autumn

1. By far, one of the best concerts I've ever been to. If you have the opportunity, most definitely GO SEE THE PIANO GUYS!



 Thank you, Sara, for jumping on these tickets for all of us last summer. It was quickly a sold-out event.
2. Living out in the country like we do, it's easy to forget that a vibrant downtown life exists. It was  fun to do something out of the ordinary and drive into town this evening.
3. It was so mild tonight that we ate dinner on the porch. Surprisingly, there were still a few crickets singing in the field.
4. Two little house finches bed down each evening in the wall planter by the back door. We've gotten used to one another and they no longer fly out, startling me. I glance their way and see them hunkered down in the dirt under the geranium, staring at me with beady little eyes.

At Night, Funny Nerds, Slow Cooker Dinner

1. We're in the field after dark on a mild fall night. Coyotes yip and bark in the distance, making my skin crawl and the horses loom like large specters in the flashlight. But the smell of hay in the lean-to feels like a safe haven.
2. Tess and I are watching back episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Oh, they are so funny!
3. This was a good recipe from Rebecca at Shenandoah Gateway Farm: Cabbage With Sausage and Apples. I love sausage and I love cabbage and the brown sugar, coarse mustard and apple cider vinegar give it just the right flavor. (I would let it cook for the full 8 hours)

Weekend Part II: Pressing Apples

1. The antique apple press is a work of art in the simplest of mechanical forms. It has aesthetic appeal as well as a functional purpose. A cheery wooden frame, painted red, is fitted with black cast iron gears and a large turning handle. It stands on the ground and we take turns tossing apples into the hopper. Someone else turns the handle and mushed apples fall through into a slatted bucket. Then a press is placed over the bucket and hand-cranked down to smoosh the juice out. The juice runs through a wooden strainer and into channels that funnel the juice into a pot for collection.Of course it's the best tasting apple cider I've ever had.
2. John and B. created a party for the apple pressing. Complete with a bonfire, tons of cool weather foods, and friends we have not seen in ages. There were new people to meet and we all visited well into the night.
3. As friends depart, we promise not to let so much time go by until we see each other again.

Open Studios 2013

Once I knew Tess was going to take my picture I couldn't stop laughing. It was a chilly, bright autumn morning for our mini adventure.

Our first stop was at Mark Woodie's studio. He was Tess' first art teacher when she started middle school and she loved his class.

She chose one of his newest paintings titled, "Early Autumn Comes". It's a fitting title for today! We didn't know the title until after she chose it.

The painting depicts a hedgerow scene that is typical of our country life. I like the line of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

Our second of only three stops today was Ed Bordett's studio in downtown Fincastle. It occupies a big, old space that he shares with another artist named Brett LaGue.

I love the smell of the paints and thinners in the studios. It makes me want to create something even though I'm not artistic.

Autumn Has Truly Arrived, Where Are They Going?, It's Yours If You Want It

1. Bracing cold air infused with wood smoke, white frost coats the ground, pumpkins on the doorstep; today I am in love with autumn.
2. At a red light, I pull up next to a little Nissan hatchback piled to the window top with a variety of cheery mums and pumpkins.
3. Someone wants my job! Yahoo! I tell her how to apply and she hurries out the door to seek it out. A suitable replacement will enable me to move on to my new job.  : )

Raining Down, Clutched in the Wind, What Did They Intend That to Mean?

1. Leaves swirl over the road like whirling Dervishes. The wind sets them free from branch's hold and they shower down, joining the dance.
2. I add a scarf (and later, a shawl) to fight against the chill. They provide a hint of 'cozy' on a day when warmth is elusive.
3. I love studying with this group of ladies on Wednesday evenings. Curled up on sofas, perhaps a cup of hot coffee by our side, we dig into the meaning behind the meaning, desiring to know. Our studies are punctuated with laughter and anecdotes as we explore our way toward understanding.