We Had A Great Weekend!!

I sure hope everyone had a Fantabulous Fourth!! I know Steve and I did. We went with Bill and Deb on the bikes up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stayed at the Bluffs Lodge along the Parkway. It's owned and run by the National Parks Service and was a beautiful place to stay.

Bill and Deb drove to our house on Thursday afternoon and spent the night with us. We left bright and early on Friday, the 4th. It was a beautiful day of riding and we got there just before the rain, so our trip was absolutely great. It rained really hard for a little while, but then it cleared up enough for us to sit around the outdoor fireplace in the evening. We heard a talk by a Park Ranger all about bats. It was interesting and informative. Then, once the Ranger left, the folks staying at the lodge got to know each other and we all had S'mores and other nibbles as we whiled away the evening. One lady brought out a picnic basket full of cheeses, meats and crackers, as well as the makings for S'mores. It was a really great evening. We were all like old friends by the end of the night.

On Saturday morning we got up and rode into Mt. Airy, NC. This is the home town of Andy Griffith and the town on which the fictional Mayberry was based. It is a really cute and quaint town and they really play off the Mayberry theme. There is a tour service in town that takes people around in old "Andy and Barney" police cars. One of the tour guides dressed like Barney and another dressed like Goober. We were going to go to the "Snappy Diner" for lunch, just like Andy and Barney did, but the owners were out of town on vacation, so we wound up at Leon's Burger Palace. We had a great day in town with many great memories. On the way back up to the lodge we got rained on a bit, but more importantly, we ran through fog and clouds. It made for some interesting driving conditions!!

After the rains subsided, we made our way back to the patio and outdoor fireplace for the evening. Another Ranger came and spoke on the Appalachian way of cooking. It was interesting and informative. We then turned our attention back to the fire and the S'mores. The group around the fire was very different from the night before, but we still had a great time. I don't think Bill or Steve has ever met a stranger!!



One of my new "passions" is taking up-close photos of flowers. Since I got my new fantastic camera, I've found that I can get some really great close-ups of flowers and everywhere I go I wind up with pictures of flowers. Nature is just so absolutely awesome. Here are a couple of examples of what I took this weekend:

There were also a number of hummingbird feeders around the lodge and I got some nice photos of the birds as well:

We left for home on Sunday morning after breakfast. Some time over the weekend Bill hit the "Grandmother of all mosquitoes". The evidence was all over his gas tank!!
The drive south was clear and increasingly hotter. Steve and I got home around 1:00 in the afternoon. I'm sure Bill and Deb didn't make it to their home until several hours later. As we were watching TV after we got home we realized that severe storms were following the exact route we followed home. Luckily, none of the rain came for us until after we were home.

This morning I went and picked the dog up at the kennel. When I brought her home I gave her a bath and she's been asleep ever since.


All in all it was a great weekend. I hope everyone else enjoyed their long holiday weekend as much as we did. And, by the way, Mike, I did tell Goober you said "Duh Huh". He knew what you meant!!

Love to all!!!