Life Got in the Way

Oh, my.

June?  That's the last time I posted?

Abject apologies to my one or two readers!

Let's see... what's happened since then?

We visited our biologist friend and our Tallahassee friends in Jackson Tennessee over the 4th of July holiday.  Our biologist friend took us to Cypress Grove Nature Park, where we saw

 a bald eagle

 a snowy egret

 an owl

and a very creepy spider web

The rest of July and August has passed in a daze, though we did get to go hiking this past weekend at Sloppy Floyd State Park.  Alas, the camera did not get to go hiking with us, so there is a distinct lack of photos from the trip. We took the Jackson Gap trail up to the Pinhoti Trail, and the Marble Mine trail back down to the valley and the lakes. Suffice it to say, there was a 800 foot change in elevation over about half a mile both going up and coming down.  WHEW!  There was a sign on the trail going up that said "Warning. 30% grade ahead."  And it MEANT it.

But it was a lovely time, and it felt great to get back out into the woods again.

The semester started last week, so of course that has consumed the rest of our time.

But Doctor Who (Season 7) starts this weekend, and the philosopher is playing in a real Magic tournament next weekend, so life won't be all drudge and work!

West Palm Beach

So, I just got back from a library conference in West Palm Beach, Florida.  (I know, I know - it really stinks to have a conference in Florida, but somebody's got to go!)  It was held at Palm Beach Atlantic University, a short stroll across the causeway

to the beautiful Palm Beach coast.

I'd like to tell you I spent my days lounging on the beach (reading a book, of course) but that was not to be.  The philosopher, however, came back to our room with sand in his shoes more than once!  Instead of beach-bumming, I spent several days here,

in the Warren Library, soaking up information on video tutorials, marketing e-resources, customer service initiatives, embedded librarians, the role of Christian universities in the academic marketplace, teaching critical thinking, and networking like crazy.

It was exhausting.

But there were some fun times, like seeing an Edward Gorey exhibit at the Norton Museum of Art, and enjoying the absolute lushness of south Florida.

We lived in Miami for three years, long ago, and I must say I still enjoy the beauty of a sub-tropical climate.  Um... that's not to say I enjoy the climate itself!  Phew!  All in all, I'm very glad I went, and I feel like I came away with lots of good ideas I can put into actual practice.  It's Very Good to be home, with quiet places I can retreat to when things get crazy and a more moderate climate.  (Though alas, no royal poinciana trees will ever bloom in Georgia!)

Hiking at Pickett's Mill

So, the philosopher and I went for a hike at Pickett's Mill Battlefield a few weeks ago.  It was a lovely day, and I got to try out my Easter shoes (the most comfy leather hiking boots EVER)!

 

 These two are of Pumpkinvine Creek, on which the old mill used to stand.  It was amazing seeing all the Civil War history that surrounds the area.  It's also hard to believe that our house sits in an area that was part of a huge battle.  (Pickett's Mill is only about 5 miles from our house in New Hope/Dallas.)

There's something wonderful about a spring day in Georgia.  The sky is blue, and there's a verdant smell in the air.  Of course, in the back of your mind you know that summer is on its way, with its terrible heat and humidity.  So I'll take all the spring days I can, and enjoy each and every one of them!

A Tale of Two Gardens

So, there were two gardens in my world this past weekend....

The Yummy Garden

Our veggies are growing like crazy, and we're already feasting on lettuce and chard.

 This is our square foot garden.  Sugar snap peas, Sweet 100 tomato, Romaine lettuce, Bibb lettuce, eggplant, carrots, ruby red swiss chard and lots o' Georgia sweet onions.

 It's amazing that it's been so warm (erm... make that HOT) but our lettuce hasn't bolted yet.

And in some other happy planter boxes, we have zucchini, crookneck squash, peppers, tomatoes, and one huge tub filled with cantaloupe.  YUMMMMMMMM.

The Beautiful Garden

The other garden we visited was Smith-Gilbert Gardens, a local collector's garden that is simply stunning. 

 Lots of walking trails.

 A rose garden.

 A conifer garden.

 And really funky plants everywhere! (This is a Jack-in-the-Pulpit)

 A pond with some of the largest koi I'd ever seen. (And I caught a picture of a philosopher in the wild, too - a rare sighting indeed!)

 And my favorite thing EVER - the speed limit sign!!!

If you're ever in Kennesaw, GA, and need to spend a few hours doing something low-key, I highly recommend stopping by Smith-Gilbert Gardens.  Even in the winter it's a lovely place, because they have a camellia garden too!

Shopping extravaganza!

Well, it's been 6 years since I bought a new dress.  So after we got our tax refund the philosopher talked me into going shopping.  (And those of you who know me well understand what a challenge that was... generally I loathe shopping!)

So we went to the usual suspects: Kohls, Penneys, Belk.  Nothing.  Then we hit The Avenue, which is an outdoor mall with small shops like Coldwater Creek, Talbots, Ann Taylor Loft and my favorite, White House Black Market.  I told the philosopher that I refused to spend big bucks for a dress, and he made me *promise* to try on anything I liked, regardless of price.  (Of course I was thinking to myself, "Sure.  I'll try it on.  That doesn't mean I'll BUY it!")

So after some "meh" attempts, we ended up at the aforementioned WHBM.  I tried several dresses on, and absolutely fell in love with one.  THIS one, to be precise.  And with a cute little white shrug, it will be perfect for Sunday!

Then we drove up to Kennesaw to another fun store.  And guess what I found there?  SHOES!!!  But the philosopher absolutely won't let me wear them with my new dress, and for the life of me I can't understand why.   
8-)

And that is the tale of my shopping extravaganza.

Curtain call!

My mother-in-law is AWESOME.  She does custom window treatments and pillows, and also all sorts of cool stuff that she sells at her Voncile's Originals storefront on Etsy.

Over Christmas she and I went fabric shopping to finish out our living room.  (Up until today we've had the wrong size curtains hanging on bent spring rods, just so folks couldn't see in at night.)  She offered to make us new curtains for our new house!

And today, TODAY, the philosopher and I received our amazing gift in the mail. 

She managed to make beautiful roman shades out of a sheer fabric, so the room is still nice and bright during the day, but not a fishbowl at night.  And the faux roman shade valance is a perfect fit.

Even the cat approves of the matching new pillows (and trust me, that's saying a lot).

Thanks, mom!  We love you!

High Point Hike

We ventured back to High Point Trailhead (the Alabama one, not the Georgia one) of the Pinhoti this morning, and were amazed at all the spring flowers.  See?

I told you they were pretty!  8-)

And because most of the trees were still bare, you could see the ridgeline across the valley.

And yes, the philosopher finally managed to get a photo of me near the end of the hike (usually I'm quick enough to avoid him!).  But this time I'd found a comfy spot to rest, so rather than move, I just decided to grin and bear it. (But rest assured, no bears were harmed in the making of this photograph!)

I can get used to 70 degrees in March, because the humidity is still low.  Yay for Low Humidity!!!  We managed about 6 miles altogether.  We stopped for lunch near the place we saw the snake last time (we call it Rattlesnake Ridge, though the USGS calls it Wolf Ridge.  Hmph.  What do they know??) Then we headed back in order to avoid the forecasted showers/thunderstorms. Maybe we'll have another good weekend soon and head out for yet another adventure!