A College Girl

 
Well, this is tough to write. I have such mixed feelings....
Skye is now a resident of Boone, NC.
She decided Appalachian State was her goal about 2 years ago, and, as of Friday, she's in a dorm room getting ready to embark on her final 2 years of college studies.
I am tickled for her:)

These years will be ones she'll always remember with fondness, Lord willing:)
I am excited she's in the mountains, one of my favorite places in all the world:)
I was fortunate enough to live in a beautiful mountainous area when I attended my Jr./Sr. college years (SUNY at New Paltz) & I savored driving through & across the mountains to school every day:)

But, this is a new phase for me, even after her stint as a camp counselor this summer.
The house feels empty again.
Wyatt checks out her room when he can....
I will miss her coming & going, with 'buds' in tow, calling to say where she is & what she's doing:)
Her life will be her own.

I now know why my mama cried often when I married at 19 and moved to the 'wilds' of NY--whoa!! (That's what my sister says she did)

But.....
I have Skype now, & email, & a cell phone, & when I'm feeling like I need to see Skye, I can hop in the Cruiser & go.
How can I be too sad??
She'll be having a grand time figuring out her life, meeting new friends, making life long friends, hiking, biking, going to concerts, studying with buddies, learning countless things book-wise & life-wise....

God be with you, Skye:)
And Mom will be checking in now & then..
.
And--Grandma Robeson would be proud:)

The Mc Clan Bikers

 
This photo taken after completing the Virginia Creeper Trail, Saturday, August 23rd. This is at the Laughing Dog Biking Tours' establishment in Damacus, Virginia. The weather was perfect--low to mid 70's, the trail was beautiful, and basically downhill:) A great way to end our trip after getting Skye settled in at Appalachian:) Happy mountain trails, Skye!

Along the Virginia Creeper Trail/Psalm 19

 
"The Heavens declare the glory of God,
and the skye above proclaims His handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their measuring line goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world."
Psalm 19:1-4

A scene along the Va. Creeper Trail yesterday as Keith, Cameron, Seth & Kelley, Skye, and I rode out bikes from the mt. top to the bottom---17 miles:) A great adventure!!

Peace

 
Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate'er He doth, and follow where He guideth.
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall;
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

A favorite hymn by Samuel Rodigast

Heading off to College

 

Skye & Alexis pictured here as they head off to buy dorm stuff:)
It's an exciting time!
Alexis is attending UNC & Skye will be heading to Appalachian State (along with Alexis' brother):)
Alexis begins classes this coming week.
Skye (with the help of the "Mc clan") moves in Friday & classes begin the 26th.
Life will never be the same...
Wishing them Godspeed:)

On a Saturday evening

Well, not much blogging here lately. Not that I haven't had "stuff" going on, but have become addicted to a Facebook game:(
Scramble!
Within my friends' network I am ranked 10th. I began 11th & worked for 2 days to move up to 10th place. I'm trying my best to move up further, but it's extremely hard or I'm not doing it exactly right??
So, any spare time this week, I've been honing my feeble skills!
Hopefully this exercise will sharpen my mind--the dread of Alzheimer's looms ahead of me.
I do recommend Scramble, but be careful, it may consume your time:)
Todd W. is the king in my space:)
But I'm coming.....oh so slowly.

Back To White Oak Creek Trail

 
Sunday evening, a glorious August evening (meaning low humidity), Keith & I headed back to the White Oak Creek Trail to bike. A reminder: it stretches from Green Level Church Road to Davis Drive, another leg of the Cary Greenway system.
The ride was lovely. There were some walkers, some strollers, some dog walkers, & some bikers, but not enough traffic to be bothersome to anyone:)
It's about a 7+ mile trek.
So pleasant, so refreshing:)
Then Keith loaded our bikes onto the Jeep & we went straight to Goodberry's--now that's a perfect way to end an evening of riding!!

Biking the Black Creek Trail

 
This photo was taken Saturday evening alongside the scenic & mountainous looking creek trail, Black Creek Trail. Black Creek is part of the Cary Greenway system that winds by Crabtree Lake, beginning over the dam area, meandering through the woods by the creek, & ending near North Harrison Avenue.

A co-worker of Keith's suggested this trail. He walks it every morning.

I must say it was a gorgeous ride; so relaxing!!
Our only criticism was that we wished it went at least 2-4 miles further:)!
(It was about a 5 mile round trip)
Easy to bike (just one big hill), shady, & serene!
Ahh...:)

A Bond Park Experience

 
Late yesterday afternoon Keith & I explored some trails around Bond Lake. To make this critique short, they're not made for bikes! This photo shows part of a trail that has been neglected or abandoned. Other trails leading from the boat launch area have steps or bridges that meant dismounting and walking up & over, or down & over, the obstacles.
The trail pictured here was on a map, but it was sad.
Frustrating after riding so many great roadways in Cary.
A disappointment:(
But probably nice walking trails....

Our Sat. bike ride; Lake Johnson

 
WELL!
Tonight we struck out to visit Raleigh's Lake Johnson's bike/walking trail.
We traveled a little over 5 miles, but, by the time we finished, we felt like it was at least twice that far!

Our hardest trail, physically, so far.
Lots of hills, but quite pretty:) It feels like Umstead Park because of the large & dense beautiful trees. And so you feel like you're deep in a forest until traffic noise from the beltline reminds you that you're in a big city.

Since we knew part of the terrain was going to be tough for us, we covered the hilly section first. Lots of huffing & puffing, & I had to walk my Navigator up a few hills. Keith's much better at climbing than me so he seldom dismounts his Townie.
(I'll blame my inability on my short legs:))

After looping part of the lake, we ended up trying a trail on the opposite side of Avent Ferry Rd. parking lot, courtesy of some friendly walkers' recommendation. The roadway, although fairly flat, was covered in mulch, which resulted in quite a bit more pedaling than we're used to! The soft surface was hard to maneuver over.

After making it back to the Cruiser, we knew we'd had a workout! We were tired-whew!!
A trail to try again, especially when we've ridden more than once in a week.
I felt pretty rusty.
Too long since last Sunday!!
My knees need to stay tuned up:)

Another beauty at the Car Show

 

Just another taste of eye-catching color at the Classic Car Show in Fuquay:)
There were bright yellow cars, & aqua cars, & red & blue cars, with flourishes & flames of all shades & hues:)
Pretty, pretty:)
Wish you could see ALL my pics; they look like a rainbow grouped together:)
A fun way to spend a warm August evening:)

A Friday night in Fuquay-Varina

 

One shot of a colorful group of classic cars in downtown Fuquay-Varina last night.
I admit I don't know a lot about cars, but the colors & detail work were a sight to behold:)
Spectacular!
Eye candy galore for an amateur camera gal!!