Montgomery Heritage Festival

Well, we are all thoroughly back to school, finding our bearings in a new routine (some of us better than others. Adele.). This means our adventures as a family will become sparser and, in general, tamer. But living where we live, adventures are going to keep calling out to us from every weekend. We had nothing planned for this past weekend besides attendance at the Christ Church Yard Sale, but we ended up coming back to church on Sunday for a Shape Note Sing.

I had been craving an old fashioned hymn sing.

 It was wholesome and beautiful. And fortunately for me, traditional music was used in addition to the hieroglyphics that were the shape notes. I am too old for new tricks. But the harmonizations were fresh and powerful/ Miles gamboled around and pretended to conduct us, and Adele sat and sucked her thumb with wide eyes as the singers made the parish hall ring.

That was Sunday. But Saturday, thanks to a tip we got in the morning, we were able to check out Heritage Day at the Montgomery Museum. We went all the way to Christiansburg for our festival fix this week! (A 15 minute drive, but we're spoiled and don't usually have to go that far)

It was a festival meant to celebrate the history of Montgomery County.

Apparently the 19th Century happened here, too! Who knew?!

They had a swell garden to stroll in:

Got to breathe in some powerful lavender.

Miles was even more excited about the antique cars than I expected he'd be.

He was also delighted to be able to turn the crank on this machine that de-kernels corn. Anyone know what this process is rightly called?

I asked; they can use it for animal feed OR for popcorn.

These farm animals are not exotic, but we get to see them only about as often as we see elephants and giraffes.

These we got to pet, though. A baby cow!

A skittish sheep. Who jumped almost as much as Miles whenever the horse would sound off.

You should have seen Miles' face whenever that horse would neigh. All the toy horse sounds and parental imitations while reading childrens' books doesn't prepare one for the reality of that sound. It's alarming, and then hilarious. His face was something like this:

 

But more open-mouthed and big-eyed.This face is for an antique car.

Adele was excited her uptight mother let her down to browse in the grass and manure.

She made her Noises for Cats as she gazed at the livestock. I think they appreciated it.

Sometimes she'll let go of things she's holding and stand unsupported. And then, Wile E. Coyote-style, she'll realize what she's done and sit down fast.

A wabbit!

This chicken was raised from an egg by this girl. She told us all about it.

We had a long groovy recline at the 19th century toys area.

I can't wait to see what else the New River Valley has in store for us this year.

Coming up: Miles' first week of preschool!

Return to Cascades

We knew we wanted to make another trip to Cascades park, and that we wanted to do it before classes began. With the high only in the low 80s and almost no expectation for rain, we could not afford to wait for more perfect weather.

Miles was on his feet for more of the trip to the falls than he was last year.

He did pretty much shut down for the return trip, though. I would kind of like a second ergo carrier...

This year, like last year, I carried Adele. :-)

Another comparison shot: Here he is in the same spot last year.

Has he grown up or what?

Adele enjoyed the view on the way down. I couldn't see her too well, but I could hear her appreciative vocalizations and I could feel her enthusiastic leg pumping.

There was quite a lot of mesmerizing stuff to gaze upon,

...Miles not the least among them.

Just when you think you can't walk any further and are wondering why in God's name you did this with your Saturday, there it is. The mere sound and sight of it is nearly as refreshing as a nap.

The unfortunate thing about Cascades is, it's two miles there and back from the nearest bathroom. And it's a waterfall. So you really can't stick around too long if you have to go. I amused myself while sitting on the rock wondering how many of these people really had to pee, and how long they would all stay if there was a bathroom here.

I know I'd stay till dusk, absent other considerations.

Look at my fair little colleen.

I did bring her swimsuit, but didn't bring a towel, so there really wasn't a point in lugging another wet thing back with us. She got to be free and easy in a swim diaper.

Adele loved the sensations this afternoon offered her. Look how her skin just fluoresces, though!

Here is Adele last year:

And this year:

I think it's an improvement.

Miles and Papa got to do more exploring than I did. I was more than happy just to gaze at the two wonders, my crawling daughter and the roaring falls. White noise made by water is a haunting and restorative sound. It is like very loud silence. I've been getting to know Annie Dillard. Indulge me while I quote her?

"At a certain point you say, to the woods, to the mountains, the world, Now I am ready... You empty yourself and wait, listening. After a time you hear it: there is nothing there... This is it: this hum is the silence. Nature does utter a peep--just this one...There is a vibrancy to the silence...We are here to witness... That is why I take walks: to keep an eye on things."

Farewell to Summer

I've got that bitter, end of summer taste in my mouth. And it's not because I dislike my job in the slightest. I recognize that I've been working harder, at least physically, when I've been home this summer than I ever work at "work." And I love my job. In case I haven't said that enough.

No. It's this:

And this:

These are the reasons for my ambivalence about the new semester. (Also the reasons for my sore shoulders and back, but I can overlook this).

They change every week. 40 hours a week is a lot to miss.

I did my best to be present with them this week, my last home with them. Monday we met our new caregiver, who starts tomorrow. I have no idea how it's going to go. We went for a visit to her home today, to get them acquainted, and I feel pretty good about everything but Adele's naps. Taping my fingers crossed over that.

Tuesday the public library had its monthly Lego fest! Miles made his home at the mature legos...

 Adele hung out at the pee wee duplos area.

 She had a blast. She could not believe her luck, that she was to be allowed to crawl ALL OVER the huge community room.

They're still best friends. 

 Another thing I've done for myself is to throw in the towel on the Nap Wars. We're officially letting Miles choose if he wants to nap, allowing him to choose quiet time and abandoning the drama. I have some reservations about whether this is the right decision for every day, but today I'm feeling pretty positive: he fell asleep on his own by 7:30 tonight!!

On Wednesday, Miles had a hankering to return to the library. But, he said, he wanted to go there "in a truck." With just one more day after that to be home with him, I was feeling indulgent. We made a stroller truck while we waited for Adele to wake up from her nap.

Check out his licence plate. It's supposed to say 123-VT. He did his best. Wrote a V, crossed out his attempt at T and then wrote TV. We're getting there.

Here we go. I'm as nervous as an Olympian preparing for tomorrow's event: Get whole family ready and out the door by 7:45. 7:30 has been my usual summer wakeup time, soo... Wish us luck!