Sister time, peace and almost full moon

Pensacola Beach, Florida last Thursday, just before sunset, on a walk with my sisters during our annual "sister time." 

We stayed at a condo that overlooked Sabine Bay, this was just minutes after the beach walk.  It was lovely to watch the sunset with the girls.  I titled this photo, "Peace."

On Friday evening, we stepped outside a restaurant in Gulf Breeze to this view of the almost full moon overlooking the city of Pensacola.  It was a lovely time together.

I figured I should post at least once in August.  Baby bird update (see post from July 16):  I went by the hardware store garden center a few weeks ago to check on the baby birds.  They had indeed put a "not for sale" sign on it and had enjoyed listening for the sweet chirps coming from the nest on high.  Thankfully, the mom wasn't put off by the nest going on a little car journey.  The garden center manager lifted the plant down to show me the empty nest.  I wish those fledgling birds would visit my porch.

Good Things Happened: Annual sister time

My two sisters and I traveled from three different states (Virginia, Georgia, and Florida) to be together for a few days, by the banks of the Hiwassee River in the Nantahala National Forest, in western North Carolina.  The gentle flow of this river never fails to bring me peace.

On the second day, we took the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, which boards in Blue Ridge, Georgia, to sister towns McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee.  There is a painted line that goes through the middle of the two towns that shows that you can stand in Georgia on one side and Tennessee on the other.

We rode inside the open air gondola on the way there and back.  The part I loved the most?  Gardeners, fishermen, construction workers, people in their cars, waving to us as we passed.

The weather is still so warm in the southeast that there isn't much fall color in the foliage yet, but I still loved looking for it.  Can you see the V in the water?  That is a fish weir that was constructed by Native Americans, long ago, to catch fish.  The fish swimming downstream would collect in the V and they would swim out and catch them.

On the final day, we visited The John C. Campbell Folk School Fall Festival.  I loved this family band - especially the earnest young man playing bluegrass music on the fiddle.

There were 41 pottery vendors, but I singled out a vendor that I particularly liked and bought a couple of things.  I've put myself on pottery restriction again.

 I was standing next to a jewelry designer's booth inside the festival barn, listening to this "jamming" band and told her she had the best spot in the house!  Music and dancing all day.  She agreed.  I wish I could have bottled this peace and shared it with the world.

Sister time, sweetly singing and beautiful

My beloved baby sister came to visit last weekend.  This time last week I was making lunch for us while she sat on the kitchen stool and kept me company.  (Spring Onion Pie and Cucumber / Avocado salad.  Yum.)  I told her, "This time next week I'll be at work and thinking about how much I was enjoying this time." And so I am, so the least I can do is blog about it.

We both like this market in nearby Decatur, Georgia, whimsically named Kudzu.  I was salivating over the blue pots there on the right.  There was lots of shopping that afternoon and a visit to a candy store. 

While she paid for her purchases, which included a vintage board game, I let the car cool down and listened to the birds singing sweetly inside these beautiful crape myrtle trees, which border the parking lot.

We packed a lot into our two days, including the Virginia Highlands Summerfest on Saturday.  If you look closely, you can see the crowd of people goes on forever.  Lots of wonderful vendors and neither of us bought one thing, but we both enjoy people watching, and there was lots of that.

The main reason for the visit was to visit close friends, who have a new baby boy.  They are new parents, so it was sweet to see them interact with him, while listening closely to my sister's sage advice (as she rocked their wee one in her arms.)  I got a little choked up when she left on Sunday, but it was a beautiful visit.

Out and about on a busy week

This is a sort of round up of photos taken during my recent short vacation with my sisters.  I had such a hodge podge of random photos that I thought they belong together.  

 - After I uploaded photos from my phone the other day, I couldn't think at first what this was.  And then I remembered - it's the N5 entrance of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta  (one of many entrances).  I was picking up my sister from her incoming flight and was afraid I'd forget the direction my car was in, so I took a photo of it.  It's a massive airport, with equally massive parking and everything is letter and number coded.  I did remember this label though - probably because I took the time to snap the photo.

- I do love grits for breakfast.  My sisters and I thought this "10 Commandment of Grits" on the menu at Mary's Southern Grill in Young Harris, Georgia was funny.  :)

- Elvis graces the entrance of the furniture department of Alexander's Store in Blairsville, Georgia, where they sell "everything under the sun."  

- Brasstown, North Carolina, population 240, is home to a rather colorful convenience store, named "Clay's Corner."  The Clay's Corner website proclaims Brasstown as "opossum capital of the world."  Hmm - a dubious claim to fame, but it helps to explain the label on this water my sister brought back from inside the store.  That's her arm there - she was frowning at me for snapping her photo, but I only wanted the water bottle in the picture. 

- We were surprised to see these pink flowers (lilies?) that sprang up, or "volunteered" as our late mom used to say, in the flower bed next to my sister's vacation home, in which a profusion of orange daylilies were growing in July.

That's it.  I decided not to put Elvis in the title of my post, although it's always so interesting to see how many hits a post will get if you put something popular, like Elvis, in the title.  :)  Happy weekend, y'all!

Sister time, rambling around and view at the end

 - The side of the house view from my sister's vacation home in the Nantahala Forest in western North Carolina.  I think of that view all the time when I'm not there and can hear the gentle rushing of the river when I close my eyes.

- The three of us had a lovely time rambling around.  This was a shop porch in nearby Blairsville, Georgia.  I had a quiet moment while sisters were still shopping inside.  The owner had a lovely, big black dog who was very shy.  She said he had wandered up to her home and they never did find his owner.  He's got a great home now.

- This young man is a teacher at the local high school in Clay County, North Carolina.  He and his students grow vegetables and fruit and sell it at the farmers' market on Thursday evenings.  I got one of the $3 watermelons to take home.

- The view from the road, as you round the bend, when leaving the mountain neighborhood where the house is.  We were on our way to a final breakfast out together on Sunday morning before going three separate ways - Georgia, Florida and Virginia.  Can't wait until next year!

Taken for granted (not), sentimental nod and sister time

- More beauty from my sister's home in northern Florida, taken last weekend.  I stopped at this spot and marveled at its loveliness.  My sister says she tries not to take the view for granted - I have to say, I never do.

- You can barely see the old Gulf Oil sign posted on the barn.  When they bought this property, the barn and some other old out-buildings were already there.  They kept them and built their home in the middle of the property.  Their family has always been in the oil distribution business and they started out with Gulf, so the sign is a sentimental nod to the past.

- And another beautiful spot - about eight hours north of there, in the Nantahala Forest.  I ran across this photo when I was looking for something else.  This is where I am today - along with my two sisters.  We are having "sisters only" time. 

And Sunday, August 7 is National Sisters Day, so this is working out!

Hippety hoppety, day is done and may the road rise with you

- My favorite local antique shop had a Spring open house last Saturday and I snapped this photo to send to my sister.  She and I both had Easter baskets just like this when we were wee girls.  Easter's on its way!

- On Wednesday, I made my way from northwest Atlanta to my church in Stone Mountain, Georgia for this lovely concert of Spirituals and Hymns, featuring two amazing singers from our church choir.  They are both opera singers on days other than Sunday, and we are so lucky to have them.  It was so lovely to sit with friends and let the music wash over me at the end of a long day.

- And speaking of lucky!  Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day and the world seemed awash in green.  I've had this "Old Gaelic Blessing" (click to enlarge) hanging in my kitchen my whole adult life.  My sister gave it to me when I was very ill the first year I was in college.  This ancient Celtic prayer always makes me feel peaceful.  I love that it is a blessing for ones journey and that it has been with me on my journey along the way.

May the roads rise with you, my friends!  Have a great weekend.

Crazy punch bowl, framed rug and fuzzy vest

My sister Jo and I have long made a fun game of pointing out things in shops, prior to Christmas, that we are going to get each other for Christmas - tongue in cheek, of course.  And since we aren't together as often as we'd like, here are three photos I've texted to her with no message and her response.  :)

- She said, "What IS that???"  A crazy punch bowl, I think.

 - She replied that she could hang that in her dining room.  A framed Last Supper rug - amazing that someone thought to make that.

 - I sent this with the message, "I crack myself up!"  She replied, "You are too funny!"  Me, "That's going to look so good on you!"  One year another relative gave her a sweater with a fuzzy neck like that and she felt she had to wear it at least once.  :)

She was frantically wrapping all of the Christmas presents last Friday, in anticipation of the grandsons visiting - she needed to have all of her time to be with them.  She asked in the same text message if I remembered all those trips down to be with them on Christmas Eve and that I sat on the floor with her in a closed room and helped to finish wrapping all the presents.  That happened year after year - I thought it was fun.  She said that was a good memory and that, "You are the best sister ever!"  I replied - "No - you are!"  

Shadow sisters, beautiful walk and in flight

- My sisters and I went for a walk last Friday on a gloriously warm and sunny morning.  We noticed that our shadows walked ahead of us, so I snapped a photo with my photo, but inadvertently cut myself off.  Still kind of neat though.

 - There they are again - I had lagged behind to take another photo.  This is a farm access road and a few friends of the tall sister there slowed in their cars to chat.

- There was a bird perfectly perched on the stump in the middle of that pond, but it flew away as soon as it sensed us nearby.  If you can left click to enlarge, you can see it in flight.

Thanks for coming along on our walk!  What a difference a week makes - it's 30 degrees outside here in Atlanta and I'm off to work.  Sigh.  Have a wonderful weekend!