Autumn Bliss in Williamsburg

i recently returned from a perfect time in williamsburg, spent with two wonderful friends. just us girls.  shopping, talking, eating, sightseeing, and drinking in the beauty of God's magnificent creation. we were blessed with three days of the most ideal autumn weather you could ask for.

sunday after church, with the car packed full, we were off.

ronda was our hostess, sharing her and her husband's beautiful time share with goldie and me. 

this was the view from the back balcony. a pond with a fountain...what more could you ask for?

we spent the first day shopping...all day. we hit the outlets, specialty shops, a tuesday morning, and even a goodwill. it was great. we were tired when we got back to our rooms, but still had enough energy to enjoy a delicious meal and watch some cooking shows on the food network.


the second day, a little more shopping and some sightseeing. ronda forced us to stop at a stamping and scrapbooking store. hehe

we ate lunch at "old chickahominy house", a lovely place with delicious southern food,

a gorgeous mantel in our dining room, 

and a beautiful gift shop... all decked out for christmas.

we spent the rest of the day in old williamsburg. we visited a garden and nursery, learning a lot from the gardener and getting to sample a variety of herbs. 

i love the wonderful buildings and beautiful tree lined streets.

and those inviting garden paths....sigh......

a few more shops at the end of the day. dusk comes early now.

such a totally lovely time. it went too fast.

Rake the Leaves, Or Shovel the Snow?

i would certainly be remiss in leaving the month of october without documenting the earliest snowfall i can remember. on friday the 28th, gary said, "you know, they're calling for snow tomorrow".   snow????!!!!!!!!!    it's october. the mummers parade is tomorrow. it can't snow on mummers parade day!
well, yes it can. 5 inches worth. the parade was cancelled. it's never been cancelled before. 

my pics aren't that great. we waited too late in the day to go for a drive and the light wasn't good. plus, the snow had started falling off the trees and shrubs. it was a heavy, wet snow, and because most of the leaves were still on the trees it caused a lot of damage in the east from breaking limbs. it was a very pretty snow though.

that mound is my seven foot tall ornamental grass. or was. 

now here's the weird part. we took a drive to see the snow, heading towards the mountain. on the other side is a small town, and here's what we saw.

nothing. no snow. as we looked, you could see a light dusting on the cars and roofs. but for all intents and purposes, it didn't snow in this town. looking back at the mountain, you could see the line of demarcation.

now, in and of itself, this is not unusual. it oftens rains or snows on one side of the mountain and not on the other.  what is weird is that this snowless state lasts only about the width of the town itself, maybe about a mile. then, you start seeing snow again. as in bare field, then snowcovered yard. they got 3-4 inches of snow on the other side of town. yeh. weird.

Watching the Leaves Turn

i can't believe the entire month of october...probably my favorite month of the year...has passed me by, with me doing only one single post.  i dearly love fall and wanted to take so many pictures. it seemed every time the weather was beautiful and prime for picture taking, i was busy with something i had to do, and when i had time, the weather was rainy or cloudy.  but i still enjoyed the month. the family and i were able to hit just about every local fall festival there was. 
so, just for my own scrapbook of memories, my small photo essay on "what i love about autumn".....

the leaves...

 "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

Elizabeth Lawrence

 

"Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eve level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain."

Henry David Thoreau

the mums...

 

the pumpkins and gourds and indian corn...

and the sky so clear and blue it takes your breath away.... 

"Delicious Autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

George Eliot