Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Starry Nights & Waterfalls-- A weekend in VA

Last weekend we went to visit our friends in Charlottesville, Va.  We absolutely love VA and all the fun things it has to offer to outdoor lovers like ourselves.  It was so nice to visit with Krista, Brandon, & their new addition Lexi.  Lexi is a vizsla, she is so cute and filled with energy!  Our first day in VA we went on a hike to the top of Crabtree falls. 
 


Don't let this view fool you, this was the only paved and flat part of the hike.  The rest of the trail was unpaved, uphill, and rocky!  It was so much fun.

The sound of the falls was music to our souls.  Every end of one side of the trail gave us a view of the falls as we hiked up closer to the top. 

Best friends!(=

There were so many other people and dogs on the trail.  There was one person that had to put his little dog in his backpack to come down because the hike was too much lol.  It was hilarious.  Lexi on the other hand was pulling us up the mountain the entire hike. 

After we reached the top of the falls we sat down for a nice lunch we grabbed at a local gourmet grocery store before the hike.  They were some of the best sandwiches ever! Jessica's had mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, and balsamic.  It was so peaceful as we sat listening to the water and looked over the mountain range.


smile!

The look out at the top of the mountain.  Nothing better than making memories with good friends.

Chris decided to take the long way down the mountain hehe.  Working towards next season of American Ninja Warrior.



Locally grown apples at Flippin-Seaman INC.  Nelson County, VA.  These are some of the juiciest apples we have ever eaten. 

YUM

this is where it all begins

Rockin' it out old school with the rock candy

Starry Nights at Vertias Vineyard

Good wine, Great music, Great friends

Our Saturday night hosts Brent and Uta.  Its always nice to catch up with them and see their bright smiles. 

Masaman Curry, Jessica's favorite kind of curry dish. She wanted even more spice!!!

The best soup ever.  PHO,  the perfect mix of veggies, noodles, sprouts, and spice.

YYUUUUUMMMYYY

Our last meal of the weekend until we see them again (=



It is so nice to get away and take some time with friends and nature.  It is so nurturing to our souls to see all the wondrous places that God has made and given to us to enjoy.  No words can explain how encouraging and fun it is to have the great friends we are able to do life with.  Until next time-- enjoy nature, enjoy friends, enjoy a great glass of wine, and if you can enjoy them all together (=

C & J

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Pirates in a pirate nation

Well the water is definitely not as clear as the blue ocean, but the tar river will have to do for now as we set sail on a new adventure!  We really enjoy our new vantage point as we explore our town from the water.  Just us and our kayaks as we explore nature and enjoy the beautiful sights not seen from the shore.  Here are a few of the things we saw on our first trip out in the commander.


Our twin horse power motor (=

The water was so glassy, the only movement was bugs as they floated on the surface hoping to not get eaten by the huge gar we saw! 

The great thing about kayaks is there are areas that only a kayak can adventure back into.  There was a boat that just came out and said he could only get so far before he had to turn around.  We were able to keep going past the fallen trees his motor was hitting.

How nature survives and adapts is so amazing.  These huge trees were growing right out of the water!

Our beautiful co-captain


The adventure team!


Muscadine grapes, NC is famous for these sweet treasures.  A perfect snack on the water.

As we explore nature from the water we will share what we are able to capture (=  C&J

If anyone has kayaks and wants to join us let us know!!!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

BuZZZing with the bees

Yesterday we were given the opportunity to help our friend Bobby with his bee hives.  Our GPS took us all over the place so we were 30 minutes late but we got to see some small towns we probably never would have seen lol.  Once we arrived we suited up and headed over to the hives.
It was so cool getting to see how intricate the hives were, and the process of how the bees make the honey
Blowing smoke at the bees that were trying to sting us!
We added a solution to the hive to make the bees clear out of the top layer
Checking for capped off honey comb



Do these look good or what!!! The bees love the fruit and flowers to make the honey
There were flowers and butterflies everywhere
Look at all the bees!!
Taking off a super.  They were so heavy because they were full of honey!





When we opened the supers there was honey dripping out and we were able to eat it right out of the comb


 
It was such a fun afternoon.  It is so amazing to see the wonders of God and all of His creations.  Bobby has some of the best honey that we have tried, it is so much fun getting to pick his brain and learn from his 50+ years of bee keeping.  Until next time keep it fun, keep it simple, and keep eating local honey.