Life in retirement is great!

It’s hard to believe that summer is officially over  (despite 90 degree temperatures).  We were pretty focused on Tim’s and Megan’s wedding for the first half of the summer, and the rest seems to have just gone poof.  But actually the second half of summer has been interesting and varied, and below is a kind of late summer photo potpourri.

We’ve stayed pretty close to home, but we’ve begun to explore the Shenandoah Valley, on the other side of the mountains, somewhat more.  One particularly interesting visit, with our friends Anke and Axel, was to the Frontier Culture Museum, a living history museum in the mode of Sturbridge, Shelburne, and others.  But rather than strictly focusing on recreating pioneer life in the 19th century here, it also attempts to showcase the rural culture that immigrants (including those enslaved) both left and brought with them: German, English, Scot-Irish, and West African (Igbo).  It’s very nicely done and we had a gorgeous day to walk and explore the different parts.  Click here for more pictures of the Frontier Culture Museum.


In early September, we celebrated Nic’s thirty-first birthday with his wife Alison, and local friends Virginia Page,  Axel and Anke.  Earlier, we hiked to the St. Mary’s Falls (see previous post), where Nic scared the bejeebies out of me by leaping off the cliff into the deep but narrow pool below.  A few less birthdays for me, I’m sure…  Alison took the picture below with their cell phone.

_________________________________________

With almost no rain all summer, our vegetable garden has been less productive than last year, but surprisingly good overall, with the exception of cucumbers and squash, which were done in by insects that seemed to thrive and multiply in the dry weather.  In addition we bought lots of fruit from local orchards, and Monika made all sorts of wonderful jams, sauces, and deserts for canning or freezing.  Currently we’re getting lots of string beans and peppers, some tomatoes, lettuce, chard, herbs (there’s been tons of basil for making pesto), with fall vegetables–collards, spinach, kale, and kohlrabi coming along.  And we still have lots of garlic and potatoes that we harvested in mid-summer.

One summer project has been to complete a little trail system in the woods that surround three sides of our property.  That and enjoying nature and the beauty of our immediate surroundings.  For a late summer photo potpourri of these things, click here.