Nelson County Rocks

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Are these people crazy?  Just about the card games of Recipe and Hand and Foot, along with good eats, drinks, and company.  Lots of fun up in the mountains.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with Tim and Megan, my sister Eleanor, and Holly’s sister Constance.   Subjects below: Thanksgiving Dinner, Walk at Jonesboro Cemetery, Dinner at Copper Mine Bistro at Wintergreen Resort.  And a beautiful sunset.

   

  

  

  

   

 

  

   

In August we took our annual summer trip to longtime friends along the Delaware shore.  We shucked and ate lots of crab, along with other delicious dishes prepared by our hosts.  I (Bob) spent an interesting afternoon exploring the local state park at Holts Landing.  Note: the spider is a “zipper spider” in the bushes outside the house.

  Early August brought a lovely visit from my sister Eleanor.  Here she is at the Ravens Roost Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Good remembrances, conversation, and Chardonnay also blessed her visit!

 

    

  

A few photos from the wonderful stream of great pictures taken by Nic and Alison (as usual, click on pictures to see a larger image)

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We flew down to Mobile in June to see Leona (about two months old) for the first time and to have a wonderful repeat visit with Nic, Alison, and Felix (now two years old)

   

  

One day we went to Dragon Boat Races alongside the USS Alabama Battleship.

We stayed at a friend’s house in Mobile and particularly enjoyed the live oaks along the streets.

  

And playgrounds and breweries…

And a beautiful botanical garden.

   

    

   

   

 

             Many more pictures and happy memories to follow!

                          (click on pictures for larger images)

   

 

 

   

Apart from celebrating my sister’s birthday with her son Justin, his wife Katherine, and their sweet son Harvey, we spent a day at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), where Holly had been alerted to a fascinating exhibit about the early 20th century Brazilian artist, Tarsila do Amaral.  A few pictures Holly took of her work are included below:

We also explored artifacts from ancient Egypt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we also enjoyed music, wine and snacks on the balcony, and where Holly checked out some old friends.

   

We had a brief taste of winter in early December, but the rest of the month was chilly but mostly snowless, except in the mountains.  Longtime friends from Delaware arrived on December 19th, followed in the days ahead by Lyara, John, and Lonni (and a menagerie of dogs).  Much good eating and wine drinking ensued, along with a trip to the Blackfriers Playhouse in Staunton and a birthday luncheon for Holly at the Boar’s Head Inn.  (Note: as usual, click on the pictures to get a larger version.)

    

 

 
    

   

  

     

 

  

  

  

   

   

    

Yes, there was reason to celebrate Doug Jones’ win over Roy Moore for the U.S. Senate, but down in Mobile Felix here is responding, according to Nic’s Facebook post, to the the directive: Raise your hands if you’re getting a baby sister in April!   Very exciting news for the whole family!