Scattered Seed

I had trouble falling asleep last night, as the wheels of the car kept turning in my head…..through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the never-ending state of Pennsylvania.

We left Rebecca and Melissa’s on Wednesday about noon after enjoying the birds and warm sunshine from the back deck one last time. We’d had a wonderful time since arriving last Friday…..good meals, interesting places, and especially our flights in the little Cessna with Rebecca in the pilot’s seat.

George had chosen a different route for our trip north,  and it led us near the Blue Ridge Parkway.   It had been several years since we had driven it,  and the parkway was as pretty as we remembered.

It started out a beautiful day, and we stopped frequently to appreciate the views. As we rolled along, though, the clouds rolled in.    We could hear the thunder and saw a spectacular lightning strike on a mountaintop ahead of us.

We pulled off the road the first time to put the top up on the car,  and the second time because we could no longer see the road,  it was raining so hard.   I felt badly for the bicyclists and motorcyclists that we had been seeing all along the way.

We were relieved when the skies finally cleared, but that didn’t happen till we neared the end of the drive. A rainbow unfolded at the exit lane as we watched.

I was glad we could have that bit of respite from the busy four-lanes, but yesterday we were back out on the interstate with the tractor trailers and crazy tail-gaters. It was a long, ten-hour day, with a stop at a little antique mall in Virginia, and a late lunch in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Each delay in Pennsylvania seemed interminable…..four lanes became two….construction…..stop and go….stop and go. By the time we pulled into the driveway, it was about 7 p.m.

I think we’ll both be quite happy to just stay put this weekend!

Yesterday we drove around Falls Lake Recreation Area after George was back on the ground and Rebecca and Melissa had headed back to the house to get some work done. It was another hot Carolina day, but we came up with a few birds.

and as always,  a great blue heron…

Today we drove out to Eno River State Park. Most of the birds were at the tree tops, but we saw enough on the trail to make our outing worthwhile,  especially my first wood thrush!

Since arriving in North Caroloina we have seen several of the same birds around every bend….northern mockingbirds,  gray catbirds, brown thrashers,  northern cardinals.   In submitting to eBird I’ve discovered that what I assumed were black-capped chickadees are actually Carolina chickadees.   The wrens in the backyard -  of course they’re Carolinas too.

Here around the house a family of red-bellied woodpeckers fly in and out of the back yard,  two young ones, and the mother.

And within a few feet of the deck,  at my eye level…….a cardinal on the nest.

Tomorrow we begin our trek back to the cool and rainy north. I’ll miss the abundance of birds that we’ve found here.

Actually the recipes have come from New York, but we’ve enjoyed choosing local foods while here in Durham.

Yesterday we made an early morning trip to the farmer’s market.

The bags we carried in were overflowing when we left, filled with meat and fresh produce.

George cooked the ribs on the gas grill last night, served along with fresh corn, and swiss chard.

This evening we enjoyed the Cornell chicken recipe, cooked over charcoal, with asparagus, fresh corn, and cherry tomatoes.

Berries are in the refrigerator for snacking, and I’m looking forward to cutting into a locally-grown melon in the morning.

It has been quite a treat for a couple of New Yorkers to have such fresh foods to chose from at the end of June, not to mention the good company and nice surroundings.

There are certain moments in the course of motherhood when you are just in awe when you consider what your child can do.   Today was one of those days for me.

Ever since Rebecca was a young girl,  she has wanted to fly.

She took soaring lessons at the Harris Hill glider field during high school in exchange for work on the field, but she never soloed. Time simply ran out before she headed off to college.

Fifteen years later (last fall),   she picked up the dream again.   She signed up for ground school, did the flight hours, and recently earned her pilot’s license.

Today I was able to experience her dream-come-true. She took me up from the little airfield near Durham, north to the Oxford airport and back,  a near hour-long flight.

I had anticipated a little queasiness in such a small plane, but her take-offs and landings were flawless,  and turbulence was minimal.   The flight was exciting just knowing that Rebecca was in control of every aspect of it.

George gets his turn on Monday!

There is something insane about traveling down a highway wedged between tractor trailers going 70-plus miles per hour. Plus, the road is long and winding and doesn’t always head in the direction you actually want to go….

The scenery was beautiful on our drive today, though birds definitely have a better vantage point in every case.

We drove the Skyline Drive south from Fort Royal, through Shenandoah National Park….through small Virginia towns…..down the interstate….and here we are tonight in Old West Durham.

A bird would have arrived much sooner than the eight hours we spent on the road. Smart creatures.

That’s what my dad says about going on vacation.   Taking that to heart, we went on a little drive to find a good place to eat after we arrived tonight in Strasburg, Virginia.

We really had no idea where we were headed, except toward town.   I saw the sign for The Old Mill Restaurant,  which sounded like a good bet,  and it was.    We had a delicious meal in historic surroundings.

The building was an actual flour mill, built in 1797, according to our waitress. She pointed out the gun turrets from the Civil War era to ward off advancing enemy soldiers.     The owners supposedly talked the occupying troops out of their intention to burn the place down,  and the mill survived to eventually become a dance hall during WWII and the restaurant that it is now.

Here at the northern end of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley,  the adventure of good eating begins….

What would follow a Mother’s Day magnolia, but a Father’s Day tulip tree. It arrived on our front porch today, and tonight it has it’s assigned spot on high ground in the back yard.

We’ll give it a good, long drink tomorrow before we head out for the week.

It started out a gloomy day,  though the robin was singing a cheery song….

Clouds were dark and the winds blew….

Then came bits of blue….

Finally the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly by late afternoon.

I weeded my pea plot….

George put down some mulch around the sage and guara….

We planted a couple of maple trees from seedlings, and I transplanted the collards which were getting crowded in their bucket.

Tonight the laundry is underway, groceries have been bought to see us through to Thursday, and the basic housecleaning is done.

George had three requests for his Father’s Day.   First was to have me help him map out his summer bus run by going out and driving it this morning.  Second, he asked if I would buy some ribs he could cook on the grill.  And finally, he asked if I would try the raisin bread recipe in the breadmaker. All accomplished!

We’re making headway on that list that needs to be whittled away before we can leave on vacation.

That is how our spring season ends.

We had heavy rains today, fog, and cool temperatures. Laundry had to go in the dryer, and no yard work was done.   The weeds are getting way ahead of me!

Mustard ventured out onto the deck for drink from a puddle.

And then did not want to come back in….

I got around to making my first loaf of french bread with the breadmaker.    It’s not the same as doing all the kneading by hand and baking it in the oven, but the bread is delicious,  and I put that time saved to good use.

Tonight we had dinner out on the deck under the canopy, then I brought out my camera and allowed myself a little down time in the yard.

Even the starlings can be amusing on a Friday night when I’m too tired to care that they’ve taken over a nest box.

I noticed the first blossoms on my tomato plants.

I went out to check on the tree swallow box,  but they have taken the whole family and moved on.  It will probably be another year before I see a swallow in my yard again.

The view from way back where I can have a good look at how the willows have grown.

Another maple started as a seedling,  which we planted on the hill.

Tomorrow the break is over as we have much to do……only six days to vacation!