Catching up with November

Oh dear. How do I always lose time? To catch up here are a few things which we especially enjoyed in the early part of November. 

Nov.1: Indoors or outdoors, we have always something growing or blooming which makes us happy. This is the new camellia in front of the bay window. It's a fall bloomer. 

Nov.5 - a Saturday: I helped out because Wade was gone, Sarah took the twins to a birthday party and Caleb should not be alone. He helped me working on the Chrismon for this year cutting wire. Great help! The weather was so nice (warm) that we could be on the back porch. 

Caleb spied this bird swooping in and I am quite proud of this photo.

Same day at home I checked on my hydrangeas and look what I found!

Freddie was back!

No school on Monday November 7. Sarah had taken the day off and asked us whether we wanted to join her with the kids on a hike. It was a beautiful Fall day. See the short sleeves and shorts? We could not pass it up. We met at the Powhatan State Park.  

The boys are excellent hikers. Never complain but of course they are interested in a lot of things .... like collecting kindling for their fireplace at home .... 

... and grasshoppers you always see on this path (sorry, no photos).

I think we finally wore Cooper down a little.

The weather stayed nice for quite a while. On the 10th we decided that we needed to do our walk outside of our community and drove to Meadow Farms. 

We ended the walk coming out of the woods at the lake and walked around. We walked onto the platform and there were two anglers who talked with us. We chatted with them and they told us the fishes were not biting. 

The older one told us that he had come here when he was a kid with lots of friends. They were supposed to have fishing licenses but only some did. Sometimes the police would come to check. He told us that as soon as he saw them he would start running, all the others too and the police behind them. When he was caught he would show that he had the license. The policeman (huffing and puffing) would ask “then why did you let me chase you?”. The policeman was not happy about it.

We walked away and when I turned around there they had just had caught one. 

The next day the weather had turned and it wasn't so nice any longer. It rained. We thought there was a break in the clouds and we wanted to walk in the community. The colorful leaves everywhere were quite beautiful.

James saw this little guy at the edge of the road. A snapping turtle. I don't want to meet him (or her) when its a big one. They can be very mean.

Ups, we were not fast enough. The next cloud got us. It was warm and fun though. My shoes and pants were wet as could be though.

Next day at our walk we saw that our old heron was back in our storm water catch basin. A bit ruff looking. What happened?

And finally, the week of November 14 to 18 was when our building got the new roof. It was the last building built in the CrossRidge Townes so it was the last to have that turn. It was not much bother. We could not use our garage or back porch but in a few days everything was back to normal.

This is it for now. Next blog will be: a birthday!

William visit Day 8

Can't believe it has already been a week since we got William. We are always so busy. 

As you know from the last blog Caleb spent the night. That was really nice. After breakfast the boys of course played with the magnetic darts and bagatelle. Caleb had never seen this game so he was very eager to play. 

At one point the three of us had a tournament and William took the photo of me.

We played several games of dominos and then they decided to use them to built something. First each built their own little thing. 

Then they built something together. 

William asked for my phone to take the above photo. And then had the idea to do a special Video. I had no idea what he wanted to do but HERE IT IS.  *   Yup, that's what they say. He is not even a teenager yet but very good with electronic equipment.

* Bummer! When I uploaded it to YouTube it took William's special setting out. Trying something different now. 

And then there was Mastermind. William and I have played it on and off over several years now. He toughed Caleb how it's played. It was quite cute. 

It was such a good day (not too hot) that we thought we really needed to take a walk. We didn't go far, just to Meadow Farm Park. It was lovely in the woods.

We saw interesting things. I try to get my insect identifier app going but since I want it for free was not successful yet. Have to have another talk with Sarah. Just can't find that x she is talking about. 

Of course Caleb was eager to see the farm animals. We saw some in the woods. Shade! But most were somewhere hidden.

We saw a few chickens and a tom turkey but this (?) had just the funniest head.

We thought they must be getingready for an event. There were trailers with floodlights in the parking lot and these signs to take photos with.

The boys discovered a lonely painter who didn't mind chatting with us. A very nice young man. 

Home to have lunch on the back patio. Caleb was eager to catch some more of those pesky Japanese bugs we have every year. Papa helps.

Sarah was working today so Wade communicated with us. We arranged for James and I to stay with the twins at their house while Wade was so nice to take the older boys out for a bike ride of about 4 miles (!) some of which were uphill. William got a work-out but really enjoyed it. We have his bike but it is just not fun riding it around in the neighborhood by himself. James and I don't have bikes. And I really don't want one. Too many years since I last did it. 

This is the photo Wade texted to me. All the way to the James River and back!

Tthe twins were taking their naps when we arrived. Owen soon woke up. When they were both awake we waited on the front porch ... with cut up apple for a snack. 

There they were and we soon said good-bye again.

James, William and I chilled for a while, had a salad for dinner and went to church for the event starting at 7 pm. The event which started with a prayer of Thanksgiving that we all had come through the pandemic so well. It was also announced that everybody in our congregation who regularly worships with us is fully vaccinated. I love the shirt our friend Joe was wearing.

Later we had dessert ... brownies, cookies, several different sorts of ice cream with lots of different toppings. I think William liked that. I was so happy when I saw him at the table with other children. 

A day full with fun and impressions.