The days are shorter

I've not been keeping up as regularly as I've wanted, but I continue to try. The days are getting much shorter now and it's still dark when I get to work in the morning. That's probably the worst thing about fall and winter for me. I leave my house at 6:20 a.m. and get to the office at 7:00 a.m. and it's still dark. And it's not like there were enough hours in the day when it was still light in the morning and at night! I hate it. But my favorite thing is watching the leaves turn color.

Steve had a terrific idea last weekend and we took a day trip up to the NC mountains. We went north to Mount Airy and then jagged left to Low Gap. We drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway and got off around Wilkesboro. It was a gorgeous day with the sun shining on the leaves which, while not quite at their peak, were still beautiful to see.



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We thought this was a really cool sight - seeing the moon just above the tree tops on a bright sunny day with a buzzard floating through the air.


I forgot to post the photo of Sarah riding the pig on Main Street in Lexington. They came down a couple of weekends ago and I took them and Nana out for lunch at Noah's Kitchen. The food was great - fabulous sandwiches - and they have live music on Friday nights. Of course, as with most of the restaurants in Lexington, no alcohol. Makes for a good family atmosphere. Anyway - after lunch we walked up and down Main Street so Sarah could see the pigs. Lexington IS the Barbecue Capital of the World, so of course we have pigs! And this weekend is the Lexington BBQ Festival. Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain. I really hope not - it's a huge deal for the town.

Mommy won't be happy that she's in the photo, but she had to hold Sarah's hand to keep her from sliding off. Back at the house Sarah decided to work in the garden. From this photo she's more plumber than gardener. She's the Plumber Gardener!


The excitement around the neighborhood last week was the cat up in the tree. The cat visits our backyard regularly because we have bird baths & bird feeders all over the place. She thinks it's a smorgasbord of songbirds. Well - on Monday the 13th of Oct., she found herself stuck in a tree in our neighbor's yard right behind us. I didn't know who she belonged to and assumed whoever it was would come looking for her. By Wednesday when she was still up there - and higher than before - I asked my across-the-street neighbor, Dot, who the cat belonged to. She took me to Marc's house behind her and he came over, but couldn't get her. It was Saturday before he could get someone with a ladder to help him out. That someone with the ladder turned out to be Terry, my dil's father. What a small world. Well, Lexington IS really really small, but still...
So here is Marc rescuing his cat - she doesn't look happy, but she was.



I've been working on a commission piece for the Deputy Director of our Center. She wants a big sun with oranges & yellows, but it will hange next to the opening to her living room and the furniture is burgundy. So I've been working with that. I'll post a photo in a few days. I promise. I also managed to get 15 Christmas cards made and haven't taken any photos of them yet, either.

I just signed up for the Staying At Home challenge - with the International Quilt Festival opening in Houston next week, those of us on the Quilt Art Digest who can't go decided to make a quilt to donate to Ami Simms' Alzheimer iniative. Lois J offered to give whoever wanted to make one a piece of her rusted fabric, so I'll wait til I get that and then make another Alzheimer quilt. I'll post a photo of that, too. I promise.