Fireworks with D&D

A Good Summer always includes spending the 4th of July with D&D in Vienna VA.

Many many years ago in the BC era - that's Before Child - I would spend the 4th of July with D&D & go to the Vienna VA fireworks. Then the kid came along & I would spend the 4th with Godfather-to-the-kid Chip. We would go to a grassy interchange near his apartment & watch the Mall fireworks. There were lots of families with kids watching the Works from that spot.

Then the Urchin & I went here & there for the 4th after Chip moved to California. After the Summer of the Great Motorcycle Trip the Urchin & I kinda got in the habit of going to D&D's, if my work schedule allowed. This year it allowed. A nice Bar-B-Q has had, then Don & I went to the works cameras in tow. It was a nice show. Unfortunately the Urchin had work so I hardly saw her, but otherwise a fine time was had by all.

I took a bunch of Works photos, most are pretty cool. I think I finally figured out how to photograph Works. The 3 above are typical. Hope you all had a good 4th & Happy Birthday to the USA.

June, A Good Start But an Indifferent End

Its June and summer has officially arrived at my house, the fire flies rose on the evening of June 1st a full week earlier than usual. Don't blame global warming though, its the wet spring that fosters early fire flies. Damp soil is easier to hatch from then dry soil. Anyway, Jane & I started summer out right with a weekend of camping at IWLL. The weather was great, the swimming good and the company terrific ! The weekend went by far too fast.

My camp at the IWLL.

This curious fellow was sunning itself alongside the fire ring. It slithered off to the nearby bushes, then posed for some photos. I'm not sure just what kind of snake it is, a nice even black above and creamy white below. A black racer maybe, but there are other black racer looking snakes. Anyway, I consider a snake sighting a good omen.

Full moon over the trailer camp area at about 10pm.

About a week after the camping the weather was primo for ballooning. This is one of 7 ballons I could see over the Charlottesville area. It was the only one close enough to photograph.

I had 2 days scheduled off in June but they were canceled due to staffing problems. Then I had to go in for 2 training days on consecutive days off plus work an extra shift. This does not make me a happy camper. Louise got an sore hoof that required I soak the hoof in epson salts for 4 days plus keep it wrapped. Louise didn't mind the soaking but wasn't going for the wrapping. So I had to have her in a stall for 7 days until the hoof was sound. So I missed my parish feast day doctoring my horse. Well at least I earned enough OT to cover the vet & stall fees. But I didn't get to spend time with anyone after the IWLL camping weekend. GRR !

And to add insult to injury, Paws-in-Trouble knocked the screen out of the kitchen window. Skiddy and WingNut took a walk on the wild side, Skiddy was easy to find & get back in the house but WingNut is being more illusive. I'm seeing WingNut but not close enough to pick him up. Double GRR !

Belle Grove Rendezvous with Shenandoah Long Rifles

Ah, it is Memorial Day Weekend & time to do the History thing.

Memorial Day weekend found Jane & I at Belle Grove Plantation with the Shenandoah Long Rifles at their spring event. Except that it was really summer because there were fire flies. The weather was most accommodating with no rain to speak of and very delightful company. This is my camp with the dining fly rig Jane & I put together during out Back Yard Rendezvous. Plenty of shade during the day and room for a song circle of an evening.

This is the trade blanket area Jane & I put out. I sold a bunch of my spare history stuff, my trade blanket was nearly empty when I left Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, my body decided to ache like I'd been used as a tackling dummy all Friday & Saturday but I still had a very good time. Nothing like going some when as well as some where on vacation !

Back Yard Rendezvous

From time to time my friend Jane & I get together & work on our historic camping gear for Rendezvous/Living History events. So this last weekend we spent time working on her monster wedge setup plus worked on my canvas gear. Along the way I fixed my 1st Civil War wedge, cut poles and made lines for a square dining fly, made lines for my 10x16 dining fly, cleaned all my Civil War dog tent pieces, worked on an F&I French haversack, and installed the fender flares and mudflaps on my pickup.

Here's everything laid out & setup in the yard. That's Jane's lodge on the right.

I also helped Jane sort through her rendezvous gear and get the stove pipe to set up properly in the new-to-her bell back wedge. The room inside is great ! And of course we played a bit of music and cooked yummy things to eat. Sunday came way too soon !

Here's my Canyon freshly washed with the flares and mudflaps on. Isn't she pretty ?

Carly's Party

It's Carly's Party !!!!!

This is Carly with the cheese pascha I've made for her party the last 5 years. For 23 years Carly, her husband Dean and a wide assortment of folk music loving friends have gathered at Prince William Forest Park in April or May to sing and play a weekend away. Friday night meal is potluck - and it tends to be very lucky indeed - and Sat thru Sunday meals are done by Debby McClatchey with the help of all the attending adults. The kids over 10 but under 16 keep the dining area picked up.

This year's pascha had a cross, quarter note, Star of David and medicine wheel on its 4 sides.

Its hard to believe that the Friends of Traditional Music have been doing this for 23 YEARS. Kids have grown up and now have kids of their own, some of FOTM have passed on, others have grayer hair and slower steps - but the music is the same, just growing as younger folks join the ranks.

This is my friend Jane at her 3rd FOTM Carly's Party.

More singers in one of the lodges - it rained a lot so we mostly sung inside.

And of course it isn't a FOTM party without the Piper. Plus George's D&D Treasure Hunt. Only a good ballad sing seemed to get pasted over this year. Maybe next year . . . Carly & Dean are retiring as organizers but some younger folks are stepping up to keep the FOTM song going.

Critter Friends

Here's pictures of the various critter's in my life - It will take me a couple of days to finish the post so keep checking.

Skiddy Guarding the Cat Food

Paws-In-Trouble Supervising the World's Activities

Pooky, AliKat & Bridget on a Snooze Cruise

Baboo Guarding the Cat Scratch & Ball Wheel

Pooky & AliKat on Guard Duty

JAG is Keeping Jane's Basket from Running Off

WingNut and His New Friend Pippen

Bridgett the Vigilent




















Sophie the Watchful - She's Actually Quite Shy















St. Louis Special aka Louise aka Twinkle Toes - My Quarterhorse Mare















Kat's Horse Irish - He loves to play in his water !

Rain Rain Go Away Already

It is raining here. Again. Hard. All day. It is slate gray here. Again. Dismal. All day. It can stop raining anytime now. I've cleaned my kitchen, I've cleaned my bathroom, I've cleaned my bedroom and I've done rainy day projects. I haven't done any tree trimming, garden raking, pine tree cutting or yard work of any kind. I've had it with the rain already.

Wingnut & Ali-Kat Duet in PurrFit Harmony

On a better note - I drove over to Middlebrook VA yesterday & fetched my guitar capo & picks, then I stopped in & had a nice visit with Fr. John. It was heavily overcast but it wasn't raining in the valley so I drove to Staunton & had a nice visit with Nick & Katherine. The drive home was a bit foggy but otherwise it was a fine afternoon & evening spent with friends.