Last week we made the long (15-hour long) trek to south-west Virginia to spend the week with my family. We had such an awesome time it made me want to just blend in as one of the kids again.
We did some hiking (see below), enjoyed my Dad's many campfires, ate my Mom's delicious food and romped around with my two sisters and brother.
It was a beautiful time of year to be there. It was also like jumping forward in time 3 weeks. They had green grass and flowers peeking out while we were still looking at the grey branches. It was like inserting an extra week of spring into our year, which is always a nice thing.
After meeting on sunday we met at a trail head and made some sandwiches, talked, played with dandilions...
Our first adventure took us along a razor ridge of a road called Little Shepherds Trail. It was harrowing and I forgot to take pictures, but then we hiked up this rock face called Raven Rock. You can get a feel for the pitch of this when you come to the picture of Spencer getting cozy...
My Mom making us food even without a kitchen^^
My Dad did change eventually, but he had us wondering for a while if he planned on hiking in a tie. Either way he would have pulled off as if it was just meant to happen that way...^^
Looking straight down from the top ridge of Raven Rock^^
On top of the world!
The hills looked much more sculpted, almost like a eiderdown that someone has scrunched a little^^
"This would be so much more relaxing if I didn't feel like I was going to slide to my death..."^^
This natural cave was turned into an amphitheater with bleachers. Picture: listening to two people play acoustic guitars on a summer night, picnic baskets among the audience. Stars. Moon. Perfect.
Us girls on a walk
Our walking shoes (note: the smallest purple flower flip flops ever)^^
London's official camera face^^
Giving a "talk" with Tia Livvy. (note: no shoes)
Walking behind their house.
Stretching their wings
We walked to a spring up the hill behind their house. The water coming out has so much iron in it that the dirt and water are orange.^^
I regretfully didn't get pix of the fires, the guitar playing, the homemade ice cream, service, thrift store shopping or the cutting of an enormous tree right next to the house. I'm not really sure how it all happened in one week, but it was a super week.
Thanks to Steph for taking the family photos!
Cass
