Wild and Wonderful

So far, I think yesterday might be my favorite day since we've been in Virginia...and actually we spent most of it OUT of Virginia...and in West Virginia...whose state motto is "Wild and Wonderful".  It is still incredible to us how easy it is to get to a new state on the East Coast.

Appropriately, we spent our day being "wild and wonderful" and taking a scouting trip for a middle school Tubing Adventure we'll be going on in a couple weeks. We wanted to test it out and make sure it would be fun and safe and so we could be better prepared.  So we grabbed some of our new favorite people, Travis and Carly, and headed to West Virginia to float down the Potomac River in an inner tube.

It was SO fun and relaxing and beautiful!  We floated down the Potomac to where it met the Shenandoah River right where Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland meet. 

It was so pretty floating down a river surrounded by mountains full of giant trees and herons wading in the water next to you.  I even saw a snake on a rock eating some sort of amphibious creature. Of course I couldn't take my camera in the river, so I couldn't take pictures...but when we take the middle schoolers I am DEFINITELY getting a waterproof camera or maybe renting a waterproof casing for my camera.   But here is a google image of exactly what it looked like...in fact, we floated under that bridge.

We thoroughly enjoyed the exciting rapids and the great conversation with our new friends during the calm areas. When we got to the pick up point, we were some of the first ones there, so we decided to be wild and explore some of the surrounding areas, and we found such a pretty waterfall.  I was so sad I didn't have my camera...next time.

On a side note: I know it's ignorant...but here is what I pictured West Virginia folk to look like:

And I'm not gonna lie...I definitely saw a bearded man wearing dirty overalls and no shirt, standing next to another bearded man with a crazy boot tan and a Wu-Tang Clan shirt...but most other people were fairly normal.




So, ANYWAY...after we were done floating down the rapids, we had definitely built up an appetite, so I used iphone to find a nearby restaurant...and we stumbled into the most incredible place...historic Harper's Ferry.  We had floated by it in the river, but I couldn't tell exactly what it was from the river with the trees blocking most of it. Well, you might remember learning about it in history. I know Jared and I are a little bit of history nerds...and luckily Travis and Carly are a bit too...but hopefully you are too.  In the late 1700s, George Washington selected this small strip of land where the Potomac meets the Shenandoah River to be the location for the Federal Armory, where they made most all of the weapons for the USA.  Then in the early 1800s, Lewis and Clark went there to get all their weapons and supplies for their journey...including their collapsible boat.

Then in 1859, the abolitionist John Brown (you probably remember him from US History), led a raid on the armory with the intent to steal weapons to give to the slaves in Virginia and start a slave revolt.  He was unsuccessful and he and his men took refuge in the firehouse there for a couple days until Robert E. Lee led some of the army to take care of him.  Brown was captured, convicted of treason, and hanged nearby. However, this is said to be the event that catapulted the south to secede and the Civil War to begin....and Harper's Ferry was very instrumental in the Civil War. Being a border town, it changed hands 8 times, and the Armory was consequently burned down.

Ok...now that I've bored you with a history lesson...I'll tell you other reasons why Harper's Ferry was so great. It was seriously like stepping back in time. Travis and I decided that it reminded us of what we would picture Diagon Alley from Harry Potter to look like. We were secretly looking for Olivander's Wand Shop and Gringotts. It had small narrow cobblestone streets and really old store fronts with wooden signs hanging over the doors. When we got out of the car, I grabbed my camera...only to discover that I left my memory card at home like a moron. So I had to settle for iphone pictures...less than satisfactory. We ate DELICIOUS BBQ in an old converted caboose. There was this man with the most INCREDIBLE sideburns grilling some delicious food outside and we couldn't resist the smell. It was SO delicious. I had a pulled pork sandwich with homemade mac and cheese. So yummy!

After our bellies were fully satisfied, we walked around the old town and browsed the shops and admired the old buildings and even found some people dressed in colonial gear hanging out front of an old boot store. Here are some iphone pictures...

An old tunnel...

  The firehouse where John Brown and his men hid out and were captured.

Cute Carly and Travis 

The caboose we ate in with the delicious smoking BBQ out front and the man with the sideburns who walked behind the smoke RIGHT as I snapped the pic. So disappointed.

So that was our lovely day spent adventuring, learning, and enjoying the company of new friends.

A day well spent. I look forward to topping it!

We are gardeners.

Jared and I had a very productive Monday. We totally redid what little landscape we have. It was raining pretty much all day...so we gardened in the rain. It was really fun actually...and probably better than gardening in sweltering heat...so we'll take thunderstorms any day.  Here are some pictures of our hard work...and how dirty we got.  Also, those cute polka dot pots were a gift from one of my favorite people in the world, Nikki Lalague...and she painted them herself! Aren't they adorable!

HOME: Reflections on our first month on the East Coast

Well, it has been one month today that Jared and I started our adventures on the East Coast. This has definitely been the longest time I've been away from family, friends, California, and "home".  It has made me realize a few things about life...and you'll have to pardon my cliches for a moment. Although it's been an adjustment living in the hot, sticky weather, and I get lost when iphone lets me down, and everything is foreign...things haven't been too hard. I've only had one emotional breakdown, and it truly had nothing to do with being so far away from anything familiar, and everything to do with the realization at how much it costs to furnish a house.

Before I left California, I had the incredible pleasure of watching one of my favorite people, Katie Reagan, dance in her school's showcase. First of all, she's so talented and beautiful and creative... Secondly, she danced one piece to a song by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros called "Home".  (It's a great song...you should download it)  I've been enthralled with it ever since, and it kind of sums up how I've felt about our first month in a new place. "We laugh until we think we'll die / Barefoot on a summer night / Nothin' new is sweeter than with you...Home is wherever I'm with you."

I know it sounds completely cliche and a little out of character...but I've realized that as long as I am with my two best friends...Jared and Jesus. I'm not alone or lonely or lost. I'm home.

Now...that's not to say that I don't miss California, or my family, or friends, or Pedro's Tacos, or the ocean, or not sweating all day... It's just to say that I'm happy.

In completely unrelated news...I made some delicious individual sized peach cobbler's from scratch last night for Jared and me in my cute little souffle dishes I just purchased...and they were DELICIOUS!

Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, and Dehydration. What could be more American?

I must say, that this 4th of July was one of the most satisfying independence days I've experienced. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to spend the day in the National Mall in DC. We had heard that 3 million people descend on this area that's less then 2 miles long. So because we knew that, we prepared ourselves...and probably OVER-prepared. We wore comfortable running shoes (knowing we'd be walking a ton and not knowing if we'd find parking near the metro station), packed lots of water and cash, and of course camera equipment. Maybe it's because we over prepared...but it was WAY easier and less chaotic than we anticipated. Yes, there were a LOT of people...and yes, it was hot, and yes, we did a lot of walking...but it wasn't unbearable, and we would do it again. It was a really cool experience, being in the nation's capitol on 4th of July. The atmosphere was really laid back and fun. There were a lot of families making a day of it in the park, flying kites, playing cards...and one group even set up a full volleyball court in front of the Washington Monument. So cool! Parking at the metro was free and easy and it was a cinch to get into the city.  We spent the beginning of the day walking through The American History Museum, although we decided to come back on a day where there wasn't so many people...museums are so much more enjoyable when you can leisurely walk through without a sweaty Midwesterner bumping into you with his fanny-pack and stepping on your feet with his Tiva sandals.  However, we did stop at the Julia Child exhibit to see her kitchen because we had just watched Julia and Julia the night before. (Such a good movie!)

We also came across this Ninja Turtle exhibit. Pretty awesome. So, we spent the rest of the day walking around, trying to stay hydrated, eating good Americana food and enjoying the festival and the very satisfying people watching opportunities!

Our patriotic way to cool down...

Some of the sights of the day... Spiderman flying dangerously close to the Washington Monument... and the steps of the Capitol, crowded with people listening to Gladys Knight sing "Midnight Train to Georgia"

Here's a shot of the Lincoln Memorial at sunset, right before the fireworks started.  Can you see ALL of the PEOPLE on the steps?!

And then came the fireworks. MAN O MAN!  They were cool. We were sitting in between the Washington Monument and the Reflection Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial (you know...the water Forrest Gump runs through to get to Jenny), which is where they set the fireworks off from. It was incredible. They explode right above your head and you can feel the boom in your chest. So cool!  Here are some of my favorite shots from the fireworks.

Here's a video Jared took of the fireworks...although below it is a better video of Obama and his 4th of July watching the same fireworks as us...although, we had the better view :)

Now, the only REALLY crazy chaotic time was right afterward.  Millions of people leaving the same place...sirens everywhere...and we didn't REALLY know where we were going to get back on the Metro (the station at the mall was closed for obvious reasons, and my phone...with my metro map, wasn't working...probably because there were millions of people right by me trying to do the same thing). But we did find a station...and got on....well, I should say SQUEEZED on. I've never seen a more full car. Insanity. It's a good thing I'm not a germophobe because that is a LOT of hands on that pole.

So, we made it back safely and in time for Jared to watch the Galaxy game, and me to take the best shower ever, after a full day of sweating. So that was our day?  How was yours? What did you do?

Thunderstorms

The one great thing about humidity is that it creates awesome thunderstorms in the afternoons. Last week was ridiculously hot and sticky...and our air conditioning crapped out again. So when the clouds started moving in we decided to get some relief from the heat by playing in the rain. Thunderstorms are incredible! Something so foreign to us California natives. It will be sunny one minute and then BOOM...clouds roll in and it starts POURING! I mean torrential downpour.  Then, it will only last for a few minutes and roll out. As you can see from the pictures, our street was pretty much flooded...and it only rained a few minutes. But it maximized those few moments. We were SOAKED by the giant drops. It was also fun to see some kids riding their bikes and getting caught in the storm. Oh and to those who are concerned about our well-being...you should know. It has been beautiful weather the last few days...feels like California...AND they came and completely replaced our ancient AC system and it is a very comfortable 73 degrees Fahrenheit in our home....AND we got pool keys yesterday! YES!  But I also wouldn't mind another thunderstorm to roll through!