It is downright tropical today. It rained last night; now everything is wet and warm. As I walked from home to my favorite cafe I felt like I was in Hawaii (minus the palm trees and the beach and the floral patterned shirts); the birds singing, the sun shining, the bit of sweat upon my brow the moment I stepped outside. 73 degrees with 73% humidity. I am wearing my sleeveless linen jumpsuit with no sweater as I sit outside writing this. I have nothing cooler in my closet and it is only the beginning of May. When Hilary came over for dinner the other night she said "let's eat outside while we have the chance." That means for these few short weeks it will be lovely to sit outside at night without the summer bugs who are on their way.
Things are looking up in Alexandria for me. Last night our new next door neighbor invited us over to have a socially distant meet up. She wrote me a lovely card welcoming us to the neighborhood and apologizing that Covid had gotten in the way of her bringing a plate of homemade goodies to welcome us. Sitting in their backyard we admired their screened in porch. Like Hilary, they gently reminded us that soon they will only be sitting there and looking at the outside rather than being in the outside. We are in for the bug adventure of our lives. First the cicadas, then the gnats, then the mosquitoes. Thomas and Hilary have a plan to pepper our yard with bat houses. Bats, a more ecologically friendly way to limit the mosquito population of summer. Also we have been alerted of the need to run our fountain all the time. No standing water allowed. A whole new world.
We decided to explore Virginia this past week-end and celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We went to Lexington, VA where Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are buried and honored with statues. It is also a college town with the campus of Washington and Lee University. It was the best intersection of conservative and liberal that we have seen so far in this southern state. We saw lawn signs "Retain the Name" in many front yards as the mayor and city council set out to change the names of public buildings whose monikers honor the two confederate generals. The times they are a changin' America. And in this writer's opinion, long overdue.
We took a beautiful hike at the site of the old railroad tracks that ran along the Maury River (another confederate honoree) and were blown away by the wildflowers everywhere.
Water. Something Virginia has over California. Lots and lots of water. When Thomas asked Hilary if she wanted a drip system for her raised beds she said "no need." That turns out to be true. The veggies are growing and only God and Mother Nature are doing the work to make this happen. And the green. The brilliance of the shades of green on green on green with flowers sprinkled in is a sight to behold. (Hint: Spring would also be a lovely time to visit us if you want to make plans for a year from now).
And what a time to be living so close to D.C. I watched that speech last week and felt pride in my country and moved by my president. Who would have guessed a year ago that we would now have quiet, steady and powerful leadership in a president who genuinely cares about his constituency. The times they are a changin', America. And, it's about time.
The view from the window of our room in Lexington. The Shenandoah Valley with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.
So beautiful Terese thank you for sharing. Mark and I are in the process of planning a trip to the East Coast in September/October. I can't wait to see Washington DC now that Trump is no longer there. Also, I plan on spending a lot of time in Alexandria,😀 I love brick sidewalks, old architecture with all its history and boutiques. I hope we can get together. Love your blog.