Spring color

We went to the Arboretum today. It isn't the optimal time for a Spring visit yet - many trees are still bare - but there was still plenty of color.

Spring's soggy start

It's been a pretty rainy weekend here in Raleigh. I suppose that rain is almost always a good thing, but it's hard to see that point of view when you want to go outside without a raincoat or take pictures of flowers. It's hard to see the beauty of spring, in fact, when everything is gray and wet and ugly.

Sarah will be here next week - we're very excited to show her around our new home. Hopefully the weather won't be so dreary and wet when she gets here.

Slow times

I apologize for the long delay between posts. This one doesn't even really count. I've been pretty busy lately; plus, there hasn't been too much for me to even talk about. The Fall colors are pretty much over - the ground is covered with a soggy carpet of browning yellow leaves and the trees are stark and naked.

There are a few items to discuss, and I will certainly get to those, maybe even tonight. But in case I do not, I wanted to apologize for neglecting to write as often as I would have liked to.

Let me tell you about the flowers and the trees... and the bees

We went to the JC Raulston Arboretum this weekend and were, yet again, astounded at the amount of free cultural activities that Raleigh has to offer. This is one of the best gardens I have ever been to. It is quite large and diverse and is framed by some lovely architecture.

I forgot to bring our camera and Bronwen had to go back to get it. I am very glad that she did. The day was beautiful - nearly perfect for an afternoon among the flowers and bees. It could have been cooler, I suppose; it was near 80 at the peak. But since it is so close and so free, there's no reason to think that we won't go back often. I got a little trigger happy with the camera - this is merely a tiny sample of what I took. I hope you can forgive my self indulgence and enjoy the pictures!

Leaves in full color

This is not necessarily representative of the general foliage color, but it is certainly not isolated.

Today was another of those beautiful ones. Clear skies, cold air - cold to me, anyway. We kept the windows open and wore jackets outside. And it'll probably be too cold to keep the windows up all night. And it's only October!

Speaking of which, there are pumpkins for sale on the side of the road now. All we need now is a cinnamon broom.

Swimming in a lake.

I have been falling behind in my writing here. I apologize. It isn't that nothing interesting has happened here. It's quite the opposite. In fact, the entire situation is the opposite of what it was in Florida. In Florida, there was little to 'write home about.' For one thing, we were home, as was everybody we knew. Now, although we are still 'home,' (because wherever you go, there you are!) we are also someplace new. Because I have promised to write about the new things, and because so much here is new to us, there is plenty to write about.

For example, we have been swimming in a lake! Twice! Now, I am sure that this is nothing new to most Americans, but to us, who have not been swimming in a lake before (me, at least - Bronwen has been before, but a long time ago), it is extremely exciting. And very different from swimming in the ocean. The ocean is nice, to be sure, and it is still a reasonable weekend option to us, but it is about a 2 - 3 hour drive away. And it is just the ocean. There will be sunburns and sandy beaches and salt water. Nothing new for us. The lake, on the other hand, is only 20 minutes away. There is a sandy beach and relatively clean water - no amoebas, anyway - and no crashing waves to disrupt your swim. Plus, across the water, instead of more water, is a forest!

As I said, pretty boring stuff to most Americans. For me, however, it reminds me of an idealized summer camp, which is a reality I have never had any real experience with. I think of The Parent Trap or Disney's Fort Wilderness.

I am a little concerned that we are acting like tourists; I am not sure if most locals actually spend much time swimming in the river. But it is such a pleasant and relaxing activity, that we have already gone twice. Besides, we had may as well be tourists! We are living in the Variety Vacationland, after all.