Just like in the olden days!

We went to the Renaissance Fair (I refuse to write that with the extra 'e', no matter how funny it looks) this weekend and got sunburns all around. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, if a little warm. But after the longest, coldest winter of my life it was a welcome change.





I was on the verge of missing the Highland Games in Sanford and the Renaissance Fair more than made up for it. I'd never been to a Renaissance Fair before, so I was a little surprised at how many people were dressed up, and how loose they were with their costumes. There were plenty of buxom wenches, of course, and men in kilts, but there were also fairies, wizards and pirates. Basically, if you had a costume that you could wear to a screening of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Pirates of the Caribbean, you would not have looked out of place. That is not meant as a criticism, though, because it was a lot of fun to see so many people enjoying themselves so thoroughly.



The jousting and sword fighting was highly entertaining, although they really lacked any element of danger. Obviously no one was trying to kill anyone. But I found myself agreeing with a fellow attendee who heckled the sword fighters by shouting, "I want to see blood and heads!" He was about 8 years old. Again, it was fun, but my juvenile bloodlust was not sated by the toothless displays of non-violence.
(oh yeah - our new camera takes video with sound! Welcome to the twenty-first century!)

Certainly the highlight event (for me) was the coursing of the hounds. Two retired racing greyhounds (like Julian!) ran about 200 feet after a lure. Although it was brief, it was still extremely exciting to see them run.


Even though I felt a little out of place in my jeans and tee-shirt, I doubt I'll do any dressing up next time. That just isn't my style.

Sickos

Bronwen has been sick over the past week, which is a shame because this weekend is absolutely beautiful - highs in the 80s! Throughout this Fall/Winter, I've been sick at least three times, which is unusual for me. Maybe it's because I haven't been exercising much, or because I haven't taken my vitamins regularly, I am going to blame the weather. Whenever I've been sick it's when there was a dramatic change in temperature. It's no wonder, then, that Bronwen was sick this week: from lowest low to highest high, the temperature has gone from 16 degrees to 82 in less than a week. And this Friday night, temperatures are supposed be back down into the 30s.

And I'm not really complaining about the weather. I love it when it's cold, I love it when it's hot (I think I prefer the heat). I don't even really mind when the weather changes like it's been, but I think my body objects.

Broken promises

I know I promised pictures of snow. I know, I know, I know. And I'm sorry that I haven't posted any yet. This week has been absolutely crazy for me. I'll give you the short version.
Snow on Tuesday. It's hard for me to believe that it was only three days ago. That was the day of the inauguration, and also the day that I got promoted at work. So now the AV department Raleigh Marriott City Center hotel is under my control. Anything that goes wrong is my fault from now on. Also on Tuesday was our busiest week in months. And it isn't stopping or even slowing down until at least this coming Tuesday.
Bronwen took hundreds of pictures of the snow, and I will (eventually) post them here. Until then, however, please feel free to check out her Flickr account.

Chilly dogs

Here are some pictures of Lux and Julian in their nice, warm winter coats! Outside temp says it's 40 degrees but feels 35. Pretty cold!

Cloudy with a chance of snow

It wasn't much snow, but still. It's more snow than I've ever driven in before. I did not have time to take any pictures - in addition to having little time available, there was also no accumulation on the ground.

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.

Misty river

Ahh, November! Such a fantastic month - it has traditionally been my favorite, although we'll have to see how that plays out with some actual 'winter weather.' We went to an apartment sponsored Halloween party last night (sorry, we forgot to take pictures) and got to meet several of our neighbors. One of our main topics of conversation was the weather - we regaled them with tales of warm winters and 80 degree Christmases - and, in turn, we were given a clearer idea of what to expect as fall turns into winter. For one thing, many residents come from colder climates - Wisconsin, Nova Scotia, etc - so our shock at the cold weather did not really impress them.

But time marches on and the seasons change with or without us. The temperature this morning was 40 degrees. I took some pictures of the river that was steaming in the cold air.
Remember - there is an open invitation for anyone to come visit. We have a spare bedroom with a view of this very river.

Sleeping dogs

Here's some pictures of our sleepy dogs.

Julian never got up on the couch before. This is an entirely new thing for him. It's probably because the floor is so cold...
And Lux is keeping warm under her fleece.

Is it winter yet?

I can't promise that this will be the last post about how amazed I am at the 'new weather.' To tell the truth, I'm a little bit concerned. It's cold - as cold as I've ever really seen - and it is only October. What will it be like in December or January? And understand, I'm not particularly complaining. I love the weather here. But every passing day I realize how inadequate my former wardrobe is to handle this climate. I've tripled my sweater and long sleeve t-shirt collection, and now I'm looking for a warm hat of some kind.

This is a screenshot of our current forecast. I know it may not look like much, but the part that gets to me is the low, not the high. Because the dogs still have to go out at 10pm and 5am, no matter what the weather. And that's a pretty cold morning. And there was ice on my windshield again. I'm going to have to get a scraper or something. This is crazy! I had no idea people lived like this.

Again, though - I don't want to come off like I'm complaining. I really do love everything about this place, including the weather, even if it scares me a little bit. I am absolutely in love with Fall now, and seeing leaves drift down from the trees through the crisp afternoon air is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Even Lux was fascinated, watching the leaves fall lazily down, ready to pounce if one of them showed any further signs of life.

OMG it's COLD!

I was amazed to see ice (that's right - ice) on my windshield this morning. And it's only October!

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!

Taste of fall

I'm really running behind. Things have been so hectic at work that I haven't even been able to discuss the weather: it is now in full-fledged Fall mode here. The windows are open during the day, but closed at night because it is too cold! Actually, it is warm upstairs where we don't open the windows (no screens), but we shut them at night anyway because we don't want the dogs to get cold and uncomfortable.

We celebrated the arrival of fall by - what else? - going shopping. Some part of me feels guilty and ashamed for being such a consumer, but the rest of me doesn't care anymore. It's who I am and it makes me happy. I'll deal with the issues of being such a consumer and materialist later and in a different venue, but for now, we'll have to accept that I enjoy shopping. And it isn't so much the buying that I love, but the predictable changes in home furnishings, clothing and food that have, for most of my life, stood in substitute for physical seasons. I know it is fall when Old Navy starts to sell sweaters I won't buy and when Target sells pumpkin-shaped soup tureens. And when Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale is on sale. Last year we were tormented when Central Florida had apparently blown through the first shipment of this fine product. We saw it for a few days and did not buy it immediately. When we were ready for it, it was not to be found! Granted, we did not exactly canvas the entire region - we checked our local Publix Supermarkets and a few liquor shops. Really, it wasn't that big of a deal. But when we did find it, we bought a full case of it. It's a great beer. Kind of gimmicky, but it tastes like fall.

Also Einstein Brothers Bagels' pumpkin bagel. I miss that. I really do. There are a fair number of differences between Orlando and Raleigh. Most are minor, and in many cases I prefer Raleigh over Orlando. In the cases where I prefer Orlando, most are things that I have grown accustomed to and simply find replacements for. Florida's free market of liquor versus North Carolina's prohibition-era laws (NC actually has several dry counties!), for example, is something that I can get used to. It isn't as though I can't get plenty of liquor here. But Einstein Bagels is something that is irreplaceable. We tried Bruegger's, which is okay, but just not the same. And because it is such a similar restaurant, the differences are stark. I miss Einstein. Please, if you live near an Einstein, go and have a pumpkin bagel (toasted, with plain schmear) before they are gone. And tell me how delicious it was!

Equinox

I am embarrassed for the level of excitement I have for Fall. The Autumnal Equinox is only four days away and the air has actually started to change! I know that it won't remain cold, in fact, it is heating up already and the forecast high for today is 81. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the season is approaching.

What is so exciting for me is that, for the past 25 years of my life (I was born in Illinois and, although I can't recall a minute of it, lived there until I was five) the First Day of Fall was a completely arbitrary date. Depending on the year, the weather did not change until late October, November or even December. September was every bit as hot as August and July.

Yesterday was gray and rainy and it felt like the rain was bringing something. I hadn't thought about Fall really - I'm not used to such a short season - and as I basked in the cool air, I realized how little time Summer has left.

Remember - we have a spare bedroom. If you want to see and feel a real (if mild) Fall and Winter, you are more than welcome to visit!

Hanna is a nice name

We are getting ready for our very first Carolina hurricane. It's kind of exciting and kind of a drag. Also it isn't interesting. I'm conflicted as you can see.

Hurricane - sorry, tropical storm Hanna is expected to slice through the coastal area of our new home state. We here in the center of the state will get lots of rain. I don't mind rain, to be honest, although it will be a hassle to walk the dogs.

I was in Target today and heard people talking about stocking up for the hurricane. That really surprised me, because I hadn't thought about it. I looked at the shopping cart and considered going back for some beer - It may not be possible to weather a hurricane or tropical storm without any - but decided against it.

Although we are not out of the hurricane splash area, we are, thankfully, far enough inland to avoid having to stock up much on supplies. I may be mistaken and I may come to regret my cavalier attitude, but it doesn't have me very scared.