Old Rag

I hadn't been hiking up Old Rag in quite a few years. I had forgotten how long it actually takes to get all the way to the third peak!

The day could not have been more perfect! A beautiful blue sky and the trees just beginning to show their green leaves budding...

My hiking companion was getting a little tired. but even he thought the view was worth it. =)

I love VA Dogwoods! They are especially plentiful in this part of VA it seems. So pretty... I just had to get a photo.

He's Not My Type

I've heard it many times and have said it oft' myself. The idea of even having a "type" is kinda ridiculous when you think about it. Way to throw the baby out with the bathwater! I have an excuse, poor as it may be. I really didn't want to get into a relationship - not casual dating, and definitely not a serious courtship. I liked the freedom I had and wanted to never suffer the misery that is marriage (or at least what I had seen it to be in the lives of many around me). Yeah, I complained about the single life because it's expected. And sometimes even thought about how it would be nice to have someone in my old age. But as long as things were going swimmingly in my professional life, I was quite content in my singleness. So, when people would try to set me up with different guys, without giving them a chance, I would give them a flippant "Oh, he's not my type." Well, God has a sense of humor. If someone had asked me to describe my "type," I probably would have said something to the effect of a musically-inclined military man, with a heart for missions and a disdain for the ipod, ipad, and anything else "i" related. A man, older, stronger, and wiser than myself, with a desire to change the world. Instead, God sent me a man much younger than myself, with a disdain for military life, a love for all things Mac, and an obsession with Bob Dylan. People keep asking me, after all these years of forswearing men, why this guy? It may not seem a likely match, but I see God's fingerprints all over it. He is truly perfect for me in every way. So, for all of you questioners out there, I don't know if I can give you a satisfactory answer via blog, but I will tell you what it is I see when I look at the man I adore.

First off, let me assure you that he is a Christian, who sees eye-to-eye with me on my non-negotiables (namely Sabbath keeping and infant baptism). While those are important to me, they are not the things that swept me off my feet. I suppose there are a lot of things that contributed to this unlikely romance, so let me begin at the beginning. My year in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba probably worked in his favor - a place where compliments flow in as great quantity as the alcohol on that island. I quickly grew accustomed to the pick-up lines and overblown flattery. Mind you, I took it for what it was worth - absolutely nothing. I didn't let it go to my head. I did, however, become hyper-distrustful of men and their thinly-veiled intentions regarding me and any female within view. That being said, my first day back in the States brought me face to face with a sweet, seemingly innocent boy (I say "boy" because he is several years my junior and looks even a bit younger than that when he is clean-shaven). He talked with me, not to get something, but because he was genuinely interested. He looked into my eyes as he spoke and wasn't long before his eyes spoke volumes. We became fast friends, discussing life, religion, philosophy, and politics. We didn't agree on everything, but held common ground on the essentials. Our debates were often lively, rarely heated, and always ended on good terms. We disagree about the exact date that it went from friends to more than just friends, but only by a few days. According to him, it was the night he took me out on our first date (I saw it as dinner and a movie with a friend). Apparently, we "shared a moment" over fajitas. For me, it was the first night I went to his apartment (to cut his hair). After the haircut, he asked me to stay and watch Avatar, a movie I had not seen, despite all the hype. It was during that movie that he reached for my hand. It was electric - I don't know how else to describe it. We had it all... the friendship, the common interests and beliefs, and this touchy-feely thing people call chemistry (whatever it is, we have it!). All of that to say, I am glad I was not limited by a "type" because God sent me the only man able to tear down my walls and win my heart. He is everything I want and nothing I could have imagined. *happy sigh*

Downtown Fayetteville

I was given an hour lunch break, so not knowing what to do with myself, my brand new GPS and I took a trip to the older part of town. It was quite adorable. I wandered down the main street (Hay St.), and stopped to eat at a little mom and pop shop, where I struck up a conversation with the waitresses and a retired Soldier. We discussed Iraq and Afghanistan and the defense contracting world... you know, all the usuals.


I liked the old City Market, so I took a few pictures from various directions.



And then just some street shots...

Fayetteville

I've already complained to some of you about how much I dislike Fayetteville, NC, but I have to admit it is not all bad. Through the yellow/green haze of pollen (I am not even kidding! When the wind blows, there is a literal CLOUD of pollen!), there are some pretty things - plus, I am LOVING the warm weather. =)

The magnolias are already in bloom down here.


I cross this railroad track in the morning on my way to work. You can't see it all that well in this picture, but there is wisteria hanging from the bridge over the track. I like it. =)

The Super Moon

The newspapers were all touting this massively huge moon - the largest we would see in our lifetimes. This made me axious to see it. I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't get a good picture of it, but it was beautiful and looked HUGE in real life. I'm not sure you can even tell the moon from the street lights in the above picture, but it's there. I promise.

Road Tripping

I had to make a trek down US-29, from VA to NC for work. Along the way, there were some interesting sights. First, I saw a fire just north of Lynchburg. It was devouring an entire hillside and there was no one in sight trying to contain it. The plumes of smoke, rising heavenward, could be seen from a mile away!
Farther on, I came to a very small town by the name of Tightsqueeze. I was so intrigued by the name, I Googled it when I got to my destination and logged on to the hotel wifi. There was actually a rather interesting story behind the name. Apparently, a Mr. W. H. Colbert built a large general store in 1870. He put it right up to the edge of the dirt road so that ladies riding in carriages could step out of carriages onto the porch of the store building. Well, shortly after that and Mr. Isaiah Giles built a blacksmith-wheelwright shop right across the road directly in front of Colbert's Store, also at the edge of the road. Colbert complained about Giles putting his building to the edge of the road in front of his store, but Giles contended that if Colbert could put his store building to the edge of the road, he could too. When the buggies and wagons came galloping down the road at high speeds, they had to slow down to a walking pace to pass through the narrow passage between the two buildings because it was such a "tight squeeze." The drivers began warning travelers about that particular spot and that is how it got its name.
One thing I noticed was how many farms there are in VA and NC. Growing up in the suburbs, not too far from the greatest city ever, I always imagined that all the farms were out in the Mid-West and not along the East Coast. It's kind of amazing to me how many people grow up and live their whole lives away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. I often wonder if I could ever be happy with such a life, having already tasted the pleasures of city life. I don't know... it is hard to imagine!
It was interesting watching the colors change as I went farther south, from shades of brown with hints of green, yellow and pink, to shades of green, with vibrant yellow and white blossoms everywhere. Despite my northern roots, the south calls to me. I have a feeling I will end up in warmer climates.
I am sure there were other things I found interesting at the time, but I have forgotten them already. I guess they didn't make too much of an impression.
Until next time...