Praises, and Hither-and-yon Outdoor Fun (or, Get Thee To The Woods Vol. 8)

I had planned on posting a Sunday Praises post yesterday (I'm long overdue for one) but it didn't happen. We've all had some great outdoor adventures this week, too, so I've decided to combine them into one post.

1. Last week, we all travelled somewhere different: my husband (I wanted to nickname him Shemp for this blog, but he preferres Joe. Apparently there was a stooge with that name, too; who knew?) went to Hawaii for a work-related conference. I thought about bringing the kids and/or myself along, but for various reasons (one being that he would be spending most days in meetings), we decided to let him go alone this time. I was only the tiniest bit jealous when he sent pictures like this,

and this,

but he had a lot of work to do, and the rest of us were busy with swim practices and meets, as well as our own visits with family. He is back home with us now after more than a week away, Praise God!

2. Every summer for the past several years, one of the kids has spent a week with my in-laws. This is a great way for each of the boys to get to know them and to nurture their relationships with them. (Praise God for my husband's parents, who raised and nurtured him; and who love spending time with our boys!) This year it was Curly's turn. His first day, they visited an aviation museum on a naval base; he got to ride around on top of this bus,

and saw a lot of very cool airplanes.

Curly and his grandparents had a lot of other outdoor adventures, too, that he didn't take photos of (they are sending me the ones they took; if there are any more good outdoor photos I'll post them here later): they went to a waterpark, played golf, and took the puppy for many walks. (click here for my earlier post about this.)

Okay, so this was taken indoors; but isn't he a cutie? He must be resting after a fun day of chasing rabbits.

Curly is back home safe with us now, Praise God!

3. At the kennel where we leave our own dog, they have a little fountain/fish pond.

Sometimes Curly and Moe find frogs and tadpoles, but this time all they could see was this goldfish trying to stay out of sight.

Our neruotic yellow lab is almost impossible to travel with, so Praise God for a fun, safe place to leave her while we're gone. She loves coming here and they all adore her.

4. With Joe and Curly gone, Larry, Moe, and I decided to spend a few days with my parents. My dad's radiation treatments for his prostate cancer are going very well; he is experiencing minimal side effects, the doctors expect the cancer will be gone once they're finished, and he only has two weeks left to endure them. Praise God!

We took a drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we saw some spectacular views,

and visited the historic Mabry Mill.

Of course, we had to stop and look at the ducks and geese that live by the millpond

and Moe looked for critters in the stream.

There are many other interesting things to see there, too; the millrace,

the mill wheel,

the millstones that have been used here to grind corn and buckwheat over the years,

the cabin.

If Moe had a horse he might have made a good plow man.

There is a nice view out of the mill window, too.



The next day the boys and I took a walk along an old railroad bed that has been converted into a walking and biking trail.
Some of the old tracks are still there.

We saw many of these along the trail, and we stopped here and there for a treat.

About a mile down the trail is a bridge

that crosses a railroad track that is very much in use.

We made it home safely from this trip, too. Praise God!

5. There are many other blessings to be thankful for, too: my husband, who is celebrating his birthday SOON; and for the front that came through yesterday afternoon, and while it didn't bring us the rain we desperately need, it has given us some relief from the 100+ degree heat we've endured these past few days. For these and all your blessings, Lord I praise your name! Click here for this week's Outdoor Mondays post from 5 Orange Potatoes!