Following Foliage to Umstead Park

Our 30 for 30 is officially over, but we're still trying to check out new spots and new things to do around the Triangle.  Today, we headed to William B. Umstead State Park in Wake County to check out some of the foliage.

The trees are just starting to peak around here, and it's the perfect temperature for walking (mid-60's).  We hiked Sal's Branch Trial which is about 2.8 miles.  It intersects with Big Lake where people can rent canoes in the summer (sorry, Mom, no swimming allowed.  What's with that?  Maybe there are snakes.)

It was another place that reminded us of some of the parks we used to walk in Massachusetts.  It's nice to still be in a place that changes with the seasons and has quiet trails that are not that dissimilar from what we're used to.  The three of us are big fans of fall and all the parks are perfect places to go this time of year.

30/30: Checking out City Parks

October 20th

Durham's city parks are great--and there are a lot of them.  Sandy Creek Park is close to where we live but we hadn't been to it yet assuming it was small and too close to a busy road, but we decided to venture there today and were pleasantly surprised to find a nice field with picnic areas (even a bocce court) and multiple trails to walk along the creek and woods.  

 It was the perfect fall morning to be out in the sun and crisp air.

30/30: Storms and Shipwrecks

October 7th 

The remains of Hurricane Karen filtered through North Carolina today so we had a movie night in and watched Life of Pi.

While Pi had to share his lifeboat with a feisty Bengal tiger, we had to share our couch with an equally defiant little "tiger."  Why are animals always the boss?

30/30: Suspended

October 6th 

We checked out the Eno River State Park today (I'd been to the West Point on the Eno so it was nice to see the "other side").  

We walked a trail along a quiet creek then went over to the suspension bridge.

While it's sometimes hard to tell it's fall in Durham, here in the park the leaves were falling and it seemed more like October.  Part of what we like about where we live is that we can drive 15 minutes and feel like we're in another state--maybe even pretend we're in New England for a little while.

30/30: The Elves

October 3rd 

We took Maya for a walk in Forest Hills tonight.  This is a historic neighborhood with really pretty houses and nice open fields.

Ironically, earlier in the day, I came across this article from USA Today about The Tiny Door Project.  Inspired by those "evil" little elves from Keebler, itty-bitty doors are popping up on trees across the country. They list one in Elmira Park in Durham, but it's not a park we frequent.  With elves on the brain, I was excited when I spotted this tiny door tucked into a tree in Forest Hills.  

Of course, I would have been more excited if it was filled with cookies, 

The First Flurries

This is what was left in the morning of the first "winter storm" to hit Durham.  

It was the talk of the town.  Every school was delayed at least two hours; some organizations canceled all together. 

Maya took one look outside, dropped her head, and walked away from the door.  She was thinking, "I thought we got away from this crap."

Tommie's boss asked if we wanted to take a walk in the snow last night.  We said, "We're in our PJs watching TV.   We saw snow last year."  And the year before that, we saw enough snow to last us a lifetime.  If this is all we get down here, we're cool with that.

Bugs Before Cable

Yes, I'm weird and take pictures of insects and reptiles in our yard. I recently told one of Tommie's female colleagues that I used to collect and play with insects as a child because I didn't have cable television. She said that was in no way, shape, or form a valid excuse for playing with worms. Why didn't I just draw or something? Ha.

I hope that by the time there are kids in my life they aren't so far removed from nature that they never even see a worm. (Seeing it on an iPhone doesn't count.) No cable for them!

Anyway, here are some of the little guys I see around. I know my mother-in-law will like the snakes, but some of you might not appreciate them as much. None are poisonous...that I know of. I think they are cool...must be because I don't have cable again.

 Small black rat or racer snake (white belly?) trying to get into our storage shed.

Box turtle in the driveway.

 Orange-striped oak worm eating our oak trees.

Brown snake in our leaf pile.

Lizard with the bright blue tail on our deck. It's a Blue-tailed Skink. I love them!

Day Trip to Little Washington

We didn't do anything crazy for our one-year wedding anniversary...we figured moving to North Carolina this summer was crazy enough. Plus, we've been together something like 13 years (I've lost count), so we've had many an anniversary already. 

I did manage to drag Tommie away from work on Sunday to take a day trip to Washington, North Carolina. It's a small town about two hours from Durham on the Pamlico River. They call it "the heart of the inner banks," and people in Durham call it "Little Washington"...I'm guessing because DC is "Big Washington."

We decided to bring Maya with us, and thankfully she was on her best behavior. I had read that Washington had a nice fenced-in dog park so we made our first stop there. Maya had the entire park to herself. It was Sunday morning and I guess all the other dogs were at church.

Afterwards, we grabbed brunch at a little cafe/restaurant by the river. We sat out on the back porch with Maya who poked her head out from under the table when people walked by in their Sunday best. She shared the deck cordially with another dog, and a lizard who contemplated jumping on her head.

On a cooler day, we would have liked to take a walk along the waterfront. We stopped by Goose Creek State Park on our way out and I waded in the water with Maya. We didn't stay long--children were screaming and it made the peaceful park, well, less peaceful. It did seem like a nice, well-kept park for families camping and hanging out along the river.

It was a beautiful day and good to get out and be along the water for a little bit. There are so many big and little places to check out around here.

This Weekend Around Durham

On Saturday I bought herbs to plant in pots on our deck (basil and mint) from Durham's weekly farmer's market. Not only are they good for cooking, but they are also supposed to ward off misquotes!

We stopped for lunch at a modern French restaurant/bakery downtown: Rue Cler. Tommie had muscles and frites (fries) and I had a salad with chicken, brie, and crispy onion frites. They have unique breakfast options as well so it's a good place to go with guests who like either. The food was fresh, tasty, and affordable.

Later we stopped at Sugarland in Chapel Hill for gelato. Mango and peach for my tutti-fruity man, and blood orange and lemon for me. Always a nice treat on these hot, summer days.

Sunday morning we took Maya for a walk in Northgate Park. We drove past it the weekend before and wanted to come back to explore. The park itself is quiet and shaded with play areas, picnic tables, and a bridge over the creek. We discovered that it connects easily to a trail that follows alongside Ellerbee Creek and continues to the Museum of Life and Science and beyond. The paths are shaded and flat...Maya approved.

Backyard Bugs

For the first time in our lives Tommie and I have our own backyard. It's not really "ours" since we're renting, but it's the first time we can pretend.

(Before and After)

Before the southern heat spell started, we spent some time sprucing up little bits of our very piney plot of land in Durham. Even just a little raking and sweeping makes such a difference. Of course, I have bigger plans up my sleeve involving lights and lanterns for the future.

The super-sized bugs around here don't care much for our backyard cleanup. Tommie refused to touch the leaf piles after he saw a couple baby snakes and I pointed out the giant millipedes. We have quite the ecosystem around us...with fireflies, mice, snakes, millipedes, caterpillars, roaches, jumping spiders, and lizards roaming around.

As a kid I loved bugs and I still get oddly excited when I find critters...my parents are lucky they raised me in the Northeast where bugs are "normal" size. I do have a feeling my tolerance for creepy crawlies will come in handy living in a place like this.

Fall Along the Ipswich River

A few weeks ago, Tommie and I used a Groupon to rent kayaks from Foote Brothers Canoes and paddle a few miles up the Ipswich River. We went back to the area on Sunday to walk along the paths that wind through Bradley Palmer State Park and explore the footbridges we had recently paddled alongside.

We took Maya with us because she loves woodsy paths. She does not, however, love horses, and apparently this is a popular spot for riding. Tommie thinks her growling and barking is a "short-man complex"--that she's jealous of their long, lean legs. We tried to avoid the riding trails, but at one point had to outrun a pack of riders like we were trying to escape from the headless horseman. 

We won't be able to take these walks for much longer with winter on the way. We haven't minded the mild weather this fall, even if it's yielded unimpressive foliage for coastal Massachusetts. Soon everything will be covered in white anyway. It's important to enjoy the last few weeks before hibernation begins.

Our Wedding

images from www.coast2coastimages.com

I'm happy to report wedding day success!

All the planning, organizing, and countless hours on Craigslist and Ebay paid off in what amounted to a marriage celebration that truly felt like a reflection of "us." It was real, it was cute, it was natural, it was with our closet friends and family who have been with us for many years. There were no catastrophes, no major meltdowns, and on top of that, it was a beautifully warm and sunny day! New England weather finally came through! Since we planned the bulk of this wedding ourselves, I totally think we earned that.

The gardens were absolutely beautiful. Tommie's Dad took some fantastic shots (as exhibited in this blog), and our second shooter was very creative and patient as she followed me around the garden making me pose all over the place for pictures. ..ok, so maybe the truth is she had to basically ask me to stop posing.

Even Maya (the dog of honor) and all the kids were attentive and well-behaved. I was very proud. The reception that followed went smoothly with the help of our awesome day-of planner. We got to eat our favorite east coast Mexican food, catch up with old friends, and dance (though Tommie could use some new dance moves). There was fun, there was laughter, and of course, a lot of pictures to remember it all.

I'll post more details about our vendors soon for anyone considering a wedding in New Hampshire or the surrounding area.

Wedding "Flowers"

I’ve been thinking a lot about flowers lately. Spring time and an impending wedding will do that to a person. From the onset, I’ve wanted to take some creative liberty with my wedding "flowers.” I plan to do potted centerpieces (such as aloe, sempervirrum, and succulents) at the reception to tie in to our west coast theme and also to be more environmentally friendly.

As for the bouquets, I am having a young woman (whom I found on my beloved Craigslist) put together an odd assortment of flowers for me. They'll consist of orange Dahlias—because Tommie and I love how full and pretty they are; Craspedia (aka “billy balls”…don’t snicker)—because they are fun and remind me of yellow paper lanterns; and dried lotus pods because I used to see them growing out of the lily pads in Balboa Park like rusted watering cans, and I just think they look cool. In my head I see these things working together…being bold, bright and contemporary while also being rustic, and not very “floral,” therefore not in competition with the natural beauty of the gardens around us.

Here are a couple inspiration bouquets I came across (photos from The Full Boquet). These boquets make great use of orange dahlias, billy balls and lotus pods, though none encompass the three together.

My Craigslist florist told me she is genuinely excited to finally have an opportunity to put together a non-traditional bridal bouquet. I hope she still feels the same when my dead lotus pods and billy balls arrive.

This Isn't Funny

I wish the weatherman was joking when he said we'd get snow on April 1st, but I woke up to the sound of sleet tapping against the window and I was not amused. I pulled my snowpants out of the storage bin that I banished them to in March while groaning and cursing. I can feel my mood souring with each cold day that passes and I don't think I'm alone. I think we will all be elated when the first string of warm sunny days arrives. If indeed it ever does...

End of Fall

It's been a drab fall. Summer was hot; summer was long, and that has made for pretty lame fall foliage around these parts. Strong early fall windstorms didn't help the matter by ripping weak leaves off the trees before they peaked.I've done what I could to recognize the season...put out pumpkins from our final CSA pick up (I can say good-bye to eating vegetables now), binge on apple cider donuts, and heat up mulled cider mix, but the season's gone by fast and pretty much unnoticed. November is almost here and I am not ready for what that means.

What's nice about fall is that it throws in a couple of last minute beauties...days like today which are in the 70's, sunny and crisp. There was a pretty layer of white fog in the harbor today just before the sun was about to push through and I wished that Tommie wasn't at work already so he could grab his camera and take some photos. I wished I didn't have to go to work so I could take a long walk and maybe get more cider donuts because you can never have too many of those. If I ruled the world, I wouldn't just tell people to stay home on snow days, I would tell them to stay home on days like today...probably the very last nice day for six months. No one should spend a day like this in the office.