October colors at home

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yP0YHh7IEnnJAVsi-ZbKyqKzErK29NL3Jk3I6KkvIDY2awS4hkdm3FAMG3RZJINkVUtQuignD9gRuHmT-g_z4ZNuWsLvWBdkIuDmq2Qbw1ikNUqFZOeMa9rRH8OppWumhz0Jm-XSf3py/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yP0YHh7IEnnJAVsi-ZbKyqKzErK29NL3Jk3I6KkvIDY2awS4hkdm3FAMG3RZJINkVUtQuignD9gRuHmT-g_z4ZNuWsLvWBdkIuDmq2Qbw1ikNUqFZOeMa9rRH8OppWumhz0Jm-XSf3py/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The maple tree beside the deck puts on a show every year and 2013 is no exception. While the autumn colors this year have been hit-and-miss, this reliable maple remained a star in our October yard.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4B9gFIwYWv981WI_lFFbyeunsj5OJxPrzdc-n69P0Fo0CEHZCjUIEzQVX5SUX3rN0XytCes8ggP62ZSRolawvED2C5uo8OW_MfppV1XRIcT9DNgUuycxa0SmF3zlbBGRBXuWPcuLVW2td/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4B9gFIwYWv981WI_lFFbyeunsj5OJxPrzdc-n69P0Fo0CEHZCjUIEzQVX5SUX3rN0XytCes8ggP62ZSRolawvED2C5uo8OW_MfppV1XRIcT9DNgUuycxa0SmF3zlbBGRBXuWPcuLVW2td/s640/1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mini pumpkins and gourds from the garden.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_x35To_A54_oEnK97Cpe1r4UN0RQQ0HXbCA1-FxvY5xehE9V8wp59HIlvXroi6OnkT4ntdor_gOHQIZZ42eXX713YBpPDbXOzp8Xjj9AHpPDthx64wEalrscCacsUIyoiYnjCBAGmRXF/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_x35To_A54_oEnK97Cpe1r4UN0RQQ0HXbCA1-FxvY5xehE9V8wp59HIlvXroi6OnkT4ntdor_gOHQIZZ42eXX713YBpPDbXOzp8Xjj9AHpPDthx64wEalrscCacsUIyoiYnjCBAGmRXF/s640/2.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA-bArHCMj51V7UVKZZ8cWAOnlKwREwMulCd_-p_loFhDP4U1B8PIvpSDENXYVG2E2E2kRLc0eFg_WHnGzxh6I2uFGg3oxCoe1Zp_mG_I4EQZXRbasT59cbu-WVMnR3one__4LgiucLaR/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA-bArHCMj51V7UVKZZ8cWAOnlKwREwMulCd_-p_loFhDP4U1B8PIvpSDENXYVG2E2E2kRLc0eFg_WHnGzxh6I2uFGg3oxCoe1Zp_mG_I4EQZXRbasT59cbu-WVMnR3one__4LgiucLaR/s640/6.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFPwrGgNP7U_laHy246jOiObv0m6UE8npw9aTg8zJuxLZaJX53Gk9y7tVHy5TepbvdNY56WQMbtt0sKOr-Lb7eb861mcK-goE1fevg6p_rc4zNLv3ZxCzF2cpvFAH0hsE5_vJgPgLCWAJ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFPwrGgNP7U_laHy246jOiObv0m6UE8npw9aTg8zJuxLZaJX53Gk9y7tVHy5TepbvdNY56WQMbtt0sKOr-Lb7eb861mcK-goE1fevg6p_rc4zNLv3ZxCzF2cpvFAH0hsE5_vJgPgLCWAJ/s640/5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKptEWiwc82NuZEcJaRbiP9Cb5zxswSPLPIjYxyy1vz3EQp-xdtDHxKOnxpDS4Wf5utXm1hV3qDx1mKfcAdx05uwUziY0LtYBw9Ab8yhYLuhbo8DPVFlu-G0LBLeXWuoWBZlhGcXqb34O0/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKptEWiwc82NuZEcJaRbiP9Cb5zxswSPLPIjYxyy1vz3EQp-xdtDHxKOnxpDS4Wf5utXm1hV3qDx1mKfcAdx05uwUziY0LtYBw9Ab8yhYLuhbo8DPVFlu-G0LBLeXWuoWBZlhGcXqb34O0/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />October 30, 2013

Augusta County autumn in the Shenandoah Valley autumn leaves October October colors at home

The maple tree beside the deck puts on a show every year and 2013 is no exception. While the autumn colors this year have been hit-and-miss, this reliable maple remained a star in our October yard.Mini pumpkins and gourds from the garden.Photos by Ly…

Read more »

Frontier Museum Homeschool Day ... and then the rains came & I ducked under a tree

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmQLU36iXrvBTpI080pEAPXh3xr9qJoMWYPgkduhTdyLsNaOvMpTda_0FNb8HWJKbKkAgTh_SKPOE-Bp6fEShXUsEv_wZ_BPPN5u9OTLWiwK6OXgLdE9VWwZNN7Ut7tgmLZKgctlYiat-/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmQLU36iXrvBTpI080pEAPXh3xr9qJoMWYPgkduhTdyLsNaOvMpTda_0FNb8HWJKbKkAgTh_SKPOE-Bp6fEShXUsEv_wZ_BPPN5u9OTLWiwK6OXgLdE9VWwZNN7Ut7tgmLZKgctlYiat-/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As dark clouds gathered in the western sky Friday afternoon, hundreds of homeschoolers were at the <a href="http://www.frontiermuseum.org/">Frontier Culture Museum</a> enjoying the exhibits. With camera in hand, I was everywhere taking pictures and even shot one of the storm clouds visible above Staunton's Betsy Bell and Mary Gray mountains. <br /><br />When the first misty raindrops began, they were scattered and could barely be felt. I paid no attention to the moisture in the air ... it's a passing cloud, I thought ... and continued on my way, stopping in at the Irish farm, Irish forge, around by the pond, and by the cow. I visited with Sally Landes and the rest of the English farm interpreters and, after leaving there, stopped to visit with the goats who thought I had food and stuck their little heads through the fence to get closer. Cute goats.<br /><br />As I stood watching them -- okay, I was talking to them -- some larger raindrops began as the wind picked up. My first thought was that the cooling wind felt good because it had been a warm day in the mid-80s.<br /><br />That's when I realized there were some even <i>larger</i> raindrops mixed in the wind. Hmm ... maybe I should head toward shelter, I thought, and picked up the pace heading toward the entrance.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXppc8LkccaRf4ctT3LYPJY82sLpzYdzGxvDJiXRg_w_HCwFIomynidYxkFF6qwumfr1ucll3lP8Z4Xsvmyn246O8E-h_5pcQSDK9SC3Kd2LHdctIB_NCAIWT-kSwzYkXfwQScIfzgQ17X/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXppc8LkccaRf4ctT3LYPJY82sLpzYdzGxvDJiXRg_w_HCwFIomynidYxkFF6qwumfr1ucll3lP8Z4Xsvmyn246O8E-h_5pcQSDK9SC3Kd2LHdctIB_NCAIWT-kSwzYkXfwQScIfzgQ17X/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I rounded the curve at the African farm. The maples were changing colors and were so pretty with their red leaves ... I needed to get a picture ... so my camera and I paused to record the scene. <i>Click click click.</i> The rain got a little heavier ... <i>click click click</i>.<br /><br />I finally stepped under the trees in the shelter of the just-photographed leaves. Ahhh ... perfect, I thought ... I'll just weather this little shower from under here. As homeschoolers dashed up the path to the main building, I watched from my dry spot and enjoyed the view peeking out from under the leaves while breathing in the fresh air and the smell of the rain and ...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGELJyXbTK2yyxksQ5vIUvQnoV2IMbMQH9AYVRPUH4D7kzOt9noNUi-VGoELjJpXiXxHJewZNCUlNmkUKwD0sTXsNF56O3o5UIxfy2OgyiJY9Uzp0R49p8ugqJmCzcgXalo_o79Xv3HQl/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGELJyXbTK2yyxksQ5vIUvQnoV2IMbMQH9AYVRPUH4D7kzOt9noNUi-VGoELjJpXiXxHJewZNCUlNmkUKwD0sTXsNF56O3o5UIxfy2OgyiJY9Uzp0R49p8ugqJmCzcgXalo_o79Xv3HQl/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Watching the rain from under a tree.</i></div><br />BOOM. The sky opened in a downpour, rain obscuring the distant mountains and finding its way through the tree leaves.<br /><br />Uh-oh.<br /><br />I watched the pouring-down streaks of rain for a minute, hoping it would quickly let up because surely that much rain cannot come out of the sky for long -- right? -- and then realized I was getting <i>wet.</i> Forget the leaves ... rain was pouring onto me.<br /><br />That's when I made my escape for the main building. By the time I scooted under shelter, my naturally curly hair (I always hear the <a href="http://www.hark.com/clips/jrdkgksyfq-curly-hair">voice of that little <i>Peanuts</i> character</a> when I say that) -- previously nicely straightened, thanks to the hot iron -- was sufficiently soaked that curls began boinging out like springs.<br /><br />And that was the end of my afternoon at the Frontier Museum. I left with damp clothes and frizzy hair.<br /><br />And a ton of memories. It was a good day....<br /><br /><i>Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell</i><br /><i>Frontier Culture Museum Homeschool Day</i><br /><i>October 4, 2013</i>

autumn leaves Frontier Culture Museum Homeschool Day Shenandoah Valley Staunton Frontier Museum Homeschool Day ... and then the rains came & I ducked under a tree

As dark clouds gathered in the western sky Friday afternoon, hundreds of homeschoolers were at the Frontier Culture Museum enjoying the exhibits. With camera in hand, I was everywhere taking pictures and even shot one of the storm clouds visible abov…

Read more »