Hello, dear fall.

Yesterday my family took our yearly day trip to the mountains. We've been doing this for as long as I can remember! :) Every year, we visit familiar places, but we also visit new places. My dad used to deliver in this area, so he knows his way around. This field is so pretty that I take a picture of it every time we pass.

I love the contrast of the mountains. The impossibly green grass and the bright leaves. The twisting, scary roads and heights, and the peaceful little valleys, with the old farmhouses that have a backdrop of mountain and a little stream through the front yard.

By "mountains," I mean the Blue Ridge Mountains. We drove a little on the parkway, driving through Stuart, Meadows of Dan, and Floyd. We always have to stop at Lover's Leap.

Of course, there's this little legend. You can't see it in the picture, but the whole wall is covered with writing, initials, and declarations of love (despite the sign that says, "Do not deface the wall").

The view really is spectacular. The photos don't do it justice. The sky was also perfectly blue. And there were considerably more pretty trees and open restrooms than last year. This weekend was supposedly the "peak," but there was still a lot of green (then again, a lot of the trees had already lost their leaves).

"Summer is over and gone," repeated the crickets. "How many nights till frost?" sand the crickets. "Good-bye, summer, good-bye, good-bye!"...A little maple tree in the swamp heard the cricket song and turned bright red with anxiety.

-Charlotte's Web

A lovely leafy path.

I love these little wooden fences that are everywhere along the parkway.

Mabry Mill is always so sweet. Things were a little more active than last year. The water was turning the mill, and when we went inside, you could hear it splashing. There was also the biggest goose I have ever seen. He was sitting on a rock near the water, with his neck twisted so that his head rested on his back. It looked like he was sleeping, but he actually had his eyes open. And when anyone got too close, wow. It sounded like somebody was strangling him.

And of course we stopped at Nancy's Fudge. If you're ever nearby, you must stop. When you open the door, the most amazing smell hits you right in the face. :) They have tons of different fudge flavors, but the original chocolate is my favorite. I also always have to get a pack of the two tone pretzels- completely dipped in white chocolate, and then half of it's dipped in regular chocolate. Mm.

It was a good day.

And when we got home, I had received this book in the mail! I won it in a giveaway at Jenny B. Jones' blog. I'm so excited about reading it. :) Thanks so much, Jenny!

Until next time,