If you’ve seen some of my posts, you will know that I love my ride to work. I travel on 3 short but pretty roads. The first thing that caught my eye this morning was the sun’s reflection on the frost of this cedar tree.
There was something about that bare tree,
the questioning looks as I darted back and forth outside the fence line,
and the sunlight shining through the hair on their backs.
What a lovely, lovely way to transition from home to work.
While celebrating the 50th Birthday of two dear friends, I had the very good fortune to spend time at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary (near Raleigh) North Carolina. While not an overnight guest, I had the opportunity to enjoy the natural landscape, a delicious brunch and to realize the peace, serenity and absolute luxury that guests enjoy.
According to Our State: North Carolina Magazine, the Umstead was built on land that used to be part of the William B. Umstead State Park. “The hotel is a reflection of the surrounding serenity with a limestone exterior that rises up from naturally landscaped earth. Off the terrace, a shaded boardwalk invites visitors to linger around a pond fringed with blue flag iris and a grove of young cypress. Inside, sleek wood paneling, stone floors, and walls of windows pull nature indoors” (http://www.ourstate.com/brilliant-oasis-the-umstead/).
The Umstead also boasts an extensive art collection. I wandered the interior of the hotel, stopping time and time again to enjoy the paintings, sculptures and photographs, all a reflection of the natural world. I had not thought of writing about the experience from the perspective of art (hey – I was here for a party!), but I wish I’d taken more time with the camera. As I stopped to photograph some of the pieces, I thought about how I don’t know much about art but I do know what catches my eye.
The flower arrangements were stunning!
And even the presentation of the table and food were beautiful to see.
A stroll along the walking paths took us through the trees and alongside a pond. The hotel boasts it’s sustainability and I loved that over 50% of the food products for Herons, the in hotel restaurant, and over 30% of the food products for the entire property come from local North Carolina purveyors (http://www.theumstead.com/ourHotel/sustainability-en.html). We watched as one of the chefs selected herbs for the days meals.
What an absolute treat it was to spend a few hours at The Umstead. I kept joking with my friends that I understood why people wanted to be rich … I would have loved to spend a few days, rather than just a few hours, here.
Even the trees put on a show for us.
It truly is a wonder that I get to work on time … but I do … really! As I drive the short route to work each morning, I often have to force myself to keep the truck moving toward the office.
As one who loves all seasons and most types of weather, I thought the morning was wonderfully cold at 29 degrees. The little bit of sun that was shining through caused the frost on the leaves to sparkle. I pulled over and ran along the side of the road (in my skirt and heels) snapping a few pictures. The girls in the field were curious as to what I was up to, and followed my movements.
It was lovely to connect with the out of doors before getting back in the truck, finishing the ride to work and spending the day closed up inside a building.
I have loved seeing this begonia continue to bloom well into fall … bright colors that surely fit into the oranges, reds and yellows of the changing leaves.
The blue, while not a fall color, is a lovely contrast against the brown leaves.
The afternoon sun brightens the yellow leaves that have fallen into the juniper.
Southwest Virginia … home of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the larger Appalachian mountain range, and also of the New River, considered to be the oldest river on the North American continent. My current home in the City of Radford (http://www.radford.va.us/) is located in the New River Valley.
On any given day, I travel down roads that, especially during this time of year, are arguably some of the prettiest around.
In the summer, my friends and I kayak along this stretch of the New. During this time of year, I scramble down the river bank to shoot the old train trestle against the backdrop of the evening light and the changing leaves.
While visiting friends to drop off fresh baked bread or cookies, I’m rewarded by the beauty that I see outside their homes.
The ride to work takes longer than it should during the fall as I stop multiple times to capture the scenery. The first picture was taken from my office parking lot, while the next is the view over the houses near Radford University (http://www.radford.edu/).
The taste of a microbrew at The River Company (http://www.therivercompanyrestaurant.com/) across the New River is even better when this is what I see from the deck.
This gorgeous oak stops me on my way down to Main Street …
… while this is the view that greets me as I drive home from work in the evening.
Sure, there are things that I miss by living in the rural part of Virginia (restaurant diversity for example), but views like this one taken from Attimo Winery (http://www.attimowinery.com/) sure help to make up for it!
I am always surprised when someone tells me that they don’t like fall.
The fresh air, the cooler temps, the energy … but mostly the colors!
I want to take my camera with me everywhere I go. And when I do leave it at home, I regret it. The beauty of fall surrounds us at all times of the day.
Morning sun…
Mid-morning Color …
Late afternoon light …
Evening Sunset …
Don’t mourn the passing of summer and end up missing all that is fall!!
Let yourself enjoy!!
Without a doubt, I love to ride with friends. Some of my favorite and most fun times are when I am spending the day with friends on our bikes. But one of the advantages of riding solo, is that I can stop at any time to take pictures … and the ride from Mt Airy, NC to SWVA is perfect for doing just that!
I took me twice as long to get home than it should have but it was so worth it!!
While relaxing in my living room after a lovely day on the bike with Dave, I couldn’t help but see the beautiful evening light shining down on the trees in my front yard …
So fortunate to live in a home surrounded by trees.
Who doesn’t love a long weekend? I sure do and I’ll never take one for granted! Even though I’ve been on a M-F schedule for over a decade, years of working nights, weekends and holidays have me appreciating 3 days off in a row.
This Labor Day weekend gave me the chance to work on my photography while having a great time with friends. It began with a day on the lake with Donna, Sheila, and our “boatboy”, Jon. Photography can be a challenge when on the lake because of the constant movement of the boat, the threat of water on the camera and the brightness of the midday sun.
My new camera has a “sports” function that allows for shooting continuous images of a moving object. Even though I was the one moving in the boat and the camera was moving with me, I was able to capture some really nice images of the water and the sky. I could be using this function wrong, but the pictures weren’t blurry so I was happy. The one of Sheila shows the challenge of midday lighting.
I struggle with taking decent pictures of people. This is an area where I have a great need for improvement. Even still, the pictures reflect the fun of the day.
I’m getting better at editing a picture so that the colors and the subject shine through.
Nature always provides for beautiful shots …
… even though I need to figure out how to better shoot the moon’s reflection on the water.
The threat of rain was constant on Saturday, yet I took the bike out anyway. A spontaneous ride by Lane Stadium in Blacksburg and an open gate gave me the chance to photograph a favorite place.
I wasn’t real happy with these, but I loved being able to wander around the football complex when almost no one else was there. The pictures from the ride home turned out just fine. How beautiful SWVA is!
While watching a pouring rain out my front door later that afternoon, I saw the sun shining through and ran outside with the camera. I was really happy with these pictures.
The rain came and went all weekend long and threatened to doom an annual labor day party. Liz and Wilson’s gathering at the cabin on the Little River has become the traditional way to end the summer and we always enjoy good food, good friends and plenty of time in the water. This year we huddled under tents while it rained, but thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the rain free time.
The bike ride home felt great and I was able to shoot a couple old buildings and a beautiful farm.
It’s a wonder I make any progress on the road as I am constantly stopping to take pictures! What a fun, fun new obsession / hobby this is! Perhaps I should take a class …
Vacations
We all want them and in fact, we all need them. We need time away from the routine and the worry; the “every moment scheduled” and the burdens of the job. Some vacations are relaxing, some provide adventure. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have a week away from all that life throws at us, and sometimes we’re just glad to have a long weekend.
I like to ask the women that I see in my office what they do during their vacation time off (I also like to ask them when they last got a babysitter and went on a date with their loved one, but that’s for another blog post). I consider this question a critical part of the overall assessment of my patients health and well being. I could site (but I won’t) the evidence that proves that those who take some sort of vacation have higher energy, are more relaxed and feel less burdened. I tell my patients that they can not be expected to perform well as woman, wife, mother, employee, volunteer, daughter, sister (you get the picture) without time for self – but THATs a whole ‘nother blog post, too. Today a patient told me that she and her husband rented a mustang convertible and drove the California coast! How cool is that???
Many people tell me that they do the same thing each summer, such as spending a week at the beach or a long weekend in the mountains. Others tell me that they love their “staycations”, an opportunity to save the money that might be spent on an expensive vacation. A true staycation, according to Tightwad Tod with Consumer Reports, does not combine play and work, but I find that many people that I talk to do just that. http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2009/05/tips-for-the-best-staycation-ever.html.
My friends Ruth and Ralph have mastered the local vacation, what they also call the Economic Stimulus Vacation. They like to boost the economy of some local Virginia towns by visiting shops and restaurants. They rent cabins in state parks or put up a tent along the Crooked Road http://thecrookedroad.org/. What a great way to learn more about the region where you live, to spend your dollars locally and to save money, too.
Over the years, I have tried a variety of types of vacations, from a full week at the beach with the entire family to 3 long weekends over the summer months, each one featuring a different activity in a different place. I’ve also taken the classic “football lovers winter vacation” (aka a Bowl Game). Ruth and I take an annual “Road Trip to a Hokie Game”. We both love watching VT Football and we also love to explore new places. We’ve cheered on the Hokies and enjoyed the local flavors of Atlanta, DC, Morgantown and Huntington. This year, it’s on to Chapel Hill!
Of course nothing will compare to the time that Andrew and I took an 8 week road trip across the country. I had just finished a four year period of working full time night shift in the ER while attending part time grad school and we’d had no vacation for four years! Back then (1995), the Commonwealth of Virginia allowed employees to “carry over” vacation hours and because of the length of time I’d gone without taking time off, I had 8 weeks vacation time saved up. Throughout that entire trip of camping, hiking and exploring this great country with my then 10 year old son, a check was deposited into my account.
1995 – Leaving Richmond, Virginia Rafting the Flathead, near Glacier N.P.
North Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon N.P. Mesa Verde N.P. Colorado
The end of the road in Capital Reef N.P. Utah
I don’t recommend going 4 years without taking time off, but the resulting vacation for Andrew and for me was a blast! (Go ahead … laugh at the “Mom Shorts” and the frost colored lipstick – just remember, it was 1995!).
Other truly memorable vacations have been when the entire family has traveled to the beach together, once to celebrate my parent’s 50th Anniversary, and more recently, to celebrate the fact that we all just have a really good time together!
2008 – 50th Anniversary Champagne Toast The Buchwald Family
2011 – Left Right Center Paddleboarding
I’ve also been lucky to have the annual GOA (Girls of August) Gathering in August. This vacation is easy – the date and the people never change (the first weekend in August with Jan, Janet, Becky and Andrea) and the goal is to do nothing more than eat, drink, talk, laugh and play in the water. We’ve even incorporated a nap into the weekend, with Becky of course, teaching us how it’s done!
The Birthday Gals have met for weekends in Boone NC, Giles County VA, and also in Hungry Mother State Park. These short getaways also offer lots of time for good conversation and laughter, delicious food and drink, hiking and sometimes, even a little dancing!
And then there are the weekend bike trips with friends. This year’s had a twist: my good friend Tim in the convertible and me on the bike – exploring new roads and a new camera.
Several years ago, a dear friend of mine, David Dehart, told me that in order to really vacate, to really let down, let go and relax, you had to take 2 full weeks away from work. He said that by day 5 of the one week vacation, just when you are starting to relax, you realize you have to return to work in two days.
I know that not all are able to take 2 weeks off of work in a row, but for the past 3 years, I have been lucky enough to do just that. It is a huge emotional and physical benefit to me (and therefore of benefit to my patients) and in a way, it’s a small tribute to David. I think of him as I ride along and remember the good friend and great person he was.
After all these years of work and play, I think I have perfected how to take a vacation. The 10 days away from work this year were a wonderful mix of time with friends and time alone. My recipe for the perfect vacation included the following ingredients:
* 4 days playing in the Pamlico River of North Carolina with the GOAs, followed by
* 6 days of riding throughout Tennessee, exploring new places and meeting new people.
* I had a 1 day reunion with old friends, 1 day of play on the lake with Amy, and 1 day at a concert in Bristol with Radford friends. This was followed by
* 1 day at home to do chores, unpack and get organized, and finally
* 1 day back in the office to get caught up on paperwork, charts, labs and phone calls. It was the perfect transition back to work and seeing a full schedule of patients.
I am not quite sure when I have felt so rested and restored! You may read this and think that this type of vacation is the last kind you would want to take. Whatever your idea of perfect is, just be sure to do it! We all need that time away, whether it’s in your own back yard or miles from home.
Just remember that I’ll be asking you what you did!
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 