July 4th

 It was a fun day at SML with Jenny and the Gormans! We went for boat rides! Jenny fixed a delicious Shrimp Boil for dinner and yes it had sausage in it!  Thanks so much to Josh, William and Benjamin who provided a great fire works display in the driveway! Also, a neighbor put on a fireworks show that we could watch from the dock. Didn’t have to go out on the boat! On the 5th we were up the Blackwater when a storm approached with high winds and waves. Captain Bender go us home safely….great job Jenny!

It was wonderful seeing Jessica, Josh and the kids! Thanks for coming to SML!  Thank you Jenny for your hospitality!  Oh and some people fished!

Sally in the Burg!

Thursday June 13th

Sally arrived in time for dinner and we decided her visit should be centered around fun activities.  So Friday morning we headed to Veritas Winery for lunch and a sip of their Reserve Chardonnay! We came back via the Parkway enjoying the views on this beautiful day.  We also walked around the Humpback Rocks Mountain Farm. In the evening, Emily and David came to dinner so they could see Sally!

Saturday we went to Natural Bridge SP since Sally had never been there! We hiked the trail and were surprised how comfortable the temperature was.  

We got to Jenny's in time for Happy Hour in Morgan's Cove! Jenny made a wonderful dinner of salmon, ancient grains and brussel sprouts.

Note Sally's need in order to play the game after dinner!

Monday we toured the lake heading first up the Blackwater to Magnum Point Marina for lunch.  We had never eaten at the restaurant and it was very good.  We'll have to go back! Many thanks to Jenny for hosting us.  It's always great being at the lake with you!

Alas, Tuesday arrived and it was time for Sally to drive back to Maryland.  We loved having you in the Burg...just having a fun time!  We think you are doing great, so keep on keeping! We look forward to your next visit! Love you lots!!

 

Dance

 Friday May 31st

Hillsborough bound to see Audrey’s dance recital. She has been taking a Hip Hop Class this year.  The recital was Saturday afternoon at a high school in Burlington.  Audrey did a great job, she is really a good dancer!

All is well in the Alexander house.  Last week of school starts Monday!  Game wise the Grands were easy on us this weekend, we played Cribbage. Saturday night Audrey had 3 out of 4 of us dancing! Great spending time with you three.  Thanks Katie!

Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday, May 25th

Summer has officially started....My Favorite Dam Boat is in the water.  The lake was really busy today. We went to Bender's Cove but there were too many skiers and tubers in the area to anchor.  But it was still a great day on the water!

On Sunday we headed up the Blackwater to a point just beyond the 4H Center. On the way back we checked out the Magnum Point Marina Restaurant.  We'll go there for sure on a non-holiday day!  As you can see, the weather was gorgeous.

Of course, we had wonderful happy hours and dinners.  Jenny made a ham and hot kale salad with corn on the cob Saturday. Sunday's menu was chicken with a mushroom sauce and a potato casserole.  Superb Jenny!

 

The weather on Monday was predicted to be unfavorable for boating, but it was not!. We headed toward the dam to get gas and couldn't resist going all the way! It was a windy day and Jenny got practice docking in a breeze.  She did a MARVELOUS job!

Thanks so much Jenny for a wonderful weekend.  We would really miss SML if you did not live there!

 

Sally’s Birthday

 Friday May 17th

We headed to Maryland to see Sally and celebrate her birthday.  Gretchen earned the "Trailer Women of the Year Award" driving from Charlottesville to our campground with bumper to bumper traffic from Leesburg to Woodbine!

Saturday

Today we celebrated Sally's birthday! We picked her up, ate a quick lunch in Damascus and drove to Shepherdstown.  We got Sally a cupcake in a local bakery, and....when we started to sing Happy Birthday everyone in the shop joined in!

Shepherdstown has a vibrant center with a variety of shops, a museum and a Shepherd College campus.  It has a history of goblins and ghosts reflected in the decorations along the streets.

Historic Shepardstown Museum

Beautiful Home Garden 

Sally indicated that while we were in town, she did not want to work around the  house, she just wanted to have some fun! 

Sunday

Today we headed to Annapolis to have crab cakes at the Boatyard Market Bar and Grill.  The cakes were as good as we remembered and we splurged by sharing a piece of Smith Island Cake!

We strolled around downtown Annapolis and found the William Paca Garden that Sally wanted to see.  It was a beautiful spot, the backyard of an old center city family estate!

Monday and Tuesday

Gretchen and I rode and videoed two rail trails.  The Baltimore & Annapolis Trail was the first one. We thought we rode it decades ago, but we really did not recognize any spots along the trail. The second day we rode the Torrey C. Brown Trail that runs from Cockeysville north to the Pennsylvania line.  

Wednesday

Sally joined us for happy hour and dinner at the campground.  We had a fun time with her this week!  Sally, we think you are doing great after losing Gwen.  We can't imagine losing a partner after 49 years. It has to be rough! Gretchen and I are looking forward to seeing you more often.  If we can help you with the house during the coming months, just ask! Tomorrow, we head to Lynchburg.

Hillsborough Visit

 Friday May 3rd

We hadn’t seen Katie, Audrey and Henry for a while, so we decided to head to NC this weekend.  Everyone is doing fine!  The kids are looking forward to the end of school!  We tried to get tickets to visit the Lemur Center at Duke but we found out you need to get tickets months in advance! So Saturday afternoon we went to the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke. It is a beautiful place with really diverse exhibits. It was a fun weekend. Thanks Katie!

Jenny’s Birthday

Saturday April 13th

We had never been to the Keswick Winery located in the horse country northeast of Charlottesville so we had to go!  The winery is a beautiful setting and they are currently building a new tasting room as shown in the photo below.  We had a tasty lunch and of course a spot of wine to celebrate Jenny’s birthday!

Gretchen made a coconut cream pie for the birthday girl!