North Carolina Trip, Day 4 - The Biltmore Estate.

The chateau is absolutely stunning!!!

I especially love the two stone lions guarding the entrance.

The detail is extraordinary.

The front of the chateau overlooks this beautiful fountain.

The Italian Garden.

It had some of the most gorgeous water lilies I have ever seen. 

Silly girls!

The Walled Garden, the rose section.

Still in the Walled Garden heading toward the very large greenhouse.

I would like one of these please!

The greenhouse contains various sections, each at a different temperature to accommodate a plethora of species.

The boat house off the man-made bass pond.

Another picture perfect moment.

North Carolina Trip, Day 3.

Heading out for our next adventure!

Our Inn in Little Switzerland, NC.

The vista.

Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC.

Just one of the many mountains.

There it is!

The Blue Ridge Mountains were exquisite. 

One more picture before heading to dinner.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever. . ." John Keats 

North Carolina Trip, Days 1 & 2.

I am back!  Actually I have been back for nearly a week, but with needing to recuperate from vacationing and trying to get back in the swing of daily life, I have not had time to sit down and blog about it!  Mom and I had so much fun visiting my Aunt Cindy and Uncle Cliff; we laughed, played games, shopped, ate, and saw a few of the most beautiful sites the state of North Carolina has to offer.

Day 1.  On our way!

Opening presents.

Sisters.

Playing Toy Story Mania Wii (mom was really good!)

Day 2.  Birthday dinner at The Melting Pot.

The cute couple.

Mom and me.

Happy Birthday Cindy!

And We're Off!

Time:  6:58AM

Locations:  Sacramento Airport

Destination:  Charlotte North Carolina!!!

Traveling companion:  Mom :)

 

After so many months of excitment and anticipation we are finally on our way!!!  Yesterday was downright crazy with all the house prep and packing anxiety, not to mention the six baskets of laundry I had to fold and the equal amount of times mom cleaned the kitchen.  But here we are, sitting, waiting, being repeatedly tortured by the loud "Common sense security anouncment . . . " (I'm ready for the Monty Python non-common sense version!) and the constant sound of security bells ringing.  (Belts people!!!!)

 

Time:  7:07am

 

One hour and thirteen minutes to go . . .

Produce with Personality 2.

He looks like he is sulking to me;
the pity-party eggplant.

So long SG-1.

I am sad to say that tonight I came to the end of my favorite Sci-Fi show, Stargate SG-1.  What took over ten years of television time, I polished off in two-and-half years on DVD. 


The ones that started it all.

SG-1
Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping),
Teal'c (Christopher Judge), & Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson)

SG-1 with Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec).

The fabulous original cast.
With Janet Fraiser (Teryl Rothery) & George Hammond (Don S. Davis).

The new SG-1.
With Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) & Hank Landry (Beau Bridges).

And the final incredible cast.
With Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black)



I have found something to like about every character
that has come through SG-1, but I have to say
that cute Cam is my very favorite. 

  Thanks Stargate SG-1 for all of the exciting adventures.

Honey!!!

The tally is in!  Forty to forty-five gallons of honey were extracted Sunday!!! (Sep 18^th)  So I spent my Monday bottling, bottling, and bottling.  I was happy it was something I could do since I burned my thumb Sunday while decapping the honeycomb.  (Hot wax + skin = very painful burn!)  I have been babying it ever since and it is healing up nicely; with any luck, and a lot of Mederma cream, I won’t even have a scar.

Filling the jars, a fun and sticky job.

The morning's effort totalled 39 full jars.  Yum!