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I SNUCK OUT OF THE AREA for a couple of days last week, down to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, a great place to be when the fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high. Though I didn't see those particular signs of summer, I did see a lot of cool blue mountains. It was so good to see those mountains again, as I hadn't caught a glimpse of them for far too many years and they seem to take up space in the nostalgic part of my used-to-be.





The thing is, I also have a dear aunt who lives there and she, too, I hadn't seen for far too long, even missing the grand celebration when she entered her tenth decade. Which is why, when a sister-in-law of mine who is visiting from Olympia, Washington, informed me that she was taking her mother (who happens to be my cute little mother-in-law) to visit her mother's sister (my sister-in-law's aunt, of course) I quickly asked to hitch a ride; though, truth be told, in the end they hitched a ride with me.


As if there weren't enough relative-visiting to be had in this place already, I could not miss seeing the one relative I've known longer than any other. We spent time in very close quarters long before we saw the light of day. And ever since I took a look at the world and hollered for him to follow me, we've been pretty good friends, my twin and I. So now you see, I had him and the three other relatives with whom he hooked me up (sis-in-law, nephew, niece) to visit while there. To them, I had "Thanks for the bed-the walk after dark-the trek to the farmer's market," to say among other things.




So. if you haven't gotten the idea already, I can tell you that in the two days of visiting, I was racing around each day--from my brother's place to my Aunt Osie's place, to the house of my mother-in-law's sister. Not to mention little jaunts with each and every one of these dear family ones.






And I was getting flashbacks to previous periods of my life--to a time when I would come to this area as a child to visit my big sis Shishe, four hours from home in a private high school dorm. My parents would get us a room at Marvilla Motel--the most modern accommodations in town, and we, their four other kids, would bed down in roll-away cots and sleeping bags on the floor. What a novel experience to retire for the night, street light seeping in through the pulled draperies, and listen to trucks shifting through their gears on the highway past the motel.



I looked carefully to see if this lodging place still existed, and there it was! I spotted it in its worse-for-wear condition and stifled the urge to go inside and ask to see a room. After all, it's now...dear me...the Budget Inn.

And then I drove right past another establishment that was a fixture during my time as a college student in this area. It appears the years have been kinder to Jess' Lunch than to the old Marvilla, but I'll bet there are no longer hot-dogs to be had for 25-cents.





Of course, one fine old structure on the city square I did not doubt I'd see. Surely it will last as long as I keep going back to have a look.







It's interesting to see these buildings again, but it's those blue mountains that make me go a little crazy with the camera.


Especially when I'm heading up the road and a summer rain is rolling in over them.


I had to keep swerving off the main route and driving up strangers' driveways to get the lofty views (much to the trepidation of my traveling companion at the time--I won't name names--who thought she was going to die.

You see, these were very steep driveways, yes.







And surely the brakes might fail as she sat in the car.
While I merrily snapped my photos,


she'd go careening down, down in the runaway car. Wouldn't THAT have made a sorry picture!)
But all's well that ends well, so they say.


And just look how well this post ended--with that colorful arch in the sky!



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