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Jon and I had a weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains recently. We rented a cabin nestled on its own wooded acreage, very private. In years past I’d tried to pick weekends for autumn color. This weekend, we just picked a time we could all be there, and it turned out to be some of the most spectacular autumn leaves that I’d seen in years. The mountains and hills were covered in every shade of red from a shocking scarlet, to rich crimson, and a red so dark it was burgundy. Pale yellow like the gown of some virginal prom date, golds so thick it was like someone had melted old coins down and spread it across the trees, and just enough evergreens to give the eyes a rest from all that color.

We went with another couple C & K. We met in the mountains, and I confess that Jon and I rented a Dodge Charger as our rental car. We cheated on my Chip Foose Mustang. The Baby must never know. May I say that I was unimpressed with the Charger, so we cheated on the Baby and it wasn’t even fun. It was like cheating and the sex isn’t even any good. All the guilt, none of the fun. *laughs* Some cars ruin you for everyone else, The Baby is one of them. I should have known better. The Charger and I made peace eventually but it doesn’t have nearly the Mustang’s handling. Not even close.

The cabin was wonderful set in all that color, surrounded by trees, and giving that feeling that there wasn’t anyone around for miles, but us. The cabin had a large hot tub on the front porch, porch swings, rocking chairs, and a view from all of them. The only disturbing thing about the cabin decor was the amount of dead animals. There was a gray fox head nailed to the side of the small cabinet that held the guest book. I managed to not see the skunk pelt on the one bathroom door. I walked right past it. I saw the vase of pheasant feathers on the shelf by the door, but missed the skunk. C and K saw it immediately, so I said that must be their bedroom and bath. Jon and I took the red,white, and blue, patriotic bedroom, and bath combo. The rooms were pretty much identical except for decor. The living room, kitchen area was large and comfy.

We ate three meals out, but the rest of the time we cooked. We took turns doing all the chores. Nobody complained, there was no hesitating, we just divided everything up and did what needed doing. Jon, K, and I did a little bit more of the cooking than C did, but he did way more of the clean up in the kitchen, so it was still even. If you wanted to keep a knife or cup you had to be quicker than C was, or it was cleaned. *grin* C & Jon built the fire in the grill for the steak. It was very fun to watch our two boy scouts build the fire. I’m not joking about the boy scout part for C and Jon. Can you say Eagle scout? I rediscovered that I actually make fluffy and yummy scrambled eggs. Jon and K invented an egg and vegetable breakfast dish one morning that was much nom-nom-nom. We tried to eat healthy, but I admit that there was a certain fudge shop that had the best pumpkin fudge. It tasted like the best pumpkin pie ever, except creamier, and melted in the mouth. We also got kettle corn at the local animal rescue event. Have I mentioned that kettle corn is one of my weaknesses? It’s one of K’s, too. Yummy, but dangerous in large quantities. *shakes head at self* Totally worth it, both the fudge and the popcorn. Diet? Was I dieting? Apparently nutrition rules were partially reascended for the four day weekend. I also had strawberry waffles which I’d had for the first time earlier this year. Very nommy.

C and I went hiking one day. Jon and K found a coffee house in town with Wi-Fi because K needed the Internet for work. For once it wasn’t me having to take time away from the fun to work. I was sorry she had to, but amazed I wasn’t the one doing it for a change. Jon didn’t want to risk the hike with his knee still in a brace from the patella dislocation/relocation incident. None of us blamed him for the caution. C and I hadn’t been hiking in a long time, both for time considerations and for me; injuries. My ankle and knee held up well. I was very pleased with that. C and I stopped to stock up on trail mix, and the healthiest protein bars we could find, plus lots of water. Then we got to be out in all that riotous color, underneath that shining tree canopy. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy being outdoors. During part of the hike we got to see the river spreading wide, but surprisingly shallow dancing in the sunlight. Have I mentioned I love running water? But mostly the hike was up hill and down. I saw a Greater Sulfur and a Buckeye butterfly. There were a surprising number of dead falls around and across the well blazed trail. Okay, well-blazed until the last part of the path and then it was as if part of the map had been forgotten a few years ago and maintenance had ceased. C and I wended our way through underbrush, small trees, vines, ferns, and more vegetation than I could give a name to, I’ve always been more interested in fauna than flora. We both agreed at about the same point where our Significant Others would have said, no mas, and wanted to go for the road and the car, but with just the two of us we were able to keep going as long as the trail was passable. My hair seemed to attract more tree bits and C helped me keep free of twigs. His hair which maybe as thick as mine, and falls to his shoulders, but is very straight, didn’t attract nearly the amount of vegetation, no idea why. C got stung by something at one point. I looked at the sight, and it looked painful, but not dangerous. He wanted to go on, and I was game, so we persevered until even we couldn’t find a way through the tangles, not without a machete anyway. Since we hadn’t come jungle equipped we called it and slithered down to the road to finish the walk with glimpses of the river through the trees as we began. I am well enough to hike again, very yay!

We got C’s first aid kit out to treat his sting, but found that alcohol wipes dry out if not used. Luckily my eye-glass cleaning cloths were just alcohol wipes in a different package, so I used that to swap off the sting sight. Lucky for us he wasn’t allergic, and the ache at the sight was fading. I realized later that I’d managed to wound my thumb on a thorn, which I thought I’d managed not to grab that tight, but C wins on the ouch award for the hike. The road back was so narrow that if I’d met another car in places, I’d have had to hug the ditch. We also saw a lake that was completely dry from the year’s drought. It was a large-ish lake and it was just empty with the boats and the piers surrounded by dirt, as if a giant had removed the plug from the lake’s stopper. It was a pretty drive though, and an interesting end to our hike.

We joined our Significant Others at the coffee house. I got some pretty good coffee while we waited for K to close up shop, and I also found some souvenirs for people back home. Then we divided back into our couples, got both cars, and headed back to the cabin. Though we’d showered that morning both C and I had worked up a sweat in the woods and another shower was required. We also did the can-you-find-the-tick-game with Jon and K helping us. Luckily no one won the game. If we’d realized we’d be plowing through quite that much wilderness we’d have used bug spray. We just didn’t expect to be on a trail that reminded me that being small was handy when worming through undergrowth.