In the middle of October, I flew back to the UK for 4 weeks to catch up on friends and various tasks at home.  Jessica has done an excellent job of looking after the house and garden and we have done some nice things together whilst I have been back.  Alex returned with Becki after spending the summer in Corfu and is now looking for his first job as Architectural technologist.  I suspect he and Becki will be coming out to see us next year if they can save up the money.

This is a great opportunity to tell you of some of the things we did in August whilst Jessica was staying with us.  Firstly we hired horses from a local yard and went hacking in the Pocahontas State Park.  These were Tenessee walking horses and they had a lovely disposition.  What made them unique was the way in which they walk and trot.  Unlike most horses who use diagonally opposite legs for these 2 actions. the walking horse uses the 2 legs on the same side.  So instead of rising to the trot, you sit well into the saddle, and you find that your hips tend to swing a little from side to side.  A much smoother ride whilst trotting and the transition from trot to canter was almost unnoticed.  These horses have not been trained to walk this way, their shoulder bones are actually constructed in a different way, so the action is totally natural.

We also visited Cape Charles on the East coast, renowned for its birding and tranquil seas, and watched pelicans diving for fish. We stayed in a motel for the night and this gave us the opportunity of exploring the area.  Fabulous beaches along the coast and huge expanses of water crying out for a good day's sailing!  Cape Charles is a good place to visit during the winter months, where you can watch the whales making their way up to the ice floes.

On another weekend, we visited the Blue Ridge Mountains, so called because they are covered with trees which inevitably give off moisture.  When looking at the mountains from a distance, there appears to be a blue haze over them caused by the moisture.  These are rugged with some amazing vistas and a 110 mile scenic drive along the ridge.  When you stand and look down into the valley, you can visualise the bygone days when the wagon train would make its journey across the landscape.  Today there is every conceivable activity to enjoy during the summer months, but it gets very cold there in the winter.  This is one of the places you may be lucky enough to see a black bear and there are instructions as to how to behave if you come across one of them.  Don't run whatever you do!

By the time I get back on 12th November, we will be well into fall.  The trees turn an amazing colour and everybody starts to participate in activities again.  You see more people out and about and there are more strenuous weekend activities.  The next thing will be Thanksgiving which is a big event in America.