DIY on Floyd

A Sunday of jobs - not least watering B & L's wilting pot plants, repairing their spluttering hose, washing the dented Dodge, sweeping crunchy magnolia leaves, sifting through P's chaotic tool box, burning a dancey car disc and check in nervous PH for her return trip.

All jobs ticked aka checked off.

Next week the metal gate post, dug out with care before JJ came in with the angle grinder and P whacked it down with a sledge hammer.

Donuts in RVA

So here's the challenge for the latest English guest...

Take four donut shacks/vans/barns/drive-thrus - consume, review and rank. So from Yoder's Mennonite sour dough to the caramel bacon of Sugar Shack to the apple cider of Carter Mountain to the factory joys of the glazed rings of Krispy Kreme...

The winner is Sugar Shack, closely followed by Krispy Kreme, even though the machine wasn't running - oh girl, what a result!

And just to clarify, in this game there are no losers, this is the premier league of Richmond donuts.

The Ice Bucket Challenge on Floyd

Yup, we did it too, thanks to our lovely house guest... Here goes!

Rotunda Alley, University of Virginia

A little more strolling at UVA revealed serpentine walls, magic enclosed gardens and the colonnaded E-Range walkway. We hung out in the magnolia trees on 'The Tog' and crossed 'The Lawn' as usual.

Carter Mountain, Charlottesville

There is nothing like a view, nothing in the world... So it was back to Carter Mountain for proper ripe peaches this time and some Golden Supreme apples.

It was still and grey and misty and beautiful (and close).

Band Night in Paradise Park

By chance P and the kids happened upon this gathering of bands in our '60s pocket park. It was magic occasion, with lots of familiar faces and only one neighbor who found it all too much and so the police checked it out too.

A shout out to the fab Littlefoot on tour from Rhode Island and local stars Herro Sugar aka Manatree. The sound was amazing and the audience were special.

Date Night, Church Hill

On a hot summer's night would you offer your... sweaty body to anyone? Cycled a stunning route from the Fan, down through Oregon Hill, along the river at Brown's Island, then the canal path through the flood gates and finally up through the Tobacco warehouse conversions and onto Church Hill for the sunset.

Then down to the acclaimed Roosevelt for cocktails and delicious southern fare. En route home, a rooftop salsa bar called us and under the stars & fairy lights we danced to La historia de mi vida & Un Eclipse total del Corazon, until we became aware of the skill of those around us and returned to our bikes and the steep hill home through the city.

Play Date at Maymont

End of summer play date with bear.

William and Mary University, Williamsburg

Sorority girls... wandering the 'shady ways' of William and Mary campus, across the sunken lawns, peering in on a student dozing in a hammock and absorbing the loveliness of it all. Established 1693 - now that is old!

Yorktown, late Summer

A very British affair with Virginian support on wolf spider-monitor duty. The jellyfish had thankfully floated away with the chill - good riddance!

River City Magnolias, Ancarrow Landing

No really those are ladies legs and this is synchronized wild swimming...

We picked litter along the riverbanks, moving into dense undergrowth as we got braver and absorbing the slave path history along the way, before sitting in the evening sun alongside fishermen and pondering the crazy that was the ladies grinning and flipping in the water.

Brunch on Floyd

I now embrace yellow... especially at brunch.

On the menu P's eggy bread with cinnamon sugar, bacon and fresh strawberries. Plus Mimosas aka Bucks Fizz for the toast to the unresolved - overseas homes, teachers, visas, lapsed careers...

Thank you to the Italians (company), Phoebe (everything) and Doug c/o J (flowers!) for making this a great aesthetically-pleasing, end of summer moment.

Smart Schools, RVA

Just recently we've got to hang out at some of the smarter schools in town and they are just fab. So if you fancy a stellar education (at a price) with great play kit then Collegiate and St. Catherine's get our vote.

Lyle Lovett at Maymont

What's not to love about a man with a gravely voice, outdoors with an amazing band & female vocalist plus beer and veggie spectacular food on the side...

More Belle Isle, RVA

On a muggy, snakey summer's afternoon we explored Belle Isle - super low water level with lots of murk to splash in, a springy branch to hang from and smooth rocks to smear with gloop.

Bridges over the James

M. Which way would you jump if it was on fire?!

C & Ph. Which bridge is the one the confederates burnt as they retreated south? We're still not sure but Civil War AS level coursework just got a real location.

J. Were guinea pigs alive when the Civil War was on? We think the answer is most certainly yes thanks to 17th Century Dutch and English traders from South America and the fact Elizabeth the 1st owned one. The black ones being the most rare and holy - go Oscar!

Neighbourhood Stroll, VMFA

Day 1 for Nanny McEnstone was sweltering and involved a midday hike up to the VMFA fountains - with new, cool metal chairs - then back to Shields Store for King of Pops lollies aka popsicles.

So for us bigger ones - basil & limeade and ginger & blackberry lemonade with the first two ingredients in both being way too surprising. The girls wisely went for the more traditional salted chocolate and raspberry sorbet.

Guinea Pigs, Week 4

Oscar and Me-Me are settling in for a hard life of affection and bountiful greens, though the latter is taking to it more graciously than the former.

Weekend in Nassau

For crazy reasons which I won't go into here, I got to spend the weekend in The Bahamas, and not in Atlantis or Sandals with the other tourists, but in a slightly tired hotel and with an empty but still very beautiful beach. It's hard to think this is three hours away. With a snorkel, just a few metres from the shore, I saw brightly coloured fish as you'd find in a garden centre aquarium in England. My fellow residents at Orange Hill were equipped divers with photos of sharks they'd seen that day. The big discovery of the weekend was the Punch made in a shack on the beach with fresh fruit and hygienic only thanks to the alcohol in the amazing local brew Rum.

Girls Rock! RVA

No really, that is our child... Loud and empowered by rock music and great female role models! So here are the Icebreaker's and their Arctic World. 

Lyrics:
Far up North of us
There's a land where penguins roam
And seals swim, as polar bears play on the rocks.
Walruses swim down deep in the depths of the sea,
Where sharks swim as enemies.

Chorus - 'Cause it's the Arctic World, yeah the Arctic World, the Arctic World, so far up north...

The Northern lights roam on the night of the full moon
As eskimos watch them fly by
On the cold winter nights,
When the stormy winds blow
A snow storm breaks through,
Where nobody could ever survive

Chorus - 'Cause it's the ...

Summer Breakfast, RVA

This is granola done Lamplighter-style... a communal morning on the mini green with friends and strangers drinking coffee and keeping track of offspring, while solo parenting (Vegas for P).

Williamsburg Specials

In the stocks for the first time... though the rest were familiar joys - Mr Bob's carriage ride and brick-making with wholesome youth.

Plus today three children's Pipes and Drums bands were marching through, one from Michigan, with penny whistles, 10lbs of wool uniform each and beautifully painted drums -Yanky Doodle rang out as they took over the Governor's Green.

The Gardens, Williamsburg

We bought an annual pass and gained access to the Governor's Garden and it was magic. The cottage gardens weren't skipped though... our little bit of England over here.

Summer Lunches, RVA

Summer lunches thanks to Jamie with his Food Revolution Rainbow Taco and Ellwoods' salad bar, whilst Mrs M took M to Edo Squid for the annual best-teacher-ever summer lunch.