The Spy Party on Floyd

Clearly severe colds all round got us focussed, as under the cover of darkness we had the best spy party ever! Gem stones were found, my handwriting was deciphered (!), no opossums were encountered and seconds of Jamie's pasta & peas were demanded.

The closing vision of pomegranate and cream cake plus hot cocoa, cosily (and relaxing!) in front of the fire on my hand-made rug was slightly daft. Carpet cleaner proved an essential ingredient.

The Spy Party Plan on Floyd

All the gemstones have been stolen by the enemy and dropped in yards all down our street. Can our lady spies follow the clues and reclaim them and keep world peace???

There will be a laser corridor to keep them nimble, invisible clues and somewhere a resistance member has baked them a cake, if only they could unlock the letter code hanging in the trees to open the door...

El Ranchero, Kinoulton

So here it is. El Ranchero is on the open market and looking for a 1960s-loving owner... pine parquet and a mini bar and bedroom balconies - it doesn't get much better than that! Oh, and the fabulous red Baby Belling range. The grass literally looks greener.

Once upon a time we lived there...

Tie Dye in Jackson Ward

A lovely holiday party and a first for all of us with tie dying - the results are wild!

Vegetarian Thanksgiving on Allen

No-one mentioned vegans when I planned this creation!

Thanksgiving Eve at home

There had to be turkey, the cornucopia and then outdoors - rare rain.

Buffalo Hunt, Bon Air

M decides to make J a buckskin for her class Buffalo Hunt and then they went to school together - too cute! They came home completely content. The class buffalo had been found in the woods, beef jerky and apple cider shared (alcohol free out here) and bead necklaces made.

Bake Day, St Mark's

Communal baking with a cause.

Ice Walk, Belle Isle

It has got cold and ice hacking is consuming work, unless you are an inappropriately dressed adult. The wind chill on the water's edge and return bridge felt like a blow torch.

Craft Saturday on Floyd

Festive gift making with crafty friends - Moscow Mules and scones for sustenance. J describes her creation.

Pony Pasture, James River

Down by the riverside it was still and warm and these two just pottered, fishing and rock-hopping until the lure of the big logs became too strong. They gathered and I leapt out to hurl their finds into the strongest bit of flow - very satisfying!

Moo Moo's last Night

Two guinea pig doctor-sisters talk about their weekend with Moo Moo, here.

Their Dad (!!!) wonders if maybe we should think about getting a guinea pig now...

Texas Beach, North Bank

Our new favourite weekend sunset spot... Today the task was gathering driftwood but the appeal of algae slime won out!

Moo Moo at Home

The school guinea pig is having a long weekend at our house. He has met everyone (!) in a two block radius and has given immense joy and some challenges. M is the pet-whisperer and J is the proud but reticent official carer. They fell asleep watching his nocturnal antics.

Fall and Fairies, More Pre School

Not Fallen Fairies, as I found myself saying to the teacher... so light boxes and autumn leaves, some black Sharpie outlines, bright paint and lots of J's concentration produced this leaf-art at school and at home.

Venomous Snakes, Maymont Nature Centre

Buzz and Jo made M's dream come true this ordinary Tuesday afternoon. The Timber Rattlesnake was absent from his cage but it turned out to be feeding and cleaning time. We watched all the action, got to chat with staff as they shifted roles and eventually had a lock-in! J pondered our escape route while M waited with complete focus.

Finally the main attraction finished his rodent supper and was returned, its rattler in full view. 'It was awesome!', wrote M later and had 16 scale sections. He then climbed straight up the rock wall and curled up, eyeing us through the glass. We made our way out in the half light, even greater Maymont fans than ever.

Facts of the night:

• They self regulate their temperature so within the cage there are areas of differing heat to move too;
• Staff have to do 1000 snake-handling hours before they are qualified;
• If we're lucky a Northern Copperhead will only 'dry' bite us, as we're too big to be its prey;
• Only poisonous snakes swim fully visible on the surface of the water, the rest just show their heads, so those were the real thing we saw at Jamestown earlier this summer.

Waterfall Diorama at Home

M designed and constructed this gem. I fancied brightly painted cardboard structures but she opted for coloured sugar paper and it didn't turn out too badly. J just loves creating the stories with their revolting band of plastic gals.

Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield

'Giving a bit of attitude', is one of J's favourite phrases from nursery. This weekend it applied to her eldest sibling in buckets! However a walk in the woods in the afternoon sun got everyone happy.

InLight 2014, RVA

Incandescent light has gone and the flat brightness of LED is here to stay. So without a glow we moved along the canal path to view this year's light works.

It was a stressful combination of crowds, darkness and murky water. Beyond that is was hard to absorb...

Student Commons, University of Richmond

It was my first time at U of R and it was fabulous. We crossed the campus from art studios to dining hall and down to the lake and along a brick esplanade, until J spotted a scratch-band from Cartagena, Columbia through the large windows of the Student Commons. We found our way in and stole the show!

Tyler Haynes is responsible for this rather impressive piece of 1970s brick architecture that doesn't totally conform to the collegiate gothic style that this unbelievably privileged spot is famed for.

Robious Landing, Chesterfield

J's Fall Walk took her two good friends and the rest of the school down to the James at Robious Landing.

There was paddling and then there was submersion and we became a walking party of two families, squelching back through the woods... no bears on this hunt and thankfully hibernation season means all was still in the undergrowth.

Reading Time, VMFA Library

Well thanks to Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman the Virginia Museum of Fine Art has a lovely reading room with every journal one could desire. Today I warmed up with a design magazine reviewing all the sound-art shows in New York that I've just missed, though Susan Phillipz bugle call, at dusk, on Governor's Island is still on the wish list for the Spring. 

Then on to Parkett No. 92 and a moment of mourning for the parquet flooring of El Ranchero, as I saw this of oh, so simple, Damien Ortega, Parkett 2013, edition. 

One day another parquet floor... perhaps a herring bone this time.

Latin Ballet Class, Centre Stage

So a new class that may just be more our scene than any before. Siblings included. They sous sous-ed, did chassé and leapt with ribbons in the air.

Pony Pasture, Southside

This is not a fashion shoot for Boden. We rock-hopped out into the middle of the James River where the Monacan Indians had crossed long before us.

It was as gorgeous as it looks and just minutes from the Verizon Wireless store that we had returned our Fios equipment to, as we begin life TV package free. Who needs it with views like this!

Colouring Table at Home

All of a sudden I remember how much I used to love colouring these geometric patterns as a kid. All thanks to Valerie for the first print offs of this craze.

Note to GF - this is one for the present list.

Election Time, Byrd Park

We took to the streets to canvas registered Democrats to vote in Tuesday's election, as Virginia faces a hotly contested Governor race that is being watched by the rest of the country.

Whilst the guy in the blue corner may not be perfect, the guy in the red corner is insane. So here's hoping woman's health, health care reform and a dash of gun control win the day (and that sodomy is not outlawed!!!).

Our girls told absolutely everyone that not only was it going to be election day but their Dad was going to be 46. Then yelled, 'Go vote!' as we cycled off down the sunny streets.

Halloween Scavenger Hunt, Hanover Avenue

We did odds and evens for ghosts and spiders and fingers and pumpkins. Then had a fab picnic in the park.