We left Raleigh this morning destined for Charleston. Along the way, we stopped at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. Vollis Simpson (1919-2013) created a whimsical environment of intricate, whirling whirligigs eleven miles outside of the City of Wilson in North Carolina. Simpson worked hard, building equipment for house moving and opening a repair shop on his property.  Over time, he started building whirligigs until his property held constructions over 50 feet tall. Powered by the wind, the whirling spectacles began to attract art lovers and tourists. The reflective material lights up in the moonlight or in the headlights of a passing car, creating quite a spectacle. Many became familiar with Simpson’s work when four of his whirligigs were installed in downtown Atlanta for the 1995 Olympic games Today, self-taught artist Vollis Simpson is internationally recognized as an important American artist.

Our next stop was Pawleys Island, where we enjoyed an extended walk on the beach. See if you can find Jeanine in the aerial photo. Pawleys Island is a charming coastal town located in Georgetown County, South Carolina, known for its rich history and serene atmosphere. The island spans approximately four miles and is part of the “Hammock Coast,” a region celebrated for its beautiful beaches and laid-back lifestyle. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, originally by the Waccamaw and Winyah Native American tribes. European settlement began in the early 18th century when Percival Pawley received land grants in 1711, leading to the establishment of plantations aimed at escaping the malaria-carrying mosquitoes prevalent in the summer months.

Grits and omelets were on the menu this morning as Burton prepared another exceptional meal. We then made a short 30-minute drive to Heather and Burton’s daughter’s new house in Durham. Toni just moved into the top floor of this duplex and is thrilled to be a homeowner for the first time.

Her house is situated next to a state forest, where we enjoyed a leisurely stroll helping Jeanine to hit her 10,000 step daily target.

After fortification with hot beverages and a shared cinnamon roll, we visited the Duke University Chapel and sat in on a choral performance.

Today, we traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, where we connected with my cousin Heather and her husband Burton. After a minestrone and charcuterie board lunch inspired by my father’s favorite foods, we enjoyed a lovely hike in the William B. Umstead State Park. Our subsequent attempt to visit the North Carolina Museum of Art was thwarted by overflow parking for the state fair.

My sister suggested we visit the North Carolina State Fair today. From a caloric consumption point of view, the visit was a total disaster, but in every other regard, it was a blast. Mayela and Stephen attend almost every year and know the fair intimately. Except for the midway rides, which none of us have an affinity for, we visited every nook and cranny of the fair grounds. I enjoyed the bonsai exhibit and blacksmithing demonstration most. Jeanine ensured we experienced the dog, pig, and camel show; hard to describe with words but thoroughly entertaining. Mayela and Stephen guided us to all the best foods and local artisans. The giant pumpkins (watermellons, gourds, sweet potatoes, etc.) were truely hard to believe. When the sun went down we boarded the State Fair Flyer for a dramatic aerial view of the grounds at night.

Our destination today was Sanford, North Carolina. Once again, we chose to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway even though it added a few hours to our journey. The tradeoff in extra time is a ten-fold more beautiful drive with almost no traffic and zero trucks. If I had to pick the most beautiful road in all of the United States, the Blue Ridge Parkway would be a top contender.

When we arrived at my sister Mayela’s new home, her husband Stephen attempted to burn the house down while preparing bourbon butter sauce for our steaks. In truth, he is a masterful chef, and our meal was delicious.

Today, our road trip took us to Radford, Virginia, where we visited with our nephew, Rory. He gave us a complete tour of the Radford University campus, where he is working towards his master’s degree in organizational psychology. He then prepared homemade risotto, one of my favorite dishes, serving it with asparagus and beef spare ribs. What a delightful meal.

Our day started with a visit to Harper’s Ferry, where we got out and explored the historic village. The town is located at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers and was a key battleground during the Civil War changing hands eight times between 1861 and 1865.

Jeanine managed to score us a private tour of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church which was otherwise closed to the public.

We opted to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway for as long as possible. When we stopped at Humpback Rocks, the ranger informed us that the trees were at peak color. Indeed, it was like driving through a tunnel of color interrupted by turnouts offering awesome vistas of the surrounding countryside. It was one of the best fall time drives we have ever taken.

Another day of perfect weather in Frederick and a second evening of outdoor dining with Vincent, Carol, and her twin sister Emily (and Millie the dog whose real name s Minnie – another story). Vincent grilled his famous salmon, and Jeanine threw together her “poked potatoes.” Understanding the extent of my cooking skills, I was wisely assigned to seat cushion placement and table setting. Dinner was followed by a few rounds of the spelling game Quiddler, in which contestants benefit from memorizing a list of sanctioned 2 letter words like “AA” and “ZA”.

Earlier in the day, Jeanine, Carol, Millie, and I made the short hike to Cunningham Falls, at 78 feet, the tallest cascading waterfall in Maryland. We approached by way of the moderately difficult Cliff Trail and returned by way of the easy Lower Falls Trail. Jeanine continued to question the accuracy of the moderately difficult trail characterization throughout the remainder of the day.

Today, we continued south on our road trip through Pennsylvania stopping throughout the day whenever the spirit moved us. I suspect we are among a very small group of people who have ever stopped to see the Pioneer Woman Granny Statue in Altamont, PA relegated to a back alley way.

We also chose to detour slightly to stop in Hershey. The Hershey Story museum chronicles the community’s creation as a model town for the workers at Milton Hershey’s chocolate factory. Hersheypark opened in 1907 as a modest green space but grew to include rides and attractions, including a zoo. We decided to spend our time at Hershey Gardens which also features a butterfly house (with a few frogs).

Our final destination was Frederick, Maryland where we are visiting my cousin Vincent and his wife Carol. After a lovely walking tour of the city, we sat down for a delicious feast followed by a screening of short holiday movies created by Vincent and family members. They will not be up for any Emmy awards but will remain an enduring tribute to our crazy and hillarious family.

For the second week in a row, my soccer team played short-handed (footed) but still managed to pull out a 2:1 victory against a skilled Russian team. Once again, I did little to distinguish myself on the pitch but played my position well and made no mistakes, carefully conserving my energy for an hour of playing time.

After the match and a brief stop at the aprés, Jeanine and I packed up her car and took off on the first leg of a 2-week road trip to visit with family. I plotted a course designed to follow the fall color. We traveled west across Massachusetts through the Berkshires to Albany and then south to Binghampton, skirting the Catskills. Our desire to arrive before nightfall did not permit stopping for photos, but the entire journey was a feast for the eyeballs. It was without a doubt the most dramatic fall drive I have ever taken with peak color along the entire path.

Pictured above is the St John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church located a stone’s throw from our hotel. Binghampton has a large Ukrainian community, many first generation who came to the US under refugee programs offered to Christians leaving the soviet bloc during the Reagan and Bush senior terms.

Maya and Fiona were our guests at the River House last night. This morning, they took the kayaks out to enjoy a perfect fall day on the water. They took off like bats out of hell, perhaps unaware that the Head of the Charles is being contested on a different nearby river this weekend. I took advantage of early voting and completed my civic duty for this election cycle. It will be one less thing to worry about when we return from our upcoming road trip to visit with family.

Fall color has arrived in Concord, a worthwhile reason to spend the morning capturing it. Pictured above is Warner’s Pond. Below is our stretch of the Sudbury River. If you look very closely, you can just see the roof of our house on the left side of the photo. Later in the day, I traveled to Kyle’s house in Medford. Together we installed a frosted glass door in the basement apartment to partition the laundry area from the kitchen. I returned to Concord just in time to for dinner. We were joined by Maya and her friend Fiona who are spending the weekend with us. Guests also include our good friends Irene and Eric and their new and very cute dog Ginger.

Our family dentist owns a portable sawmill and enjoys milling logs as a hobby. For the second time, he gifted us the fruits of his labor. This time, in the form of several slabs of spalted beech, which are destined to become a desk for Jeanine’s office. Spalted wood refers to wood which has been exposed to certain fungi and bacteria over a period of time. This process causes discoloration and produces dark lines or streaks in the grain of the wood. It is highly coveted among woodworkers. Before the raw slabs can be used, they must first be surfaced to make them flat and of uniform thickness. I have been gradually working through all of the material and have now completed the first pass. Once the boards have had a chance to air dry for a couple more months, they will be ready for final machining. Although the work is tedious, it is a little like opening a Christmas present. You never know what grain/spalting pattern you will discover until that first pass over the planer.

The damage assessment is in for Nicolai’s shoulder. He has a grade 3 AC joint separation. He reports that it will not require surgery but no word yet on how long it will take to recuperate. The good news is that crutching will aid in his recovery, as it will push the bones back into their normal orientation. He has already set his sights on competing in Costa Rica in January.

During the last few days, I have passed two of my largest kidney stones ever. The first was on Friday, measuring 5.5mm x 4.5mm. The second was after my soccer game on Sunday, a record of 6.5mm x 4.5mm. For all the blood, sweat, and tears required to produce these, it seems only just that they be more valuable than gold. Perhaps if I add more carbon to my diet, I will be able to produce diamonds, which might make the whole ordeal more worthwhile.