A Good Day

Yesterday was one of those days that made me happy to be alive.  The trees were budding, the air was warm, the sky was blue, and I felt happier and springier than I have in a while!  I decided to brave the dog park with my Jack Russell Terrier- a feared feat by the owners of this feisty little breed-but I am glad I did!  There was nobody else there so my two little dogs ran like crazy chasing birds, tennis balls, and me until we were all dirty and worn out.

So much dirt!

Then we took an excursion to Kabob Je Rotisserie and Grille for a feast of falafel, hummus, fattoush, mujaddara, tabouleh, and pita.  Without exaggerating, it was the best Lebanese/Mediterranean food I'd ever had!  I stuffed myself and very happily carried home a plate full of leftovers.  The staff was nice enough to allow the dogs on the patio and even brought them a dish of water!  They were stunningly well-behaved and drew lots of compliments.  I felt so proud.

The day continued with a trip to the garden store with my mom (the expert gardener) where I picked up some salmon-colored double impatiens and white verbena, which will be potted as soon as the threat of frost goes away.  These flower names are too technical for me...I prefer to call them pink and white flowers.

I ended my day with a slice of lemon cake and a mug of earl gray tea.

Sometimes it's nice to forget about your big deadlines and demands and just focus on the little things.  It really is the little things like a spring morning in the park, a good meal, pretty flowers, and a cup of tea which make it all worthwhile.

~Ashley

Easter in the Mountains

Last weekend I had a great time with my family in the North Carolina mountains.  We rented a little house called Serenade Cove and spent four days hiking, picnicking, shopping, and relaxing.  Here are a few pictures of our adventures:

Our house was only a few minutes from the entrance of Pisgah National Forest, so we didn't have to travel far to see Looking Glass Falls.

This might be my favorite picture from the trip.  It captures her exuberance so well!  She was so excited to go hiking that she actually squealed as we were descending the steps to the falls. <3

Moore Cove Falls, Pisgah National Forest

There's Looking Glass Rock in the distance

Hooker Falls, Dupont State Forest

Triple Falls, Dupont State Forest

There's my dad flying a kite on Max Patch, a beautiful bald on the Appalachian Trail.  It's a little out of the way on a long, winding forestry road but the 360 views of the blue ridges is completely worth it.  There were lots of picnickers there on Easter Sunday and it's always a good place to meet interesting people passing through on the Appalachian Trail.  

Skinny Dip Falls is a hidden gem on the Mountain to Sea trail.  It is about a .5 mile hike from mile post 417 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

There's me crouching(?) on the rock.  It's a popular jumping rock/water hole in the summertime (hence the name Skinny Dip Falls) but it was a little too cold for that in early April!

~Ashley