In Which the Pirate Has Been Busy.

Last weekend, Pirate-Husband and I volunteered to pour wine at Vintage Virginia, a local wine festival. We were working in the Top Five Tasting Tent, so we were in the shade all day. I put on my extrovert face and ended up having lots of fun, much more than I’d expected! We split the sixteen tables between the volunteers, and one of my patrons took this picture of me. (They also gave me a completely unexpected tip!) As thanks for our service we were given free entrance to the festival on Sunday, but I think I actually had a better time working than I did waiting on line to taste wines.

I’ve been keeping up with Operation: Badass. It’s definitely made easier by the beautiful scenery. Farms with horses and cows, the mountain rising up in the background, old buildings with boards over the windows being reclaimed by nature. The way the trees arch over this driveway make it seem almost like a magical place. I don’t like thinking that it’s “just” a driveway; I couldn’t see the house from the road so I imagined what it must look like, and I’m sure my imagination did it justice.

Most of the time I stop to take photos when I’m recovering from speeding up a hill, but other times I stop just because something is so pretty that I need to have a picture of it. This driveway was one of those times, and I’m glad to have stopped for it.

The flower season is almost at its end, as we’re turning the corner into summer’s oppressive heat. The mountain laurels are starting to look sad and wilted. But these two were still going strong, hiding in the shade next to a cow field. It occurred to me after I’d leaned in to take the pictures that I was likely to be bitten by a tick, but fortunately that didn’t happen. Anyway, does anyone know what kind of flowers these are? I especially like the ruffled petals of the pink ones.