Summer Get-Togethers

With COVID still wreaking havoc, even amongst our group, as well as conflicting schedules, we've only managed to get together twice since last December.  In June only Edie and I made it to Chris's for lunch on her bank barn's porch overlooking the swimming pond. . .

Lunch is served!

Chris prepared a delicious meal of Black Bean Salsa on toasted french bread and broccoli slaw, which is now a family-favorite. . .

Dessert was a Gooseberry tart. . .

Afterwards we walked down to the pig pen to see the new piglets.  Belle is very interested in them. . .

In August we were finally all able to get together to tour Shepherdstown, WV.   Chris arranged for us to tour two different gardens and homes of friends.  Becky's was first where we (Chris, Cathy, Edie, Cindy) all met up except for Carol who would be coming later. . .

Becky has been in her house for 21 years, but has only been gardening the lot behind her house when she finally was able to acquire it many years later. . .

Then on to the Reynolds House. . .

The house was built circa 1868/9 and had fallen into disrepair by the time Pug and Jack bought it in 2006.  They remodeled the entire house and designed all the gardens.  This is the back of the house. . . 

The view from the above porch. . .

We had time before lunch so we walked the couple blocks into town and browsed a gift shop and book store.  Then it was on to the Blue Moon Cafe's outdoor garden where Carol would meet up with us..  Becky joined us. . .

The Town Run (a stream that runs through and under the town) added to the ambiance and helped cool us down from the the 90 degree heat/high humidity.  

After lunch we went on to visit Shepherd Village, a co-housing community.  You can read lots more about it HERE.  It is a very interesting concept with pros and cons, as our tour guide pointed out.  Their goal is to make opportunities to build community while being environmentally conscious as well as efficient.  We walked along the horse-shoe-shaped walkway past the front of the houses where we met up with Chris's friend, our tour guide. . . 

The community garden. . .

The Oak Trail where they're planting oak trees. . .

The back of one of the houses. . .

We finished up at the Common House where this pond and waterfall was situated by a patio area.  Across the way you can see another house. . .

It was well past mid-afternoon but we didn't want to miss O'Hurley's General Store just around the corner.  This room is at the back of the store where they hold weekly Bluegrass music jams. . .

I was glad to be able to add to my cobalt-blue-favorite-places-mug collection. . . 

If you'd like to see more of Shepherdstown's gardens you can watch a video of a few of the photos I took on the May 2022 Back Alley Garden Tour HERE.

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Take Joy!