Our drive to our destination was a long one, ninety minutes each way, for the 2011 Labor Day get-together of some people from the Orthodox church that my son and his wife attend. The ride was very pleasant, though, as I like seeing all the scenery. There was much greenery to see, lots of kudzu climbing on all the bushes and fences and trees. The odd shapes produced by the kudzu sometimes look like monsters or strange buildings.
As we were coming closer to the home where the gathering would be, we turned onto a macadam road, and it was much more rural-looking. Then we turned onto a narrow dirt road ~~ INTO THE WOODS. I did like that part of the ride very much. The woods were so beautiful, with trees not right next to each other, but perhaps several feet apart. I so much enjoy looking into woods like that. It makes me think of my childhood and of my youth. I grew up on a little farm with quite a few wooded areas around us.
Many of the congregation were invited, along with their children. The home is out in 'the boonies', and I just love the boonies and always have. Right around the house the trees had been cut, but twenty-five or thirty feet away, were 'the woods'. A lovely large pond is RIGHT in the back of the home. A large deck and stairs were built onto the back of the house. It is owned by a deacon and his wife. I've known them for some time while attending church with my son and his family.
There were about forty guests, some of which I recognized. There were a few tables with snack-y things to eat, like pork medallions, pulled pork, some cole slaw, a couple of other little dishes with some kind of mixed sauce in them; some tuna salad, I think some kind of chicken, beans in a red sauce, and lots of cheeses; cookies, a tray of some fresh vegetables with a dip, some rolls of some sort. There was so much to eat, and it was all so delicious. My daughter-in-law brought her home-made snack of some cream cheese layered with a green pesto, and you could cut off a little of that to put on your crackers or corn chips. I think it was about two or three layers with some diced tomato, really tasty. There were plenty of crackers and corn tortilla chips for the sauces and dips.
Then ICE CREAM in a gallon container, in the large ice chest. Beverages to drink, too, some delicious-looking cookies which I didn't dare to look at or think about, because I am allergic to gluten. They were tempting, though.
Some of the kids were taken on a hay ride with the deacon's little tractor, and my son and his wife took a walk on The Trail around the large pond. There is a swing put up in a tree, and the children loved it so much.
One of the best features of all were three hummingbird feeders outside the back door of the entrance to the home. That's located at the end of the long driveway, and the long dirt road into the woods, from the macadam road. It looks like the back door, but could be the front door. It's at ground level. The door on the other side of the house is one story up from the ground, facing the pond, with the very large deck and stairs leading down to the ground.
Guess what! there were at least 20 (that's TWENTY or more) tiny hummingbirds, a few of them with the ruby throat. Ruby-throated hummingbirds! I watched them for at least fifteen to twenty minutes right after we arrived. I took some pictures of them, and hope that at least several are good photos.
The hummingbirds would come to the feeder, a few at first, then they'd all be there, five or six at each feeder, with some flying around between the feeders, and suddenly, all of them would fly away up into the tall trees at the driveway. Then after several minutes, they would all come back to the feeders, first a few at a time, then all of a sudden they would ALL be there, feeding, flitting back and forth between the feeders or around, and then it seems that at a signal of some kind, they would all go back to the trees. This they did repeatedly, all the while we were there.
It seems that the owners have lived there only two years, and they really love the place. They have said to so many people that they are welcomed to come to stay with them for a night over the weekend, and some folks have done that. The church congregation are quite close, almost like a family, very good and caring people.
High up on one wall inside the house is a crazy quilt made by the woman's great-grandmother (I hope I got that right), in 1890. It is truly such a beautiful quilt. I took a photo shot of it. I wish that I could have been on a step ladder with a platform so I could really study that quilt, as I am so fond of crazy quilts.
The grounds of their property are so beautiful ~ the pond, the woods around it, some small fields in the distance, what a boon for painters of landscapes. There were some pieces of art work hanging on the walls; a woman had come to their house to paint some pictures of the outdoors.
What a lovely time I had there today! I am so grateful to be among the invited guests.
I'll see you at the Corner Post...
