Respite

It has been a couple weeks of hard work since we moved in to our new house in Raleigh.

After a few days, I just had to get away from the unpacking and organizing, so Kasey and I took a short drive to the beginning of the Crabtree Creek Trailway, just a few miles away.

Crabtree Creek is most famous for flooding its banks and in the process, flooding the biggest mall in the Southeast, which was built on its banks.  Since then, they have put in lots of flood protection devices along the creek.  The very first one greets you immediately on the trail.  This is only a short distance from the NC Museum of Art greenway trail...this rusty pipe could be mistaken for a type of sculpture!

But there are many more pipes and reservoirs all along the trail.  I didn't mind them.

The path is level and paved, easy walking.  It parallels the creek and sometimes offers some nice water views.

On Thursday night we left for a long weekend at our mountain place.  How wonderful to go up there and not have to do anything!  We had some nice visits with my sister and her husband, our great niece and nephew, and Ricky and Mary's family.  Loved my cabin time!  Once when Charlie went to town, I stayed home and did a quick watercolor of a tiger swallowtail.  My only art for a long time!
  

Of course we took a lot of Gator rides and some walks across the mountain.  Here are a few pics.

 There was a beautiful mist after an afternoon shower.

When we got home, I did one day of my "nanny" duties for my sweet grandbaby Charlie.  She is getting so much personality!  Love, love, love my days with her.

I knew that today we would be having our driveway repaved, so yesterday we went to yet another greenway trail at Lake Lynn.  Very nice!  All either paved or boardwalk, and the boardwalk often is built right over the water.  We saw lots of birds and turtles.

They were supposed to pave our driveway while we were gone last weekend, but they did not do it until today.  We had to stay home all day.  They did a great job, and got rid of all the scary potholes and trenches.

I spent most of my time today trying to fix up our guest bedroom.  We are supposed to babysit for Charlie while her parents attend the N.C.State football game.  We only live 2.7 miles from the stadium now!  They will all spend the night after the game.  Did I tell you that my daughter-in-law's sister is the school mascot at my alma mater, North Carolina State!  Charlie was wearing the NCSU cheerleader outfit that we got for our first granddaughter, Lily.  Love it!