five shots…. – Cindy Bruchman

Blue Valley. Below are the small towns of Strawberry-Pine.

We wanted to get away for 24 hours. Off we went yesterday to our new favorite spot of the escarpment that is the 200 mile Mogollon Rim. For my blogging-buddy Fraggle, whose photographs I admire because she has people in them, I created this post. Normally, I focus on the landscape. Rarely do I humanize my outings. This time, Jim and I brought along our granddaughter Milly and our new puppy, Ruby. Which one do you like best?

When visiting a brother-in-law last week, he procured blueberry moonshine for us to sample. It was a sunny day and the drive to his place tucked in the Shenandoah Mountains lifted my mood. I was intoxicated as though I had drunk half the bottle of his moonshine. No, it was just the sunshine and the air filled with the scent of hardwoods. Which shot do you like best?

It was a quiet afternoon hiking around Lake Laura.

Down the road from Basye, there’s a hamlet called Orkney Springs. Shrine Mont is an Episcopalian worship and retreat center. I worked in the kitchen many summers with some authentic country ladies who taught me a lot about cooking. The summer music festivals they have on the lawn is a popular venue.

Meet our new puppy! Jim and I had no desire to get a new dog after the passing of Bear. But the buyer for this little gem bailed. Our son and daughter-in-law asked if we wanted her. Who could refuse a face like this? I returned to AZ to work, and lucky Jim gets to bring her home on the plane this weekend.

Related image — For my friend Pete who is a Civil War buff. This is one county. If you like U.S. History, Virginia is a living museum. More military events and key people from the Colonial period lived here than any other state.

1. A morning walk after a night of rain.

It has been seven years since I moved from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to Arizona. This past week we traveled back to visit family. Traveling down country roads that seemed to lead nowhere, my eyes were full of the beauty of the Virginia countryside. Add the sounds of Americana music, the smell of fallen leaves underfoot, the chore of raking up the spiny husks fallen from the Chestnut tree, and playing with a litter of eight puppies truly filled my heart. Which shot do you like best?