Monday, September 12, 2016

9-12-16 ~ Pictures from a Happy Weekend Trip

A week ago Buddy and I went to Damascus, VA, for him to run another ultra marathon. While he was running, I went walking on the AT, the Creeper Trail, and around Beartree Lake. We stayed at the cutest place, Hikers Inn. The owners turned their garage into a bunk room and a queen room, and there was a shared bath for all. What a deal for hikers...$25.00 a nite. We stayed in the house in a kingsize bed and AC for $75.00 a night. What a great deal. We loved the owners and will return there next year. Our world really does consist of - to a  large extent - Bud's and my going to his 1/2, full, and ultra marathon races. This is one of my favorite spots to go.

Here is a collection of photos from that day.

Crossing the Finish Line - Ultra Marathon - Damascus Virginia


Today is Bud’s 64th birthday, and he has been running since he was a teenager. Now he has only one year until he can get his Medicare! WooHoo! He has hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, and is also a biker. It took him a total of 10 years to hike the entire trail doing it on his vacations in the summers, and he and I are both very proud to say he did NOT skip out on one single mile of it. We have been married 37 years, and if you all did not already know, I am 13 years older...77. So, not only is he an athlete who refuses to give up even with a painful hip requiring lots of physical therapy and exercises at home, he is a saint for putting up with me all these years. My youngest was only 6 and the other two were teenagers when we married, and he was been a wonderfully kind and loving step-father to the three of them. No one gave it a chance to last. Well, we showed them! I call him the "Ever Ready Bunny" because he never stops.


 If ou click on the picture, you will see the sign - Hikers Inn.
Our comfy room was the one upstairs in the front right corner.





These two pictures are of another B and B across the street from Hikers Inn. Damascus, Va, is a precious little town filled with the nicest and most accommodating folk in the world. The AT runs right down that main street so there are LOTS of B and B's geared to hikers and other that want to bike the Creeper Trail.


We ate in a little restaurant, and I got there biggest kick out of the "sign” on the aprons worn by the people working there...
Today's Menu ~ Take It or Leave It

The footpath through the woods around the lake is 1 mile.









I chose not to sit on this bench. I was deathly afraid of Poison Ivy.
  

 The walk around the lake was a mushroom hunters heaven on earth. The red one is my favorite. I felt like a gnome was going to come hopping out at any moment. I have no clue what their names are, and if any of them are poisonous. If any of you know and can identify them, I would love to have the information. I didn't touch any of them or the Poison Ivy which was happily growing everywhere I walked.

I think this is a MAGICAL mushroom.








These were the only two flowers blooming.


This is where is local fishermen hung out.




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26 comments:

  1. So much to see around the lake especially the fungi.

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  2. Happy birthday to your husband! He sounds like a wonderful man. What great adventures you go on! I love the mushroom photos especially, they do look very magical.

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  3. Hello Genie! Wonderful photos from your trip and well done to Bud for finishing another run!
    I think it is wonderful you have been married for 37 years!
    Have a fun week!

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  4. What a great time you and Bud had and Happy birthday to him and Happy days to you ~ Lovely photography!

    Happy Creating ~ ^_^

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  5. A lovely post to read Genie, all the photos look wonderful.
    It looks like a super place to stay.
    Happy Birthday wishes to you husband
    Yvonne xx

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  6. Hello, happy birthday to your hubby! Kudos to him finishing the marathon. The Hiker's Inn sounds great. I like the pretty views of the lake. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

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  7. I like the Beartree Lake sign as if a bear had gnawed on it just to prove a point. Sorry I cannot help you ID any of the mushrooms. How long was the ultra and what was Buddy's time?

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  8. love the water photos :D

    and your hubby sounds like a great man, one the world needs more of. and good for him for keeping so active!

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  9. Beautiful photos Genie and you are lucky to have found such a sweet Buddy. Amazing he is still running those long distances. Keep him going!

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  10. Happy belated birthday Bud! Bud has the same birthday as my older sister, another Virgo oui 😊 You definitely found your perfect partner in life 37 years ago Genie, I loved this post! Oh my gosh Bud looks so fit, I just wish I could hike with P and Aimee but my knee is holding me back for a while, such a pain 😑

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  11. Wonderful shots from the trip. Beautiful flowers.

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  12. I loved the photos in your post Genie and your narrative. Happy Birthday to Bud! Good on you for proving the skeptics wrong. I believe we had the same ones when we got married but here we are still happily married 40 years on. Sounds like you discovered a great place with Hikers Inn. And thank you for sharing those pretty flowers and this post with Today's Flowers, so sweet of you. The different kinds of mushrooms were really neat also. A lot of things in this post in fact. Thank you also for visiting me and leaving such a lovely comment. I would dearly love to meet up with you one of these days. Look forward to it :)

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  13. the hiker's inn sounds pretty neat. :) happy birthday to bud! keeps on going strong. :)

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  14. Looks like the bear ate the sign!

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  15. I'm so glad to see that you are out and about again although not running ultra marathons! What a guy your Bud is. Congrats on the 37 years! and congrats for his birthday too!

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  16. I'm not sure what an ultra marathon is, but looks like you had some great adventures while your other half was off doing his thing!

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  17. Even the thought of an ultra-maraton makes me want to take a nap! Great effort all round I think!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  18. Wonderful walk Genie and oh my gosh i can't believe the bargain prices for that wonderful Inn. obviously we live in the wrong parts of the country ... Congrats as always to Buddy (for keeping up his running, not for putting up with you, which I'm sure has been a joy for him!) I consider all wild mushrooms to be photo-ops only and not for picking and eating. I think it's safer that way. (And yours made beautiful pictures). It's nice the races are held in such beautiful places.

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  19. Wow running marathons at 64, I can barely run a block at 60. Kudos to your hubby. - Sounds like you've had a great marriage. This looks like a wonderful place to visit. I enjoyed your fence shots and the beautiful lake area.

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  20. Beautiful shots of the lake. Happy birthday to Bud.

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  21. Congratulations on your anniversary. What a testament to you both, 37 years. Heather and I have been married 27.

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  22. I do believe you two are truly blessed.

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  23. Beautiful shots! I admire your husband for staying so athletic.

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  24. The lake setting is fascinating. Love the wild fungi and the lovely views. And your Bud is a trooper. No wonder you are so proud of his achievements.

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  25. Beautiful photos! It looks like a fantastic place to visit. It is so cool to that Bud is still out there doing what he loves. Happy (belated) Birthday to him!

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