The Accidental Boilermaker

I wanted to make these cookies for the Halloween party but between hiking, decorating, and Evelyn I just didn't have time.  So I made them yesterday morning before I had to leave for work.  Works out well for me and Nate; we don't have to share them with anyone. Skeleton cookies

We hosted our third and final psychology Halloween party today.  Even if we stay in Virginia, we won't stay in the farmhouse so it will fall to someone else next year.  But today was fun.  We had a good turnout with good weather and lots of good food. Food! Zombies (and a cat in the background) Jam fest - Nate's supervisor, his wife, and youngest son brought their guitars and cajon  so they played a couple tunes for everybody. Evelyn wore her Snow White outfit so Nate was the huntsman And I was the evil queen.

We did our 5th today hike.  Trails seem less busy on weekdays compared to weekends.  We saw a few people hiking down as we went up, but at the top we had the view all to ourselves. Peak #5 - Dragon's Tooth This is the third time I've hiked Dragon's Tooth.  It is probably my favorite hike in the area.  The "teeth" are Tuscarora quartzite, with the tallest "tooth" about 35 feet tall. Hiking up the trail View from about halfway up Ashley and Brandon hiking Dragon's Tooth At the top Enjoying the view  Evelyn did okay; she slept on the way up and was happy most of the way down.  She got a little tired and fussy toward the end.

The weather was much nicer this weekend for our 4th hike.  A little cloudy and windy, but otherwise a perfect fall day.  The leaves have started to turn colors too. Peak #4 - Poor Mountain This peak's claim to fame is it is home to the world's largest population of rare shrub piratebush .  The trail is a loop where you actually hike down to see the cascade/waterfall and then hike back up to the parking lot. Hiking down the trail The cascades Small creek Hiking back up the trail Evelyn stayed awake and happy for the whole trip.

Just a few extra pictures of Evelyn. We are still running even though it is getting chillier outside. Pretty much anything can be a toy. Lunchtime

Hike number three happened today in the rain and fog.  Evelyn missed the whole thing.  She slept all the way up and all the way down. Peak #3 - Read Mountain Read Mountain is the newest and largest park in Roanoke County and boasts one the best views of Roanoke.  Unfortunately, as we hiked higher up the mountain it became apparent that we were not going to see much of anything.  We had a great time, but we all agreed that we needed to come back on a sunny day. Our "view" of Roanoke. Sound asleep at the top. Picture of Buzzard Rocks Fog We took some pictures at the bottom of the hike since the top was not so scenic.   After the hike, Nate, Evelyn, and I went to  Piety .  I had a cherry baby pie and Nate got a turtle one. Very very yummy. 

Evelyn turned 8 months old yesterday, but we took our pictures today.  In order to stay still she requires a puzzle piece to chew on.  Evelyn is sleeping better and sleeping straight though the night isn't as uncommon as it used to be.  Sweet potatoes are definitely her favorite food, but she also likes apples, pears, carrots, and rice puffs.  And Penny is still her best friend. On Monday Evelyn officially graduates from one side of the baby room to the other side! All her teachers say she is much happier on the other side as she has more room to move and new, exciting toys to play with.

We hiked our second peak today since it was very close to our house and we typically have dinner with Ashley and Brandon on Thursday (a little tradition we started after Evelyn was born and they brought us dinner one Thursday night). Peak #2 - Sawtooth Ridge This hike is out along the part of the Appalachian Trail that runs behind our house.  I did this hike once before with Meredith and Jeremy when they visited soon after Nate and I moved to Virginia.     Evelyn hiked with Nate this time and babbled the whole way back to the car.  Best part of this hike was stopping at the Homeplace for dinner.  Yum!