Day 16

This morning we visited the weekly farmers market at Lake Anne, a few miles down the road.

Lake Anne is a planned community of houses and small shops around a created lake.

We met a lady selling 'Celtic Pasties'..  Her husband was from Merthyr Tydfil.

We bought her 'cottage pie' pasty (mince, mash, carrots, onions and cheese)..

Good but definitely not a patch on Mum's Cornish pasty pie.

Friday Night Celebrations

This evening we celebrated David's birthday at 'Passionfish' in Reston town centre.

David's (non-alcoholic) cocktail came with its own little mermaid...

On our way back to the car we saw some more energetic revellers at the ice rink but we decided not to join in!

Day 14 - David's birthday

David has been in Cleveland, Ohio for a couple of days and sent this picture of this shopping arcade (1890) which his hotel opened onto.

During the day I surveyed the available celebration cakes at the supermarket..

(This last one is, as you will have guessed, a Thanksgiving cake).

I decided to make some Butterscotch Blondies in the end, which were quite lethal enough..

David had lots of cards - thank you to everyone - it is quite fun to go and check the box each evening (the postman delivers letters into the box from his van v late in the afternoon - if you put up the little flag he will also collect your outgoing mail)

Day 13

My plan to take the bus and metro into Washington today was put on hold when the guys arrived to take down a dead oak tree which was leaning rather dangerously towards our neighbours roof.  It was a fascinating process to watch.

Firstly the tree was lassoed and the rope wrapped around an adjacent tree and pulled taut.

The tree was cut at the base and pulled over until it fell into the tree that it was tied to.  More big pieces were then cut off the base so that the trunk could be pulled into alignment with the tree.

Once the two trunks were aligned, more large pieces were cut from the bottom and the cut end of the trunk was lowered to the ground.

Further ropes were then secured to allow a controlled fall (in the direction of the house!)..

And finally it was down and an hour or so later..

...a new log pile of ready-seasoned oak ready to be split down for the fire!

Day 12

Food is expensive in the US, more so than I was expecting and many incomes are low.  In the run up to Thanksgiving, there are a number of initiatives in Reston in addition to the regular foodbanks.  At D's office they have all been issued with a large brown paper carrier to fill and take back with a list of suggested items - mostly staples such as rice, pasta, tinned soup, pasta sauce, tinned meats etc.

I was reading this morning about a woman who started and writes for a very successful US parenting community blog (Scary Mommy) which has launched a charity as a result of posts to the blog to bring together those who need help to provide a Thanksgiving Dinner for their families and those who can donate to help.  It is amazing what can be achieved using the web to bring people together.

This afternoon I walked to the local supermarket, the aptly named 'Giant' and met there a man who was collecting for the Salvation Army's Thanksgiving support for families.  He was quite a character, well dressed for the cold as if he knew about living rough but with a very fetching red Salvation Army apron over the top.  I didn't like to ask him to take his photo so just one of the supermarket itself:

On a completely different note, on my walk to the supermarket I passed the following:

This is by the side of a four lane parkway and with a temperature this afternoon of 42 degrees F, the only visitors were some finches who were collecting the last of the seeds from the thistle and teasel, but one to watch in the Spring  perhaps (in the meantime need to brush up on my knowledge of Monarchs).

Day 11

On Sunday we visited a different supermarket - my favourite so far - 'Trader Joe's'.  At the till they had on sale a chocolate bar which just had to be tested...

Really not sure about this - a guilty pleasure or a Letitia Cropley special?  Opinion is divided.

Day 10

After a hair-raising half hour or so with me at the wheel of the car, we went shopping for vital items for the fireplace - log basket, tools, ash bucket etc and we are now sitting enjoying the warmth, crackle, glow and wonderful scent of a hickory wood fire.

It is well established  having been lit for a couple of hours and we have opened the glass doors which cover the firebox.

I took some other pictures earlier on..

I think that this may become a winter habit (given the size if the log pile and the fact that we are likely to have a tree cut down this week which will add to it, that is perhaps just as well!).