Not much happening .......

I don't have any excuse for not posting sooner other than nothing has been going on. It's just been too hot to do anything - 100 Thursday, 102 yesterday, 106 today, and a forecast of the same tomorrow. Anyone who doubts that global warming exists should come spend a week in Southside Virginia. I don't remember ever having a summer this hot.

The days have been too hot to go in the pool. I had planned on swimming tonight, but I checked the water temperature and it is 88. I don't find water that warm to be refreshing, so I'll stay inside in the air conditioning.

We did get some rain - Hooray! We had a nice shower last week and a brief shower earlier this week. It helped to green up the lawn. I'm still watering the garden every day. I have some nice cherry tomatoes and every so often I'll get a squash or cucumber. The regular tomatoes are still a disappointment - almost every one has dry rot.

I got my hair cut Tuesday. I was way overdue for a cut. I had been letting it grow so I could pull it back in a ponytail when it was hot or when I went in the pool. It had gotten longer than I have ever worn my hair. She cut off 4 to 6 inches and it is still shoulder length. I can still get it in a ponytail - a short one. I'm not very talented at fixing my hair, so I need a style that is wash and wear. So far, I'm satisfied with this cut.

Like I said - not much happening here.

More Luray Caverns .........

More pictures from our trip to Luray Caverns.





More beautiful rock formations. There are giant pillars and massive and fantastic forms, many adorned with patterns. There are crystal fountains, cascades, and magical and mythical looking formations. If you look hard enough, you will find all sorts of hidden designs and forms

This is called Fried Eggs. It looks like someone broke several eggs on the rock.

This is a picture taken in the Cathedral which contains the Great Stalacpipe Organ. It is the world's largest musical instrument. Stalactites covering 3 1/2 acres of the surrounding caverns produce tones when electronically tapped by rubber tipped mallets. You get to hear a song played on the organ, which is quite beautiful.

After touring the caverns, we got a quick snack for lunch, then visited the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum. Hubby was very interested in all the old cars and carriages on display. There were cars, carriages, coaches, and costumes dating from 1725 to 1941. Some of the highlights were a 1840 Conestoga Wagon, a 1908 Baker Electric, a 1913 Stanley Steamer, and Rudolph Valenino's 1925 Rolls Royce.

Luray Caverns .............

Yesterday we decided to tour Luray Caverns. They are located in the town of Luray, which is in the Shenandoah Valley in the northern part of Virginia. Both Hubby and I had visited them on school trips in elementary school, but had not been back since. I'm glad we decided to go. It was the perfect way to spend a hot afternoon - in a cool cavern viewing some majestic rock formations. If you have never been, it is well worth your time.





This is called the Double Column. It is 47 feet tall and is composed of both stalactites and stalagmites. The area it is in is called Giant's Hall. The ceiling is over 60 feet in height.

In this picture you can see some of the formations that are called totem poles. I thought they looked like carvings made in wood. If you looked closely, you could see all types of shapes in the rocks.

I love these formations that look like fringe or draperies. It takes about 120 years to form one cubic inch. It's hard to comprehend how many years it has taken for these caverns to form.

There are different colors in the rock. Some are white and almost translucent and some have more of a yellow or gold cast. It depends on what impurites from the soil have seeped down.

This is called Dream Lake. The bottom of the photo is a reflection in the water of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The water is not deep, only 18 to 20 inches at it's deepest point.

Keeping cool ........

It's been so hot lately, it's taken all our energy to keep cool. We've been hanging out by the pool ......





Or else, finding cool spots in the shade to stretch out.





Hope everyone is doing the same. We will update soon...

I think I live in an oven ........

..... at least it feels like I do. Will this heat ever give way to temperatures in the lower 90s? It seems like almost every day is over 100 degrees. Many parts of the country are sweltering under record temperatures. I really feel for those who can not tolerate high temperatures. I like hot weather and I'm comfortable until the mercury goes above 90. No matter how hot I get, I can usually find a way to cool off. I've been eating lots of ice cream cones, drinking large glasses of iced tea, and spending time in the pool. I do worry about Maggie May and Mazie Grace being outside during the hottest part of the day. I try to make them stay inside, but they want to go out. I guess they find some shady place to stretch out. I keep water in a bowl on the deck for them.

It's been too hot for Hubby and I to tackle any projects around the house. We try to get everything important done by 10 AM. After that we do no more than necessary. I have gotten a few regular tomatoes from the garden and I'm beginning to get some cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes are really pretty and have a good flavor. I like them in salads and also just pop them in my mouth for a delicious snack. We keep watering the garden every morning and every night. It's enough to just keep it alive.

I haven't been able to exercise lately. My treadmill is in the garage where there is no air conditioning. It's been too hot to get out there and walk. I can tell that I haven't been exercising. My joints are stiffer and I don't have as much energy. I really should come up with some exercises I can do inside.

I guess I've complained enough about the weather. I shouldn't complain since I prefer this to very cold weather any day. I'll be wishing for days like this next winter.

Big shoppers ...........

We finally got some relief from the heat yesterday. Hubby and I decided to take advantage of the pretty day by taking a quick trip to Prime Outlets in Williamsburg. If you've never been there, it has over 120 designer and brand name outlet stores. It's a shopper's paradise.

We stopped for breakfast along the way and got there around 10:30 AM. We walked and looked until almost 2 PM. The only purchase we made was a cheese slicer for $8.00. The one I had broke several months ago and I missed having one. I saw lots of nice things, but nothing I really wanted. When I have too many things to look at, I get overwhelmed and nothing really jumps out and says "Buy Me". We were hungry, so we left the outet mall and stopped to eat before coming back home.

I used to love to shop and would always find loads of stuff I wanted. The trunk of my car would be full after a trip to the mall. Since I've gotten older, my wants are not as great. I don't make impulse buys. If I see something I think I want or need, I won't purchase it then. I will wait and if I still want it a week later, then I will buy it. That little trick has saved me a lot of money. I also do a lot of shopping on the internet. I can search for the specific item I want and compare prices at different merchants - all while comfortable in my pj's.

Are you a shopper?