Carter Mountain Orchard.

We declared a stop-off on our return. 

Katie had told me about this place on our drive to the beach. 

Glad to be able to visit it now!

Yes to all three!

A Week Plus Some: In Pictures

RVA summer colours, turning pink by the Dairy!

It's been kind of humid too...

"Greg, it ain't easy. All I need is an opening. You remember the pitch? 

  What can I use? What's new around here?"

 

The other day: Teddy Grahams, three-in-a-row!

With the opening of Steel, the final one of three back-to-back shows, 

we Officially Functioned like never before.

This one included we 4, 

Theresa (MM hat designer extraordinaire), Lynn (Busytown designer), 

Lesley+Ivy ("The Costume Shop ") responsible for finishings on MMs Pick-a-Little Ladies 

along with Abby; as well as Liz, our Go-To for period research & dress patterns.

Quite the crowd! OF  #12

When I thought about how many years of combined costuming were under that one roof ... 

Wow.  :) 

I discovered a new brewery, Parkway.  

I like their artwork (as well as the fact they do Blonde).

 

Being based in Salem, VA (about half an hour's drive from Roanoke),
I know their landscape well ... winding roads & starry hills.

This week,  

the fabulousness of Mellow Mushroom, new to Carytown. The pizza place which all 

the elsewhere-kids rave about. They're very happy to see it arrive here.

 

Record Wall.

Lowly Worm gracing the doughnuts at Busytown, Willow Lawn.

There was a Wednesday night going spare
so this happened:

New release! The Double IPA, better known as the "Dipper".

Plus Piiigs.

A Trip to the Trailers!

 
where the other ⅓ of extant stock from "dead shows", likely
to be revived sometime, reside on Southside. We were on
a Quest to relocate some Important Costumes for a Fall tour.

Four Velveteen Rabbits found!

Friday afternoon = 

BOWLERAMA!

 The annual staff summer social.

 

Doug-Squish-Hug.   :)

TWC,

 

         Also spotted on the Thanksgiving day drive                      & later revisited, 

          The Woman's Club.  

 

It's another of Richmond's Historic Landmark buildings, also known as the Bolling Haxall house:

an "Italianate mansion"dating back to 1858. 

Its exterior alone is full of character. 

 It even has its own theatre hence,

It was a good day for shadow photography too.

Bend in the River.

The name of Church Hill was familiar to me because in my first week, Gordon had told me that I should go to there, climb the hill & look out over the city to see why Richmond first got its name. It's all to do with how Byrd II believed that the view of James is similar in manner to the curve of the Thames around Richmond Hill in London. (I didn't have the heart to tell him that my knowledge of the Thames & Richmond-upon-it was somewhat limited. Nor how I'd far rather discuss its namesake further north.) Mission now accomplished anyhow.

We drove up the hill as the sun was starting to set. Lynn pointed out St. John's "Give me liberty or give me death" Church on the way. (They hold reconstruction Sundays there of Patrick Henry's famous speech. I'm almost tempted.)

The gingko trees looked so splendidly rich in colour in the evening light. 

And because we've shifted to Christmas anticipation,
the lampposts were now sporting red ribbon bows. 

...  How cute. 

From this vantage point, you can also see another of the factory-to-river loft conversions with its landmark "Lucky Strike" tower.

(The building also features an Indian head on its roof
from Lucky Strike's trademark sign:)

Black Friday Perambulations.

I took the parallel road on Friday to the Court End district to pay a visit to the Richmond Valentine History Center on East Clay. It was a gift shop-only call as the weather was too good to be looking round exhibits indoors. I did discover that they have a costume & textile collection however so I imagine I'll be heading back there sometime. 

From East Clay to find out where East Marshall leads to. 

Egypt, actually.

Somewhat amused by this pragmatic equine greeter
at the nearby Museum of the Confederacy.

Cigarettes this way, y'all...

 Around the corner, the building which Lynn had pointed out to me:

 

Monument Church stands as a memorial to 72 people who died in the 1811 fire at Richmond Theatre. The current octagonal building was completed in 1814, serving as an Episcopal church intil 1965 and later on, as a chapel for the Medical College of Virginia.

"the mice will play..."

Sue left for Atlanta, GA on Thurday to fabric-shop on Friday & fit her grandkids up for Halloween over the weekend. Lynn works shorter days & a shorter week. That left Sarah, Marcia & I in the 'shop today. Sarah advocated a 'costume field trip' for the three of us. 

Field trips are fun! 

Having spent an hour or two this morning with the pressing task of A Nice Press to some scarves & fluffifying sweaters with Maribou for "'Twas" (a touring Christmas show, I'll leave you to work out the rest of its title), we headed out to the south side, over the (Mighty) James, through Bon Air, to the Midlothian Turnpike & Chesterfield County. 

Tarjét first & Kohl's to return some mis-sized clothing & procure some more for the show.
(I swear I'm clocking up an impressive amount of time in the former store this week, 50/50 between there & the costume shop.)

Sarah had asked me on Monday as to my favourite type of American food. I had paused, answering her with another question: "can I say Mexican?" She decided I could, just as Italian would be equally as valid. So that was what I was treated to at lunchtime today at the stunningly-named 'Mexico Restaurant'. 
  
They collaborated to bring me back into Richmond along the scenic route, taking in the sights of Maymont's gardens through the trees. Past parks for children and dog-walkers (a rom-com waiting to happen). Into the Museum District along N.Boulevard, past the VMFA (where Marcia's John works), the Daughters of the Confederacy & the Virginia 'Hysterical' Society. Down Patterson Avenue, running parallel to Monument (I snuck in a small wave as a greeting to Stonewall) & into the Fan, so-named for its shape.
    Autumn has most certainly arrived, at least from the colour of the leaves. I need to take a good photo-walk up that way soon as the trees look so beautiful in all their tertiary glory at present. I love autumnal colours ~ from Edinburgh, to Cambridge, to Richmond; leafy cities, wherever.

Back to the costume shop to round off the day by tweaking & reinforcing a few more sweaters - adding on white lacy collars, as would befit a little old lady. (LOL)
______

I've been here a week already! The days have just flown by. I did contemplate celebrating by booting Sam's night-light off the wall as I did on arrival last Friday, thanks to jet lag & unwieldy suitcase. But I decided that wouldn't be so friendly a tradition to uphold.

- Y'know, there's no recycling collection here in Jackson Ward, our district. That fact breaks me. All that cardboard, glass & metal going to waste. I'm not even sure if Kroger holds a collection point. My most wasteful year every coming up. Glad I got in so many recycling points at Dowley Gap before I left.
______

Quest for the weekend (beside celebrating an interpretation of the Celts): 
Work out what the heck is going on with these tax 'worksheets' I need to complete.
Not-so-happening. 
    Year End works by calendar year here so my first tax period will only be from October - December & probably fairly minimum. But also, everyone has to personally file by themselves, by April here. The total flip-side of how tax is generally paid in the UK as it's outwith the employer. Nobody seems to want to answer questions because they lack the legal oomph with which to give a qualified answer.A disclaimer leads the start of every sentence uttered about tax. I'd happily settle for an educated guess, just so long as I don't end up owing thousands to the Fed. 
___________

Ally wishes for me to teach "our American cousins" some Brit-speak. 

 30 of your Britishisms used by Americans

However at present, we're struggling with the phrase "kitchen roll" (over 'paper towel') & the fact that European DVDs have separate regional coding (an entirely new discovery). So I don't think my roomates will move quite so fast to adopt such Britishisms.  I find myself sometimes in this patter of Brit/American as I use a habitual word before soon replacing it with another to speed up the understanding within the conversation.
  I did teach Sarah the reasoning behind (my exclamation of ) "Blackpool Illuminations!" after all the lights were left on, on our floor today. That then made me wonder what the equivalent of "it's like Picaddilly Circus in here!" is. But I cut myself some slack & decided not to ask.