Our Vacation....Day 2

Activities:

Free movie in Wytheville Cinemas

Picnic lunch somewhere (ended up being in the car)

Visit Nancy's Candy Shop in Meadows of Dan, VA

Visit Mabry Mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway 

This morning Brianne found out about the joy of ear buds. She had a great time listening to music with her big sister Delaney. I enjoy seeing Brianne's siblings take the time and do things with you.

 We started out today by going to a free movie at one of the local theaters. The movie, " Parental Guidance" It is a great movie staring Billy Crystal and Bet Meddler.

 We went to Meadows of Dan to Nancy's Candy Store. We braved many distressing events, like a close call with Brianne getting car sick, and then having Brianne attempting to help me drive by grabbing the steering wheel, but hey, we got there.

 The have a very wide selection of fudge. Just about any favor you can imagine is represented there. It is very good, but very rich.

 Liam was in heaven and hell. All the candy you want but you have to choose just a few things. This is very tough on a five year old.

 This is Miss Blue Tongue! Cailin and Delaney bought all day Jaw Breakers. One of the many hazards is having your tongue turn blue.

 Brianne loved her sucker. It lasted until we got to Mabry's Mill and she found a rain puddle to wash it in.

 Here is a good picture of Mabry's Mill. This mill was up and running until about 1930. The park service has done a great job in keeping the mill in a near perfect condition. This has been a very wet past two weeks, rather uncommonly wet for this time of year. You can see how muddy looking the pond is.

 Bri loves puddles, it does not matter what size. She stomped, splashed, and then set down in about every one she came to.

 In this picture you can't really see, but there is a rather good size leak in this water way. There certainly seems to be a great deal of maintenance in keeping this place up and running.

 This is the 1890 style of the GMC Suburban. I like how it is powered.

 Liam looks ready to go with his sucker in his mouth and hands on the plow. I wonder if this could be good omens for the mowing business.

 Water! Water! Water! Brianne was happy where ever she found it. Here she is playing in a old cast iron kettle she found. The kettle was used to make soap in.

 The bigger the puddle, the bigger the smile.

 Cailin is playing with a checker set made out of corn cobs. Play station and Xbox have come a long way since then, or have they? There are times that I think the world would be so much better off without much of the "STUFF" we think we have to have.

 This water will powered several of the businesses that Mabry attempted to run. I say attempted because all of it depended upon the level of water in the near by creeks. If it was a normal day, then only the mill was in operation. The mill would grind your corn into mill for you. If it was a good rainy day, then the saw mill could be used.

 Here is Delaney, one of our most beautiful flowers, smelling beautiful flowers.

 This is a shot of the back or front, depending upon how you saw it, of the mill itself. It stayed in operation until about 1930.

 These two couldn't stop jumping!!!  Over streams and rocks, Liam hopped and ran around so much that he fell three times.  All the paths, especially the wooden bridges were quite slippery due to the rain.  ( It rained and rained all day long.  There were few snatched of time when it wasn't raining, luckily we happened upon one while we were at Mabry Mill.)  Liam tried hard to keep up with Cailin....anything she did, Liam was right behind her like a shadow.

 I got it!!  A photo with her in the air!  Tried to get one of Liam too, this is the best I could do.

While on the drive we passed an old country store that had a kitchen which sold "fried Bologna Cailin squealed in disgust, so for dinner we had fried bologna, fresh fried eggs (from the Morgan's chickens which we've been tending to while they are gone.), and corn spoon bread (recipe from a WWII cookbook) in honor of Mr. Edwin Mabry and his mill, tomatoes and cantalope.