That notwithstanding, the next several days were spent traipsing through the forest (or perhaps I should say, huffing and puffing) on several trails. The weather was not very cooperative with heavy fog and intermittent rain on Tuesday. It gave me an opportunity to catch up on writing blog posts (but I've fallen behind again – can't believe it's been two weeks already).
I was staying in the Big Meadows Campground, not far from Hawksbill Peak (the highest peak within the park) and hiked to the summit on Wednesday. The rain had stopped during the night and the fog had lifted mid-morning. The trail was just 1.7 miles long with only a 500 foot elevation gain, but it sure felt longer and higher!
Wednesday afternoon, I made a short detour out of the park to Luray to try and track down a church where two of my ancestors served (more about that in a future post) then returned to the park and spent the night at Mathews Arm Campground. It was cloudy on Thursday morning and more rain was in the forecast. I took advantage of the offer made by my Aunt in Silver Spring, Maryland and spent the weekend at her place.
10/26 near Bacon Hollow Overlook
10/26 Moorman's River Overlook
10/28 Fog Rising at Fisher's Gap Overlook
10/28 from Hawksbill Summit
10/28 Crescent Rock Overlook
10/29 Gimlet Ridge Overlook
Will on pitch one...waiting for the money to come.
Caught this postcard foto of 2 camels from the moving car.
Green salad, different types of Arabic dips and sauces, pickled vegetables and pita bread.
Couscous, lamb and chicken barbecue and the arayes.
Arayes, grilled pita bread stuffed with minced meat in spices and herbs. 5 stars!
For dessert, Basbousa.
There were quite a number of guests that evening at the hotel camp.
I started buying wool cycling clothing last summer and I now own three bicycle jerseys. What I like about cycling jerseys - as opposed to regular t-shirts - is that they are well-ventilated, elongated in the back (good for a leaned-forward posture), and have built-in pockets, making them convenient to wear on a roadbike. Here are some details about the three I own:
The first wool cycling jersey I bought is this one by Swobo. I heard good things about these and they were on clearance. The entire line is now discontinued, which means that you can find these jerseys on sale at various online outlet stores. The colour of mine is "tree mud."
TheSwobojersey is styled like a vintage cycling jersey in everything from overall design to texture, featuring a classic front zip collar and side panels.
Medium-lenght polo-style short sleeves.
The wool is on the thick side. It is much softer than vintage wools, but similarly bulky. This makes the Swobojersey not the most flattering on female bodies - especially in the tummy and upper arm areas. It is cut with practicality in mind.
The back of the Swobois long and features two very deep pockets, each large enough to fit things like a camera, wallet, phone, sandwich or apple.
I wore this jersey frequently during our stay on Cape Cod last September, and it is especially good for cooler weather and for cycling in the wind with occasional rain. A durable and practical jersey, but not the most flattering or lightweight fabric.
After the Swobo, I purchased this GT jersey by Icebreaker. I wanted a lighter-weight alternative for warmer weather, and was also hoping for a more flattering fit. The Icebreakeris great on both accounts. This is a "multi-sport" model and I bought the previous season's version, on clearance from an online reseller (forgot which one). The current production model is styled a little differently, but it's same general idea.
The wool fabric is almost gauze-thin and 4% lycra, which makes it stretchy. The result is supremely flattering.
This might be hard to see, but there are panels made of a perforated fabric that run along the back and sides of the jersey. These provide great ventilation and contribute to the flattering styling. The back is quite long, and the stretchiness keeps it from riding up.
Mock turtleneck collar, reflective zipper, perforated panel under the chest, and elongated short sleeves that can be pushed up or pulled down.
The one flaw of the Icebreaker jersey is the pocket. Because it is not a cycling-specific garment per se, the pocket is on the side. This works so-so in a leaned forward position, but is not ideal because whatever you put in it will add more weight to one part of your body than the other and will pull forward. If you're carrying just a credit card, bills, or folded-up directions then it does not matter, but heavier things like keys or a phone may pull uncomfortably on a bike with dropbars.
I wore the Icebreaker jersey a lot at the end of last summer, and am starting to wear it again now that it's getting warmer. With all the perforated vents and the long zipper, it keeps me extremely cool.
My latest wool jersey is from Ibex, received as part of an equal-value trade directly from the manufacturer. Last summer I bought a pair of Ibex woolcycling knickers (shown in all the pictures here) and I love them so much that I was happy to get anything else Ibexmakes. The Indie Mountain jersey did not disappoint. It is flattering and lightweight, and while Icebreakerachieves its flattering look via adding lycra for stretch, Ibexdoes it via careful tailoring.
The elaborate multi-panel construction is almost architectural. It cinches the jersey at the waist, expands it over the chest, and drapes it over the tummy in a way that hides the treacherous folds that can form there.
The elegant Mandarin collar makes the jersey look almost dressy.
The short sleeves are finished so that they are loose around the upper arm, as opposed to cutting into it. This is more flattering than typical cycling jersey sleeve designs, especially for those of us who do not have upper arms of steel.
The one thing I could do without on the Ibexjersey is the cherry blossom/ crane rendering. It's just too girly for me, and I also think that it makes what is otherwise a subtle Asian theme way too explicit. This jersey is beautifully styled; it didn't need cranes and flowers.
The rear pocket is on the small side, but fits my smaller camera and zips up, so no complaints.Overall, this is a versatile jersey good for both warmer and cooler weather, and I've been wearing it more than my other two since I began cycling this season. (Ibex: Could you make just some plain versions without the drawings, please?)
One of my favorite people is here now-Buddy! When Dee heard Buddy was coming last night, she said "I love Buddy" and we laughed because everyone says that about him. Here's Buddy playing with Mike. Love the look of fierce concentration on Mike's face. 
Dee playing with the guys. Dee can hold her own and then some with the guys. I think Dee and Sally are the only ladies that still intimidate me when I play against them. They keep me inspired to keep working at the game to get better at it!
Here are some of non-transients here with Dee. Scott, Dee, Gilbert and Joanne. Scott's a sweetheart, Gilbert is a hoot and Joanne is really cool. I haven't had a chance to talk to Joanne a whole lot, but she strikes me as one of those people that I would find fascinating if I did.
More non-transients: Tommy who wears me out by lobbing the ball over my head every five seconds, Mike the Chesapeake pickleball King, Mel the other sweetheart and Rick who is the Rich of Chesapeake. The Florida crowd will know what I mean by that. I haven't had the chance to play with or against Rick, but I've watched him play and it's a beautiful thing to watch.
Wiggie, who gets his own picture because he wouldn't join the others:
And Rich who gets his own picture simply because he is Rich. Notice he has his mouth open. That's all I'm going to say.
There is a serious lack of females on the court here. It's a strange thing to me, because I'm used to the "transients" being out there as couples for the most part. I'm grateful for the few that do play here, and I miss having more of us on the court. Of course, as hot as it is, I'm impressed any of us are out here.