James River Wild

Living near the powerful James River always keeps things interesting! I'm in awe of it, just like I am with the ocean.

The James flooded this weekend. The flooding wasn't anything close to what we've experienced in the past, thank goodness, but amazing nonetheless.

Floating piers were lifted and flipped, some to reveal the scarred underbelly of styrofoam that keeps them buoyant.

Attempts were made to secure the floating piers to keep them from drifting downriver.

River banks were filled up to treetops.

Huge trees floated at a brisk pace as they moved down river.

Natural and man made debris got caught up in flooded nooks and crannies.

Walkways to the public marina and pier were flooded and impassible.

Railroad tracks, beyond the river banks and over the hill, were flooded and hundreds of tadpoles were swimming between the rails in a captive puddle.

Parking lots were closed.

But things always continue to move forward in a river town, regardless of how bossy the river might get.

The weather was lovely on Sunday. There were two weddings at Rocketts Landing Boathouse over the weekend, and plenty of photos were being taken by the river. And there were bunches of dewy-faced kids milling around who were decked out in stunning formal wear for what looked like prom night or a high school social (so cute!). Both the Boathouse and Conch Republic restaurants were fully packed, inside and out.

I love River life.

Springy

I've been in a work-related class all week. Ack…my brain is frazzled and what gray cells weren't affected have taken an hiatus. I had to change my work schedule to accommodate the class, and boy was that tough. I'm a creature of habit and I like keeping a schedule through the week, but this class blew it all to pieces!

The fortune cookie in my Chinese take out dinner tonight appropriately read "The only constant in life is that there will be changes." True.

We decided to take up herb gardening (again*). On Sat we picked up a booty of herbs from Strange's and planted a nice sized bed that afternoon. Rosemary, sage, basil (lots), tarragon, lemon verbena (great in iced tea), mint, thyme, marjoram, edible nasturtium blossoms, and a few others.

*The developer of our condo laid out 30 or so gardening beds for owners who wanted to have a modest plot to grown things in. We planted an herb bed right after we moved in a few years ago, and it did just OK. Really, the bed wasn't in an ideal location and didn't get all the sun it needed to thrive. But this time we have a different plot that gets more sun so we're hoping it will flourish and yield a lot more than the first time around. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Shopping for herbs and flowers on a warm spring day is so wonderfully therapeutic!

It was French Food Fest weekend too - the best cream puff in RVA (although the homemade cream puffs at Aziza's on Main are pretty incredible).

Almost Flying Squirrels

Happy spring and happy Easter, everyone!

At my grandmom's house, where I spent an inordinate amount of time when I was a kid, baseball was popular. My grandparents were Baltimore Orioles fans. And although gran didn't really sit down and watch TV much (way too busy always doing something for her family), when a game was on she'd listen to it from wherever she was, regardless of what she was doing.

And many times the TV was pretty loud so she could hear it from wherever she happened to be located in the house. I remember well hearing the roaring crowd echo from the TV throughout the long, city row house where she and my grandfather lived. Most of the time I'd be at the kitchen table enjoying a treat or plucking her nerves in some way :) while she was doing some kind of chore and listening to the game. That was a normal day at my grandparent's house when baseball season was in.

Every year the Camera Club of Richmond is given permission to photograph the Richmond Flying Squirrels during practice, before anyone else is allowed in the stadium. It never fails to bring back the greatest memories of all those game days and game day traditions at my gran's house.

By the time we got to the Diamond stadium this year the Flying Squirrels had already finished practicing and the entire team was back inside preparing for the upcoming game. But the opposing team was practicing, so that's what we photographed.

A beautiful day, both weather wise and memory wise!

Quiet

Interesting things on a quiet morning walk.

Instantly Charmed

As we approached Sub Rosa in Church Hill, we could see a crowd of people inside. We joined in, and I grabbed two chairs at the food bar while the hubs proceeded to get in the order line.

There's a din of lively conversation from customers waiting in line, and sometimes chatting is preferred over ordering. Some people buy their goods and go, while others linger at tables and settle into easy morning conversation or quietly read. Espresso, various steaming drinks, and delicious looking baked goods enter waiting hands and are eagerly devoured.

Behind the counter are several shelves, trays and racks with rows of beautifully browned breads and pastries. There's a smooth hustle and flow from the hard working the staff.

In the back is the center of the universe for Sub Rosa - the mighty wood-fired oven. I am in awe of the baker who continuously pulls dark, crusty loaves of bread from the hot oven chambers while he expertly maneuvers the long-handled paddle like a maestro swings a baton.

High ceilings. Wood dining tables that look as though they're made from reclaimed wood. Smaller tables topped with beautiful metal trays. A shelf of pour-over supplies. Gorgeous windows that let in an abundance of natural light. You want to linger.

We're instantly charmed. We're confident that whatever we plan to order will be simply wonderful.

And everything was so very delicious. I drank too much coffee and got a little wired, but I savored my caffeine high for the rest of the day!

As we leave I notice a house for sale. I tell the hubs I want to put in a bid for it right away because I needed to move right next door to this place.