'tis the season...

It's time to 'deck the halls'.

We started outside...

and had the perfect day to hang lights earlier this week.

(Actually...we have had more than our fair share of 'perfect days' this November!)

It felt almost balmy.

He does the peaks.

I do the eaves.

Why does it seem we just barely take the lights down...

and it is time to hang them up again?

The years just fly by!

Once the lights were up...

Ranen and Micah came to bake peppernuts

...and packed up their 'take-home' bags.

I haven't found a grand yet that doesn't love those spicy little morsels!

 'Tis also the season for spinning of tires on lawns...
so it seems.
That is a little decorating that we never ordered!

It seems someone finds pleasure in making tracks over front lawns.
And when they were done playing on our front lawn...

they took to the field and did a little more damage.
There is a little consolation in knowing we were not the only ones targeted.

I looked at hubby and said...

'Do you still have your spike rods?'

And we had a good laugh.

A very long time ago...

we had the same thing happen on our front lawn.

Two weekends in a row.

Hubby decided to put an end to it...

and laid down three spike rods that he painted green.

The unsuspecting driver would not get away next time!

It was also November.
We were actually looking forward to have the offending vehicle make another visit!
It/he/she never returned...

though we were ready.

By spring we had long forgotten about the green spike rods...

and our daughter decided she would like to

do the first lawn-mowing job of the year.

She was unaware of the spike rods...

and we had long forgotten about them ourselves.

The John Deere lawn mower never made one round before it found those spikes.

We discovered that the spike rods worked well!

We got caught in our own web.

So now we just smile...

and turn the other cheek.

'Tis the season!

the blowing rock and linville falls...

 We made many stops along the Blue Ridge Parkway...

and today I'll take you back to two.

The Blowing Rock...

in the mountains of North Carolina...

 is an immense cliff overhanging St. John's Gorge....

3,000 feet below.

Due to the winds that whip up and around the rocks...

Ripley's 'Believe it or Not' states that  this is the only place on earth where the snow falls upside down!

We soon discovered that there was only one way to the path that led to the famous landmark...

and that was through the gift shop.

:)

A few weeks ago this is how things looked at Blowing Rock.

Since then they have had a lot of snow...

and the local ski hill is now open for the season. 

Not far down the parkway...

also in North Carolina...

we visited Linville Falls.

 

Belonging to the National Park Service...

...the half-mile long trail that leads to the falls is well-maintained.
Once again we decided we couldn't have picked a better time to visit!

We dodged the crowds...
the weather was lovely...
and the leaves were beautiful.
And most of them were still on the trees!

We hiked to the top of the main waterfall on the Linville River.
From the viewing platform we could see two smaller waterfalls just upstream.

Below us...
the water fell away into a canyon.

And that is how we saw North Carolina...

in the fall of 2013!

Things may be quiet at 'My Front Porch' for the next few days...
as I'll be away from the office.
I'm off to the city for...
the B.C. Dairy Industry Conference 2013!

fly over canada...

While we were away touring the US of A...
our oldest two granddaughters had a birthday.
So we took them on a birthday outing this weekend!
We drove to Vancouver to take in the new 'FlyOver Canada' presentation at Canada Place.

Since their brother soon has a birthday as well...

he joined us!

We had lunch on the waterfront...

and then walked around Canada Place to the venue.

Though it is all just pretend...

one sees Canada from up above while soaring through the air in a flight simulation ride.

It comes complete with wind...and mist...and scents.

It was a first class flight.

I'd recommend it...

for all ages!

It's a great way to see our vast country in record time.

No RV required!

Spencer and Emerson ~ 12 years old

Ryder ~ soon to be eight

(Emme has a way of standing on tip-toes these days...

since it seems her twin sister has shot ahead in height lately!)

We drove through Stanley Park before returning home...

with a stop at Prospect Point.

Is it ever too cold for ice-cream cones?

Not according to the grands!

They enjoyed their cones.

We had coffee to keep warm.

We treasure time spent with our grands!