weekend adventures | a short hike on the AT

I've been dreaming of hiking lately. Probably because I've been reading a book about thru-hiking before bed and having some great conversations about hiking with my book club friends. But I think it also has to do with the general dissatisfaction of being cooped up inside all winter and suffering serious wanderlust. Whatever the reason, I spend my unconscious hours each night walking down an endless path.

Last weekend it was 7 degrees here, so when I saw that today's forecast was in the 60s, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to get the whole family out of the house and onto the trail. For once we even planned ahead the night before (by marinating some food for tonight's dinner) and got up early (7:30 on a Saturday!) and on the road. Where we promptly got stuck in traffic. This is the reality of trying to go anywhere within 2 hours of DC. So as we were sitting in traffic, we talked about where we should move. (Out west?)

We finally made it to Gathland State Park, but not before stopping at a tiny pastry shop in the town of Jefferson, Maryland, because sitting in traffic builds up an appetite! (Or because I'm always hungry?) You know you're not in DC anymore, when you can buy a muffin for 90 cents! They also had tasty Ranger Cookies for 60 cents each, made with rice krispies, coconut, and pecans - must try making these at home.

Once in the park, we headed out for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. I wasn't aware that we'd be hiking in snow, and it definitely wasn't 60 degrees in the mountains (more like high 40s), but once we got moving it ended up being the perfect temperature for a hike. However, as soon as we started up the trail, I became acutely aware of how long it had been since we'd been hiking - my lungs were burning as we huffed and puffed up the steep incline. I also was testing out a new pack that can carry both my camera gear and a water bladder, and was reminded of how much I hate carrying stuff when I hike. At one point, I got tangled in a web of camera straps, backpack straps, and dog leashes. Argh!



But then the trail flattened out, my lungs stopped burning, I got my rhythm, and everything felt great. We were out in nature, spending time as a family, and moving our bodies - just what all four of us needed...until we noticed that Gravy's foot was leaving a trail of blood in the snow. Well, shit. He didn't seem to be bothered, but I certainly wasn't going to make him hike on a bloody foot, so we turned around...

...and went to a winery instead. We only made it 3 miles on the trail (I guess it was more of a walk than a hike?), but it was just what the pups needed. They lounged at our feet while Larry and I enjoyed a glass of red while looking at a frozen pond, complete with tiny island.



And I have to admit that my legs were sore (pathetic) and I was ready for a nap (that might have been the wine) by the time we got home. But spring is just around the corner, my wanderlust will soon be soothed by a trip to California, and I'm inspired to get back into hiking this year. First stop: Joshua Tree.

VIVID gallery opening

2016 started off with a bang for Funnelcloud Studio when one of my paintings was accepted into an art show at a local gallery. While this was not my first gallery show, in the past I've focused on selling art through the Funnelcloud Studio website, Etsy shop, and art markets instead of exhibiting my work in galleries. My goal is to get my work in more galleries in 2016, so it was nice to start the year off with a gallery show.

The show is called VIVID: Abstract Expressions. It is hosted by Falls Church Arts and runs through February 7th at Art Space in Falls Church. The gallery opening was on January 9th and a group of friends (and my mom!) showed up to check out my painting, The Water's Fine #11. The opening night was a lot of fun and the gallery was packed! I was really impressed with the gallery space and the quality of the other pieces on display and I was shocked at how many people came to check out the art. This made taking pictures difficult, so I gave up on photography and enjoyed my wine and the company of my friends instead.

I had a really good time and was flattered that so many friends came out to support my work. I also had no idea there were so many talented artists in my town and it was fun to feel encouraged about the art scene in Falls Church. My painting is currently available for purchase through the gallery, or you can shop other paintings from The Water's Fine series on my website.

Here are a few pics from opening night:








My painting looked surprisingly small when hung on the gallery walls, so I'm looking forward to going bigger in 2016 and hopefully being able to exhibit my work in more galleries this year. Check out my Upcoming Shows page to see where Funnelcloud Studio will be exhibiting next!

snowzilla!

We were promised a big snowstorm over the weekend, and for once, the meteorologists nailed it. Snowzilla dumped over two feet of snow here in the DC area. The news channels started warning us about this storm almost a week ahead of time, so there was almost too much time to prepare. I went a little crazy stocking up at the grocery store and library. Eat all the things, read all the books!

By the artist formerly known as Winter Storm Jonas.


Larry was enraged when he spotted his nemesis, cucumber, in the grocery haul.

As much as I hate winter, I love being snowed in. If only I could spend all winter curled up by the fire with a book, a drink, Netflix, Larry next to me on the sofa and the dogs at my feet, and a house full of delicious food as snowflakes fall outside. Nowhere to go, no responsibilities. (Ok, I always have responsibilities, I just choose to ignore them during a snowstorm! Healthy eating habits are also given the boot when snowbound.)

Larry and I had six days at home together (he worked from home for some of those days) and being shut-off from the real world was glorious! I didn't get amazing pictures like I did during Snowpocalypse 2009 and Snowmaggedon 2010 (still some of the best pics I've ever taken), but we still had a fun weekend. Here's what we did:

+ Finished watching Making a Murderer.
+ Read four books: Snapper, Roller Girl, Relish, H is for Hawk. (Most boring book ever! But I highly recommend both graphic novels.)
+ Cooked up a storm: French Toast, Huevos Rancheros, Carrot Cake Pancakes, Mushroom Lasagna, Banh Mi Pizza, Nachos, Buttermilk Brownies, Banana Bread. Trashed the kitchen in the process.
+ Ate dinner on the sofa every night and stuffed our faces while watching Netflix and OnDemand. (Are there any good movies out there right now? We've watched so many movies lately that have been horrendous. Recommendations needed!)
+ Packed up all the Christmas ornaments and other holiday detritus that had been hanging out on the coffee table.
+ Wasted hours researching airfares and looking at travel websites. We still haven't decided where we'll go to satisfy our wanderlust, but it looks like the Caribbean and South America are out for now due to the CDC warning concerning the Zika virus. No worries though, there are lots of other places we want to go! (I generally don't freak out about these things, but I'm crazy allergic to mosquitos, so why not just go somewhere less mosquito-y and not risk bringing a disease back to the U.S.?)
+ Attempted to play in the snow with the dogs. They love snow, but when Larry and I bundled up to play with them they were over it. Both of them stood on the porch and looked at us like we were fools.

I got so sick of people knocking on our door trying to get us to pay them to shovel our driveway. 

Happens constantly where we live, even while it's still blizzarding outside. No thanks!

After a couple days, we went outside and excavated the car from its frozen tomb. I've never understood why people are so obsessed with shoveling snow immediately? It's the weekend, the government/most businesses are closed, there are two feet of snow on the roads...WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GO? I prefer to hang out inside and enjoy the time off. (And let the sun do a little melting.)

But we did eventually dig out. That was when I realized that my favorite tool for digging out the car (my SnoBrum that I bought in Syracuse when I was a college student) was in the trunk of the car. Under a six food snow drift. So I dug out with a kickboard instead! Worked perfectly!


Two thumbs up for Snowzilla!*

* We were very fortunate not to lose power, have damage, or have any injuries. Many people along the east coast were not so lucky.