Friends, Neighbors & Fireworks!

I mentioned on Saturday that we were headed to a cookout at our auto mechanic's place - one thing he loves to do each year is host a customer appreciation event and this was our first time going.

We knew there would be burgers and hotdogs and games along with the relaxation of visiting with community members and meeting people we didn't know yet.

What I didn't know was that it was much more than just hot dogs and hamburgers.

It was quite the gathering!

There were kids running everywhere - a delight to see.  There were two huge buffet tables set up and it seemed to be a grill-a-thon event of who could out-grill the next guy!

Candied grilled bacon on a skewer? Check!

Bacon wrapped dill pickles slathered with sauce and grilled?  Check!

Chicken leg quarters grilled to perfection?  Check!

Along with an array of salads from pasta to jello and a table of desserts and side dishes.  A pot luck like no other pot luck I've seen.

And don't forget the watermelon!

Hubster Dave was thick into the corn hole competitions - and while resting and digesting I took a little walk up and down the road to soak in the beautiful July evening.

This is Southwestern Virginia.  About as deep into Appalachia as we can get. Where creeks run along the roadside down every holler between the mountains.

Where people work hard, love hard and live harder.

Where forgotten barns are barely seen as nature fills in places that man and time forgot.

Just another narrow gravel road alongside a meandering creek.

Mountain Rhodies blooming everywhere, unattended.

The softness of baby lotion pink petals against this rugged landscape paints a beautiful contrast.

Reaching the "golden hour" before day descends to nightfall.

Hillsides of young Christmas trees growing here.

I walk further along the creek, admiring the rhodies in the dwindling sunlight.

Barn in the shadows...Christmas trees behind.

1920s bungalow.

We've passed this house several times while dropping off vehicles to be worked on, and then going back out to pick them up again.

The last time there was a big dumpster out front so it looks like someone is planning on rehabbing this little bungalow and that makes me happy to no end.

Of course every mountain community has an abundance of little white clapboard churches and I love this one at the end of the street.

I looked around back to see if there was a cemetery but there wasn't.

By this time the sky was getting a bit darker so I ended my little exploratory walk and headed back to the gathering.

As night fell, folks gathered in lawn chairs and on blankets and quilts (Yes! I met another quilter there!) and we watched an amazing show of fireworks to end our cookout evening.

It was magical.

And I love feeling like I have found a place in this community.

Quilting continues.
I am nearing the end...and I hope to finish it today, get it trimmed up and get some binding put on it.
Here's a bit of the quilting as I was just getting started on Saturday before we headed out:
Click to Play:

With the long holiday weekend over it's time to get back into the groove and hit the nitty gritty where it counts.
The Pieceful Hearts gals from North Augusta SC are arriving on Wednesday!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Pretty much!

Let's just say the amount of fabric to sew up in my lifetime is going to require multiple lifetimes.

Have a marvelous Monday, everyone!