A Journey Through the Appalachians by J. Aubrey and S. Maturin

[nid_dabeille]

Jack and Stephen (and Sarah and I) just got back from a lovely trip.  The highlights were the big huge historic Biltmore House and estate, and hiking to lots of waterfalls (lots being 3 or 4 or 7 or something.)  The boys had never had a vacation before, and they were SO excited!  They got rather dirty and bruised, and Jack lost a little gold braid, but ehh, that's inevitable.  And it made me glad that I'd never gotten around to making Stephen a proper waistcoat.  Proper clothes just don't suit his naturalist habits.


So here they are, Jack and Stephen at Biltmore:


Stephen marvels at the grapevines in the garden.  Jack is bored.


The boys enjoy a refreshing pot of tea and some marvelous snapdragons (or slapdragons as I prefer to call them now.  Who is it whose son calls them that?  I forget.  And that's actually just the creamer.)


A sublime view of Hooker Falls:


Worrisome views of tadpoles at Triple Falls:








More worrisome still!!!  (But it's only a northern water snake, Nerodia sipedon)


Jack is unimpressed by Nerodia sipedon.


Catching a ride with their minders.  Sarah:


And me:


Farewell, beautiful falls!


The end.