Thanksgiving in Roanoke, VA

For Thanksgiving break this year I had the distinct privilage of visiting Jacob's family in Virginia. We were both certainly ready for the break, and it felt amazing to be able to rest and relax a bit. I loved being able to walk with Jacob through the setting of his childhood -- see the house where he grew up, hear all the stories that would only spring from this setting...

Roanoke is surrounded by beautiful country, and we were fortunate to come when the weather was unseasonably warm. There is a section of the Appalachian trail that runs nearby, and we made a point to hike up to a certain group of rocks with a spectacular view at every chance we had. It was a short and pleasant hike up -- and sitting there, drinking in the landscape, I could feel all the pressures of my academic life evaporating...

While we were up there on the trail it felt as though we were visited by an auspicious amount of circling hawks. I kept trying to catch pictures of them, but generally failed -- so you'll have to imagine them soaring above this beautiful scenery.

This is the one and only Bebs (aka Prissy) -- the beautiful queen of the Graham family castle. She's 20 years old, so isn't as active as she once was, but rather enjoys curling up on her favorite blanket and having her ear rubbed.

Thanksgiving Day

Here we are on Thanksgivng Day -- the rest of the family is inside that house in the background (which belongs to Jacob's aunt and uncle). With the sun hitting just right, I think Jacob's firey beard rivals the brightest trees in the landscape!

Here's a nice shot of Jacob and his dad, Roger. Unfortunately I am terrible at remembering to take pictures at family gatherings, so this is the only one I got...

...and still more beautiful scenery: nature gave us a true Thanksgiving day feast.