Grandview Nature Preserve, Hampton, VA

This morning we went on a bonus walk with the Around Town Hounds to Grandview Nature Preserve in Hampton, VA. It was a beautiful day for the end of October--mid 70s, not a cloud in the sky and non-stop sunshine!

You can just barely see Sammy's brother, Jack, at the side of this photo. The beach was wide open for us to enjoy.

Sammy found something on the beach and immediately snatched it up into his mouth. Maybe a dead crab? Or some old sponge? I think he regretted it later--because he drooled and slobbered all the rest of the walk.

Nerice took off her shoes and went into the water. A little cold!

Sammy was immediately the fun police!"Get out of the water, Nerice!"

We came across some fishermen and asked them what they caught. "Only some sunshine on our faces," they said.

PG just enjoyed a chillin' kind of day. She didn't go in the water, didn't roll in anything or pick anything up in her mouth! Hampton is surely a great place to live!

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival, Norfolk, VA

This morning we went to the Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival. It is sponsored by the Hope House Foundation. The foundation provides supported living services to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in their own homes or apartments. The foundation also runs Hope House Thrift Shop--where they have everything from Polka Dots to Leopard Spots!

Sammy liked looking at all the art work. I wanted to catch him looking in the mirror--but he wasn't cooperating with me.

PG was looking for anyone who would come by and pet her.

We bought a water pitcher from Neal Reed. Neal enjoys carving into the clay while it is still soft, and also the technique of sgraffito. A few years ago we bought a coffee mug from him showing a lady walking two dogs--pulling her in two different directions. Can't imagine why that mug talked to me and say, "Buy me!" Neal is a potter from Fredericksburg, VA. He shows his work at Sophia Street Studios. They are dog friendly if you're ever in Fredericksburg--stop by and say hi.

There are lots of artists to see! Painting, sculpture, jewelry--something for everyone.

Right next to the arts festival is the Hague--with lots of ducks and geese. So close and yet so far away! It was a beautiful day for the festival. The artists will be there again tomorrow so go out and see them.

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Normandy, France

I couldn't take the dogs along with me to Normandy, so I took my little puppets in their stead and thought about them every day.

We were a little bit jet lagged and didn't wake up very early the first day--so we stayed kind of close and went to the Bayeaux Museum to see the Bayeaux Tapestry. It is a 70 meter long embroidery that tells the story of William the Conquerer and the Battle of Hastings. What a cool thing--there are greyhounds in the tapestry! There were no photos allowed of the actual tapestry--but they had these posters all around the museum.

On the next day we went to Caen. We went to the Musee de Beaux Arts.

Caen was the sight of the World Equestrian Games this year. They're held every 4 years like the Olympics. The horses compete in events like dressage, jumping, endurance.

In honor of the World Games, the museum had an exhibit of colorful horses all done by different artists surrounding William the Conquerer's castle.

On Tuesday, we went to Mont Saint Michele. The dogs looked on from the sheep pasture below. They also climbed to the top of the mount--but they were inside my purse so it wasn't too hard for them!

On Wednesday, we went to Honfleur to visit the Eugene Boudin Museum. Honfleur is a wonderful, little city around the harbour. Honfleur looked a little bit different when Boudin was painting it.

We did see some real greyhounds walking around the Honfleur harbour!

On Friday, we walked along the beach at Etretat.

Doesn't it look just like Monet's painting? We couldn't believe we were actually there. We climbed up to the top of that cliff, too!

On Saturday, we finished up our trip with a visit to Monet's Giverny. Here the dogs are on the bridge over the lily pond.

Monet's house and gardens was the favorite part of the trip for me. I felt like he had just stepped out of the house right before we got there.

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Monument Avenue, RIchmond, VA

This morning we walked with the Around Town Hounds on Monument Avenue in Richmond. We took a group photo at the large monument to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, sculpted by Edward Valentine.

We started our walk at the Lee Memorial. Monument Avenue was conceived as a place for this memorial statue after Lee's death in 1870. The plan for the statue included building a grand avenue extending west lined with trees along a central grassy median.

Sammy was ready to go...

but the two whippets were having a little bit of a problem!
Dorothy: Now which way do we go?
Scarecrow: Pardon me, this way is a very nice way.
Dorothy: Who said that?
[Toto barks at scarecrow]
Dorothy: Don't be silly, Toto. Scarecrows don't talk.
Scarecrow: [points other way] It's pleasant down that way, too.
Dorothy: That's funny. Wasn't he pointing the other way?
Scarecrow: [points both ways] Of course, some people do go both ways.

The street was originally, and continues to be, a favored living area for Richmond's upper class. Monument Avenue includes a combination of enormous mansions, apartment buildings, churches, and beautiful single family homes. When our big group of greyhounds walk down the avenue, many people stop to make videos of us.

Sammy enjoys walking down this Grand American Avenue.

At the end of PG's stroll along the avenue, she imagines people in the late 1800s strolling past this grand monument.

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Windsor Farms, Richmond, VA

This morning we met up with the Around Town Hounds for a walk around the Windsor Farms neighborhood in Richmond. Windsor Farms is one of Richmond's first planned neighborhoods. It was designed in 1926 to look like an English village, with curvy streets and English names.

We start out meeting up in the parking lot of the Women's Club. Sammy gets very excited when all the greyhounds come together!

Agecroft Hall is a Tudor manor house and estate located on the James River. The manor house was built in the late 15th century and was originally located in England. The hall was bought at auction in 1925, disassembled, crated and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, and reassembled at its present site.

Right next door to Agecroft Hall is the Virginia House. Similarly, it was constructed from the materials of the 16th century Warwick Priory in England. It was shipped over to Richmond and reassembled. It was completed several months before the stock market crash of 1929.  Virginia House is in theTudor architectural style but incorporates a range of designs from other English houses.

Virginia House is set in carefully planned, landscaped gardens, which contain a diversity of plants, statues and architectural elements. We were able to look through the fences to see some of the elements.

Sammy, PG and the other dogs were more interested in smelling around the brick sidewalks rather than looking at the old houses. It got warmer by the end of our walk.

Even a little iggy joined our walk around the Windsor Farms neighborhood.

After the walk was over, Sammy, PG and I met my son at Panera for lunch! A great end to a great morning!

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG