More picture of trees :)

The last day of our trip to NC the weather turned wet and chilly. Not the best day for walking or doing anything outside; but we decided to drive around and do some sight seeing. In a way the rain made the colors even brighter.Even Bill and Kathie who have spent a lot of Octobers up there were excited by the bright oranges and reds we saw.

Bill and I rode around on the golf cart to look around

We stopped in town to eat and check out a few stores. Everything was decorated for fall...I loved all the pumpkins, squash and seasonal displays.
BUt the sight we saw as we got to the entrance of Trillium...was breath taking...we all hopped out in the drizzling rain, because you had to take a picture! hahahah

the reds!!!!!!!

We got home on a Monday, and then we got ready to head up to DC that Friday. I'm not usually that willing to hop on a plane...but you gotta do what you gotta do. And it was lovely there too.
We got a special rate at the Lansdowne  Resort; for a golf package. John had tried one other time to take Marcus there...but our last trip up ,there had been a lot of rain and half the back nine was flooded.
This time conditions were nice. We spent one night with B-i-L Rob. Then the next night we went to the resort.
It's a quiet time of the year for them, so we got a very nice deal and a great room!

                                                             with a really nice view!

The guys had a good time golfing; and Marcus was the winner at the end of the day. Megan and I headed out to Tyson's Corner...a fun mall to visit when you're up in that part of  town. That evening we met up with the guys and Rob and Shane for a drink and then dinner.

Sunday morning John and I slept in, then took a nice walk around the property and down by the Potomac River.

I especially enjoyed the walk down by the river.

Yellow and brown were the dominant colors down there. For most of the walk we had the path to ourselves. We only passed on bike rider.

Look at this beautiful spot along the trail. That's looking over to Maryland.

The it was time to turn around and make our way back to the golf course, up the hill and back to the resort. We packed up and headed back to Rob and Shane's house for one more day/night.

              Picturesque spot at the front of Lansdowne...there is almost always someone taking pictures down there...you can see why. Just out of this picture there are rocks and a waterfall. Nice spot.
We enjoyed catching up with Rob and Shane, Megan and Marcus. For John and I, that was the last time we'll see Marcus until sometime next year.For me it was a perfect way to end the 3 months off. We left the chilly fall weather and when we landed in Melbourne the next evening...it was 90! degrees!!!!! Aggggggh!
We got home and unpacked...I for one was happy knowing I wasn't going anywhere else anytime soon...hahahaha.
I had a day or two to get organized and then it was back to reality. My first day back started off a little roughly...but I decided I wasn't going to dwell on it. I enjoyed working with my friend Susan...she got me up to speed on the goings on at the library during the time I was gone. We had a few laughs and all in all the day went well. I have to admit I was a little tired mentally and physically at the end of the day. It didn't take long to remember all the "cons" of the job....standing for 5 hours, wacky schedules, the usual BS that is still there...no matter how long you take off...hahaha  ;) But...the "pros" are there too. It's nice to have a steady paycheck coming in every two weeks. I still have plenty of sick leave in the bank...and I'm already adding more. It was nice to see my favorite patrons again...although half of them acted like they never knew I was gone...hahahah. After the first week I got to do my Story time program. I had a small, very young group...and I was worried that it might be awhile before I got back in the swing of things...but the second week I had many of my old regulars back for the program. I was happy to see them and they told me they were very happy to have me back. :) This is a good time to get back...because with all the holidays coming up...I have a pretty easy schedule for the next month. My supervisor has done her best to schedule me so I don't over do it. At this point I'm not going to HURT myself...but my shoulder does get sore by the end of the day...I'm sure that's just a matter of time. It was easier than I though to jump back in to the mix....and I definitely feel more relaxed about some things that used to get me flustered...now I just don't fret about them too much! I can do this for a few more years until I qualify for my full "pension" or retirement or whatever you want to call it. I just hope the State of Florida doesn't run out of money before I start  getting my share! Now....if our director would just find a job at another branch....hahahah life would be just right!