Peterstown West Virginia

  Just down stream of the border of Giles county a diamond was found.   A large translucient rock that a horseshoe pried loose in the ground.   A father and son pitching horseshoes eyed it.

So named "Punch Jones Diamond" after the boy who found it.  Weight 34.48 and bluish white in color.

An interesting history and the rest on the story  is found    HERE

Sign probably needs to be updated as the story says it was sold.

Marker in Peterstown West Virginia near the sight the diamond turned up. 

area at creek

Annette checking it out.   She is one who enjoys hikes especially along lakes and streams and I want to take one next. 

Peterstown Hotel

I can't find any history on it.   

Will keep trying.

massive stone fence

more later

Farm veggies

I took a little trip not too far about 4 1/2 hours not including stops to my daughters house in Ballard W.Va...
She had the veggies this year and fruit.   I guess it was just a good year.  I helped her prepare some for her to put into the pressure canner.  I enjoyed shelling and snapping beans.
Here are a few delicious looking pictures here.   I say that because I ate a little of everything pictured.
First off I must show the apples that are left after picking on the tree.
They are combination red delicious and gala.
The house was built in early 1940's.    Annette counted the rings on a limb that cracked from weight and had to be sawed off  of 75 rings. So I guess 75 years old.    The tree trunk itself I barely get my arms around.   Gorgeous tree.

Pear tree in front of high tunnel

you can see the tomatoes in there along with carrots on other side

picked and shelled sweet peas

MINE I love them

these needed quite a bit of stringing but we got it.  She is picking them smaller and next year not this type.

cooking down the tomatoes

still boiling in jars as they were just taken from canner

Russ likes the beans - he's our traveling companion.  Adalyn and Genevieve gave him to opa for his birthday and he goes on trips with us.

til next time

sharing with   OUR WORLD TUESDAY

mom visit

Steve and I went to visit Mama with Genevieve and Adalyn yesterday. They ran to hug her and chatted with her. Adalyn had to tell her everything she could think of as she can be a chatter. Attentive and kind both of these girls are

 Mama talked and laughed with them and then a game of scrabble she and I had while Opa took the girls to play on the tree swing and enjoy a cup of 
lemonade in the backyard. Tiffany was kind enough to bring them icees too.

scrabble time.  mama can play scrabble really well and we both were left with one tile.

Few pictures st Lewis Ginter

Took the girls to Lewis Ginter Botanical gardens.    Didn't get too many pictures as mostly Genevieve played in the splash area to cool off in the childrens area of the garden.

View of fountain in the sunken garden

entrance to gardens

Flowers in front of library

Like these paintings on screen

Would love to have this heavy metal butterfly but little too expensive for me
at this time.  I have one Steve got for us that is similar and I love the way it looks against the shrubbery in the back yard

from the gift shop Adalyn wanted a stuffed snake and she got one

She picked a green one out for genevieve too

Genevieve cooling off under sprinklers in childrens garden.  Adalyn decided to walk with me to the gift shop.

Happy Sunday

Nice and sunny here and the air is cooler.  I love it.

mallow hibiscus on fence always a cheery sight to see

Betsy

Altered

I had a good time last night in a class I took at Deep Creek Vintage, a fine old manor house located in Fredericksburg Va..  Full of vintage and handcrafted items.
 Friday after hours class was held in a cottage in back.

   I learned to cast molds with paper clay and relief stenciling to use on various items.


casts set aside for drying

Base coat and then a relief stencil I chose to apply to face of book

This one of mine has been painted with a base coat and now waiting for a top coat to dry.

another stencil I chose and applied with a metallic paint and added castings.

Finished...

I like taking these classes when they are offered because it's fun getting out with others who have the same interest and discussing new ideas or another way of doing things that wasn't thought of before.  I learned first hand, that it's better to spend a little more on a good product than going the cheaper route with inferior products, money is wasted trying to do it that way and it's just not as nice a finished product.

I am linking with
 best of the week end 

canned

Pretty tomatoes from Annette's garden.

fresh sweet basil from the yard was added before the pressure canner

now to work on these

front door wreath or decoration

Happy Tuesday and after a much needed rain, the sun is going to shine.
Ready to go out with the girls so they can ride their bikes, I want to show you my front door arrangement.

I purchased a wooden trellis I thought I would use for a summer flower in a pot but that didn't work out this year as every thing seemed to get burnt up from the sun.

It was brown but I sprayed it white to show up on the door.   I added some faux morning glories and Daisies.

After looking at these shots of the trellis - I just got another idea.  Will have to work on that after I finish the post.



As you can see the swan pot is not doing the geraniums much good.  They look pretty bad.

My zinnia that I decided to play around with in Photoshop

Happy Tuesday to ya
betsy
I am sharing with  The art of making home Monday