Bonfires & pie!

I just got back from Rachel & Ryan's wedding in Story, Indiana....which is in the middle of wonderful nowhere. Driving there was like a video game...hairpin turns flanked by steep drop offs, dips that make your stomach drop (I love that), and trucks with horse trailers coming at you from the opposite direction at twice the speed. The first shot there, I white knuckled the steering wheel the whole way....the second time, I was like "weeeeeeeeeee!!!!"

I got to stay in the Blue Haze Lodge. ( http://www.bluehazelodge.com ) Named so for the lake of fog that rolls in around midnight and fills the valleys until sunrise. Quite a sight. The hostess is a lovely Brit named Ali and her company was very welcome. It seems like I've been going 24/7 for the last two years and the night before the wedding, I had about three hours of downtime, I'd forgotten my book, and there was no tv. I didn't know what to do with myself...and then I relearned the joy of just lying on a bed staring at the ceiling and listening to the various sounds outside my window. It's been ages since I've been able to just loaf as an activity...I quite enjoyed it...and will try to work this rediscovery into my hectic schedule. My sanity demands it. Now if I could only find a way to have breakfast with friendly chatty Brits and strangers every morning....

Other things I adore: autumn, the smell of campfires, pumpkins (especially in pies), leaves turning colour. So yeah, I loved this wedding. You see, Story is this teensy little "village" made up of an inn and a few surrounding tiny cottages. It's really quaint and meant to be nostalgic ol' Americana...except with indoor plumbing, for which I was very grateful.

Rachel & Ryan had a nice big bonfire going, bales of hay wrapped in burlap with pinecones, acorns, and all other manner of fall decor. The scene was beautiful and rustic and a great contrast to Rachel's couture dress and elegant styling. Their doggie was the ring bearer and although she didn't exactly adhere to the script, her antics were really amusing. Oh yeah, and pie and persimmon pudding instead of cake! It was awesome....I know, 'coz I had a little of both. :D

Another thoroughly enjoyable wedding where everyone really had fun, including the bride and groom....that's important, you know?!?! Here are some shots from the day: