Guns & Grapes

Today I was faced with that age old blipper's dilemma - too many shots to choose from.

We stayed with Holli's parents last night in their beautiful rural home, and enjoyed a traditional home cooked southern breakfast that included the too-rich-for-a-morning-meal strangeness of biscuits and gravy.

Afterwards, Lucy fired a rifle in the garden for the first time in her life and thoroughly enjoyed herself. After firing off a few shots myself I was also reminded of how much I used to enjoy it in my younger days, before most firearms were banned in Britain.

Later we toured a couple of wineries and enjoyed plenty of tastings too. I'm no wine expert but most of them were delicious.
Once famed for its tobacco growing farms, North Carolina has cleverly evolved in a declining tobacco industry, realising that soil that loves tobacco plants is fond of grape vines too.
The result is an area containing over a hundred wineries, and the belief by many that North Carolina will one day rival California as a top wine producing state.

Despite the comedy aspect of a shot of Lucy stood in a pretty little dress, smile on her face, happily wielding a rifle, I ultimately went for the one above as it shows more what this trip is all about - catching up with our globally-scattered friends and enjoying great experiences in new places.