Bottom's up

I love a brewery tour. I am a sucker for the self-promoting, bragging tour guide explaining how a bottle of beer brewed at a particular brewery is better than the rest of the beers in my refrigerator.

In my lifetime, I've taken three tours: Budweiser with my mom, Colleen, Adam and Rachel in Colorado in 2006, New Belgium with Uncle Glenn and Aunt Heather in Colorado in 2008 during the V-Team Farewell Tour, and Orion with Benny in Okinawa in 2009.

Orion was the most interesting considering it was self-guided and nearly all the information was written in Japanese. The samples at the end were good, according to Benny. I was pregnant at the time and unable to enjoy the best part of the tour-- the free samples.

Last Friday, I was again the pregnant woman getting strange looks on a brewery tour. This time it was Flying Dog brewery in Frederick.

Our tour guide was wearing this T-shirt.

A tour of Flying Dog (which moved from Aspen, Colo., to Frederick in 2006) topped our Maryland to-do list when we first moved here last spring. But the brewery didn't give tours because of a Maryland beer-serving law snafu. In August the rules changed and we immediately began planning our tour date. Benny made our reservation on November 28 for our January 27 tour.

Drew, Mel, Steve, Kristi, Michelle and Benny

While they sampled the coffee beer ...

I was left with a glass of water. Yes, we got to keep the glass.

Just the two of us

So what did I learn on this tour? That I love Flying Dog. There is a connection between the beer and the Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Super cool. My journalism student heart went pitter patter when that fact was stated during the tour. A freedom of speech lawsuit supported by the ACLU with the company temporary changing its slogan to "Good Beer, No Censorship." Again the writer inside of me went gag-gag. And the reason I love Blue Moon and Kansas City's own Boulevard is because it's unfiltered beer. Got to love when a brewery tour unexpectedly turns into an educational event.

Catoctin Mountain, not Mountains

Olivia crossed another milestone: she completed her first hike.

We took her, along with our friend Melinda, to Hog Rock, a 1-mile easy loop in the Catoctin Mountain Park, which is part of the National Park Service. According to our Fodor's Virginia and Maryland guidebook, the Catoctin Mountain Park is eight square miles of forest and rocky ledges. Add in mild temperatures on this particular Friday and it was the perfect recipe for Olivia's first hike.

Follow the arrow

We brought the hiking backpack to carry her, but she wanted to walk solo, so she did that (at a slow, slow pace stopping to collect sticks, leaves, and worms) until the vista. At that point, she told us to stop and take a photo "here!" We obliged.

Family photo on the mountain

Then she ran around, despite my plea to walk, while I took a photo at the vista with Melinda. Of course, Olivia fell. She wasn't upset until Benny took a photo of her on the ground. She tried to wave him off while Melinda and I laughed.

Don't take my photo, Olivia cries.

Meli and I

We finished the hike (with Olivia in the backpack) by identifying trees and poking at a harmless caterpillar.

Olivia loves to hike

Olivia loved every minute of it, even if it lasted more than the 45 minutes it typically takes to complete that loop.

The Blog Break is Over

Happy Easter from the Volkmanns!

Standing in front of our new house

You are probably wondering what the three of us have been doing and seeing for the last two months. We were homeless surrounded by friends and family members who were excited to have us back in the USA.

We are in the process of unpacking and settling in this exotic and faraway place called Maryland. But today, we took a break from the brown boxes and celebrated Easter in our new location.

On Saturday night, we hosted Jason and Melinda (Navy friends who live south of us in Virgina). Olivia welcomed them with a tour of our 3-bedroom, 2-bath duplex by saying "chair, TV, Olivia's jacket," pointing to random items. Yes, our little girl is talking more and more everyday, but most importantly she is repeating and repeating more phases that Benny and I say. Must think before I talk now, thanks to Olivia.

Today, after church Olivia participated in her first Easter egg hunt. Rookie mom that I am, I forgot the camera at home. But I did take a photo of her "scrambled egg" basket when we got home.

Olivia's scrambled egg basket

Olivia found an egg, opened it, dumped the candy out on the grass before putting the egg in her basket.


Olivia was happy with her basket of goodies from the Easter bunny. Including some new sunglasses.

How do I look?