Meet Our Friend, Flat Zeus

I introduced you all to our Ginger and Super Aron a few days ago. I told you all about how we are participating in flat traveler exchanges this summer and how excited the children are about all the escapades that we are planning for all of the flat friends we will be hosting.

Well, welcome to the first of our adventures!

We've been hosting our first traveler, Flat Zeus from Berryville, Va.  Zeus has been the epitome of a perfect guest.  He is well mannered and amicable and fits right in with our family. :)

So what did we do with our guest of honor?

 Of course we integrated him in with our regular daily routines.  He seemed to really enjoy feeding our chickens and tending to our garden.

That's my father in law's tomato plant in the background

He also got a kick out of tagging along while we washed our van.

Suds!

Even though we were having tons of fun with just the daily hubbub, we thought that Zeus would enjoy touring some interesting sites that aren't too far from us.

So, we drove a little way up the mountain to a place called Whipporwhill Village which houses a mini replica assortment of historical buildings including a chapel and a Daniel Boone cabin.

It's also a pit stop on the North Carolina Birding Trail which seeks to preserve bird habitats throughout the region.

In the 1760s, Daniel Boone, his wife, and his eight children lived in this area.  There are two replica cabins in the vicinity and the one at Whipporwhill Academy actually includes rocks from the chimney of the Boone family's REAL cabin.

See Zeus hanging out near the door of the cabin?

Zeus was a tad bit naughty during our visit to the Village and spent a little time in this 1864 replica of an old country jail.

No worries.  We were able to work it out that Zeus could go free if he spent some time washing up some of the staff's laundry.  It was a bumpy ride on the old washboard, but Zeus was a trooper and got the job done.

Zeus was a little thirsty after his hard work, so we stopped over at the Daniel Boone Tavern to have a glass of cold water before finishing up our tour.

Our last stop was at the Chapel of Peace, a beautifully constructed church that is used even now for weddings on occasion.

We were thoroughly worn out after all this touring, so we made the trek back down the mountain to head back home.

A few days later, we took Zeus to another local place of interest.

This is not a large attraction and it is actually hidden from main streets and can be easily forgotten.  A couple of years ago, we stumbled upon it quite by accident and have revisited several times.

There are two main attractions here.  An old windmill that was a part of the Chicago World's Fair,

Zeus was a little scared to climb on the windmill, but we assured him we would keep him safe. :)

and an old caboose that has been refurbished.

There is also an old Depot building, but you can't go inside.  Surrounding all of this is a nice grassy area with flowers, a gazebo, benches, and fountains.  It makes for a quiet, relaxing location that would be great for a picnic!

Alas, Zeus' time with our family must come to an end because there is another family awaiting his arrival and more adventures to be logged in his journal.  But, never fear!  We should soon be receiving another friend who we are eager to meet and discussions are already underway to determine the fun we will have with them!

Have you ever participated in a flat traveler exchange?