Checking in on Bill's Cascades

On Saturday morning I took Tessie out for a ride, and while we were doing some errands we decided we might stop by to see our friends Bill and Rhonda on Main Street.  They are restoring two houses down there, and one of them is among Luray's oldest homes.  The second has come far enough along, with wonderful modern features like radiant floor heat, so that is now their comfortable residence.


A few years back, Bill got some Cascade rhizomes from neighbor Dan, and planted them along a trellis in a sunny spot in the backyard.  The bines have thrived back there - his set up is just about perfect with the sunny spot, the 8-feet of climb, and an elevated garden.



They've become something of a bell weather for Hawksbill  Hop Yards, since they're usually ready a few weeks before us, due to the microclimate in that neighborhood.

Bill's plot o' hops was one of the final inspirations for the decision to bring Hawksbill Hop Yards to life - harvesting those hops in 2014 (see the post) on a perfect day sealed the deal.  The photo on the left  is of him and John picking the Cascades (stylized with the Tangled app - it's also one of my favorites from the thousands I've taken with the iPhone).

Since then, I partnered with David and we started the farm, and of course that whole adventure is yet to run its course!  Still, one step at a time, and the hops harvest is nearly upon us, as indicated by Bill's Cascades.