Summer is ending and I feel a bit sad that it's going. Except for a week or so last month, it hasn't been uncomfortably hot. Also, we had sufficient rain here in Shenandoah County so the green leaves have graced us all season, making the scenery gorgeous and delightful.
We visited the beach at Lake Laura. Frank grumbled at the idea of the steep walk up the hill so I drove through the lake-side residential area until we came to the "Path to Lake" sign. I dropped them off there so they only had a short (and downhill) walk. Then I drove back to the parking lot below the dam and walked up. It was hot hiking up there in the sun but the lake looks lovely once you pass the dam.
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I read about Kiva and checked out the site. Wow! You participate in making loans to people who are struggling to make a living and need a little money to buy an ox or a pig or set up a little shop. You can join and loan $25 to the person or group that you choose from an extensive list.
A popular place to take visitors in Shenandoah County is the Johnny Appleseed Restaurant in New Market. The goofy statue at the door makes it memorable, and the country-style food is decent to excellent depending on what you order. (The prime rib is especially tasty but they only serve it on Saturday night.)
I convinced both Frank and his sister to climb the steep steps to the top of the lookout tower. Going down the steps is a bit nerve-wracking.
Here Scamp meets cousin Toby. Scamp was fascinated by Toby, but Toby clung to his safe perch on Mary's lap.
Seen at Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area, George Washington National Forest.
Frank's sister enjoys visiting antique shops and historic sites so we took her to Strasburg Emporium and continued up Virginia Route 55 to Waterlick, turning right on Fort Valley Road. We stopped at Elizabeth Furnace to see the old cabin.
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We saw a house for sale on a hill with a magnificent view. It's between Basye and Conicville on a quiet country road. Built in 1992, it has an old-timey style porch and plenty of land for gardens. (MLS#: SH6631520)
Frank talked his sister into helping him roll stones out of the rock pile and into an outline of a pond.
There are some great buys in real estate right now in Shenandoah County. This is a 200-year old house in that we saw on Valley Pike facing the intersection for Route 263. It has two (2!) grand staircases and is listed at $299K. (MLS#: SH6809826)
When we are expecting out-of-town visitors, we clean up the house and fix some things that have been on our to-do list for a while. And then there's the miscellaneous things that need to be done to avoid embarrassment, like giving Ben a bath. He doesn't like it but he was starting to smell a bit, so on Wednesday Frank got him into the tub and I gave him a good washing. It takes a day or so for him to stop smelling like a wet dog.
Then there was Scamp's barking. He barks a lot sometimes, and since it gets on Frank's nerves, I've been working on behavioral modification. I had a couple of gadgets that make a high-pitched sound that's supposed to deter barking. I had tried them on Ben long ago and they didn't faze him. One is a hand-held gizmo that I have to press when the dogs barks and another automatically reacts to barking provided the dog is in front of it. Unlike Ben, Scamp will stop barking in front of these gadgets but quickly resumes as soon as he moves away from them. Shaking a tin can full of pennies works too, but of course it takes diligence on my part.
We had the carpenter duo who did our kitchen work come back this week to replace the trim around our clerestory windows. That woodwork takes a beating from sunshine all morning and water every time it rains.
The Humphrey Museum is Colorado is auctioning an Antique 18k yellow gold ladies double diamond ring that belonged to my great-grandmother.
Frank grilled some Bubba Burgers for us yesterday. It was a lovely evening and we enjoyed eating them outside as the sun set and the hummingbirds buzzed around the other end of the deck.
We have a pair of hummingbirds who visit our deck every day. They are shy and fly away if we approach the window so I don't get many pictures of them.
I got a little USB Data Logger by i-gotU so that I can record the exact location of where I took a photo. I tested it and it worked well. The idea is that it records the latitude, longitude and time, and later the software synchronizes this with the time that the digital camera took a picture. Naturally you have to set the time on the digital camera correctly or you'll have to match the data manually.
Harper's Cemetery
These photos are from a field trip in May. We were studying the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. The northern part of the Shenandoah changed hands so frequently we call this the "Yo Yo War."
Lockwood House
Next to Lockwood House at Harpers Ferry is the old Harper Cemetery, which has a lovely view. Walk down the steps and you may see this sign saying:Passing through this region in 1747, Robert Harper - a Pennsylvania architect contracted to build a Quaker church in the Shenandoah Valley - was so impressed by the beauty of this place and the water-power potential of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers that he settled here and founded Harpers Ferry.
When Harper died in 1782, there were only three houses in the town. Optimistic about the community's potential for growth, however, Harper had set aside this 4-acre cemetery. Childless, Harper left most of his estate to his niece, Sarah, who subsequently married a Wager. As you wander around the cemetery, you'll find the grave markers of some of Sarah Wager's descendents as well as stones of Irish and German immigrants who settled in this area during the 1830's.
Left: These steps connect the Ridge Trail to the old cemetery.
Bolivar, Harpers Ferry, WV: This historic building overlooks the Harpers Cemetery and is part of the campus of Storer College. An interpretative sign tells us:General Sheridan's headquarters in August, 1864
With its commanding view of Harpers Ferry and the Potomac River gap, this house has witnessed significant chapters in Harpers Ferry's history. It was built in 1847 as quarters for the U.S. Armory paymaster and later served as headquarters for Union Generals Henry H. Lockwood and Philip H. Sheridan during the Civil War.
After the war, Storer Normal School (later college) - one of America's first schools for freed slaves - began here, and for almost a century Black students and Freewill Baptist Church staff utilized this building. Today, its exterior is restored to the Civil War period, but two rooms are furnished as they were during its early Storer College occupancy.
