We didn't get a response on the listing for the lake house so Frank has lowered the monthly rent to $1450. This should make it visible to those who are searching online for a rental home under $1500. 
We went to Belle Grove yesterday. It was the last day to view an exhibit of Strasburg* pottery, which turned out to be displayed like furnishings, lined up on shelves in a few of the restored rooms. Interpretive signs were lacking, but we were given brochures which gave a history of Strasburg pottery plus a list showing the size and maker of each piece. The majority of pieces were made by Eberly or Bell. 
Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown has lovely views. 
It's hard to get good photo of them together. Usually one is rolling her eyes or one has her eyes closed. Here Lynn was squinting from the bright sun. Still, this isn't bad for a shot grabbed in the parking lot after lunch.
Yesterday we had lunch at the Butcher Block Buffet in Stephen's City and drove from there to the lake house so that Marie could see it. When we reached Route 340, there was Dinosaur Land! Marie asked to stop to take some pictures, even though the attraction was closed for Thanksgiving. 
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Yesterday Lynn and I picked up her sister at the train station. Here's the train coming from New York.
Here I am with Peggy and Marie at the Wayside Inn in Middletown. It was the night before Thanksgiving and we were the only party dining there.
Here we are at my two thousand and two hundredth post! I feel I should tell you a little more about myself, so I decided to list volunteer jobs that I've done, at least the ones that I spent more than a couple of hours doing. The first four took place in Alexandria, Virginia over a decade ago. The last three are current activities.
Here we see a marker in Woodstock entitled Execution and “the Burning.” It starts out:In the midst of the 1864 Valley Campaign, Woodstock bore witness to the horrors of war. Plagued by raiding parties of Confederate partisan rangers, guerrillas and bushwhackers, Union General Philip H. Sheridan issued orders by mid-August to execute anyone captured wearing civilian clothes and carrying a weapon.It goes on to tell the story of Davy Getz, who was captured and executed for carrying a rifle. This is (of course) blamed on General Custer, who is still abhorred in the Shenandoah Valley for his actions against the Confederacy and his role in "The Burning." In Woodstock, Federal Cavalry "destroyed the railroad depot, warehouses, a locomotive and three boxcars on the siding."
Fort Valley has its own little museum, a former church on Rte 678 (Fort Valley Road). It's open on weekends during the warmer months.
Some say sunsets make trite photographs. But most of us like them because the colors are pretty.
Yesterday we were working at the lake house all day. I had stirred up a storm of dust while brushing off the ceiling fans and since I am dust-allergic, I craved some fresh air. I picked up a camera and walked outside, thinking maybe there was enough light left to take a few photos. There was.
Although we still have some autumnal color here in Basye, it's not as prevalent as it was last month. These are October scenes.
I saw some cats on the other side of the lake across from our new property. This one was very friendly; his buddy seemed afraid of me. | On on way home from the post office Monday I saw a helicopter at the Bryce Resort airstrip. A person in a stretcher was being transferred from an ambulance to the chopper. Today I heard that the person had been injured in a fall from a horse. |  |
We've had a frost but we still have a few flowers blooming in the garden. The mums and pansies are not surprising for mid-November, but roses? 
When we purchased the house in Waterlick, the kitchen was decorated in black and white and the range and fridge were missing. We still have a black and white color scheme, but got rid of the busy diamond and checkerboard patterns. (Actually, I didn't mind the floor but my husband didn't care for it. The pattern was painted on.) Frank installed black vinyl floor tiles, and we purchased a range and fridge with silver and black finishes.
One nice thing about our new property being on a lake is the photo opportunities offered by the water. Changes in light and clouds are doubled by reflections.
| This is the property Frank sold in Dale City: a house that he rented out. The rent covered his mortgage and there was a little left over. Meanwhile the house went up in value. Eventually it dipped down a bit but since he owned it a long time, he still made a decent profit. |  |
| This is the replacement property. It cost close to the same amount as the house he sold, even though it's larger and is nicely situated on a lake. It is farther away from DC so the price was reasonable, plus there were some cosmetic issues keeping the price down. But the location is great for us because it's an hour closer to our home than Dale City was so we can drive there to take care of it much more easily. |  |
On the Stickley Farm along Cedar Creek stand the ruins of two mills, the Stickley Mill and the Bowman Mill. They were burnt during the "Burning" in 1864. 
This is the historic Stickley house at Cedar Creek. It's a private residence. 
