Assorted Views, Late October

We spent most of the afternoon in Leesburg because Frank had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Azad. He has suffered with nausea and balance deficits since last week's cochlear implant surgery. She changed his medication and will check back with him in a few days. 

I drove into the historic section of Leesburg and saw this flag outside a "Belgian beer cafe." There used to be bars but now there are beer cafes, breweries, tasting rooms, and wineries – oh, so many wineries – throughout Virginia.

I also made a quick detour down the lane that goes to Oatlands. This historic property is a rural oasis, but you can glimpse a bit of Leesburg's suburban sprawl from here. I've seen the area change drastically over the past thirty years, and it's kind of sad. You can't stop progress, but does it have to gobble up so much beautiful countryside?

Here's the drive that goes up to Oatlands. It's still beautiful.

I also stopped at a grocery store. They had my special yogurt but were out of Fiji Water. A sign explains why. Actually, most stores are still experiencing shortages on both domestic and imported products, and this has been the case since Covid hit.

Since Halloween is fast approaching, I want to show you a seasonal sign. A store in Strasburg is directing tourists to scary towns. 

Most are far away or fictitious, but Front Royal is only ten miles away. It isn't really scary; it's lovely. But there may be a little rivalry going on!