Lab results

Recent blood work showed that I was very low in both magnesium and vitamin D. I was not too surprised about the magnesium because it has showed up low in previous tests, and I had slacked off on magnesium supplements, taking only a cal-mag combo. However, I was surprised that I was low in D since I was not only taking it as a supplement, but I was making an effort to walk in the sunshine just about every day. And it is added to goat's milk, of which I consume about two cups daily. So of course, I've increased my supplements.

Late Afternoon Shadows

Today at the Golf Course

Can you spot my shadow? And Ben's?

Squirrel Feeding

Against the November Sky

	Above: A Tree at Orkney Springs Left: Crane at bridge construction site, Mt. Clifton, VA Below: A Fence at Sunset along Graveltown Road

Emarel Freshel is in Wikipedia

There is now a Wikipedia page on Emarel Freshel, who was my grandfather's half-sister.

The page appears to be authored by Kurt Forstner of Vienna, Austria, a frequent writer for Wikipedia, and then corrected by Mike McMahon, a reviewer of cookbooks. (Emarel wrote a vegetarian cookbook.)

Here's a tidbit I received on Emarel's second husband, Curt Freshel. A woman named Judith who is researching her family tree just wrote me that Curt Freshel's grandmother was Wilhelmina Koesch (married name) and his mother was Louise Koesch, born between 1859 and 1862. Judith is working on a genealogy of her FRESCHL ancestors and discovered my blog. Uncle Curt was her cousin 2X removed but Americanized his name. Curt's father was Alfred Freschl. She traced their ancestors back to about 1740 to a little Bohemian village. They were Jewish. All of this is new to me!

Isn't it marvelous that I can post a few entries online about someone in our family tree and get information from strangers via email?

Civil War Ancestors

I got an email from a woman who is looking for information for her great-grandfather who was wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek. He was with the 116th Ohio Regiment, so I suggested she look at their online reports. Also, there's a book you can buy on Amazon which is A Narrative of the 116th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. They also have books on reseaching your Civil War ancestor (such as the one pictured on the left). If you are curious about your soldier-ancestor, a book like that is a good place to start.

Of course, you can try searching for the person's name, but that may not pan out. If you know his (or her!) military unit, look for sites or publications about it. A general starting point for this sort of research is Cyndi's List, in particular her list of Civil War Resources.

Two Photos at Shrine Mont

One Month Left for Energy Tax Credit

There's still time to purchase Energy-Star windows and heating equipment before the end of 2007. That's the deadline for the tax credit on energy-saving home improvements. See ase.org for details and save money while staying warmer this winter.

The Gang at Lunch Saturday

Lynn, Linda, Peggy, Michele, Elias, Marie

Yesterday, Northern Virginia

Yesterday Lynn and I drove several hours to Northern Virginia to have lunch with Marie, Peggy, Elias and Michelle. Marie came down on the bus for the afternoon and then went back to Jersey City. Elias and Michelle were visiting for Thanksgiving but had to drive back to Pittsburgh after lunch. Peggy lives in Loudoun County so she didn't have far to travel.

Peggy had made reservations at the Sweet Water Tavern and had mentioned that several of us had food allergies. The restaurant not only provided a gluten-free menu but also assigned us a waitress with knowledge of food allergies. So we had a delicious meal while enjoying our visit.

Lynn, Marie, & Peggy

Post Number 1000

Happy Birthday to Lynn

For my thousandth blog post, it is a fortunate coincidence that today is the birthday of my oldest daughter. I still think she was one of the prettiest babies ever!


On the right you can see how she looked as a teenager - still pretty, as always.

Lynn grew up in Alexandria, Virginia and eventually moved out to the Shenandoah Valley. We took her to lunch yesterday to celebrate both her birthday and Thanksgiving.

Post Number 999

Blogger shows that I've been blogging since June 2005 and have almost reached 1000 posts. If my math is correct, I have averaged slightly over one post per day. This has been a good discipline for me, motivating me to work on my digital photos regularly and write a bit.

I hope you are enjoying this blog.

Click on a Photo to See an Album of My Blog Pictures

Pasture Scene

Red leaves, Yellow leaves

...and a light yellow dog.

Snow? Not Much

The resort has started making snow. I suppose they want to be ready for skiers next month.

Become a Pack Leader

I finished reading Cesar Millan's latest book and enjoyed it. Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life is the second one (I believe) by National Geographic Channel's "Dog Whisperer."

In this book, Millan continues to stress how human behavior influences dog behavior. I enjoyed his remarks on some of the episodes from his TV show, which I saw. Some of the people who he helped were intriguing and it was interesting to learn more about them. Millan has remarkable insights into human behavior as well as canine behavior. It is apparent from sources that he quotes that he has read a lot about psychology and developing confidence.

A Young Squirrel

This little squirrel visited our deck this morning. There was still a bit of fog covering our mountain view.

More Photos Taken near the Airport

Ben at Sky Bryce Airport

Here's Ben yesterday at the Sky Bryce Airport here in Basye. The term airport may be misleading - it's a landing strip. The airport building is rarely open except for the part of it that is used for our library.

A View from Orkney Grade

As you head down Supinlick Ridge on Orkney Grade (VA 263), you pass this view where a small subdivision is being built.

Orkney Grade was once named Howard's Lick Turnpike, a lick being a mineral spring (same derivation as "salt lick"). Howard's Lick was across the mountain and the road went all the way there via what is now Crooked Run Road. Today Howard's Lick is the site of Lost River State Park, WV.