Lake and Mountain, Early Morning

It's not often that I'm up and outdoors at 6:30 in the morning. But the dogs are still adjusting to their new residence and Flash has started barking at dawn. So I got dressed and took them outside for a brief walk.

The morning light illuminated Signal Knob with a reddish glow. So as soon as the dogs were ready to settle down, I took some photos. These are views from our yard.

The Unending Process of Moving

We have been in the process of moving for weeks. We spent Saturday getting a rental truck. The Penske dealer closed at noon on that day but we didn't need the truck until the next morning and didn't want to pay for an extra 24-hours. So we drove to Front Royal in the morning, did the paperwork and got the key, but waited until 6:30 PM to pick up the truck.

At quarter of nine the next morning, Amanda and Greg Miller showed up with a helper to load our furniture and boxes into the truck. They worked very hard but were not able to completely move us because the truck wasn't big enough! It was big, a 26-footer, but we have loads of stuff.

The good news is that we did get the furniture moved except for lawn furniture plus numerous boxes and a bunch of odd-shaped stuff. (Ever notice that when you pack boxes, your belongings seem to expand like foam insulation does? They just take up so much space, it's hard to believe.)

On Monday and Tuesday we went back to Basye in our own vehicles and loaded even more stuff. And yet there's till more. Nobody said moving would be easy!

Stretch Your Wings

A Flotilla of Geese

Preparing to Leave our Home in Basye

This is our driveway entrance in Basye. We did not name the place Bella Vista; the previous owners did.

We purchased this house in 2006. Now we are leaving for another home an hour away. The good news is that it's an hour closer to most of our family members and only 10 minutes farther from the others. It's also close to shopping so we will spend less on gas and not have to make long drives just to run errands.

But it is hard to leave this place! I love the view, and the peaceful yard, and the spacious "great room," and the little apartment above the garage. And the deer, and the woodpeckers, and the surrounding resort, and our community library, and all the nice people we know here!

Tonight we had dinner at the resort's main restaurant. The last time we ate there, we watched skiers and children as they enjoyed the snow on the slopes. Ski season just ended a month ago, and now it's spring and everything is blooming. If we come back next year during ski season, we may see some of the same children, older and more skillful on their skis or snowboards.  Age happens, and it seems to happen so quickly.

Fire on the Mountain

View from Conicville, VA

On our drive home Sunday night I saw the fire from Columbia Furnace. It looked like a hilltop in the distance had an aurora of flames! Later that night I saw a picture on Facebook that matched what I saw, and an explanation that the fire was in the National Forest at Wolf Gap.

Unfortunately, firefighters still haven't succeeded in extinguishing the fire. I took the first two pictures on Tuesday and today we could still see smoke coming from the same area.

The Forest Service has closed Wolf Gap Campground and several trails, plus Wolf Gap Road is closed for the duration of the fire. It's the shortest route to West Virginia for some people so this will be quite inconvenient. Crooked Run Road is not a good option because it's even narrower and the pavement is not maintained after you cross the state line. So residents must either drive south to 259 or north to 55 to cross Great North Mountain.

I read that the fire was caused by ashes from a campfire dumped on the ground by a careless camper.

2007 Post: Over the Mountain to Wardensville

A Riding Mower for Frank

There's a lot of grass to cut at the Lake House and the lawn care guy wanted $180 to cut it! This gave us a good reason to go to Sears and buy a riding mower. Frank was excited when it was delivered and tried it out immediately.

Upstairs View at the Lake House

We've been working hard to get the house in Waterlick cleaned up. Late one afternoon I went upstairs to dust the ceiling fans and knock down cobwebs and was treated to a pretty view from a bedroom window.

View with Signal Knob, Massanutten Range

Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

Children's Program, April 7
at the Basye-Orkney Springs Community Library

Volunteer Mona Wolf presented another program on Saturday. A couple dozen children showed up with their parents. The theme was rabbits primarily, with Easter eggs also featured.

I've posted pictures from this event over several days. Scroll down or click the Library tag to see them all. Normally I expect viewers to ask permission before using my pictures, but if your children are in one of these photos, go ahead and download it to share with family or friends. Click on it first to see a larger version.

The Fun of Hunting Eggs

The Egg Hunt was a highlight for the children at Saturday's library program. As you may have noticed, the library is next to the airport in Bryce Resort.

Volunteers Brenda and Poteet hid the eggs while the Miss Mona read the children a story in the library. Each child was asked to collect only 12 eggs so that everyone could have some, and the children cooperated nicely. The eggs were not "real" ones but were plastic with candy inside.

Grand Prize Winner

This little girl won "Harvey" at the children's program at the library on Saturday. I was the librarian on duty so I picked the winning entry out of a jar.

All the librarians at the library in Basye are volunteers. I help out a couple of times a month.

Such Adorable Children!

At the Basye - Orkney Springs Community Library
Children's Program, Easter Weekend 2012

Enjoy Easter!

These are pictures I took at the library program today, which featured stories about rabbits and an egg hunt. The bunny, chicks, and eggs are symbols of new life, reminding us to celebrate life and enjoy Springtime.

May you have a great weekend!

Graphics Seen at Gettysburg

Pickett's Charge

We're looking at the field where Confederates from Virginia began the charge against the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. They were unsuccessful and suffered heavy losses. See the text of the Pickett's Charge sign on Historical marker Database.

The Virginia Monument, Gettysburg

This massive monument was presented in 1917 by the governor of Virginia. On the top is a sculpture of Robert E. Lee on Traveller. The figures face the field of "Pickett's Charge."

More Scenes from East Cavalry Battlefield

East Cavalry Battlefield is within Gettysburg National Military Park although it is outside the town of Gettysburg. Here J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate Cavalry found itself unable to defeat Union Cavalry and had to retreat. An interpretive sign tells the story:

A Violent Collision of Cavalry — July 3, 1863 - Third Day —

"So sudden and violent was the collision that many of the horses were turned end over end, and crushed their riders beneath them."

Capt. William E. Miller, U.S.A.

4th Pennsylvania Cavalry

On the afternoon of July 3, Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart mounted several cavalry attacks against Brig. Gen. David M. Gregg's Union cavalry positioned along the Hanover Road 1/2 mile in front of you. A colonel of the 1st Virginia Cavalry reported the fighting was "hand to hand, blow for blow, cut for cut, and oath for oath...."

At 4:00 p.m., Stuart assembled 12 regiments of troopers for the last great charge of the day. A Union officer wrote of the massed Confederates: "In close column of squadrons, advancing as if in review, with sabers drawn and glistening like silver in the bright sunlight-the spectacle called forth a murmur of admiration."

The closest Union regiment available to halt the Southern horsemen was the 1st Michigan Cavalry. Brig. Gen. George A. Custer rode to the head of the regiment, stood up in the stirrups with his saber aloft and with a determined yell, led a countercharge. While Custer viciously attacked the head of the Confederate column, other Union cavalry under Col. John B. McIntosh closed in on the flanks. Assaulted on three sides, the Confederates retreated. The attack on the Union rear had failed.

Dr. Poland of NVCC Explains the Cavalry Battle

While Gettysburg Battlefield is a naturally beautiful place, it is littered with so many monuments and signs that the scenery is obscured. Here's a marker commemorating the Cavalry Corps, Third Division, Second Brigade under General Custer. (You can read the text on HMDB.)

Scenes at East Cavalry Battlefield

I took these pictures on a field trip to Gettysburg last year. We were continuing our study of the role of cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign which had begun in Brandy Station.

• See posts about Brandy Station.
• See all posts about Gettysburg.
• See Gettysburg Campaign series on CivilWarFieldTrips.com.

The marker is one of several on Cavalry Field.

Army of Northern Virginia
Stuart's Horse Artillery

Beckham's Battalion McGregor's Battery
Two Napoleons and Two 3 Inch Rifles

July 3 The Battery took an active part in the fight arriving about 2 p.m. and keeping up its fire until the ample supply of ammunition furnished on its way here in the forenoon was exhausted. It withdrew from the field under orders about nightfall.
Losses Killed 5 Wounded 7 Total 12
Horses killed and disabled 11

One of Dr. Poland's Diagrams, Cavalry Battle

Hanging Out with Abe Lincoln

Gettysburg National Park Visitor Center

Text of Gettysburg Address

Zig Zag Fence , Gettysburg Battlefield

I noticed a bird sitting on one of the rails. This is near the parking lot for "Pickett's Charge."

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