Interpretive Sign at the McLean House

Here's Frank standing in front of the McLean House in Appomattox, VA. Next to him is a sign that was placed by the National Park Service. It tells the story of the momentous event that took place here.

At midday on April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee rode into this yard, dismounted, and disappeared into the McLean House. Grant, surrounded by generals and staff officers, soon followed. Dozens of officers, horses, and onlookers waited outside. After 90 minutes, Lee and Grant emerged. To the silent salutes of Union officers, Lee rode back through the village – to his defeated army.

The home that hosted the surrender meeting was one of the best in Appomattox. Built in 1848, it had since 1862 been owned by businessman Wilmer McLean. The house became a sensation after the surrender. Union officers took some mementos; and in 1893 it was dismantled for display in Washington, D.C. But that display never happened, and the National Park Service reconstructed the building on its original site in the 1940s.

Recommended Reading: Jay Winik's April 1865: The Month That Saved America.

Two Views of the McLean House, Appomattox, VA

You may recall that Wilmer McLean moved his family from the Manassas Battlefield area to Appomattox to get away from the Civil War, but eventually it followed him and the surrender papers were signed in his home. (See Wilmer McLean's story in Wikipedia.)

His house has been reconstructed and is open to visitors.

• Description of buildings and their story on National Park Service Site.
• Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

By the way, we were able to use Frank's National Parks Senior Pass which he bought last year at Yorktown. It's a great deal if you are 62 or over because it is a lifetime pass for the card holder and up to three passengers. We have used it at Jamestown, Skyline Drive, and Assateague too.

A Place Where Peace Began

Entrance to Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park
on 9/11/08

When I signed the guestbook at the B&B this morning, I realized it was September 11. We were going to Appomattox Courthouse to see the site where Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to U. S. Grant.

This, I thought, is a good place to go today. At Appomattox in April of 1865, two great generals met and took steps to end a terrible conflict.

A few months later General Lee gave this advice:

All should unite in honest efforts to obliterate the effects of war, and to restore the blessings of peace. They should remain if possible in the Country; promote harmony and good feeling; qualify themselves to vote; and elect to the State and General Legislatures wise and patriotic men, who will devote their abilities to the interests of the country, and the healing of all dissensions.

A Night in Appomattox

We just got back from a brief trip, spending one night in Appomattox. We stayed in a lovely B&B named Longacre which I found on the web. It's in the "new" town of Appomattox which is a couple of miles from the historic town of Appomattox Courthouse, famous for Lee's surrender.

We left our dogs at Seven Bends Kennel in Woodstock, where Ben seems happy to visit. Scamp had not stayed there before so a brief visit was a humane way to introduce him to it. The attendant reported that he did okay but refused to eat, so I fed him as soon as we got home.

Little Goat

We looked at a farm near New Market today. Frank liked it but the house smelled too musty for me so I went outside. I walked toward the fence behind the house to look at animals that were on the other side of the fence.

A little goat was bleating, sometimes crying out loudly.

He was stuck in the fence. He had put his little head through the wire and now couldn't figure out how to get it back through. When he pulled back, his horns got stuck!

His friends came to see why he was calling out. They couldn't help him, although the ram tried to lift the fence with his horns. (Really - I watched him!)

Poor kid tried and tried but did not know how to maneuver, especially with the fence post next to him holding the wire tightly in place. I tried to help him but I could not bend the wire.


Finally Frank came out of the house. He found a baseball bat and used it as a lever to stretch the wire just a little bit. He helped the goat twist his neck the right way until he got loose. I did not get a photo of that because I was trying to help.

Little goat ran away fast and found his mother. His friends returned to the field except for the donkey, who was curious about us and watched us leave.

Running with Dogs

At Shrinemont

Deer Revisiting Our Garden

I walked into the kitchen this afternoon and saw this from the window over the sink. No wonder the previous occupants had a fence around this garden! Anyway, I grabbed my camera and took this photo through the window. Then I opened the front door gently, slipped out and took another picture (below). Can you see that the deer has a plant in her mouth? I even had a chance to take a short video. (See third image, click on arrow.)   A few moments after that I saw two deer with her; one was a cute little fawn! They were obscured by the woods so I didn't get a picture of them.

Squirrels are Indispensable

This sign at the Virginia Arboretum lets us know that squirrels are more than cute little birdseed-raiders. They help to plant trees.

Which Squirrel is Real?

Okay, that was easy!

Well, every now and then I try to make an image that reflects the blog title "The View from Squirrel Ridge." I came up with that title back when we were living on a different ridge, one with no apparent name. I'd seen plenty of squirrels there because I'd been feeding the birds, which attracted the little rascals. So I dubbed our hill Squirrel Ridge.

Now we live on a longer ridge named Supinlick Ridge. Some think the name comes from "Sup and Lick" but I am skeptical. Consider that the main road out here (Orkney Grade) was historically called "Howard's Lick Turnpike" (and still retains that name at Lost River State Park in West Virginia). A lick was a spring, and there are plenty of springs around here. (Orkney Springs has seven springs, and was once called Yellow Springs.) My personal theory is that "Supin Lick" was a spring, perhaps named after the Supinger family. I haven't seen any records that they lived here on the ridge, but people by that name lived in this county, so it's plausible.

Sevier's Trading Post in New Market

This is the "Gingham Cottage" in New Market, VA. On the right end of the wall is a marker telling us that the building is a reconstruction of John Sevier's Trading Post. This building is on the busy corner of Routes 211 and 11. The building has been struck by vehicles several times because the corner is a bit tight for large trucks trying to turn.

Text of Marker:

Gen. John Sevier

1745-1815

Frontiersman - famed Indian fighter - Revolutionary patriot - 

Co-Commander Battle of King's Mountain - first Governor of Tennessee and six times Governor - first Congressman west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Founder of New Market, Va in 1765. His fur trading post stood on this spot and the logs in this cabin are from the original building.

A Festival in New Market, VA

We went to New Market Heritage Days a couple of weeks ago. There was an antique car show, a bunch of street vendors, and a modest parade.

The parade was smaller than the one we saw in Stephens City in May. It didn't even have a band. Still, the small-town atmosphere is wholesome, and New Market is a very nice town.

Looking Back from Great North Mountain

When Frank's brother and sister were here, we took them up to the top of Great North Mountain, driving up Crooked Run Road. As the word "crooked" hints, the road twists and turns on its way up the mountain. At the top you can park near the West Virginia border and walk up (passing the radio towers) to the clearing where the gas pipeline crosses the mountain. There you can see for miles.

Since you can see the radio towers from our driveway, you can look back toward our house. I couldn't see it though; it's among the trees. Maybe if I had a telescope and plenty of patience I could spot our garage.

Note: Location: @38.859700, -78.805040. On the WV side, the road is "Upper Cove Road" Route 20. See location (with towns of Basye, Jerome and Basore) on Google Maps. (And check out the Satellite view and Terrain view.)

Earlier Posts:

• View from Great North Mountain (in Autumn)
• More North Mountain Views

Deer there and Everywhere

We've seen more deer than ever this summer, often in the middle of the day. Ben and saw one in the yard again yesterday, and a few days ago I counted 8 that I saw over the course of the day.

They ate our lilies and even one of the roses, but they same to have left the hosta alone for the past week. Maybe they are waiting for the leaves to get a little bigger.

New Market, Outside the Battlefield Park

If you arrive at New Market Battlefield after the gate closes, you can still visit the sites over by the Valley Pike (US 11). Don't miss St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in the town of New Market and the Pennsylvania Monument north of town.

See the Self-Guided Tour Booklet for specific directions.
Also, the Historic Markers Database lists New Market markers and maps their locations.

Tip: The Battlefield Park has discounts available, including a rate for the "last hour" (4 to 5 PM) and a grounds-only rate (useful if you've seen the museum before).

Hall of Valor

At New Market Battlefield, VMI runs a museum/ visitors center, the Hall of Valor. While Frank's brother toured the exhibits, I finally got to see the film, Field of Lost Shoes. It's terribly sad, with high-school-age cadets wounded and dead. I left feeling that the Confederate "victory" was a waste: such a high price was paid, and a few months later they lost the valley anyway when Sheridan swept through.

An expansive stained-glass window includes the names of the ten cadets lost at New Market. One was related to Thomas Jefferson and shared his name.

One cadet who survived the battle was Moses Ezekiel, said to be the first Jewish cadet at VMI. After the war, he studied art and wound up in Europe where he became one of the most respected sculptors of his time.

Battle of New Market, May 15, 1864...
from the VMI Archives

Bushong Farm, New Market Battlefield

The Bushong Family stayed on their farm during the 1864 Battle of New Market, taking refuge in the basement while the battle raged. The farmhouse has been restored. It can be seen from Interstate 81; here we see it from the battlefield (above) and the Hall of Valor (below).

Earlier post on Bushong Farm

Field Trip to Bushong Farm

This started out as a photo of Sunflowers

I played around with filters and layer merging until I got something I liked. It reminds me of the crayon resist pictures we did in elementary school.

A Goat Farm

Seen along Rt. 259 in Fulks Run, VA

Muscle testing for Food Allergy?

I came across a note from a visit to the chiropractor in May that reminded me I meant to post the results of muscle testing for allergies. First, let me say that I believe there is value in this testing (which is part of applied kinesiology), but I have some reservations about it. I've tried it at various times over the years and it's helpful but not foolproof, at least for me.

Basically, it works like this. Someone who is experienced in this method tests your strength (usually arm strength) while you are exposed to different substances. For foods and supplements, you might actually have a taste in your mouth; although just holding the substance is usually enough to get a result. (I suspect that tasting it might be more accurate but I could be wrong.) If your strength goes down, the substance is probably not helpful to you; you may be allergic to it.

I've found that when my strength decreases dramatically, the results seem to be consistent with my own experience or conventional allergy testing. However, when it stays the same or seems to even get stronger, is not always consistent. For instance, I test "strong" for vitamin B supplements that contain yeast (probably because I need B vitamins), but I am allergic to yeast. On the occasions that I took the supplement anyway (having failed to read the small-print list of ingredients), I felt sick afterwards. Sometimes I felt "under the weather" for several days until I investigated the label and discontinued the supplement. Yeah, this happened several times before I learned to put on my glasses and read the small print before buying.

This strength testing is controversial; it does not work for everybody. But I think that for some of us it is a way to tap into the subconscious part of the mind which has stored away things of which we may or may not be consciously aware.

Anyway, Dr. M tested multiple bottles of food samples, first in groups and then for any group that decreased my strength, individually. I did not know what was in the bottles. I reacted to refined sugar, swiss cheese and soy. When he told me what they were, I was not surprised because I have learned the hard way to avoid sugar, all cow dairy, and most soy (although soy yogurt and soy lecithin seem to be okay for me). I asked him if he could tell whether non-refined sugar was okay for me. He found a sample of raw sugar and tested me; I did not react. Perhaps that's because refined sugar picks up chemicals (such as bleaches and stabilizers) during processing. I don't think I should start using packets of raw sugar though; stevia works fine for me and has fewer carbs.

I have other food allergies that the testing did not pick up, so it's not something that one should depend upon, but it can provide a clue. If you want to read a list of my food allergies, see the end of my 2006 post on health food stores. And by the way, since then I have discovered that Better Thymes in Front Royal is a nice natural foods store. It's a few doors down from Martins Supermarket which has an aisle of health food including some wheat-free items.

Two Pictures from this Spring

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.

Here are two pictures from the start of the warm-weather season. Frank is enjoying soft-serve ice cream, and below we see a photo that he took of me and Peggy in the Outback parking lot in Winchester.