Where In the World?

After a whirlwind tour of northern and not-so-northern Virginia with my sissy at Thanksgivingtime, I'm headed back to Illinois. Intelligent folks would have taken the PA turnpike I'm sure but me? No, it's West Virginia for me, yep. There are a LOT of mountains to drive over in WV. My poor little 4 cylinder Toyota truck was really straining but we (my truck and I) finally made it to little ole Washington, PA.

That got me to thinkin'. See, my Aunt Diane used to live in Washington PA, and I think my cousin Jack may live here till this day, yet I have completely lost touch with both. But coming to this town made me think of them and wonder whatever became of them. Since my parents died my sense of family has changed a lot. Not for the better. Mom always kept me up on all the happenings in the extended family. Now it seems like the bluegrass folks are my family and my family reunion is the IBMA. I wonder if IBMA knows they're holding their event just to benefit me and my personal sense of family!

If you haven't been to northern Virginia -- places like Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, for example, you are missing out if you like dirt and gravel lanes, lush horse farms and beautiful old farmhouses. They have it all. And come to think of it I got in a little over my head at places like Horse Country in Warrenton - my favorite store in the world! (well, next to LL Bean). In Warrenton I finally got my own huntsman's horn -- maybe in ten years or so I'll be able to blow it.

If I missed any antique or junk stores in Virginia I sure don't know how. My poor old truck is burdened down with foxhunting prints, vintage fabrics, ceramic tiles of all descriptions and a variety of other cool stuff. It is SO much fun to return to one of my favorite past pastimes. It has been about 15 years since I've gone antiquing -- it is so much fun! The people you meet along the way are fascinating and it's fun to see all the old stuff and imagine what it might have once been used for, or who might have owned it before.

It's about time for some pictures on here...Sorry about that. My internet connections are fleeting and varied these days and quite frankly I haven't had time to mess with a laptop in a long while.

Virginia has become one of my very favorite states in the whole USA.....the land is so varied, the people are pretty cool, and......it surely is the #1 most amazing foxhunting capital of America. One of the cool things is that they give good chase without really trying to kill the lovely foxes. I like that about America!