Memorial Day weekend along Skyline Drive

Stepping away from the rest of the world, it's therapeutic to slow down, take a deep breath of mountain air, and feast your eyes on the mountain laurel and other wildflowers that are blooming in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park. The trees have completely leafed out and the familiar "Blue Ridge Mountain" haze is beginning to settle on the ridges as temperatures and humidity rise.

The Skyline Drive, constructed in the 1930s, still provides a relaxing drive along the mountain tops just as it has for generations of visitors for the past 75 years. Stone walls and log railings line the roadway with vistas of valleys and mountains and nature.

Loft Mountain Campground, at milepost 79.5, opened in the 1960s, is the only area for campers on the southern end of the Drive. It, along with all facilities in the park, usually book up on weekend especially when there's a holiday. Besides camping and campfire programs, it offers a camp store, showers, and guided hikes. Hiking trails surround the area, and it's not uncommon to see deer, black bears, and we even spotted a bobcat a few years ago.

The Loft Mountain Wayside, located at the entrance to Loft Mountain Campground, offers souvenirs, restroom facilities, and a place to grab a burger or sandwich.

Inside tables at the Wayside provide air conditioned comfort away from the gnats, or step onto the deck and enjoy a mountain view from the outside picnic tables.

Blackberry vines were in full bloom over Memorial Day weekend. These were seen at the amphitheater area of Loft Mountain. Campfire programs are held nightly with a ranger and bonfire with lights visible in the Valley below.

The grass was tall on Friday and mowers were in the campground trying to make it a little more comfortable for campers. It's May ... gnats were swarming, and the weekend weather was expected to have highs in the 80s with a slight chance of thunderstorms.

The wildflowers were gorgeous ...

When we arrived at 9:00 on Friday morning of the holiday weekend, Lewis Mountain Campground was already full, an indication of a busy weekend in SNP. Information about lodges and dining can be found at VisitShenandoah.com.

Facilities at the Park:  

Skyland Resort (Milepost 41.7)
Open through November 25, 2012
Skyland is on the National Register of Historic Places and is located at the highest point of the of elevation along the Skyline Drive at 3,680 feet. The resort is made up of 179 units including traditional rooms and suites a well as cabins. The Pollock Dining Room, Mountain Taproom, and gift shop are located in the dining room building (breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available). Free nightly entertainment.

Horseback Rides
Guides horseback rides available daily from the Skyland stables. Cost is $42.50 for one hour ... crosses Skyline Drive and travels through an old apple orchard int he Limberlost area while. The 2.5-hour Whiteoak Canyon ride costs $80 per person and takes in the beauty of a cascading waterfall.

Big Meadows Lodge (Milepost 51.2)
Open through November 4, 2012. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Big Meadows features 25 rooms int he main lodge plus 72 additional units in traditional rooms and suite as well as cabins. The restaurant, New Market Taproom, and gift shop are located in the main lodge building (breakfast, lunch, and dinner available).

Lewis Mountain Cabins (Milepost 57.5)
Open through November 4, 2012. Historic rustic cabins first used by the CCC during construction of the Park, they are furnished with private baths, electric lights, towels, linens, and an outdoor pit grill for cooking.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 25, 2012

'He who struggles will win'

SWAC blogger and homeschool friend Bob Kirchman has been on a mission trip to Bolivia and passed along these words of wisdom shared by a Bolivian Christian youth worker:

"He who LOVES will SUFFER,
He who SUFFERS will STRUGGLE,
He who STRUGGLES will WIN!"
--Bolivian Christian Youth Worker

True words....

City Councilwoman Andrea Oakes says 'thank you'

Staunton City Councilwoman Andrea Oakes thanked everyone for their support in her campaign for re-election earlier this month. It was a Who's Who of Staunton as city council and school board members as well as numerous friends gathered Friday evening at historic downtown Staunton's Clock Tower Restaurant. 

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 25, 2012

The forgotten fallen heroes of the Vietnam War

This is my Facebook status today....

THANK YOU to this forgotten generation of heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice ... young men who did their duty for a nation that seemed to forget them. May we never let it happen again....

Shenandoah National Park wildflowers

This was the view today from Skyline Drive looking across the Shenandoah Valley. Almost heaven....

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 25, 2012

Stop passing the buck

There comes a time when responsible people have to stop passing the buck. Hope Barack Obama gets that message ... soon.

Thoughts while driving home from Richmond

Yard signs for Congressman Eric Cantor and U.S. Senate candidate George Allen are at my parent's home in Midlothian for distribution to supporters in the area.

I spent several busy days in Richmond this week ... Midlothian, specifically ... and my thoughts rambled around as I drove back to the Valley Thursday afternoon.

Allen Headquarters: My parents spent Wednesday volunteering at George Allen for U.S. Senate headquarters in Henrico by putting together signs. Mom has been making phone calls to her list and delivering yard signs around Salisbury and beyond. We've tried to get her to take it easy after her health scare earlier this year but I drove past Allen and Eric Cantor signs that my folks had put out around Midlothian. I can't get the campaigning out of her. Go, Mom, go!

Frog-strangler downpour: While leaving Midlothian this afternoon, the sky opened up and we had a downpour that made driving almost impossible. Midlothian Turnpike near VA-288 had water standing on the roadway causing vehicles to slow down while windshield wipers were on high speed. What a mess! Thankfully, as I crossed the James River Bridge on 288, the rain almost stopped, and though I ran in and out of it heading west on I-64, there weren't any more downpours like in Midlothian.

Speaking of rain: SWAC Husband said we had our fair share of downpours in our corner of Augusta County while I was gone ... so much that it washed out the driveway twice! He shoveled it back after the first one ... now it's ready to be done again.

Virginia countryside: Driving between Midlothian and the Valley is a peaceful experience. Interstate 64 isn't as busy as I-81 and I-95, and the scenery is relaxing ... trees and countryside in this historic state. On Tuesday, Mr. Jefferson's mountain was covered in fog as I passed through Charlottesville and, as in the past, I thought about Mr. Jefferson with his inventive mind and curious nature, and wondered what he would think about the world that has developed around Monticello. What a difference in travel time between his mode of transportation to Richmond -- horseback -- and my car zipping at 70 mph down I-64.

Graduation 2012: There have been many graduations this year including SWAC Daughter's on Sunday from Mary Baldwin College.  It's a busy year for us because she will be getting married this fall. Can you say "wedding planning"?

Shenandoah National Park: It's going to be a nice weekend for those who want to head for the hills. The Skyline Drive offers a nice drive along the Blue Ridge mountaintops and is sure to be busy this holiday weekend.


Memorial Day: Freedom is not free, and Memorial Day is the time to pause and remember our fallen heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice for America. Our freedom to enjoy the long weekend is due to these men and women throughout our history who have fought and died. Freedom is not free.

Christy, Rennolds, Cantor

Davis Rennolds hanging out with Governor Chris Christy (R-NJ) and Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA). Nice company you're keeping there, Davis!

Memorial Day isn't just for cookouts

The grocery ads are full of cookout ideas for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, a time many recognize as the beginning of summer.

Hopefully, the real meaning of Memorial Day won't get lost in the mix. Millions of Americans will pause to honor our military men and women who have died in the line of duty protecting the freedoms we enjoy.  More than 200,000 American flags are on military graves in Arlington Cemetery, placed there by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, as a memorial to those who paid the ultimate price.

There's nothing wrong with having picnics, going to the beach, or spending the weekend at pools that will open for the summer season ... but part of our weekend should be to take a moment and say, "Thank you." Military veterans and fellow Americans will take part in memorial services and wreath-laying ceremonies that will occur throughout the Commonwealth.

As I was working on this post, an email came from my mom, copied to others in the family, as a reminder of her brother, a soldier in the U.S. Army, who was killed in action during the closing days of World War II. Mom wrote:

My brother, Clarence, would be 94 years old August 1st.....and it has now been a little more than 67 years since he was killed in Germany during World War II, only 6 weeks before Germany surrendered and the war in Europe ended.  

Clarence was a 'foot soldier' and had fought for 15 months, from southern Italy to the liberation of Rome, then from the Riviera of Southern France all the way up to Germany's Siegfried Line, liberating the people of those two countries who had been prisoners of the Germans for several years.  

Clarence was killed as they were crossing through the Siegfried Line from France into Germany. I think of him often and think about the fact that if we had not won World War II, there would not longer be a United States of America because Germany would have taken control of our country and our lives.

He was the oldest of my mother's nine siblings ... she was a teenager when he died.

Memorial Day ... a time to remember, reflect, and pass it on so we will never forget our fallen heroes. Freedom is not free.

'Somebody that I used to know' on acoustic guitar

Nice rendition ... such talent in five people playing one acoustic guitar. Five million hits on YouTube! Five talented high school guitar students imitated this at the James River High School Spring Concert. Superb!

Having trouble embedding ... if you can't see it, here's the YouTube link.

Mary Baldwin College commencement 2012 ... SWAC Daughter graduates with honor

Daughter Katy received her Bachelor of Arts degree on Sunday from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. She graduated cum laude with a major in business and a minor in marketing, and was among the honor seniors as well as honor society, all while holding down two part-time jobs. Congratulations to our beautiful daughter!

As graduates filed out at the conclusion of commencement, Katy laughed when she saw our familiar faces with cameras pointed at her.

She paused long enough for a quick kiss from her fiancé as she passed by our seats along the aisle.

SWAC Husband waited for his little girl and handed her a congratulatory bouquet of roses as she walked past during the recessional.

We enjoyed the coolness of shade before commencement.

Coolers of iced bottled water were provided by MBC and, with the temperature approaching 80 degrees on a cloudless sunny day, water was very popular.

On the hill in front of the library.

Brother and sister ... both college graduates ... both were homeschooled.

We sought the shade of the large trees on MBC's campus to cool down and take a few more photos before heading home.

Mary Baldwin parking lot at 8:30 Sunday morning. With a 10:00 start time for commencement, we got one of the last parking places on campus.

~

"Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant."
-- Epictetus

Pomp and Circumstance makes me tear up. It signifies an ending ... but then it signifies a beginning, too, of another phase in life's journey. I've listened to it as each of my two children graduated from college and it was emotional both times.

Sunday was no exception at Mary Baldwin College's commencement ceremony for the Class of 2012. Daughter Katy graduated cum laude with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in business and a minor in marketing.

I positioned myself on the lawn to take photos as the Class of 2012 filed in to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance ... and as I directed the camera toward the grads, my eyes welled up. "Stop it," I thought as I quickly recomposed myself. It was a joyous occasion, a celebration of yet another milestone along our daughter's journey in life ... not a time for tears.

It was the same when our son graduated from James Madison University a few years ago. As we sat in the bleachers of the football stadium that day, my mind drifted back in time, remembering the sixteen years spent educating my children at home.

Now, my kids have accomplished something that I never did. Armed with only a high school education, lots of determination, and a love of learning, I was able to teach two children at home, and watch them go on to excel in higher education and graduate with honors.

They learned reading, writing, arithmetic, and spelling at the dining room table. But it didn't end there ... the world was our learning lab and we took our studies everywhere. There was biology at the farm pond, Virginia history at a picnic table along the Skyline Drive, sea life at the aquarium in Manteo, civics lessons at Williamsburg, survival lessons at Jamestown, and our travels out west and regionally were full of history and geography.

It was an adventure not just for them but for me. If it snowed, we were able to get our lessons finished and head outdoors to do a little sledding. If there was a hurricane, we studied what made that happen and watched The Weather Channel. Baking in the kitchen involved fractions and measuring and chemistry ... a trip to the Frontier Culture Museum and other living history sites provided hands-on learning about those who walked this land before us. Reading was a daily occurrence as we took books everywhere and read about many places and people. Poems, short stories, historical novels, Little House on the Prairie ... we covered them all.

While some homeschool families chose to enroll their high schoolers in the public school system, we continued on at home and both kids graduated with their homeschool peers. They did well on SATs but I was concerned something may have fallen through the cracks when it came to college.

Not to worry. They both were more than adequately prepared for college, and instructors were impressed at their willingness to learn, their work ethic, and their writing abilities -- something I've seen in other homeschoolers when they entered college. I began to ease up on myself a little ... perhaps we had covered most of the educational bases. When our son graduated from JMU, I knew I could say that homeschooling worked.

Sunday was further confirmation of that. Katy took what she had learned at home with her to the next level and aced her studies in college while working two part-time jobs to help pay for it all. The last semester was especially stressful but she put her nose to the grindstone and graduated with honors. We couldn't be prouder of her for what she has accomplished.

So as her brother, dad, fiancé, and I watched, she walked across the stage and received her diploma ... and we screamed and yelled for her ... and my heart was bursting with happiness. She had done it. We had done it.

Some thoughts about commencement....
Mary Baldwin College is made up of a group of stately white buildings that overlook historic downtown Staunton, Virginia, in the central Shenandoah Valley. The Class of 2012 was the largest graduating class in their history ... over 400 students received their degrees in everything from Shakespeare studies to Master of Education to Bachelor of Arts, Science, and Social Work. Katy's name was read at the beginning of the ceremony as one of the senior honors students who had achieved 3.75 GPA or higher for both semesters of their senior year, and honor society, as signified by the cords worn with her graduation gown.

Keynote speaker....
The keynote speaker, Abigail Disney, 52, is a feminist and activist. Great-niece of Walt Disney (his brother, Roy, was her grandfather), she is the mother of four and, on this particular day, she found herself looking into a sea of faces that were cooking in the 80-degree sunshine. She started out her remarks with, "Once upon a time there were two princesses.... Sorry, I have to start every speech that way!"

There was laughter from the crowd, and then she launched into reasons why girls grow up thinking like princesses, linked that to Kim Kardashian, and then continued with the fact this is an unpopular time for women in media, outnumbered 5-to-1. As the sun beat down and her speech continued, the crowd became restless. Some left their seats to head toward the shade of nearby trees or buildings ... others slathered on another layer of suntan lotion. It smelled like a hot summer day at the beach and, I've got to admit, I would hate to have been that speaker in those conditions when what most people wanted was to hear that one name of their loved one and watch them walk up front to receive their diploma. Minds wandered ... programs fluttered like fans to stir the air ... babies cried and were whisked away by parents.

After thirty or so minutes, Disney snapped wandering minds back to her speech with the words, "To the Class of 2012, congratulations! You're all princesses!" Interesting words since there were men graduates, too, but all applauded thinking she was finished. But she had a few more words and then concluded with, "Congratulations to the Class of 2012!"

Diplomas....
At 11:22, after beginning at 10:00, the part of commencement that all were there to see finally began as graduates made their walk across the stage and back to their chairs marking the conclusion of years of study, and marking the start of the next part of their journeys.

After all diplomas were handed out, concluding remarks were made and the Stonewall Brigade Band played as graduates filed across the library portico and up the stairway to the top of the hill, passing loved ones and friends who snapped photos and shouted out congratulations.

It was a great day.  We are proud of all that our daughter has accomplished. In the words of Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the places you'll go!"

~

 "The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 20, 2012

Mary Baldwin Class of 2012

Mary Baldwin College overlooks downtown Staunton, Virginia.

Graduation day for SWAC Daughter!

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell

Armed Forces Day ... thank a military veteran

It's Armed Forces Day ... thank you to all our military veterans.

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

 

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.
The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

Today ... May Day at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton

Irish farm

Early American farm

German farm

Looking for something to do today in the central Shenandoah Valley? Why not check out the May Day festivities at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton with events beginning in the morning and going until evening?

Enjoy this spring Celtic festival featuring music, food, crafts, and Mummers among the historic exhibits and nature trails of the museum. Authentic and recreated thatched cottages, log cabins, ponds, livestock, creeks, and bridges feature costumed interpreters who bring history alive! Complete list of today's activities can be found here.

The Frontier Culture Museum tells the story of the thousands of people who migrated to colonial America, and of the life they created here for themselves and their descendents. These first pioneers came to America during the 1600s and 1700s from communities in the hinterlands of England, Germany, Ireland, and West Africa. Many were farmers and rural craftsmen set in motion by changing conditions in their homelands, and drawn to the American colonies by opportunities for a better life. Others came as unwilling captives to work on farms and plantations. Regardless of how they arrived, all became Americans, and all contributed to the success of the colonies, and of the United States.

To tell the story of these early immigrants and their American descendents, the Museum has moved or reproduced examples of traditional rural buildings from England, Germany, Ireland, West Africa, and America. The Museum engages the public at these exhibits with a combination of interpretive signage and living history demonstrations. The outdoor exhibits are located in two separate areas: the Old World and America. The Old World exhibits show rural life and culture in four homelands of early migrants to the American colonies. The American exhibits show the life these colonists and their descendents created in the colonial backcountry, how this life changed over more than a century, and how life in the United States today is shaped by its frontier past.

Take a virtual tour of all the Frontier Culture Museum has to offer.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell

It's a beautiful morning in the Valley

Wildflowers bloom along the Middle River in Augusta County, Virginia.
"It's a Beautiful Morning" by the Young Rascals

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 2012

Ambassadors for Allen Kick-off on Sunday (and more)

Ambassadors for Allen

Kick-Off and Open House

Sunday, May 20th

Please join George and Susan Allen and Ambassadors for Allen Co-Chairs for the Ambassadors for Allen Kick-Off Rally and Open House this Sunday, May 20th. Bring family, friends and future Ambassadors and help rally support and expand our efforts throughout the Commonwealth.

When: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Where: George Allen for U.S. Senate Headquarters
2819 N. Parham Road Henrico, VA (Across from Tucker High School)

RSVP in advance here

Share the Ambassadors for Allen kick-off with your friends and family on Facebook

Tweet about the kick-off and invite your Twitter followers to join us this Sunday

Kaine's MWAA Debacle Grows

Tim Kaine has spent a lot of time talking about MWAA and the Dulles Rail project lately, ignoring the mess he created as Governor. Now the Department of Transportation is out with a report on the MWAA "detailing a culture of secrecy, lavish spending, and potential corruption."

Share the Department of Transportation's findings on Facebook and let's hold Tim Kaine accountable for his mismanagement

Tweet about Tim Kaine's mismanagement of our transportation system on Twitter 

Comstock: Obama, Kaine stand with union leaders

In today's Washington Examiner, Del. Barbara Comstock again asks Tim Kaine to take a stand for Virginia workers and tell us how he feels about our right-to-work laws.

Share Del. Comstock's op-ed on Facebook and tell your friends and family that Tim Kaine needs to take a stand for Virginia's working families and not just be another vote for Obama

Tweet about Del. Comstock's op-ed on Twitter and ask Tim Kaine to tell Virginian's where he stands on the very right-to-work laws that have made Virginia #1 for business

Pick The Question You Want Asked Next Friday

The third and final GOP US Senate debate is next Friday and RPV is asking for your vote on what to ask the candidates. Based off of suggestions offered via RPV's Facebook page, you can pick which question you'd like the candidates to answer.

Share RPV's poll on Facebook and ask your friends and family to vote on what they'd like to hear from our candidates

Tweet RPV's poll on Twitter and help pick the question you want to hear answered