Swinging over the Shenandoah

Saturday was another chilly day, with some strong gales thrown in, that would reduce the temperatures a little more. With so many wild fires currently raging around the world, I was shocked to discover that we had one of our own about 30 minutes from Front Royal, in Woodstock. All through the week I followed the daily reports and on Friday evening I decided to drive out there and see if I could get any photos. I wasn't expecting flames, and in all honesty, didn't want to see any. The news had reported that most of the fire had been contained. I often though of the wildlife through the week as I read the reports, and hoped because of the much smaller scale, that not too many small lives were lost. I was hoping to get some cool shots of smoke passing across blackened thorns, mists swirling low over spiky grey cornfields, contrasting mountains looming dark and silent in the background. But nope, it wasn't to be. I drove up and down narrow rustic roads, my neck craning to see smoke billowing above trees. I drove up to Kennedy's Peak trail, which had been closed down briefly, but saw nothing. I stood on the edge of the overlook, looking back and forth, disbelieving that I could see no signs of fire anywhere. The fire had apparently covered over 750 acres, but this actually equates to just over a square mile, so I could only assume that, in this vast forest area, it wasn't easily visible, or accessible. I occasionally saw tufts of smoke lifting out of tree tops but when I climbed out of my car to sniff the air I realized it was wood stoves from houses I was smelling. I followed some narrow lanes I'd not explored before, hoping that maybe I'd round a corner and see a smoky scene in front of me.

 I did stop for this. A beautiful antique Farmall tricycle tractor that was actually working. Looking beyond it I spied an old hay wagon, fully loaded, and off to one side some ancient hay cutters. I looked unsuccessfully for the farmer, curious as to whether he was also aged, or a younger guy who enjoyed working with old machinery.

 These cows made me chuckle. The herd had just been brought food, laid out in a strip, and they were all scarfing it down,except the only white cow in the herd,who was watching me. I was lucky to get this shot.
I took yet another back road in Woodstock and rounding a corner, was amazed and excited, to spot a bridge, instantly recognizing it as a swing bridge. I'd only read about these a few days previously, thanks to a Facebook post, explaining that swing bridges were built so the locals could cross the river if the low bridges were flooded. I quickly parked Stanley and rushed to the wooden ramp with my camera.

 And then I slowed down considerably. I read the sign, noting only 3 people could cross at one time, and remembered it was called a 'swing' bridge. Memories came flooding back from mine and Margie's rock climbing expedition a couple of years ago, and how that hellacious bridge had defeated me. This one looked a lot sturdier and was certainly not so high up, but as I walked off the firm wooden ramp, it began swinging immediately. I took a video with my phone in one hand and hung on with the other. I couldn't walk fast, if I sped up then the bridge swung even more. The thin wire fence on either side was a little flimsier than I would have liked, and once I was over the open water occasional gusts of wind nudged me, making me lean on the fence. I have to admit to groaning a few times but I doggedly plodded across and heaved a sigh of relief as I finally stepped onto solid slats of wood.
I shot a short video of the crossing, here.https://youtu.be/XiH-f8smx7o

 Even the rotting wooden steps didn't faze me, I was so relieved to be on terra firma. I climbed up to the top quickly, amazed to discover that I was on a grassy bank looking down on to Rte 11. But anybody driving past would have no idea that this bridge existed. It couldn't be seen from the road and no signs alerted people of its existence. Only flattened grass indicated that some locals used the bridge, it was only about a mile from town. But it sure seemed a long way below me as I looked down from the top.

I trotted back down the steps, took a deep breath, and without hesitating, groped my way back across. I had both hands to hang on with this time, but I was acutely aware of how that bridge rattled and squeaked, and jerked and twisted as I gingerly stepped from plank to plank. It appeared to be well maintained, yet made a lot of noise with equally unnerving movements, which implied otherwise.
There were black cows with their calves frollicking in the field on the other side of the road, seemingly as ecstatic as I was at reaching the other side, and as I walked down onto the tarmac they stopped to stare, and I'm sure that if I understood cow talk they said, "You made it then?"
I did some research on Sunday and found that there are actually 4 of these bridges over the Shenandoah. I had a day off on Wednesday and, despite rain with high winds in the forecast, I doggedly set off early to fulfill my quest of visiting, and walking over, the 4 bridges.
The bridge from Saturday was Narrow Passage swinging bridge and the first on my list today was Deer Rapids swinging bridge, near Woodstock.

 As I climbed up the steps I looked down spotting pumpkins on the river bank that had been thrown down for the wild critters to snack on. I began to walk across the bridge noticing immediately that it was a lot more swinging than Narrow Passage. I swayed from side to side as I groped my way across, determined to reach the middle so I could get the perfect view up and down the river. I smiled in delight as I suddenly realized that both sides of the bridge's wire fencing were progressively becoming more adorned with small padlocks. A closer look revealed couple’s initials scratched on the surfaces and then I became aware that many of the wooden slats I walked on also had initials or names carved on them. This was a lover’s bridge, out in the middle of nowhere. How wonderful!

The river swept underneath me peacefully but I noticed the clouds were accumulating in the sky and the wind was beginning to pick up. It was only just over 20 minutes to the next bridge so before long I was driving along a narrow road that zigged and zagged its way down to the Shenandoah before crossing over a low level bridge. I couldn't see the swinging bridge at first,but then spotted it across a cornfield, almost hidden by trees. I walked down a track before opening a gate and stepping on to the Lupton Road swinging bridge.

This bridge had a lot of mossy wooden boards which concerned me a little and was extremely bouncy as I traversed across, each step heralded with a high pitched squeak. This was a little disconcerting but I persisted in my journey across to the other side. The wind had picked up considerably, so as I stood still on the middle of the bridge, I could still feel it moving beneath my feet as brown leaves tumbled and curled through the air above my head. A short video is here. It was a little saddening to be accosted by 3 brand new 'no trespassing' signs as I reached the other side but I put this down to the Seven Bends State Park that has just been developed here. I’m sure the owner just doesn’t want to be overrun with the inevitable bridge visitors that the new park will bring.
My final destination was less than 20 minutes away, Lantz Mills swinging bridge. This one crossed the river beside a beautiful old mill with a water wheel rusting gracefully by its side. This link explains the history of the mill, a beautiful postcard at the top with the swing bridge spanning the river.

I climbed up the sturdy steps leading up to the bridge, immediately beginning to bounce up and down on the wooden slats but this bridge was less intimidating due to having a thicker wire handrail all the way across and it was only a mere 15 ft or so above a very shallow stretch of the Shenandoah. An old house was at the other end but its neighbors could also access the bridge. I think the house owner resented my presence as I bounced my way over to his bank because he let out his 2 French bulldogs who immediately stood guard at their bridge entrance and barked wildly. Ignoring them I took some photos, then one of the dogs decided it was all too much effort and instead trotted over to me for rubs and kisses while the other one looked on, with an expression which very clearly implied his buddy was a traitor.

I found this site with the co-ordinates for the bridges. The Hollingsworth Road bridge was demolished in 2010 and I wonder whether these remaining four will follow the same fate or be maintained. I'm sure they don't see a lot of use, but they are a delightful part of Virginia history, and I hope the locals will push to ensure their continued existence.

Low Bids and a Perfect Parrot

I had to change my plans on Saturday for a friend who's a realtor. She was showing a remote property to a couple of gentlemen who'd told her they were millionaires, and was nervous about doing the showing alone. So, both of us, armed with mace sprays in our pockets, turned up and met a couple of guys, who were actually very polite men, and were very likely as wealthy as they implied. They were looking for a river front property that needed work and had privacy. This house certainly had both of those attributes. Circa 1822 this huge house was atop a bluff where it looked down on to the Shenandoah with no other houses that immediately overlooked it. With The Skyline Drive in the distance it had beautiful views but unfortunately it also had the traffic noise from a nearby busy road.
It was freezing cold, the temperature below 32F, with gusting winds causing me to gasp as they barrelled into me. We ran from the car to the house, which was surprisingly warm inside with no heating, and I had no intention of venturing outside again until it was time to leave.

It wasn't that thrilling inside. I was expecting a lot more character with its age, but it was solidly built.  structural damage to the brick walls was evident, some of the windows and floors slanted down, but there was no water damage. The two men, owners of a large window replacement company, walked from room to room, and then walked outside to view the water front and outside buildings. I stayed put, content to watch the leaves tumbling in the air and across the roofs. The men seemed keen on the property, but all I saw was a lot of work, and a problem getting in and out from the main road in bad weather. I did wander down to explore the silo and barn but it was a very quick scout around before I trotted back quickly to the warmth of the car.

After the men had left, promising to be in touch, we drove to Front Royal for breakfast and then afterwards I had to grab a donut from Strites, a local food truck that usually operates during hours when I'm at work or at other events, but today was parked outside Southern States. I munched my very fresh and gooey treat as I drove to Purceville, hoping to buy a Callicarpa shrub for the front garden. A beautiful sight during the late autumn months with clusters of bright pink berries which would also feed the birds, it was a must have, and they were on sale.

I don't know quite what happened here but while driving I was suddenly aware that I'd somehow got myself behind a hearse with another funeral car in front of it. Looking behind me, I saw a trail of cars with lights on which I guessed was the procession, everyone obviously on their way to the graveyard or cemetery. I'd been singing along to my iTunes at the top of my voice, the car evidently driving on autopilot for me to not notice that this had happened, and I had to spend a very uncomfortable 15 minutes driving slowly in the middle, (or really at the start), of this entourage before I could turn off. I even turned down my heavy rock music that had been playing loudly in the car. I was very relieved when they all passed me by.
At Abernethy and Spencer I made a beeline for the main greenhouse where I knew 2 parrots were residing. I always love to have a chat with them since the owner lets them have the freedom to interact with visitors. So I was amazed when I entered to see a long line of cages with at least 6 parrots roaming about. I immediately spotted a huge macaw and asked if he was the one I'd chatted with on my last visit. The owner said he had died but explained he got these birds from a local vet, who instead of putting them to sleep at the request of uninterested owners, gave them to this nursery. They now have a wonderful life in a huge warm greenhouse with the company of other parrots.

I was bust chatting to a macaw who was determined to tug on my hair when I was aware of a bird above my head. I looked up to see a sulphur crested cockatoo who pipped out a quick "Hi!" to me, and then proceeded to climb onto my arm, shuffle sideways up to my shoulder, and then snuggle in to my neck. Her name is Lola and I've never met such an affectionate bird as this sweet little girl. I could put my arms around her to cuddle her and she delighted in giving me kisses, with more "Hi!"s thrown in. She was adorable. My black jacket was covered in white dust from her feathers but we didn't care. We spent a good 30 minutes enjoying strokes and snuggles. She nuzzled under my chin, her head on one side, uttering little clicking noises and holding her wings up so I could stroke her underneath. I really didn't want to leave her but mentioned that I really should go and look for my shrub, and I would do it quickly. I did find one and wheeled it back up to the greenhouse, paid for it, then went back to the patiently waiting Lola, who greet me with another happy "Hi!" and resumed her position in my arms. I really had a hard time leaving her, but then the owner pointed out a another sulphur crested cockatoo in a cage, who'd been sitting quietly watching us. He was a new addition who had been obtained as a friend for Lola. This owner is a very special guy, I've never seen so many happy parrots in one location before. It's a Parrot Paradise.

I can't remember this chap's name. He's relatively new to the gang but has already become The Boss. His pose for the photo illustrates that quite clearly, attitude written all over his big beak. He tried many times to climb on to me also but I didn't want little Lola harassed so we stood back from the cages. These birds roam all over the greenhouse, walking across the floor or shelves, and one couple who came in to pay for their plants, were amazed to look up and see this guy hanging down from a beam to get their attention.

I really had to go as I wanted to be back in Front Royal for an auction. Carmen and I had discovered the auction room by chance and I had viewed the goods in the morning. I had heard my name called out by a lady while I was there, she remembered me from The Beer Museum. I had then met the auctioneer and his assistants, once again bowled over by how incredibly friendly this little town is.

I passed this huge silver bull in the yard of an insurance office in town. I have no idea why it's there but thought it warranted a photo. I managed to arrive at the auction room about 10 minutes before it started. This was my first auction in which I would bid for items. I've briefly passed a few but never been active in one myself. I was here on my own, but everyone was so helpful it wasn't long before I had my chair marked, my number clutched in my hand, and was seated among lots of smiling faces. The auctioneer and his crew recognized me and waved. And then we were off. But to be honest I just sat and blinked through the first couple of lots. I couldn't understand his racing patter, all the words jumbled together,  and it took me a couple of sales to grasp what was going on. He was so fast that I could barely follow what he was saying but I soon got the hang of it.

The next couple of hours went by in a blur and I ended up with some pretty cool items, which I shouldn't really have got, but they were so cheap! I got 2 Guardian Service casserole dishes, one oval and one round. They really appealed to me since they were so solidly built, with the base hammered like a coat of armor and a knight's head on the glass lid. Note the price above on Ebay, I paid $20 for both of mine. I also got a pair of brass eagle bookends, made by the Philadelphia Manufacturing Company, in immaculate condition with the labels intact, for $24, and a lovely Francis of Assisi concrete garden statue for $30. That was a real workout carrying that 38" tall solid figurine down 4 flights of stairs to the car. There was a service elevator but it didn't look like it would be moving for a while, and I didn't want to wait. Some of the lots went for ludicrously low prices. A gorgeous Chesterfield style sleeper sofa went for $25 and some antique chairs went for $10. I could have spent a fortune, I loved poking my paw in the air to raise a bid and then waving my card when I won. But thankfully, common sense and a little bit of maturity saved the day, and I went home feeling like I'd won the lottery, rather than lamenting a huge hole in my pocket.

Colonel Sanders was strutting his stuff outside KFC in town. I tried to snap a photo of him but failed so snaffled this one from one of the residents on Facebook, from a local post about how bad their chicken is. This seemed to be a unanimous opinion so it shall be one of the fast food places I'll continue to avoid. I can't even remember the last time I ate from KFC or Popeyes, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on an unforgettable food experience. Rosie Lee and Tricksie Treat were behaving very sweetly when I got home, once again sharing the sofa,so I had to sit elsewhere...
On Sunday we woke up to freezing fog. I had to make some international calls in the morning and unfortunately by the time I'd finished The Skyline Drive had been closed due to icy conditions. I'd been hearing how beautiful freezing fog is, but guess I'll have to wait for the next event, and get on the Drive before it's shut down. I bundled up and went outside to plant my Callicarpa shrub and then drove up to Chester Gap to see if there was any fog left up there. They'd had snow in the morning and needed sand on the high roads but it was melted by the time I got to the trail. I walked along for a while hoping as I gained altitude I'd see the fog or snow,but to no avail. It was freezing cold though so I gave up and returned to the car. I'm not yet acclimatized to these sudden icy temperatures!

Stuffing Oneself in Strasburg

On Saturday I ate a very small breakfast and then at noon drove over to Strasburg where I had a ticket for their 3rd Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Festival. 10 restaurants in the town were doling out samples of their home made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, which all ticket holders would gobble down and at the end cast their vote for best soup, best sandwich and overall winner. The event had sold out quite quickly so I was looking forward to my lunch.
The main street was a hive of activity when I arrived but parking was plentiful so I didn't have to park too far away from the base tent where I picked up a map of participating restaurants and a huge lurid badge, which went straight into my pocket, before I realized it had to be worn since the grub would only be handed out to those wearing them and a sticker would be stuck on it as I visited each restaurant.

I trotted along quickly to Box Office Brewery first since the nearest vendors had long queues and I was starving. Thankfully when I entered the brewery I was able to grab my nosh promptly but the pig in me was overwhelmed with huge disappointment when I saw the size of the samples. They were pretty tiny. But then common sense finally kicked in when I realized I'd only paid a tenner for the ticket and there were another 9 samples of tasty titbits to savor. I just hope my face didn't betray my initial emotions to the friendly staff who were handing out the scrumptious morsels. Unfortunately I didn't really taste the cheese sandwich much as it disappeared so fast, I was ravenous, but I was aware that the bread did stick to my teeth. Yes, I had managed to chew a couple of times before swallowing. I am not a fan of cheap sticky bread so that left no favorable impression on me but the soup was very tasty. A little chunky with lovely herby overtones and not too creamy. That was definitely memorable. The photo above was from Old Dominion Doggery, my next stop. Because of my piggish behavior at Box Office, taking a photo had not even crossed my mind until the photo subjects had been demolished, but here I remembered and grabbed a snap. The soup was nice and basily but too creamy for me. The sandwich scored because it had bacon in it.

There was a long queue outside Sibling Rivalry Brewery but I took my turn in the line since after having stuffed a few samples, I was ready to relax and sample their beers, this being a brewery which I hadn't yet visited. As the line moved inside the building I requested a flight to included their raspberry sour, a juicy IPA and their stout. I supped these until the food was ready. The sour was superb. but not so the food. The sandwich was simply a piece of pancake with paper thin slices of smoked Gouda or other cheeses inside, you had to pick one. The soup was herby and chunky but not outstanding.

The Shrimp Shack van was parked up and doling out free fodder so I joined that line too. This mural reflected our expressions: hurry up and give us the food, we're done with all this standing in line. But I got a nice little chunk of fried catfish and a dollop of tartar sauce so all was well. A nice change. And then it was back to the cheese and soup tastings.

Fox's pizza was as expected, basically a tiny slice of cheese pizza and what seemed to me to be grocery store soup with some canned chopped tomatoes thrown in. Alforno's Italian Cuisine were next door handing out free pizza even though they weren't in the contest, and their pie was pretty damn good. El Jalepenos was a pretty little restaurant, all the furniture hand painted.Their sandwich was just flatbread with a tiny piece of cheese, but their soup was great, lots of flavor without being too spicy. Historical Homemaker Bakery handed out sample sarnies a little bigger than their opponents and as to be expected the bread was amazing. Not much flavor in the cheese and unfortunately my soup was cold. Which I wasn't too bothered about as it was too creamy for me.

I was feeling quite full up by now but still had 3 contenders on my list. Sexy Mexi was a little food truck parked up by the Town Run Creek. As I walked along the path I squealed in delight, the creek was packed with clumps of watercress. I climbed down and picked a large handful. I noticed the two staff on the food truck were eying me suspiciously, so I walked up and told them to each try a piece of the watercress. They hesitated then obliged, and I commented that it could be a worthy addition to their ingredient list, and it was free! That didn't make an impressive impact on them but then neither did their sandwich and soup on me. A few leaves of watercress though, did perk up the tiny scrap of flatbread and cheese.
The last two vendors were the best. Of all the others I'd sampled so far, not one had really jumped out so much that I wanted to pull off my badge sticker and stand in line again for another sample. Much of the cheese had been bland, with little imagination used in adding accompaniments, like homemade relish or even a tiny piece of vegetable. Nearly all had been dough and cheese, period, with none of the soups making a huge impression either.
But 0-60 Energy Cafe bowled me over with their sandwich. It was bigger than the others, which was welcomed, with bacon plus BBQ flavored chips, adding texture and loads of flavor to the sandwich. In England, we often add crisps, (chips), to sandwiches, so this was a surprise bonus. Their soup was a little too creamy for me but was obviously homemade. Strasburg Farmers Market also made a more unique sandwich, with homemade yeast roll and Havarti cheese and a slice of apple inside. Their soup was divine, chunky tomatoes with Italian seasoning, extra basil and oregano, and just a little evaporated milk. I could have drained a pint of that, it was delicious.

So 0-60 got my Sandwich vote with the Farmers Market getting my Soup vote, and the market also got my overall vote. The organizers estimated that about 20,000 ounces of soup and thousands of samples of grilled cheese sandwiches were served throughout the day long event. At the end, Box Office Brewery won the Best Combo and Best in Class, which amazed me, 0-60 Energy Cafe won the Sandwich Class while Old Dominion Doggery won the Soup Class. I waddled back to my car feeling 'fat and happy', a description promised by the event organizers on their lead up to the day, and drove home for a nap with the cats.

I stopped briefly to take a couple of photos of the Shenandoah as I drove over it. It's still looking beautiful despite many of the leaves having been blown off with recent tremendous winds. At home, I plonked my watercress into a bowl of water to revive it. I'd be making a proper cheese sandwich on Sunday, with mature Dorset coast cheddar, Dave's Whole Grains Killer Bread, Heinz Salad Cream and a huge handful of watercress. Beat that, Strasburg!