so much old to catch up on

Summer is winding down and I left off way back at the beginning of our trip to Virginia. I did not blog as I'd hoped, too much visiting and too little DSL. I will go back and make observations, remembering the fabulous time romping around the home-state that I love. I now bring my pulse-rate down a few notches thinking about my favorite aspect of my journey back, driving. Here in SF driving is the bane of my life here, driving through traffic, the resting at the 33 stop signs to school every morning, circling for parking. I just love driving through the country side of the Shennendoah and the Piedmont of Charlottesville. The drive at the top of my list is from Susan Bender's to my parents. I leave Susan's property and drive to the end of Old Lynchburg Road passing the simple homes, junkyard collections and old country church, ending at the old toll house now owned by the fiddle player for the Dave Matthew's Band. Plank road is strech of farms large and small, simple white clapboard houses lining the road and stretches of larger estates. We love to see if the cows have found hole in the fence, reaching their necks out to get the juicy grass at the edge of the road. Crossing 29, we're on Batesville Road, the geography is a bit different, the trees are bigger, estates get grander and the road a bit less traveled, barring the slow tractor or truck I seem to always find when I'm expected at either one relative's or another. Batesville is over in a blink of an eye but make sure you do not blink when the speed signs change from 45 to 25. I remember driving East bound on this road with my dad once and him remarking on this, "watch out or the constible will get you." At the end of Albemarle County you see get the most perfect view of the Blue Ridge before the asent. You can peek views of the the county through the trees as you climb. Once up on top, the view is of home. It's just as rewarding on the way home.