Wander Womans Adventures

Believe it or not this is the first time I have been to Richmond Virginia. I was supposed to come here many times over the years but something always seemed to get in the way of that happening. Staying in the Kings Dominion KOA was a good choice. The owners are super nice and they gave me a great site which will allow me to work without interruption. Of course a short bike ride is on the agenda. There isn’t much around here so I found an opening in the perimeter fence and took a ride down a farmers field road. It eventually dumped me out in a heavy machinery graveyard of sorts so I turned around and headed back to where I belonged. While riding along the road I heard an animal in the trees beside me keeping stride with me as I rode. I never saw what it was and didn’t hear anything other than the sound of its body crashing through the underbrush. Needless to say I rode a little faster to get back to the park.

Today my aunt and uncle took me to Chatham Manor. It was pretty neat to stand on the embankment and look out over the river and try to imagine what must have been going through the minds of the men and women holed up in this house during the Civil War hoping they would not meet their demise. Fredericksburg has so much history and so many tiny windows into our nation’s past.  It is also a quaint community with a downtown that invites exploring.

Fredericksburg Virginia is home to my aunt, my mom’s sister and my uncle. Growing up so far away we didn’t have opportunity to spend time together, but as an adult it has been fun getting to know them not just as aunt and uncle, but as friends. Every moment with them is wonderful and fun. They have a way of bringing out the laughter and silliness. My aunt, though she is much younger than my mom, reminds me of her in so many ways, and it brings comfort. Sometimes it can be in the way she says something or offers some gentle advice, other times it is her facial expressions or mannerisms. Each time I visit I feel like I had a moment with mom.

I climbed a rock today and perched precariously on it’s edge. It was both invigorating and terrifying. I am not afraid of heights, but I am very aware of what dropping from a height can do to a body. Even so I sat on the edge of this rocky outcropping and stared for what seemed like hours out over the beauty below. As far as I could see the land was untouched, just acre after acre, mile after mile of forest unmarred by man. While I sat drinking in this view movement caught my eye and I turned to see a beautiful eagle soaring along the ridge line to my right. It’s majestic form dancing on the wind without a care in the world. The Eagle population is increasing and I hope eventually will reach its former number.
After finding my way back off the rock and down the trail I couldn’t help but marvel at this beautiful creation.

I went to college in Virginia, so I think it will always have a special place in my heart. Driving back and forth from PA to VA through the different seasons gave me opportunity to appreciate the unique beauty of the skyline drive. Mile after mile of beautiful vistas overlooking farmland and forest untouched by the bustle of the city. Today I stopped for a few minutes and while gazing out over the rolling hills below I began talking with an older couple who live close by but even after all the years they still took time each weekend to drive the skyline and appreciate it’s beauty. Talking with them was neat. They shared stories with me about their children, one son in particular who had been born with a genetic disorder that would ultimately take his life at 26. But this kind hearted couple made every minute of his short life count, they told of weekly adventures that often kept them confined to the vehicle but occasionally would allow for short hikes and walks in the woods. They talked of their son with love and appreciation and they looked at each other with an adoration that only comes from two people committing to one another and holding on to the vows they made to love, honor, and cherish, through good times and bad, sickness and health. They were a neat couple, and talking to them reminded me again that the important things in life are not things, the important things in life are the people and relationships we choose to invest in.