Virginia Love - Introduction

I grew up in a neighborhood on a mountain along Route 11.  And we have spent the last three weeks living river-side in a very sparse neighborhood along Route 11.  From the mountain to the floodplain - Route 11 has served me well.  Team Tully ventured out on a rural, small town, three week life along the Shenandoah River in Northern Virginia.  And when I say "along the Shenandoah River" I mean you could throw a rock from our back porch and hit the middle of the wide/shallow/slow moving beauty of a waterway that is the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.  A simply simple experience full of wildlife, quiet, time on the water, genuine and solidly good people, morning runs, evening walks, hiking in the National Park and lesser known trails, family visits, fishing, loud kids, berry picking, day trips, laughter, and memories full of small moments. 

 The view from our front porch.  Stunning.  And perhaps you can make out that garden in the distance.  A beautiful and bountiful garden owned by Mr. Gary.  What a kind and thoughtful and genuine gentlemen.  He delivered green beans and zucchini and yellow squash every other day like clockwork.  Saying that garden goods are meant to be shared.  I bought salad greens and the occasional head of broccoli from the store, otherwise we got all our veggies from our neighbors (Mr. Coe had a free veggie stand at the end of the road with the most delicious cucumbers and tomatoes!)

 Morning runs and evening strolls hit a little different on roads like this

 

 Our home away from home and yes, the front yard is that big. 

 An entire football field+ to play on!

 

Pretty constant state of the back yard.  Luke brought his kayak but the house had 6 others to use, and 7 tubes, and even a small row boat.  Absolute perfection!

I love this picture...paddles and oars make me happy!

 

 We rarely brought our phones with us because we most often were all together out on the water but here are a few obligatory kayak photos.

 

If you don't occasionally paddle like this you are missing out! 

 

One of the first of MANY fish caught!! Bluegills, Bass, Carp, and Catfish. 

Another generous and welcoming neighbor, Mr. Bill has a stocked pond which allowed even the inexperienced fisherperson like myelf some success! Mr. Bill also worked for the Forest Service for most of his career and blazed many of the trails (over 100!) that run along the Massanutten Ridge and surrounding area.  He even has a trail and overlook named after him.  And to honor our new friend Mr. Bill we hiked that trail!!  More on that later...

 

My ice cream love was satisfied with lots of small town sweet shops.  Luke taking one for the team with this photo. 

 

 Regular snake sightings at the house.  But all the good kind. 

 

View on the walk to the tube put-in sight.  A ten minute walk from the house and it took an hour and a half to float back to the house to get out, right at our back door.  That is how much the North Fork of the Shenandoah meanders.  It is wild!  And so pretty! 

Country living at its finest. 

We are once again aware of and grateful for schedules that allow us to live this way, to sometimes take the time to immerse ourselves in someplace new.  To experience a different way of living and to be grateful for the people and places around us.  Good for the soul.   Always.