Gettysburg, PA to Rural Retreat, VA

Wednesday, June 25—Gettysburg, PA to Rural Retreat, VA — 365 miles; John & Pat’s

After texting for final directions, we arrived at John & Pat’s at about 3 PM. John was out in the drive to direct us to a parking spot. Then John helped carry bags to our 2nd floor guest bedroom, and Sarah and I emptied our cooler into the loaded fridge (no small feat) and freezer.

John & Pat  taken in 2010 with dogs Breeze & Gunner; both dogs
 have since died. J & P now have Nellie &  puppy Lily

While John gave Sarah the Ranger Tour down to the pond, up to the piney woods, and down to the paddock, Pat was busy in the kitchen starting dinner and Rob was finishing up another batch of bread and rolls.

Pat and I gabbed, toured the veggie and flower gardens, and I set the table on the porch. What a relaxing, wonderful place these two have found. There are no insects, doors and windows can be left open, it rains a bit nearly every afternoon, and the views from the house are wonderfully green and rolling.

Nellie as a puppy; Lily, who is now a puppy looks just like her

As you can see, most of the photos I took at John and Pat’s were of their lush gardens. John took some of us, and I will share them when he sends them. Those below are of Rob’s wood splitting operation. He splits all the wood by hand and learned the circular stacking method from the Internet. Most of the wood is black cherry, cleared from the pastures because it can be toxic to the horses

Pat prepared delicious pulled pork for dinner, and we ate it on Rob’s rolls, with great potato salad, iced tea, rhubarb/strawberry pie. We ate on the porch while watching the hummingbirds, towhees, and a pair of House Wrens that have nested in a small ceramic pot nearly over the porch table. John told how these two neophyte nest builders often brought long sticks that would not fit into the hole in the pot. The porch floor was littered with these rejects. Eventually the two managed to complete the nest and even built it up at the opening as the hole in the pot was not “regulation wren.”  We all went bed about 10 PM