Virginia Mountains - Vistas, History, & Wineries

[giradman]

You're right, the O. Winston Link museum is definitely worth a visit, based on all those excellent steam locomotive photos in your post.

The museum gift shop is special - not sure that originals are sold (which would be quite expensive) but good quality posters and prints are available @ a modest fee - below is a description of a poster - I actually wanted to purchase a few reproduction photos but we have SO MUCH artwork on our walls that there is just no room left!

But we do have some unique Ansel Adams prints of Half Dome in Yosemite Park - made 'to order' from his original negatives, as also described below - our two photos are also shown (detail is MUCH better 'in person' - these images are only 500+ KB on disc) - SO, if you are really into 'steam locomotives' and have plenty of wall space in your home, I cannot imagine you walking away w/o a couple of these train pictures. Dave
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[giradman]

Lexington, Virginia - My Favorite Town in the Shenandoah Valley - Part 1

Lexington is my favorite town in the Valley for many reasons: 1) History & the Civil War; 2) Natural beauty; 3) Burial sites of Robert E. Lee & Stonewall Jackson (sans left arm); 4) Washington & Lee University w/ the Lee Chapel; 5) VMI (Virginia Military Institute); and 6) George Marshal Museum & Library. Over two posts, I'll briefly discuss all of these topics - quoted below just an introduction to the town (check link for more info!).

The town is surrounded by beautiful mountain vistas (see first pic) and the downtown is hilly (2nd pic of Main Street looking toward the gray VMI). The visitor's center is excellent and horse carriage rides are a delight (below a carriage stopped near the Stonewall Jackson house); the rides meander the back streets w/ views of historic and wonderful houses, including the President's House of Washington & Lee University.

Thomas J. Jackson (1824-1863) (a.k.a. Stonewall Jackson after First Bull Run), a West Point graduate, was a VMI Professor at the start of the Civil War - after the first battle of Bull Run (discussed in one of my other travelogues), he became Robert E. Lee's best tactical general - see second quote below for a description of his war accomplishments. His house is shown below and can be visited - he was an eccentric person so the stories are fun to hear while in awe of being there. He was wounded by his own men after the Battle of Chancellorsville and his left arm had to be amputated - he died from complications about a week later; his left arm is buried just below Fredericksburg but the 'rest' of him is in the Lexington Cemetery named in this honor (see the couple of pics below; his burial monument is there and was visited by his commander, Robert E. Lee).

Washington & Lee University is considered one of the best 'liberal arts' schools of higher education in the Southeast (see third quote below). During the Civil War, the institution was known as Washington College (named of course after the First President of the USA); after the war, Robert E. Lee was named President of the College (which was subsequently renamed in his honor) - Lee and his invalid wife lived in the President's House shown below - Lee's horse, Traveller, outlived his rider and is buried on the grounds. Lee Chapel on the University grounds is a MUST visit (shown below near bottom) - there is a small museum and the tomb of Robert E. Lee.

Next post on VMI & George Marshall - Dave

Lexington was named in 1778. It was one of the first of what would be many American places named after Lexington, Massachusetts, known for being the place at which the first shot was fired in the American Revolution.[5]

The Union General David Hunter led a raid on Virginia Military Institute during the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are buried here. It is the site of the only house Jackson ever owned, now open to the public as a museum. Cyrus McCormick invented the horse-drawn mechanical reaper at his family's farm in Rockbridge County and a statue of McCormick is located on the Washington and Lee University campus. McCormick Farm is now owned by Virginia Tech and is a satellite agricultural research center (Source).

Military historians consider Jackson to be one of the most gifted tactical commanders in U.S. history.[5] His Valley Campaign and his envelopment of the Union Army's right wing at Chancellorsville are studied worldwide even today as examples of innovative and bold leadership. He excelled as well in other battles: the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) where he received his famous nickname "Stonewall"; the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas); and the battles of Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Jackson was not universally successful as a commander, however, as displayed by his late arrival and confused efforts during the Seven Days Battles around Richmond in 1862 (Source).

Washington and Lee University is a private institution that was founded in 1749. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,855, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 430 acres. Washington and Lee University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 14. Its tuition and fees are $45,617 (2014-15) (Source).

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[giradman]

Lexington, Virginia - My Favorite Town in the Shenandoah Valley - Part 2

Well, there is more to see in this mountain town, which like Roanoke is also near the Blue Ridge Parkway - once we were on the Parkway in Virginia and I got off, drove into Lexington where we took a carriage ride and had a light lunch -

But this post will center on the Virginia Military Institute, George Marshall, & his Museum and Library. A brief history of the military college is quoted below, the campus shown on the attached map, several road plaques further elaborating on the school's history, a few images of the cadets, and finally a monument on the campus to Stonewall Jackson.

George C. Marshall (1880-1959) graduated from VMI in 1901 - his military, leadership roles, and accomplishments are described in the second quote and included: 1) Chief military advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt; 2) Secretaries of State & Defense; 3) Co-ordinator of the Marshall Plan; 4) Nobel Peace Prize recipient - his picture, honorary monument, and Marshall Plan proposal are shown below. Finally, the George Marshall Museum & Library is not to be missed.

SO, hopefully in these two posts, the reasons I love to visit Lexington should be evident - Dave

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a state-supported military college in Lexington, Virginia, the oldest such institution in the United States. Unlike any other senior military college in the United States, and in keeping with its founding principles, VMI enrolls only military cadets and awards baccalaureate degrees exclusively.[2][3][4][5][6][7] VMI offers cadets strict military discipline combined with a spartan, physically and academically demanding environment. The Institute grants degrees in 14 disciplines in engineering, the sciences, and the liberal arts.[8]

While VMI has been called the "West Point of the South",[9] it differs from the federal service academies in several respects. For example, the living conditions at VMI are far more austere than at the service academies. Also, while all cadets must participate in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), they are afforded the flexibility of pursuing civilian endeavors or accepting a commission in any of the active or reserve components of any of the U.S. military branches upon graduation (Source).

George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American soldier and statesman famous for his leadership roles during World War II and the Cold War. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense. He was hailed as the "organizer of victory" by Winston Churchill for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II.[4] Marshall served as the United States Army Chief of Staff during the war and as the chief military adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Marshall's name was given to the Marshall Plan, subsequent to a commencement address he presented as Secretary of State at Harvard University in the June of 1947. The speech recommended that the Europeans collectively create their own plan for rebuilding Europe after World War II noting, "It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world." The State Department developed most of the plan, and Truman was shrewd enough to let Marshall's name be attached to it. Unlike Truman, Marshall was widely admired by members of both political parties. Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the plan, which was aimed at the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II (Source).

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[scifan57]

Lexington, Virginia - My Favorite Town in the Shenandoah Valley - Part 1

Lexington is my favorite town in the Valley for many reasons: 1) History & the Civil War; 2) Natural beauty; 3) Burial sites of Robert E. Lee & Stonewall Jackson (sans left arm); 4) Washington & Lee University w/ the Lee Chapel; 5) VMI (Virginia Military Institute); and 6) George Marshal Museum & Library. Over two posts, I'll briefly discuss all of these topics - quoted below just an introduction to the town (check link for more info!).

The town is surrounded by beautiful mountain vistas (see first pic) and the downtown is hilly (2nd pic of Main Street looking toward the gray VMI). The visitor's center is excellent and horse carriage rides are a delight (below a carriage stopped near the Stonewall Jackson house); the rides meander the back streets w/ views of historic and wonderful houses, including the President's House of Washington & Lee University.

Thomas J. Jackson (1824-1863) (a.k.a. Stonewall Jackson after First Bull Run), a West Point graduate, was a VMI Professor at the start of the Civil War - after the first battle of Bull Run (discussed in one of my other travelogues), he became Robert E. Lee's best tactical general - see second quote below for a description of his war accomplishments. His house is shown below and can be visited - he was an eccentric person so the stories are fun to hear while in awe of being there. He was wounded by his own men after the Battle of Chancellorsville and his left arm had to be amputated - he died from complications about a week later; his left arm is buried just below Fredericksburg but the 'rest' of him is in the Lexington Cemetery named in this honor (see the couple of pics below; his burial monument is there and was visited by his commander, Robert E. Lee).

Washington & Lee University is considered one of the best 'liberal arts' schools of higher education in the Southeast (see third quote below). During the Civil War, the institution was known as Washington College (named of course after the First President of the USA); after the war, Robert E. Lee was named President of the College (which was subsequently renamed in his honor) - Lee and his invalid wife lived in the President's House shown below - Lee's horse, Traveller, outlived his rider and is buried on the grounds. Lee Chapel on the University grounds is a MUST visit (shown below near bottom) - there is a small museum and the tomb of Robert E. Lee.

Next post on VMI & George Marshall - Dave






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Lexington, Virginia - My Favorite Town in the Shenandoah Valley - Part 2

Well, there is more to see in this mountain town, which like Roanoke is also near the Blue Ridge Parkway - once we were on the Parkway in Virginia and I got off, drove into Lexington where we took a carriage ride and had a light lunch -

But this post will center on the Virginia Military Institute, George Marshall, & his Museum and Library. A brief history of the military college is quoted below, the campus shown on the attached map, several road plaques further elaborating on the school's history, a few images of the cadets, and finally a monument on the campus to Stonewall Jackson.

George C. Marshall (1880-1959) graduated from VMI in 1901 - his military, leadership roles, and accomplishments are described in the second quote and included: 1) Chief military advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt; 2) Secretaries of State & Defense; 3) Co-ordinator of the Marshall Plan; 4) Nobel Peace Prize recipient - his picture, honorary monument, and Marshall Plan proposal are shown below. Finally, the George Marshall Museum & Library is not to be missed.

SO, hopefully in these two posts, the reasons I love to visit Lexington should be evident - Dave





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Thanks for the wonderful posts. You should try writing travel books, your posts are that good.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for the wonderful posts. You should try writing travel books, your posts are that good.

Thanks Scifan.. for your kind comments - for 34 years, I was an academic radiologist and wrote or co-wrote over 200 medical articles and over 40 book chapters, in addition to writing or co-writing nearly a dozen books. So, helping out on a variety of forums keeps me in practice and is enjoyable. I'm glad others appreciate the efforts. Dave

 

[giradman]

Lexington, Virginia - Where General's Horses are even famous!

Well, I was going to stop w/ my previous post but there is yet another story about two horses named Traveller & Little Sorrel - opening paragraph quoted below from this interesting LINK. Lee acquired the 4-year old Traveller in 1861 - the horse was said to be 16 hands (see definition quoted below). After the war, the horse relocated to Lexington, Virginia, when Lee accepted the presidency of the then Washington College. Lee died in 1870 and the horse a year later; in 1907, the skeleton was mounted and returned to Washington and Lee University, and was on display until 1929. The bones were finally reinterred outside of Lee Chapel in 1971, one hundred years after the horse’s death.

Little Sorrel was a gelding captured at Harper's Ferry in 1861 and was 15 hands - Jackson liked 'smaller' horses and was riding the horse when wounded on May 2, 1863 at the battle of Chancellorsville. In 1883, Little Sorrel was donated to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where the animal grazed the parade grounds for the next two years; the horse was then relocated to the Confederate Soldiers’ Home in Richmond, Virginia, where he in 1886 at 36 years of age; a taxidermist named Frederic Webster was asked to preserve Little Sorrel’s remains. Webster mounted the hide on a framework of plaster, keeping the animal’s skeleton for himself. In 1949, the hide was returned to VMI where it remains on display to this day. That same year, the horse’s skeletal remains were given to VMI, and in 1997 were cremated and interred on the school’s parade grounds at the foot of the Stonewall Jackson statue.

First pic below Jackson on Little Sorrel & Lee on Traveller - their last meeting before Jackson's demise. Next four images related to the story of Lee's horse above, and the remaining pics to Jackson's horse - much of the above writing has been 'condensed' from the link. Dave

Traveller, the war-horse of Robert E. Lee, and Little Sorrel, Stonewall Jackson’s horse, were nearly as recognizable during the Civil War as their owners. Still held in reverence long after the war, both horses’ remains were preserved following their own deaths and placed on display for an admiring public. Their skeletal remains are now fittingly buried in Lexington, Virginia, not far from the graves of their famous owners.

A "Hand" is a unit of measure equal to 4 inches, used to measure the height of a horse at the highest point of the withers. The number of whole hands is properly followed by a period, then the remaining height in inches. Thus a horse who measures 5 feet and two inches at the withers would be designated "15.2 hands".

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[scifan57]

Lexington, Virginia - Where General's Horses are even famous!

Well, I was going to stop w/ my previous post but there is yet another story about two horses named Traveller & Little Sorrel - opening paragraph quoted below from this interesting LINK. Lee acquired the 4-year old Traveller in 1861 - the horse was said to be 16 hands (see definition quoted below). After the war, the horse relocated to Lexington, Virginia, when Lee accepted the presidency of the then Washington College. Lee died in 1870 and the horse a year later; in 1907, the skeleton was mounted and returned to Washington and Lee University, and was on display until 1929. The bones were finally reinterred outside of Lee Chapel in 1971, one hundred years after the horse’s death.

Little Sorrel was a gelding captured at Harper's Ferry in 1861 and was 15 hands - Jackson liked 'smaller' horses and was riding the horse when wounded on May 2, 1863 at the battle of Chancellorsville. In 1883, Little Sorrel was donated to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where the animal grazed the parade grounds for the next two years; the horse was then relocated to the Confederate Soldiers’ Home in Richmond, Virginia, where he in 1886 at 36 years of age; a taxidermist named Frederic Webster was asked to preserve Little Sorrel’s remains. Webster mounted the hide on a framework of plaster, keeping the animal’s skeleton for himself. In 1949, the hide was returned to VMI where it remains on display to this day. That same year, the horse’s skeletal remains were given to VMI, and in 1997 were cremated and interred on the school’s parade grounds at the foot of the Stonewall Jackson statue.

First pic below Jackson on Little Sorrel & Lee on Traveller - their last meeting before Jackson's demise. Next four images related to the story of Lee's horse above, and the remaining pics to Jackson's horse - much of the above writing has been 'condensed' from the link. Dave




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Thanks. I learned something new today. I didn't know the post-war story of the horses until I read your post.

 

[giradman]

Thanks. I learned something new today. I didn't know the post-war story of the horses until I read your post.

You're welcome - some great stories - love horses and their history w/ humans (remember some video production that was excellent but cannot recall the name - you probably own it?).

About 10 years ago, Susan & I started taking 'horse lessons' together @ a local ranch - we bought shoes, helmets, etc. and loved being around the animals - very friendly (at least the ones we rode) - however, one of her friends (about our age), fell off a horse and broke her pelvis in 3-4 places, so we gave up the activity - we actually took our helmets & shoes along on car trips and sought out horse riding experiences - below a pic of us at Myrtle Beach in '09 about to ride through the woods and onto the beach w/ a guide - Dave

P.S. I think that I've lost some weight - hooray!
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[giradman]

Abingdon, VA & Bristol, TN/VA

Well, there is yet another destination to mention along I-81 in the southwesterly direction toward the Tennessee border, i.e. Abingdon, Virginia - see quote below. The town is probably most famous for the Barter Theater, the state theater of Virginia and puts on numerous plays, dramas, and musicals (check the link if traveling through the area for the schedule) - we've probably attended 4-5 productions mainly musicals (one about Jimmie Rodgers and another about the Carter Family). A short drive for us - see the maps below, just up HW-52 to I-74/77, then I-81. We always stay @ the Martha Washington Inn, a historic site (see 3rd paragraph in the first quote below) - click on the link for some gorgeous pics of the inside; the restaurant went a little 'downhill' in our last stay, but hopefully has improved - just a really short walk to the theaters (a few pics of the Inn attached); the Barter Theater has an older building and a smaller Annex across the street - we've been in both; the town has a few museums, carriage rides, and plenty of shopping including a converted train depot w/ multiple artisan places to visit.

A short drive down I-81 toward the Tennessee border is the town of Bristol, which straddles the VA-TN state line - there in the summer of 1927, Ralph Peer recorded a number of 'Appalachia mountain music' performers including Ernest Stoneman (not shown), Jimmie Rodgers, and the Carter Family (Maybelle left; AP, center who was married to Sara, on the right in the pic - Maybelle later became Johnny Cash's mother-in-law). These are known as the Bristol Sessions - check the link for more details, plus the second quote below w/ some selected paragraphs. The building where the sessions were recorded no longer exists but a wall mural (also below) dedicates the site and frequent musical performances take place on the modest stage. Many, many country music musicians and stars were from these mountain areas in the states seen - another from nearby (not in the 1927 sessions) were the famous Stanley Brothers. This small corner of Virginia where North Carolina & Tennessee meet is quite special. Dave

Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States, 133 miles (214 km) southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County[3] and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features a fine arts and crafts scene centered on the galleries and museums along Main Street.

Abingdon is part of the Kingsport−Bristol (TN)−Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area − commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

Martha Washington College, a school for women, operated in Abingdon from 1860 to 1932 in a former private residence. Since 1935 the building has been occupied and operated as a hotel, the Martha Washington Inn. The Barter Theatre, the state theatre of Virginia, was opened in Abingdon in 1933 during the Great Depression (Source).

The Bristol sessions are considered the "Big Bang" of modern country music.[1] They were held in 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee by Victor Talking Machine Companycompany producer Ralph Peer. Bristol was one of the stops on a two-month, $60,000 trip that took Peer through several major southern cities and yielded important recordings of blues, ragtime, gospel, ballads, topical songs, and string bands.[2] The Bristol Sessions marked the commercial debuts of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.

Between 25 July and 5 August 1927, Peer held a series of recording sessions on the third floor of the Taylor-Christian Hat and Glove Company on State Street, which is the state line in Bristol.[4] He placed advertisements in the local newspapers, which did not receive much response aside from artists who had already traveled to New York (such as the Powers Family) or were already known by Stoneman.

A second group of sessions was made by Peer in 1928, but the artistic success was not duplicated. In those twelve days in Bristol, Peer had managed to fully introduce America to the authentic music of southern Appalachia. The results were two new superstars, The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers(Source).

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[scifan57]

Abingdon, VA & Bristol, TN/VA

Well, there is yet another destination to mention along I-81 in the southwesterly direction toward the Tennessee border, i.e. Abingdon, Virginia - see quote below. The town is probably most famous for the Barter Theater, the state theater of Virginia and puts on numerous plays, dramas, and musicals (check the link if traveling through the area for the schedule) - we've probably attended 4-5 productions mainly musicals (one about Jimmie Rodgers and another about the Carter Family). A short drive for us - see the maps below, just up HW-52 to I-74/77, then I-81. We always stay @ the Martha Washington Inn, a historic site (see 3rd paragraph in the first quote below) - click on the link for some gorgeous pics of the inside; the restaurant went a little 'downhill' in our last stay, but hopefully has improved - just a really short walk to the theaters (a few pics of the Inn attached); the Barter Theater has an older building and a smaller Annex across the street - we've been in both; the town has a few museums, carriage rides, and plenty of shopping including a converted train depot w/ multiple artisan places to visit.

A short drive down I-81 toward the Tennessee border is the town of Bristol, which straddles the VA-TN state line - there in the summer of 1927, Ralph Peer recorded a number of 'Appalachia mountain music' performers including Ernest Stoneman (not shown), Jimmie Rodgers, and the Carter Family (Maybelle left; AP, center who was married to Sara, on the right in the pic - Maybelle later became Johnny Cash's mother-in-law). These are known as the Bristol Sessions - check the link for more details, plus the second quote below w/ some selected paragraphs. The building where the sessions were recorded no longer exists but a wall mural (also below) dedicates the site and frequent musical performances take place on the modest stage. Many, many country music musicians and stars were from these mountain areas in the states seen - another from nearby (not in the 1927 sessions) were the famous Stanley Brothers. This small corner of Virginia where North Carolina & Tennessee meet is quite special. Dave





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That was quite interesting, learning about the roots of modern country music.

 

[giradman]

That was quite interesting, learning about the roots of modern country music.

Thanks - I've read (and own many) innumerable books on American music of all types, but especially jazz, blues, and country/bluegrass - in fact, the Ralph Peer book from my previous post was just published (late 2014) and looks like a fascinating read - now on my iPad and will start soon in the Kindle app!

Just took a few pics of two wall 'art works' (mainly for Susan) that we purchased on two separate trips to Abingdon - one at the Martha Washington Inn & the other at the Arts Depot (the one w/ a 'beard' - at least that's what I tell Susan - ) - both are woven like tapestries w/ 'attachments' - she just loves each one and they are certainly different from are usual wall hangings of prints. Dave
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[suenc]

Roanoke, Virginia - Major City in the Valley

Roanoke is the largest city in southwest Virginia and a great place to visit - the town is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and close to some of the topics already discussed, e.g. the Natural Bridge, Smith Mountain Lake, Lexington (my next post), and others. Quoted below are some selected paragraphs describing the importance of the city as a transportation center both in colonial times and when the railroads were the predominant means of long distance travel in the country (Source).

Roanoke is surrounded by mountains (see initial pics below of the city's skyline during the day and at night, plus nearby attractions, including mountain roads and Smith Mtn Lake). A great place to stay is the Hotel Roanoke which is an historic railroad hotel close to downtown (a crosswalk over the tracks makes easy access to the museums and excellent restaurants close by) - below are some views of the hotel and the crosswalk.

Just to mention three attractions: 1) Taubman Museum of Art in a new modern looking building as shown below - check the link, if interested; 2) Virginia Museum of Transportation - see second quote below along w/ a few pics; and 3) O. Winston Link Museum - he became famous for photographing a moribund technology, lugging his flashbulbs and Rolleiflex around the hills of Appalachia in search of steam locomotives - the museum is dedicated to his life w/ innumerable photographs of iconic steam locomotives - last four images of the outside/inside of the museum along w/ just two of his photos - check HERE for more. Dave





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The hotel is charming, and who doesn't like trains?

 

[suenc]

Thanks - I've read (and own many) innumerable books on American music of all types, but especially jazz, blues, and country/bluegrass - in fact, the Ralph Peer book from my previous post was just published (late 2014) and looks like a fascinating read - now on my iPad and will start soon in the Kindle app!

Just took a few pics of two wall 'art works' (mainly for Susan) that we purchased on two separate trips to Abingdon - one at the Martha Washington Inn & the other at the Arts Depot (the one w/ a 'beard' - at least that's what I tell Susan - ) - both are woven like tapestries w/ 'attachments' - she just loves each one and they are certainly different from are usual wall hangings of prints. Dave
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Almost all of our art work is from trips we've taken, so each piece reminds us of our travels (as well as our good taste)

 

[suenc]

The museum gift shop is special - not sure that originals are sold (which would be quite expensive) but good quality posters and prints are available @ a modest fee - below is a description of a poster - I actually wanted to purchase a few reproduction photos but we have SO MUCH artwork on our walls that there is just no room left!

But we do have some unique Ansel Adams prints of Half Dome in Yosemite Park - made 'to order' from his original negatives, as also described below - our two photos are also shown (detail is MUCH better 'in person' - these images are only 500+ KB on disc) - SO, if you are really into 'steam locomotives' and have plenty of wall space in your home, I cannot imagine you walking away w/o a couple of these train pictures. Dave
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When I previously looked at a great photo, I never realized that photographers usually take as many as 100 shots to get the right one. When we went to Yosemite many years ago I thought I had taken a dramatic photo of tree branches against the sky, but after being development they just looked like random sticks. Guess I'm no threat to Ansel.

 

[suenc]

You're welcome - some great stories - love horses and their history w/ humans (remember some video production that was excellent but cannot recall the name - you probably own it?).

About 10 years ago, Susan & I started taking 'horse lessons' together @ a local ranch - we bought shoes, helmets, etc. and loved being around the animals - very friendly (at least the ones we rode) - however, one of her friends (about our age), fell off a horse and broke her pelvis in 3-4 places, so we gave up the activity - we actually took our helmets & shoes along on car trips and sought out horse riding experiences - below a pic of us at Myrtle Beach in '09 about to ride through the woods and onto the beach w/ a guide - Dave

P.S. I think that I've lost some weight - hooray!
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Since I'm all in black and blend in with the background, you can't tell if I'm fat or not. After several months of lessons, I fell off the horse, no injuries, but that destroyed the tiny bit of confidence that I had developed. (The instructors hadn't tightened the girth of the saddle enough, so the saddle started to tilt to the right.)