Summer At River View Manse

Spring rushed in and by and now it's summer so I thought it fitting to show you River View in the summer !

Some of the 60 Leyland Cyprus that we planted are visable in the foreground and the 'aviary', where we are feeding the birds can be seen in the center of the picture. Birds this week besides the Mourning Doves, Goldfinches, Cardinals, Bluejays, finches and swallows have included an Indigo Bunting and a Little Blue Heron.

The newly planted garden is giving us all our salads and 'zukes' as well as cucumbers, beets, parsley and an abundance of so-far green tomatoes that we talk to daily ( "get red! get red!").

You can see from the grass that it has been dry, dry dry here. We're currently making plans for irrigation from the river - stay tuned and peace to you where ever you are this summer.

Shenandoah Confederate Breastworks

In late winter of 1862, the people of the Shenandoah Valley were growing anxious regarding the threat of a major Yankee invasion near Staunton VA. On April 5, 1862, about 3000 troops began construction of Fort Edward Johnson near the top of Shenandoah Mountain. Included also was over a mile of trench of “breastworks” dug into the frozen, rocky ground. Men camped on the top of the mountain found the ground too steep and rocky to find any comfort at all.
By the end of April, General Johnson was worried. Jackson had been defeated near Winchester and had left the valley. When Johnson left the fort to confer with Jackson, a panicked officer gave the order to abandon and destroy the fort. Johnson’s army now camped near Staunton, faced two approaching armies without defenses. On May4th Jackson’s army arrived in Staunton in a secret and lightning move to assist Johnson and forced the Union Army into retreat at least for a time.

- USDA Forest Service brochure

Daisy - Guard Dog of the Shenandoah