By Bob Tagert

It is officially fall now and the weather started to turn at the end of September. It was a brutal summer. Hopefully this fall will be cool and we can get out the blue jeans and sweaters.

The October issue is one that we always look forward to putting together. Lani is a huge proponent of all things Halloween as is evident with her infatuation with Witches and Stingy Jack – see the special feature on both. For some reason she forwent a piece on the “Day of the Dead” this year but watch for it next October.

Getting out in the country side this month is a must do. Whether it is a full-on drive on Skyline Drive (see Road Trip) in Shenandoah National Park or a trek to one of the many corn mazes, fall markets or steeplechase races in the Blue Ridge. Not to be discounted, however, is the countryside bordering the Chesapeake Bay. A day trip down Route 2 with side trips toward the water is a treat as well.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that October is Virginia Wine Month. We have been strong supporters of the Commonwealth vintages for 35 of our 36 years. There are some amazing vineyards within an hour of Old Town with varied styles in both tasting rooms and wines. And….a good portion of them also brew beer on premise – this appeals to a lot of the guys out there. The majority of the wineries celebrate this month with special events to boot.

“Follow In My Wake…”-Jimmy Buffet Banana Wind album

September brought a bit of sadness to a lot of us with the passing of Jimmy Buffet on September first. Unlike all of the true Parrot Heads, I only attended one live concert of his. It was the Banana Wind tour at Jiffy Lube Live. We went with another couple and sat up our “tailgate” behind my old Maxima with lots of other professional tailgaters and had a grand time. While none of us had on shark fin hats or coconut bras, we did get a lot of attention…several revelers thought that I was Jimmy! He had a reputation of getting out among fans so I guess I was as close as they were gonna get.

I have spent some wonderful days sailing my boat and listening to the magic words of Buffet. It all began with his reconciliation song Come Monday. His boat songs were the best…Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, One Particular Harbor, A Pirate Looks at Forty and Lovely Cruise! The words to School Boy Heart are very special to me. Jimmy Buffet will be remembered for a long time and celebrated on Karaoke and Open Mic nights for years to come. I’m looking forward to memorizing the lyrics to his last song Bubbles Up.

Martin’s Tavern Celebrates 90 Years!

We would like to congratulate our friend Billy Martin, a fourth generation Martin, who just celebrated the 90th Anniversary of Martin’s Tavern on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. For a few years we also published a Georgetown Crier and that is when we met Billy and got to know him and appreciate his unique brand of hospitality. We were honored to be among the VIP invitees! Make a trip to Martin’s this month and congratulate Billy and his staff…you can sit in the booth where John Kennedy asked Jackie to marry him. The place is loaded with history. Here’s to many more years Billy!!