Budding Interest by Julie Reardon Who doesn’t love to peek through the closed doors and through the windows and walled gardens of others, especially the wealthy? There’s a bit of voyeurism in all of us, and online pictures and videos can only scratch, not satisfy, that desire to really see how others live. Even […]
Welcome Spring
March 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Welcome Spring by Julie Reardon Despite some unseasonably warm 75 and 80 degree days in February, technically spring’s not here quite yet. But the days are noticeably lengthening and the sun is stronger; in sheltered areas daffodils and crocus are already blooming. They might just be mixed up due to those balmy days, even though […]
Share the Love
February 9, 2018 by Leave a Comment
SHARE THE LOVE by Julie Reardon Country roads should take you home, or if you don’t live here, at least for a pleasant drive. Unfortunately, in the 30 years since I moved from Alexandria to the rural countryside, city problems like road rage, speeding, texting, cell phone usage and just plain careless driving have been […]
At What Price Love?
November 27, 2017 by 4 Comments
By Julie Reardon At What Price Love? I have the dubious distinction of owning the largest bill in the history of the Life Center, a Leesburg emergency and critical care veterinary center. In just 30 days, costs of surgeries and care to repair the injuries of a young dog that was hit by a car […]
SHOTGUN WEDDING IN RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY: English driven shooting meets Old Virginia
October 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
SHOTGUN WEDDING IN RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY: English driven shooting meets Old Virginia by Julie Reardon No, we won’t be regaling you with the unions fathers suggested to boyfriends of their pregnant young daughters. This marriage is the perfect combination of shooting and country sport at a new venue in rural Rappahannock County, about 90 minutes southwest […]
Fall chores you can skip and those to do for a nice yard and garden next spring!
September 2, 2017 by Leave a Comment
By Julie Reardon Notes from a Lazy Farmer: Fall chores you can skip and those to do for a nice yard and garden next spring! Some people are out dividing unruly iris and daffodil patches and planting new bulbs right after Labor Day. Not me, it’s generally too hot for that and I’ve never […]
The Fruits of Summer
August 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
By Julie Reardon The Fruits of Summer Starting with strawberries in May, the gardens in the Blue Ridge offer up tasty treats all summer long, but the bounty of the harvest is most abundant in late summer, where there is almost an embarrassment of riches in the form of local fruits and vegetables, […]
Apple Pie and Fourth of July
June 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
APPLE PIE AND FOURTH OF JULY By Julie Reardon There’s nothing quite like the July 4th fireworks on the Mall in Washington D.C. But braving the crowds once every few years (or every few decades) is plenty for some, who might wish for smaller crowds and a more small town atmosphere. You don’t have […]
POLO TIME: Games to watch, places to play
June 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
POLO TIME: Games to watch, places to play by Julie Reardon Not long ago, polo was virtually non-existent in Northern Virginia, even in the horse country in Loudoun, Fauquier and surrounding counties. There were a few small clubs and private fields, but no place where the average person could go and watch a game and […]
Marshall is Getting Middleburg’d
April 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
MARSHALL IS GETTING MIDDLEBURG’D by Julie Reardon Although its location in Northern Fauquier County is blessed by the same beautiful scenery and bordered by similarly beautiful estates and Blue Ridge views, the unpretentious little town of Marshall existed for years in the shadow of the flashier and better known hamlets of Middleburg and The Plains, […]
