"From the Bay to the Blue Ridge"
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 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 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, […]
By Julie Reardon SPRING POINT TO POINT PREVIEW Technically spring’s not here yet, but an unusually warm February had many of us itching to get outside and enjoy all the area has to offer. And as reliably as blooming forsythia and daffodils, March brings the opening of Virginia’s legendary hunt race meets. Yes, we could […]
By Julie Reardon THE BEAUTY OF WINTER All the things I love about winter would be a pretty short list. It’s my least favorite season even though as winters go, Virginia’s aren’t too bad and this one has been relatively mild thus far. The form of depression resulting from not enough daylight, called […]
By Julie Reardon Resolutions & Participation Trophies Every year, the Publisher asks us for our New Year’s resolutions. Since I don’t normally make them, I thought it might be fun to make just one for 2017. So this year, I think I’ll find someone or something to blame for every bad thing that happens in […]
By Julie Reardon Merry Christmas from the Blue Ridge! A friend who lives in the mountains shares this story every holiday season and it’s one of my favorites. I only recently found out the author’s name since various versions have been around for many years, variously titled A Christmas Prayer and The Rifle, and […]
Animal rights activists do not care about your animal’s welfare Julie Reardon Just when you thought you were safe from politics, my column, normally focused on rural life, has a political hot potato this month. But this is not liberal vs conservative politics; it’s city vs country. As the percentage of us that grew up […]
Hunting in Hunt Country by Julie Reardon They don’t call our area of the Blue Ridge “the hunt country” just because of the foxhunting. Horses and hounds begin their informal training hunts, called cubbing, in September, after spending the past few weeks getting ready. And local hunters have been honing their skills for other game […]
Dogs Diving During Dog Days by Julie Reardon It’s that time of year again: the dog days, that time when “the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies.” The excessive panting of dogs at this time […]
