Friday, March 21, 2014

First Day of Spring in VIRGINIA




Hiking in Sky Meadow Park





















Mount Bleak House, built in 1843, built by Abner Settle


The expansive tract of agricultural land known as Sky Meadows State Park 
straddles Route 17 south of its junction with Route 50.  The park comprises 
four 18th- and 19th-century plantations associated with the Edmonds, Settle, Morgan and Timberlake families.  The farmsteads of each of these families still exist within the park, but the primary site is that of Abner Settle, who built Mount Bleak, a stone, Federal-style mansion circa 1843.  The former Settle farm includes a timber-frame kitchen moved to its location in the 1940s, an ice house, an 1843 log summer kitchen and a barn complex.  


In 1975, Paul Mellon of Upperville purchased and later donated this 1,132-acre tract to the state for development as a state park, sparing the land from real estate development. Another 248 acres were acquired in 1987, thus providing access to the Appalachian Trail. In 1991, Mr. Mellon donated another 248 acres, designated the Lost Mountain Bridle Trail Area.


Hope celebrates the first day of Spring
in Alaska
A Cardinal outside my bedroom window

And a stink bug hangs on the paper towel


Welcome Spring in Virginia!



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