A Page County Grown Trifecta, Part 2

On my second stop last week, I went over to Public House Produce in Luray.  David had earlier told me that the final portion of the pork was ready - this was some side meat that I had requested to be salt-cured, because my mother asked me for some fatback.  David had also offered to show me what was going on around the farm, so I made the stop on the way back from dropping Tessie off for grooming.

First things first.  The family was out taking care of business when I stopped by, so I had to take a rain check on the spring update.  Mary and I went back over on Saturday with another friend who was visiting.

The fatback.  Well, I forgot how big the cuts of side meat I put aside for this were.  I am guessing that there is easily five or six pounds of the stuff.  David's dad had salt-cured both of the hams he took from his pig back when we did the butchering, and they cured this fatback along with the hams.

In any case, that's going to make a lot of "church social" green beans.  I left the meat in the cooler, with the intention of going back and getting it as soon as I can borrow Chris's vacuum packer again.  I'll cut the big slabs down to smaller size and we'll get her done, just got to figure out how to get the stuff down to mom.

Now, this spring has featured some unpredictable weather.  After early season heat and a fear of a dry season, it turned cold and there have been some late frosts, and then we've also had copious rain in the form of storms.

For that reason, they've set up hoops and covered many of the crops that could be damaged by the cold.  I think this is lettuce under the cover here in this photo, but Public House Produce also has some tomatoes and the earliest sweet corn under cover as well.

Finally, the girls were out of the barn and came over to see me while I walked around.  Here's Delilah and Butterscotch - keeping a respectable distance from the electric fence.  They're good girls.  It seems like Delilah's ear is always flying away in this carefree pose whenever I see them.

A Page County Grown Trifecta, part 1

I took a few days off last week and spent them relaxing - for the most part, anyway - out at Hawksbill Cabin.  With some fine spring weather I thought I might visit some of my Page County Grown friends around town.  First stop:  Main Street Bakery.

Main Street is one of three restaurant members of Page County Grown.  Along with the others (the Mimslyn Inn and Artisans Cafe - find them here:   http://pagecountygrown.com/local/restaurants/), Main Street uses fresh, locally grown ingredients whenever they can.

My choice last week was the tarragon chicken salad sandwich, paired with a carrot cake cupcake.  Now, when I posted this to Facebook, there was an inspired discussion about how tarragon chicken salad was a sophisticated nouveau cuisine entry on the American Cafe menu in the 1980s.

As we moved on from talking about the herb tarragon, to basil, rosemary, and cilantro, I couldn't help but wonder about how we tail-enders of the baby boom have changed the world by facilitating the introduction of such a wide variety of new tastes to American cooking.

And it was a pleasant surprise that I had run into Chef Arnaud from Main Street the day before down in Harrisonburg - he stopped by to say hello in the Barnes and Noble, where I was writing a few blog posts.

In any case, if you're in Luray during lunch, and you're feeling in the mood for something fresh and homemade, here's a recommendation.  You'll come away with a wholesome feeling from your meal, and you'll have contributed to our great Page County thing.

Luray's Old-Timey Like Movie House

Last year, Mary and I decided to take in the movie True Grit at the movie house in Luray.  It was the first time we ever went to a movie there - I don't know why we waited so long.

For that show, we sat in the cinema that had a couple of suits of armor on display.  It was a real treat.

And because of that, I thought I had seen everything until last night.  I went to see The Three Stooges - nyuck nyuck nyuck - and the show was up on screen 1.  All I can say about the decor of this one is - "wow" - talk about ornate!  It's Eqyptian mythology with Cleopatra statues forming the lighting!

As far as the movie goes...I'd say your best bet is to catch this one on screen.  Probably best if you are already a fan of The Three Stooges.  Don't bother renting.

The Pumpkin Expert

Over the last couple of weeks, our friends at Main Street Bakery have been promoting pumpkin season in their status updates:


“Pumpkins are definitely in now - Cinderella, Fairytale, Peanut, New York Cheese, etc.”

“The Pumpkin Patch on 340 is a great place to see all the groovy types of pumpkins that we will be cooking with - we have gotten about 350 pounds of pumpkins from here already this year!”

“The first three cooking pumpkins are here... all our seasonal pumpkin products are made with fresh pumpkins - never a can.”

After our trip to the Luray Page Farmers’ Market on Saturday, we made a brunch stop at the bakery, where we enjoyed the pumpkins on display – and slices of crab-corn quiche and some pastries. We had a nice lunch and visited a few minutes. The team was busy with final preparations for a wedding, packing up and loading their vehicles, while the display cases still had some very tempting items: carrot cupcakes and some lucky body’s birthday cake.

Also, linked on their FB page is a reference to the Valley Star Farm pumpkin patch on US 340, north of Luray. We’ve visited this farm a couple of times, and there are some past blog posts (one linked below) – the variety and presentation is amazing. They also have a corn maze with a scavenger hunt, and several other features that make for an entertaining fall outing.

I can’t begin to imagine what they’ll do with their pumpkins and squash at Main Street, but it’s something to look forward to – either to enjoy, or to take some inspiration from!

Here’s a link to the Main Street Bakery FB page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Luray-Virginia/Main-Street-Bakery-and-Catering/344293269151

…and here’s a link to a 2008 post about Valley Star Farm: http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/09/valley-star-farm.html

Luray's Main Street Bakery

For a while now, Mary and I have been adding Luray’s Main Street Bakery to our lunch circuit when we’re in town. You’ll always find something good to eat there, and the company is very pleasant, too, whether you’re visiting with the staff or your neighbors.

The fare always includes fresh baked goods, salads are typically available, and we’ve had some good quiches. A mushroom and shallot deal is coming to mind, but I’ve had the spinach one and a ham and cheese variety as well. There’s locally roasted coffee available, too.

Here are some photos of the daily fare card (note the egg count – since 2003, a lotta eggs! – above the menu) and the display cases inside the store. Also, earlier in the spring, we came by on a day when they had a bunch of fresh rhubarb – they were setting to prep in the kitchen getting it ready for pies and other dishes.

Page County Citizens Write Back about Fibrowatt

Last week I sent a note – substantially the same as the “Open Letter to Page County to my Page County Neighbors” linked at the end of this post – to local hospitality and tourism businesses. Page County recently was recognized as “The Cabin Capital of Virginia” and my sense of it is the tourism and hospitality industry would take a significant hit from the presence of a Fibrowatt plant. I worried that it might be a little forward of me to write to them, but I thought it was reasonable to share my opinion, and once they received it, they could (and would) decide for themselves anyway.

To my surprise, I received more than a dozen responses, all but one saying they appreciated the information and that they weren’t inclined to support the Fibrowatt proposal – the one basically a request for more information. I’ve chosen a few of these emails (and disguised the text to protect their anonymity) and now I am posting them below. I thanked each of these and asked them to write letters to their BOS rep.

From B. “I wanted to thank you for a well written letter and bring our concerns to the table. I will write to the supervisors and will reiterate some of your points and my own. We do need help with our tax base and we should be picky and concerned about any industry that wants to come here. There was always a routine for due diligence for every project to be considered but for some strange reason this came out. Something stinks here and I don’t think it’s chicken poop!”

From H. “Thank you for your email, and I'm totally against this project. A few jobs is not worth risking the health of thousands of people in and around Luray/Page County. I was hoping to open a business in Luray within the next year (my products are sold at [another business in Luray] at the moment), and I have been looking for store space, or the possibility of purchasing land to build a proper store...I can tell you that if this project is approved, I will NOT be continuing business in Luray. Further, if there is anything I can do to help fight this incredibly pathetic reason to boost economy, I'd be happy to join in any efforts possible.”

From E. “Thank you so much for this! I agree with your "discussion" and will do everything in my power to block Fibrowatt from coming into our area. [We] were instrumental in blocking a cell tower from being erected on the property that abuts ours and we will do our best to block this issue. “

From H. “Thanks for taking the time to research and sharing of this information. Unfortunately the EDA appears able to do what it wants when it wants, regardless of the opinions of the masses.”

From C. "Thank you Jim, I appreciate your comments. These are all very valid concerns, and ones that I hope the Board will consider in their deliberations on this. Another major area of concern is the amount of water that will be needed for operation. That quantity has not been clearly identified, but based on estimates I’m hearing, it could have a serious impact on water supplies in the area."

From D. “Jim: I read your beautifully constructed letter and I couldn't agree more. I think…the idea will soon die. Thanks for taking your time to do the research and helping to save the beauty and well being of Page County.”

http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2010/02/open-letter-to-my-page-county-neighbors.html

Christmas Day Walk in the Country

With the snow all around, we were surrounded by the wintry wonderland of songs and lore. So, we took the walk we often do, from the Hawksbill Cabin out to Marksville Road, enjoying the neighboring farms and Inn, and the view over to our local mountains, Hawksbill, Big Meadow, and Stonyman.

When we get out of the immediate neighborhood, we pass a little farm called Shenando Acres. I've posted on this one before - often about the ever changing small herd of cows (Mary doesn't like me mentioning it), the horse and donkey, and the goats (visible by clicking on the photo). All were sheltered in the little pole barn as we walked by - the goats most curious, but they didn't come out to us this time.

This route takes us in front of Jordan Hollow Inn, a small farm oriented B&B that has a restaurant that we have enjoyed a few times. The economy seems to have kept business on the low side this year, and we wonder if the opening of the Mimslyn in Luray has also had an impact. We like our neighbors and would really like to see a turn around for them this year. (It's none of my business, but I bet a couple of Tri- and Bike racing sponsorships could help!)

Finally, here is the red barn near Jordan Hollow and next to the Hawksbill Creek headwaters. This is near the end of this walking route, about a quarter mile from the intersection of Marksville Road where we turn and come back. I phone-cammed this a while back, without snow - it really makes a nice scene with the snow though.

Luray's Outfitters Merge

Some big news and not a very well kept secret on the business scene in Luray…after six months of planning, Evergreen Outfitters and Appalachian Outdoors Adventures have merged, combining the two stores at the 18 East Main Street location in Luray.

As I was visiting the Evergreen Outfitters store over the course of the summer, Howard and Andy kept me apprised of the progress with this exciting development, as they worked through the details of what stock to carry, which storefront to locate in, and other logistical matters. Finally, the time for talk is over and they’ve been able to complete the merger.

I checked Andy’s Facebook page, and here’s a quote about the opening:

“Evergreen Outfitters has now joined forces with Appalachian Outdoors Adventures. We are at 18 East Main Street in Luray, Virginia. We are all here today: Howard, Andy, Gary and Linda. Come see us! “

Later she added, with regards to the expanded team:

“We are having fun. We all work well together. Each has different strengths. A rockin' team we are! The entire downstairs has been turned into the GEAR area. Almost 2500 square feet on each level!!! Christmas presents galore for every person on the gift list - a one stop shop.”

Mary and I can vouch for this – my mom and sister too – we visited AOA on black Friday and there was a steady stream of customers. Here are some highlight photos of the storefront, upstairs, and the famous gear area in the man cave downstairs.

As a last note, I received an email from the Page Chamber that the new business will be featured on the Tourism Tuesdays radio show with Nina Long - December 8; 12:30 to 1 pm on 95.3 FM WZRV. As much as I’d like to, I can’t listen in. But I hope it goes well.

Best of luck to Howard, Andy, Gary and Linda!

A Page County Ponzi Scheme?

The second item I saw in last week’s PN&C was an article about a Ponzi scheme that took place in Page County. This one involved the majority owner of a local coffee roaster, which was known as Bean East Corporation. In Luray, it was known as Kiariz – which has been renamed Callao Coffee, and the new owners are “looking to move ahead.”

(Author's Note: I misidentified the building in the photo in my original post. This building housed 58 West internet cafe. They sold Kiariz Coffee there, but were not otherwise associated with Kiariz. The post has been edited to correct the mis-id.)

Here's an old photo of 58 West internet cafe's downtown location, one location where Kiariz was sold. Both Chris and Mary liked this place very much – Chris raved about their lattes, and Mary would enjoy visiting and using the internet in the shop there. The cafe folded up about the same time that the Kiariz story was coming out. It was a disappointment for us all to see it go.

The Ponzi scheme worked by the majority owner promising investors very high rates of interest for loans. The interest rates were justified with bogus contracts for coffee supplies – he even invoked the name of a trusted US brand, Folgers. In a Ponzi scheme, the proceeds from new investor funds are used to pay the old investors, with the schemer taking a substantial amount for himself.

In this case, Moledina, the mastermind, was charged with taking $16-million from 26 people. He has pled guilty to the charges, which include charges of wire fraud and various forgeries. From the PN&C story, there is no suggestion of a Moledina connection with the minority owners or current owners as far as the Ponzi activities go.

It’s hard not to associate this event with the activities of the former Page County Sherriff Presgraves (I haven’t posted on developments in his case in some time, I’m due – check out the ‘Presgraves’ label on the right for past posts). I guess this is because the county has such a small population that these cases always emerge as high profile situations.

As far as an impact on the Page County Economy, Kiariz is gone but there are new owners - I was glad to learn that the business has survived. I’m sure there is a lot of hard work ahead for them to recover from this blow, but I’d like to think they’ll make it.

The bright spot in all of this, also as highlighted in this week’s PN&C…the Brick Oven Pizzeria, which was a landmark in Stanley, has relocated to the former 58 West location in Luray. It’s a bigger location for the pizzeria, and it will offer sit down service. I was very excited to see a local business have the good fortune of this significant opportunity for growth – Mary and I are looking forward to a lunch visit!

G&H's AT Shake Down Hike - Part 3

Part 3 - Post-hike Report

After three days, completing a section hike of about 32 miles on the Appalachian Trail, Gary and Howard returned Tuesday night. From the main south bound AT route, Howard said they had made a few side trips to visit trail shelters, where they checked out the log books and signed in with their new “trail names,” which I won’t report here to protect their identities. As experienced hikers, they knew when they set out that anything could happen on the trail and they were ready to improvise if needed, but, as Howard says, “Everything went as close to plan as we could have hoped.”

As they shared their impressions of the route, I began to notice that their descriptions of the experience were similar to those I’ve read about in thru-hiking books such as “AWOL on the Appalachian Trail,” and “Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods.” One of the first things you notice on trail sections like the one they chose, is that even though the route follows a ridge and you wouldn’t expect major climbing, there is a cumulative effect from all the little “ups-and-downs” from short climbs and descents.

They took advantage of their freshness on the first day and did extra miles, so the second day was less difficult. Even so, the body rebels at the out-of-the-ordinary strain, stiffening at each break on the trail, or making it hard to get up in the morning. By the third day, they had begun to settle in to their pace, making the last day the easiest day on the trail for them.

When I asked them about what gear they found the handiest, they agreed that their water filters were the key items in the packs, with headlamps coming in second. Gary said that since the winter days are shorter, they often had to quicken their pace to reach the day’s designated camp site so they could set up before it was completely dark, which made the headlamps very important.

They had carried their water with them on this Spring’s overnight hike on the Massanutten Ridge, so the water filters allowed them to reduce some of the weight in their packs. Water was required for the dehydrated meals they carried – all samples from the selection in their stores – and they heated it on a Jet Boil stove. In fact, all of the gear they used on the hike is available at the stores.

Speaking of their stores, Appalachian Outdoor Adventures and Evergreen Outfitters, Gary and Howard have been planning to join forces for the last few months, and with this hiking adventure behind them, they are set to complete the merger by the end of the year. Gary said, “We had been sending customers back and forth to each other and now everything will be in one location,” so the merger is a natural progression. And both are looking forward to the opportunities to expand their services to potentially include guided hikes and tours.

Gary and Howard are planning overnighters in the Spring, but the next multi-day hike won’t be until next Summer or Fall. They choose routes in Shenandoah National Park along the AT but also adventure into the George Washington National Forest as well.

As for the north district AT section hike, it served as an excellent shakedown for longer hikes in the future, with the added benefit of being able to test out some of the gear they sell. The credibility factor is important in their business, and these hikes serve to build it. That’s going to be an important asset as they complete the merger and continue to serve their customers.

This is the final post of a 3-part series on Gary and Howards section hike of the AT. The previous posts were on Wednesday and Thursday, the 18th and 19th of November.

G&H's AT Shake Down Hike - Part 2

Part 2 – The Gear and Preparation

Earlier this year, Gary and Howard took an overnight hike along Saw Tooth Ridge and Kennedy Peak in the GWNF, but they have been thinking of doing the full AT section in Shenandoah National Park for some time. So this Fall hike covering the northern portion of the SNP AT is a warm-up for the longer section hike, which they hope to complete next summer.

In the past, Gary has posted helpful lists of gear on the Appalachian Outdoor Adventures Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Luray-VA/Appalachian-Outdoors-Adventures/97338336006?ref=mf), which I’ve referred to for hikes that require more than the usual preparation. So I asked Gary and Howard about their equipment preparation for this hike, and they described their choices of packs, tents and footwear.

For packs, Gary chose Osprey, while Howard used a North Face pack. Their tents were both North Face gear; footwear for Gary was from North Face, and Howard used a new pair of Vasque Breezes. They carry all of the gear they used on this AT section at both stores in Luray, and are planning to continue these lines after their merger next month.

Even the dogs are outfitted for the trip: Martha and Athena will be wearing Ruffwear dog backpacks, which Howard carries at Evergreen Outfitters. Lilly gets a break from carrying a pack – but even so, the dogs will probably do two to three times the amount of walking on this trips as the humans do – they may go as far as 90 miles while the humans walk 30 miles on the path!

Getting back to the motivation for this hike – Gary and Howard recognized that Page County is a hiking and camping destination for people from all over the world. The visitors aren’t just AT thru-hikers coming down into Luray for a “town day,” there are also people who come to sightsee at Luray Caverns or to visit the Shenandoah River. The pair wants to inspire local people to take advantage of the resources in the area. Gary keeps a list of their outings on the Facebook page – trips to GWNF and SNP are the most frequent destinations, and the SNP AT section thru-hike will be next year’s highlight.

We’ll conclude these posts with Part 3 tomorrow – featuring an "after-hike" update on the experience.

G&H's AT Shake Down Hike - Part 1

Part 1 – The Plan and Some Activities

Luray is getting a reputation as a great Appalachian Trail “Trail Town,” and with miles of hiking trails and plenty of camp sites available in nearby Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest, it’s an emerging backpacking, hiking, and camping destination. Gary Drum and Howard Thompson, owners of two outfitters stores in Luray, decided to set out for a Fall section hike of the Appalachian Trail this week.

Their stores, Appalachian Outdoor Adventures and Evergreen Outfitters, are planning to merge this Winter, but over the last couple of years the two have built a friendship on their shared enthusiasm for all of the outdoor activities this area has to offer. With the number of adventure-seeking tourists in Luray increasing every year, whether they are AT thru-hikers or families heading for SNP campgrounds, Howard and Gary set a goal to hike the entire length of the AT as it passes through the Park, starting with a 30-mile “shake down” hike of the northern section this month.

Joining Gary and Howard on the trip were Luray friends Garrett Johnson and Alan Jones, and three adventure dogs, Lilly, Martha and Athena. The group has done a couple of similar hikes together in the past, and made the “natural choice” to hike from Front Royal to Thornton Gap on the AT (it’s natural because “it’s there,” according to Howard. The group planned to hike about 10 miles per day over this section’s moderate terrain, from Sunday to Tuesday, spending one night camping back country and a second night in one of the campgrounds.

Besides the camping, the group had planned for other activities on the trail. Their families were tentatively planning to meet them on the trail one day, but the rendezvous was nixed due to scheduling conflicts. They are also planning to “taste test” some of the dehydrated entrees and breakfasts that they carry in the shops so that they can rate them and make recommendations to shoppers.

…tomorrow’s post will look at some of the gear Gary and Howard are using on the section hike.

Up on the roof...

Soon after the roof infrastructure structure was repaired on the Hawksbill Cabin, we met Alan Knott, our roofer from Stanley. As his team was wrapping up the job of installing our "100-year standing seam metal roof," he invited me up to have a look at "my new roof."

That installation is still a point of pride for us. Working with Alan, we feel like we got a high-quality job and we made a decision about the house that is going to outlast us, benefiting future owners. After all, we have a little bit of a legacy here, as indicated by this inscription that I found on the chimney cap this weekend, indicating that it was competed in August 1949. The inscription pairs up with another we found at the base of the chimney, which is marked Thanksgiving 1949.

Earlier this fall there was a rainstorm and water got in along the chimney. I had suspected that a stone chimney is really hard to protect from the elements, and since the Hawksbill Cabin was built in an era before codes guided construction, we figured we’d just be dealing with whatever nature handed us. So water gets in during storms – hopefully it’s not enough to do any significant damage to the interior or the structure of the house.

Mary called Alan to take a look at what had been causing periodic leaks like this one, and he was able to come out this weekend. He found a few spots where the seals around the flashing had opened up a little bit, enough to allow driven rain to get through and run down the walls. He was ready with silicone caulking to correct the situation, taking care of us very quickly.

Despite the willies I get sometimes up on the front part of the roof, I went up to check out the situation (again, at Alan's invitation). Now I know what needs to be done as part of an annual inspection and maintenance chore, something it appears I may be capable of taking care of myself in the future. And hopefully, it’s taken care of for this year.

After Alan was finished, I took advantage of being up there to clean out some leaf litter and acorns from the gutters. Roof-wise, I think we are as ready as we can be for the winter.

…and for this, our appreciation goes out to Alan for great service. He’s onto another job in the Hawksbill Pines neighborhood, and based on the quality of his work and his commitment to his customers, it’s not hard to understand why he’s holding his own, even in an economy like this one.

Pool's Closed

The team from Uncle D's was out a couple of weeks back to close the Hawksbill Cabin pool. I am so glad we got that taken care of so early this year! Here is a photo of the pool with the winter cover on - there is actually an extensive checklist of tasks that need to be taken care of during the process leading up to covering the pool, so it is very good to have the Uncle D's crew around to take care of all of this.


I noticed that in just the short week since the closing happened, the pine tree and others had already shed quite a bit of foilage. I cleaned up on Sunday night before I left, and this bushel-sized pile is what had accumulated - this would have been in the pool if it wasn't already covered!



Also, while I was on the deck sweeping, I took a better photo of the coleus plantings that I mentioned last week, along with the (empty) hummingbird feeder. Next weekend, I will take the feeder down and clean it - I am planning to put a suet basket here over the winter.



Last photo, a glimpse of the beaver pond from the deck. Soon the leaves will be off and we will be able to clearly see how much it has shrunk since the dam broke last spring. However, there is still enough of a pool of water there to attract herons and ducks, so it's still a nice view.

Fresh Tomatoes at West Main Market

We are officially into fall now, and the next weekend will be the last opening of the Luray Farmers' Market. There is still produce coming off of the plantings, but this is simply the time to wrap things up.

In town last weekend we decided to grab a sandwich at the little cafe (website: http://westmainmarket.com/) . (Favorites: Italian Cold Cut, and the Cuban). The folks were out of town for vacation in the previous week.

As we pulled in, I noticed these laden tomato vines. This is a sunny spot that gets morning sun, and is in the shade in the afternoon. As long as there is no frost, they will have fruit for a couple of more weeks.

Seasonal Changes - Pumpkins are in!

Sorry for the abrupt transition from Las Vegas, but as this is posting, I'm in the air...

Last week at the farmers' market in Luray, the folks from Public House Produce had brought in some fine pumpkins. Here are some highlight photos.

There is a guess the weight contest going on for the big one in the wagon. I'm pretty sure it's between 150 and 200 pounds. I think someone has already won.

On the way back last weekend we noticed that the pumpkin patch at Valley Star Farm, north of town, is open. That's a great destination for a day trip - in addition to the pumpkins they have a very entertaining herd of goats, plenty of games for the kids, a picnic area, and a corn maze.

It's a seasonal must for us!

Loca-voracious

When we decided to get together for dinner with our neighbors Sally and Dan last weekend, I’d say the general sense of things is that we would have a nice time relaxing on the brick terrace, grilling some steaks and enjoying some of Dan’s home brew. Essentially, that’s what we did – rib-eyes from Mr. Burner and some produce from Public House (http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-ate-mr-burners-cow.html) and Dan’s latest IPA (http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2009/07/home-grown-hops.html ) - his best yet, by his own assessment, and I would have to agree with him.

Reflecting on our meal the next day, I realized that although some ingredients that went into the meal came from further away, all of the produce and even the steaks were produced within about ten miles of the Hawksbill Cabin. Don’t think of us simply as some silly yuppies succumbing to the latest trend in local organic cooking. In the valley, this was just something that happened; elsewhere, you might really have to make a fuss to accomplish it – and I am going to tell you all about it.

A fine meal it was:

· Cucumber-yogurt soup
· Organic tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil
· Ratatouille of garden-grown squash, peppers, tomatoes and garlic
· Grilled sweet corn on the cob
· Beer-marinated rib-eye steaks
· Concord grape pie

We went to the farmers’ market in Luray for some of the produce we used, but a lot of it actually came from Sally and Dan’s garden. They have about a half acre that is organically cultivated for vegetables, and there is an old arbor of concord grapes that volunteers a good harvest most years. And then of course, as described in several past blog posts, Dan has nine vines producing Willamette, Centennial, and Cascade hops.

For beverages, we started with Dark and Stormys on the terrace while I grilled, moved on to sampling the new “Beaver Run Flat Tale IPA,” and finally had a couple of nice reds with dinner. Sally and Dan had found one of the reds the previous night, when they were out for a reggae concert at Clementine’s, and I had a spare bottle of “Big House Red” to supplement that one.

As part of the logistics, I had to break down for a larger kettle grill; I found this Kingsford grill at Food Lion on an end-of-season sale for $35. Not too shabby.

Of course, I have to end this post with a reference to our seasonal and organic cookbooks - Simply in Season and The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking)

Outfitters' News -

The Page Valley Fair is coming up next week. I am really looking forward to it after missing it due to work last year. As I was looking through the fair catalog, I saw that Howard at Evergreen Outfitters and Gary at Appalachian Outdoors Adventures have made an announcement that they are joining forces late this summer.

They’ll consolidate into the AOA store soon. For convenience, both web sites are below:

http://www.evergreenoutfitters.com/
http://www.appalachianoutdoorsadventures.com/

Congrats to them both and best wishes for success in the merger!

Page County's Bicycle Race

It’s not unusual to encounter cyclists on the road in Page County, although there are usually more of them up on Skyline Drive. In the last few weeks, Mary and I have been seeing uniformed teams on the local roads, apparently in time trials as they geared up for the championship race.

There is more information about the races here:
http://www.pagevalleycycling.com/Page_Valley_Road_Race.html

The staging area and starting point for the race was at the Stanley recreation area, which is very close to the Hawksbill Cabin. The races are sponsored by a number of the local businesses, including Hawksbill Bicycles and Appalachian Outdoor Adventures – not to mention the Mimslyn Inn, Main Street Bakery, and Luray Caverns.

The race has been held for the last two years on an 11-mile loop that has two major climbs - a 1.5 mile climb which starts gently then ramps up; and then 3/4 mile climb to the finish line, which is 8.3 miles from start. When we were talking with some of the folks from the County at the start line, they all remarked on this last hill. Mary and I are going to take a drive up there someday!

We watched as the Men’s Cat 1 and 2, and then the Cat 3 races got started. These races were 74 and 63 miles long, respectively, with fields limited to 100 riders. There were four other races – Women’s Cats 1-3 and 4, and a Men’s Cat 4 and Cat 5 race. These photos are from the 11:00 and 11:05 starts for the Men’s Cats 1-2 and 3 races.

All totaled, there were about 500 racers in town for this event. We saw bikes at several hotels; the Mimslyn was the official race hotel and we saw quite a number of bikes there over the weekend.

Next weekend is the Triathlon. Looking forward to similar crowds for that!

A Little Get-together at the Ranch

Last weekend, my dad and his wife, my sisters and their families, and my brother stayed at River's Bend Ranch in Stanley for the weekend. We had the get-together that we'd been planning since my grandmother passed in February - we'd originally intended to go to the Eden/Stoneville area in NC, but that didn't work out. I think everyone enjoyed the alternative accommodations.

Here are a couple of links - first, to the ranch itself; second, to a previous post from an earlier visit, last October:

http://www.riversbendranch.com/

http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/10/down-on-ranch.html

They booked the bunk house, taking six rooms - there is the capacity for more visitors here or elsewhere on the ranch. The photos scattered throughout this post are of the horses and cows on the ranch, hopefully with the scenery coming through in the background.

After everyone got settled on Friday night we went out to eat at Sonny's Place up in New Market Gap - we arrived late, but our big party was taken good care of, and there were plenty of menu choices to satisfy every taste in the crowd of 13. The live music was good too.

On Saturday, we started out on a busy day. Errands to the Luray Farmers' Market for steaks and vegetables, then to Mill Creek Pottery - a future post on this one to come, and ultimately taking the kids to SNP to hike Dark Hollow Falls (which was very crowded, as shown in the photos).

I should mention the catering for dinner, which supplemented the cookout. We got some barbequed chickens from Mickey, along with cole slaw and potato salad. I'm forgetting some items, I'm sure, but we put together a summer feast.

After dinner, we retired to the firepit and sat around, reminiscing together. A nice evening overall, with thunderstorms rambling on the horizon in several different directions, the deer coming out and mixing in with the horse herd, and the fire crackling away.

It had been a very long time since we tried anything like this, and although dad was hoping his siblings and their families might join us, this was as good a start on a family reunion tradition as you could ask for, and hopefully we'll be able to keep it going in the future.

For my part, I enjoyed being able to show them Page Valley. From a scenery perspective, I was very surprised at how beautiful the little stretch of the South Fork is there along the ranch, just downsteam from Newport - the last photo here.