This is Graham and I, dressed as each other for a Halloween party back in 2017. I have no idea how I fit all of my hair under that wig. And yes, I am wearing Graham’s actual clothes. (And also yes, I do still wear pajamas a vast majority of the time. No shame here.)
My only regret is that we didn’t get MORE photos.
I wait here
in prayer
I am
forsaken and
forgotten
I cannot go
I cannot go
Until the
Lord
calls me home
Mine is a
just punishment
Though I am dead
I know
I know
I know no peace
*I thought it would be fun to try another one of these. For last year’s, click HERE.*
Around this time last year, I posted about what some believe to be the most haunted house in Loudoun County.
I wrote about it last year because I’d been reading a book of ghost stories my friend gave me , and I connected some dots and came to conclusion that the house in a story I’d read that day was very likely the same house.
Can I be certain? Well, no, but I’d like to think I’m right, because it’s a pretty cool connection. See, this house is just a few minutes away on the outskirts of our village, and Graham and I drive by it frequently. Of all the gin joints, right?
I’ve always been a fan of both ghost stories and old houses. I love walking into a space knowing that it has a history, that others have come and gone and loved it and built their lives there before me. And honestly, I think it’s just a fundamentally, very human thing to love ghost stories. Something in our primal makeup, in our DNA and our bones and the very oldest part of our brains tells us to be afraid of things that go bump in the night, and to ponder what happens to us when we die. I grew up in a town full of ghosts and legends, and I live in an area rife with them now, too. And this house is just one small piece of that larger puzzle.
Or, it was. Which is to say, it still is, but for how long is anyone’s guess. It was a ruin last year. It’s in worse shape now.
Graham stopped by yesterday and snapped this picture. Sad, isn’t it? Soon enough, the house will be gone, and the stories will be all that’s left. Then one day, they’ll be forgotten, too. But for now, the house is still here, crumbling away on the roadside, taking its secrets with it.
P.S. As I did last year, I’ll add this disclaimer: This house is on private property, and there are no trespassing signs posted, so please don’t go poking around where you’re not welcome. It’s easy enough to take a picture from the road.
Graham randomly snapped this photo sitting by the fire pit at a friend’s house a couple of weekends ago, and was surprised at how nice it turned out. He says that if I were ever to make a country music album, which is so unlikely as to be ridiculous but still fun to ponder, this should be the album cover.
I agree. Nothing like a good pair of boots, is there?
I’ve heard it said
the moon’s a melancholy soul –
up there all alone,
with no light of its own
and only sometimes whole.
But I spend a lot of time with the moon,
waiting somewhere between
asleep and awake
while the world turns from night to day
and the sky changes with the seasons.
And I say this:
It’s something truly special
(and not for all of us)
to keep close the company of the stars,
to see through another’s radiance
and shine a path bright and clear
in the darkness.
We had a really nice mini-vacation. We mostly stayed home – we hung out and watched movies, spent time with friends, and generally just relaxed – but we also decided to head down to Charlottesville for a couple of days. Graham had picked out some cideries for us to try, and he booked a really cute inn for a night. And then, on Monday, we took Skyline Drive home.
What is Skyline Drive? Glad you (maybe) asked! It’s part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and of Shenandoah National Park. It snakes through some of Virginia’s beautiful mountain terrain, and it boasts some of the very best views in the state. Like this one:
And this one:
And this one, too:
We took it slow and just enjoyed driving and chatting. We don’t often get the privilege of uninterrupted, distraction-free time together.
And then, at the highest point on the route, we ran into some fog.
Some very dense fog.
But you know, it was fine. The fog actually made the fall colors pop, and it’s kind of magical, feeling like you’re up in the clouds.
All in all, Skyline Drive was a really lovely experience, and I think we’re planning to do it again in the spring. It’ll be fun to see how the vistas change with the seasons.
Okay, so, today…got away from me. I feel like the first day back after time off (even, it seems, a short staycation) is often chaotic. And, well, I should have been prepared, but I wasn’t. So, just a quick post today. But come back on Friday for a post all about one of our staycation adventures! And enjoy this photo of some beautiful Virginia scenery as a preview. 😉
We need a break, y’all. Our summer was pretty packed, and fall is shaping up to be a lot more busy than we thought, too. So, Graham and I are taking the opportunity now to step away, get some rest, and have a little staycation. I’ll be back next Wednesday, but for now, I wish each of you a lovely weekend, and a good start to next week.
It’s been cloudy, drizzly, and cool all day today. It almost feels like the sun never came up. I dig it. Tea and reading weather.
Or, you know, picture-taking weather.
I’m a winter person, but I admit, fall’s pretty nice, too.
I am only a flash
in the corner of your eye,
nothing but a shadow,
or a trick of the light
on the stair,
there and gone.
You can try to catch me
in a photo,
or to capture
the sound of my voice.
Many have, and most leave
disappointed.
Are you scared?
You should be,
you know.
I’m not for everyone.
A Virginia Writer's Diary 