My Dh and I were talking yesterday morning about how we really, down the road, want to buy a large amount of land out in the country and have horses, etc... That was what we really wanted when we moved here but it just wasn't going to happen - between the bank, available properties and reality of three teens or almost teens...
I've always loved horseback riding. Started when I was quite young at a friends "gentleman's farm" in Virginia when I was about 6. They put me on a horse and about 4 hours later I reluctantly got off. This picture looks like it was taken when I was about 7 or so, and had been riding Dolly (the horse) for awhile. Dolly was an older horse, very gentle, and who only occasionally stood me in the cow pond for ten minutes at a time.
Riding horses taught me so many things, not the least of which was a love of riding. Because it was a farm, with lots of open space, as soon as Mr. T said I was ready, he taught me how to gallop. There is nothing like that feeling in all the world. I can close my eyes, see the empty cow pasture ahead of me and remember that feeling. I wish I could recapture that feeling.
The farm also had chickens ( I Loved collecting eggs), and a fabulous old farmhouse (used as a guesthouse - people built their houses on plots of land up on the surrounding hills/mountains and shared the farm land communally). The farmhouse had been two houses actually and connected by some former owner. So you had this huge barn like room inbetween that was HUGE. And it had a great little farm kitchen, and a little room they used as a library - read Wuthering Heights there for the first time. And there was always a little scuttering of mouse feet when you turned on the lights in the kitchen! Heady stuff for a suburban girlie like me. I loved it. Still do, even though our friends are gone and I haven't been there in probably 20 years. Still, we drive by it on our way up to see my family (I'd see the town name on a sign) and think I'd love to go and just see. But sometimes memories are sweeter than reality.
Thanks to Jenn at
Juggling Life for Time Warp Tuesday! Next week, I think I'll do some kiddo ones :)
8 comments:
I wonder if the house is even still there. You're better off not finding out.
I hope you get that land and horses someday! Don't you have anywhere nearby to go riding just for the day? Even as a day trip?
*sigh* Your childhood sounds magical -- MAGICAL -- in this post. My youngest son would be in heaven!
When we lived in Virginia, he had a friend who had a couple of horses and he loved going there to ride in their small pasture.
PS: Jenn has last week's link up for your TWT.
@SC, the house is still there - they actually have a website- the "farm" not the people we knew. Their house (which was amazing) is now owned by one of their children I believe. These are the people that lived across from my Mom's house a looonnnggg time ago :)
I so wanted to be a horse girl! Sadly, I was a once-a-year-on-vacation horseback riding girl, instead.
What a great memory you have of that place. I'm with Jen, you need to take a day trip!
Here's a picture of the farmhouse. It's picture #6.
http://www.century21.com/property/28-farmview-rd-stanardsville-va-22973-REN005537378
Post a Comment