Old Loudoun

Yesterday Mom, Jenny, Isaac, Trina, Sarah and I went on a historic scavenger hunt of Loudoun County. We saw some wonderfully preserved historic homes, some of which date back to circa 1805 or earlier, and got to notice some really interesting details about just how involved Loudoun was in the Civil War. Apparently at the completion of the tour (we still have stops to make in Leesburg, Purcellville, and Bluemont) we will get free T-shirts proving our history-buffness. Jenny mentioned yesterday that the T-shirts probably pay for themselves in gas money, but we are sure having fun. It has reaffirmed to me how wonderful Virginia and its history really is. Anyone who comes to visit--beware. I might just take you out and have you experience some history.

The scavenging was really fun. We got to learn details of the name of a slave on one of the oldest gravestones in a cemetery (her name was Gemima) and we had fun finding clues on some other headstones. Here's a photo of Sarah reading our clue off a headstone in a primarily German cemetery. Can you read the words? Well, neither could we, hardly. Upon close perusal, we found that this person was born in 1750 and died in 1795. "In Memory Of" runs across the top--that was the clue we needed to derive from the stone for our sleuthing.
Here's Isaac thinking something historically profound. He's one smart baby:

It was neat to go around good old LC again. We have some beautiful vantage points of the foothills to the Blue Ridge Mountains. And going through the old towns, particularly Waterford, made me think of when we used to go around to historical sights as home school kids. I still remember when our assignment was to make up a song about going to the Waterford fair. As a seven-year-old, my verse was quite profound:

I went to the Waterford Fair
And guess what I saw there?
An old man that sneezed
And fell on his knees
I went to the Waterford Fair.

As I recall, my verse wasn't too far from Mom's sample verse. I hope that my creativity has gotten a little further now that I am through 16 years of education.

17, if you count Joy School.