FP- was sent to the DC area for a job assignment following his stint in Concord, MA the week prior. He was going to work outside of DC in a town called Herndon, VA for a week. We drove down together from Concord on this leg of his travel assignments on the eastern coast area. We left latter part of the day on Saturday and stayed overnight midway through Connecticut and then did the major part of the driving on Sunday (which seemed to work for us as we zipped thru the Wilmington DE area this time with ease versus the usual traffic-type headaches we usually encountered driving thru this small area of highway thanks to their weird on ramps and toll road arrangements.

Now we were far enough away from DC area to have me not tempted to try my hand at driving solo into it to take some pictorial additions for my photo albums, so I cruised about the Herndon area while FP- was at work. Silly me forgot my camera back at the motel most of the time so missed out on some great picture opportunities. *finger snap of dismay* I dearly wanted to snap a picture of the sign advertising their annual festival in the area that featured a Plane Pull (I am from Indiana so I am used to the tractor pull events but first time I ever heard of a plane pull though...) and of Frying Pan Road (actual name of the street that leads to a park of the same name *chuckle* won't mention we passed Dinner Bell Road on the way home ... I can get a dining series of pictures for a novel concept of photo album treats. Hahaha!) and of an antique shop named "Roaches In The Attic" ... No, sorry to say, I didn't get any pictures of these great signs or places *sigh*

In fact, I think FP- will back me up when I say that this was one of my rare non-multiple film filling endeavors. Only four and a half rolls this time around. Not that is something I meant to happen but just a fluke of fate that is the way it wound up.

I toured about Manassas area (which is right up the road from Herndon) and took some pictures as I walked one of the walking tours of the famous Civil War battlefield with Robby in his stroller. Only reason why I dared only one of the walking tours was due to the terrain not being great for stroller pushing. See, the battlefield is left pretty much so as it was back then (as close as it can be over the years that is) and so no pathways are put in - instead they mow down a path network thru the tall grasses and such for the people to walk thru much like the soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies did back in 1862. Along the way, in some places, are markers with men names printed stating that this was the spot where they fell and died.

Near the Henry House, where the first main battle was fought around, is the grave of the only civilian death of the battle - Judith Henry. She was an infirmed woman in her 80's who lived in the house with a couple of her children who were tending to her as she was bedfast most of the time. As news of the soldiers coming to their area came to their home, they left to seek shelter at one of their friend's homes. As they traveled, gunfire was heard and they could tell it was close by ... instead of venturing forward, Judith Henry insisted that they return to their home and hope for the best. Soldiers from both sides eventually used the yard as part of the battlefield, a couple of markers close to the home marking where a some men fell and died during the skirmish. Judith Henry was confined to her bed during this time period and a shell was fired that missed its intended mark and instead entered the home and killed Judith Henry instantly. On her tombstone at the side of the home, the epitaph (though damaged now due to acid rain and weathering) describes this event.

Near the Visitor's Center is a statue of Lee "Stonewall" Jackson in the pose that's said is how he earned the famed nickname during this particular battle in the war. In the Visitor's Center is a small bookstore set-up and a mini-museum which I was disappointed to see was empty except for a couple of small displays and one display that had only one item out of several it claimed the case usually held for viewing "due to renovation" but no idea how long the items were going to be kept out of view or when the renovation was expected to be completed. *shrug* Kind of a minor bummeration there in my course of the day at the area.

I had hoped to traipse back out that way the next way with Robby in his stroller but wouldn't you know it, he picked that day to decided to "teeth" a little bit on his two upper eye teeth. He made it clear he wasn't that thrilled with crawling, standing, or sitting in the motel room every 20 minutes or so (he fusses in spurts rather than for long jags) so I knew stroller touring was out of the question instantly upon seeing this side of his temperament. I just looked at FP- when he got back to the motel later on (after work) and told him someday I would get to tour the area a bit and take pictures. (Course I say this about every town I pass thru ... *chuckle*)

During this trip, FP- and I got to meet up with Lisabee from #30plus for dinner in the Herndon area on Wednesday night. We dined at a little place called the Tortilla Factory and chatted for a couple hours easily. I pulled out photo albums of my prior tour of the DC area as she played with Robby. I took a picture of Robby with his Auntie Lisabee, one of the first few from the channel that knew about my pregnancy with him, but she has to preview the scan of it after I get the roll of film developed before I will post it. If you are curious what she looks like though, I believe she has a picture on the channel homepage.

I am sorry to say I missed out meeting up with Peppr, Kimba, and Vobiscom again - and that Teodor and Cluck and I still didn't get a chance to meet. So close, yet so far.

Posted in May, 1998