The Beauty of the Shenandoah Valley in the Fall
While
I am a summer girl who loves the beach, the sun, fresh tomatoes from the
garden, landscaping, and lazy afternoons on the porch with a glass of tea or
vino, appreciating the bounty of hot weather, when autumn arrives in the
Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and mother nature paints the trees with a
kaleidoscope of color I am filled with awe at the wonder of the universe.
We
spent this weekend at the anniversary of the 148th Battle of Cedar
Creek reenactment. I was struck by the
sheer beauty of the landscape. For me it is impossible to look upon the terrain
of North Mountain and not see the influence of a higher power. The red, gold,
orange, yellow and faded green dotting the hillside of the battlefield causes
me to wonder what those men so many generations ago must have thought as they engaged
in battle. The contrast of beauty and
bloodshed must have been hard to reconcile. I know it is for me today.
When
I gaze upon the amazing beauty of Frederick County, Virginia, where I make my
home, I can see and understand why the citizens of Virginia were compelled to
fight for their state. No matter the
ideology of the world today, one can easily understand why the citizens of
Virginia were willing to fight for this territory. This was the frontier at one time. The
citizens fought the Indian wars and carved a life out of wilderness. George Washington surveyed this area and had
an office in Frederick County. We forget that Jamestown was founded in this
state, that the original settlers forged a new civilization. This was the
homeland of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Monroe
and James Madison – the very cradle of American democracy.
No
matter the history, I embrace the beauty and thank my higher power for the
privilege of enjoying the landscape that surrounds me.
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