Holidays in Hanover County, Virginia

One of our favorite places in Montpelier is the General Store. Well, it really is the ONLY place, but it is still our favorite. They make the best old country ham biscuits, and cook thick, cured bacon for their bacon biscuits, so we get our breakfast there many days.

The proprietor, Sue, keeps the store stocked with important stuff like old fashioned candy bon-bons, filled hard candies, homemade jams and jellies and butter, Clark Bars and Mint Juleps, as well as muck boots, jeans and feed bins and cans. They stock lots of Lodge cast iron cooking pots too. The little store is about 4 miles from the farm, and then it's another 2o miles or so to Richmond, so it's a handy stop for us. It's decked out in Christmas greens now, so here's what the little store looks like........

Montpelier "Western Hanover" General Store in downtown Montpelier

Then there's the little Town of Ashland, about 17 miles North of Montpelier, still in Hanover County. There are many nice restaurants, shops and lovely homes in Ashland, as well as Randolph-Macon College. The Train Depot is an active one, located right in the center of town and in front of the college. We enjoy eating at the IronHorse, a restaurant right on the tracks at the town crossroads, and watching the many trains as they roll through the town.

The Ashland Train Depot, decked out for the holidays

This depot was the destination when I took the train From South Bend, Indiana to Ashland, when traveling back home to be with Kristy in October. My Brother-in-law, Allen, picked me up at the depot and said he's lived in Ashland all his life, but never picked up anyone arriving at the station. He and my sister, KK, live about 4 miles or so from the station. It's a quaint town and train station and much of life still revolves around the tracks. Many folks live in Ashland and commute daily, via the trains, to DC and the Northern Virginia area.

Decking the gates at the Farm, with fresh evergreens

Monday, the weather turned warm and lovely, so I took to the woods looking for cedar, holly and pine to make swags for the gateposts on the drive. The smell of evergreen and pine really is the smell of Christmas, so traipsing through the woods in search of the greens is a favorite thing to do, as long as it's not too freezing cold!!!

Sunday we met George and Charlotte for a little lunch and Christmas cheer at the Texas Roadhouse in Richmond. It is always good to spend time with them and to catch up on things in Warsaw (that only takes about a minute, but we always have lots to talk about!) Hopefully, they'll be down to visit in Florida this winter. They are good buddies and we enjoy traveling and just spending time with these wonderful friends.

Great friends, George and Charlotte, share a little Christmas cheer

It's been a good week at the farm, seeing some old friends and spending lots of evenings sharing dinner with Paul and Katie....we're really going to miss them when we leave here.

Hugs to everyone!