Virginia Vineyards:
On Saturday, October 25th, we took my brother, his girlfriend, and my mother out to Stillhouse Vineyards in Hume, Virginia, to taste a little wine and see the Autumn foliage. The foliage was disappointing, but the Cabernet Franc was awesome. I normally dislike Chardonnay, but Stillhouse and Naked Mountain both have Chardonnay wines that are actually pretty good. It is an interesting argument for the effects of terroir on a grape, as these two vineyards are effectively neighbors; both are just off exit 18 from I-66 and only an hour or a little more outside the Washington beltway in some really pretty country.

We developed a flat tire on the way back, so we pulled over in front of the "Cowboy Mercantile" in Hume to install the spare, and before we had all gotten out of the car a resident appeared with tools in hand to help. I was sufficiently well prepared that I actually did not need his help, so he entertained everyone with local jokes while I changed the tire. What a friendly place, we must go back for some country bicycle riding.

October 18th

Anniversary Dinner:
Erci and I went to Tuscarora Mill restaurant in Leesburg, Virginia for our 10th wedding anniversary. The food and service were both extraordinary, and the atmosphere was romantic and rustic. I had a beef tenderloin entree that was worth writing home about. Dinner for two will set you back around a hundred dollars, but it is worth it for special occasions. I must get back and walk around old Leesburg, I had no idea it was so interesting a place to visit. The part of Leesburg I usally see (along the U.S. highway 15 bypass) is a horrid collection of strip malls and is completely indistinguishable from any other strip mall in America. Lucky for us, we read about Tuscarora Mill online, and actually drove into Leesburg for dinner, and the heart of the town is full of little tourist trap stores and interesting architecture, a place where parking is scarce and everything is actually within walking distance. Nice, must go shopping the next time my Mom visits Virginia.

October 11th and 12th

La Belle Compagnie:
Had a fantastic weekend photography session with the folks of La Belle Compagnie and a few auxilliaries recruited for the weekend. We shot bits of the faire, Sir Geoffrey and family sitting to dinner, and some cook and cooking shots. La Belle Compagnie is well on it's way to having a "coffea table picture book" of life in late 14th century Hampshire, England. The project has turned out a bit bigger than many of us first imagined, but also a lot of fun. November will be time to shoot the main parts of the big medieval faire.