And they're off!!

I traveled with 3 of the children to West Virginia for a short visit. On the way, we stopped at a place I've wondered about - the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower. Isn't it a neat-looking place?

Lovely farmland surrounds the tower. It was nice to stretch our legs.

This bizarre shot was Peter's idea. We couldn't get into the shot tower; the door was bolted shut. But I held the camera inside, so we would look like WE were behind bars. Silly boy.

The drive into West Virginia takes us through two long tunnels to cut through the mountain ranges. The children always like to try holding their breath in the tunnel.

I made one more stop that I've wanted to make for MANY years -- on 219 at Salt Sulfur Springs. This fabulous stone house does advertise as a "guesthouse," so I made free to knock and inquire. The lovely mistress of the house invited me in, showed me her stunning downstairs, and toured me through the portion of the residence that is rented out as a guesthouse. Her main living room is massive - the size of a church sanctuary, with 2 huge chandeliers. The ceilings are 15 feet tall, and there's an upstairs above that! The structure was built in 1820; she's lived there for 40 years. I thanked her several times for allowing me the time to see her beautiful home. (This photo really does not do it justice.)