Explanation

I was the Forum speaker today at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.  The video will be available soon on their site. Charlottesville was as lovely as always.

I drove back across the Blue Ridge into the Luray Valley and then across the New Market Gap in the Massanutten Mountain into the main Shenandoah Valley so that I could go to my butcher at Tom's Brook.  The country was so beautiful as to be painful.

At the butcher's on the bank of the river, the man on duty said, "I haven't seen you or Carville in here lately."

"Well" I said "He's gone back to New Orleans."

"Ah."

"I have to go to a meeting in Lexington, next month.  I'll stop by."

"Good, I'll tell Gene you were in."  pl 

http://crabills.com/

 

 

 

Comments

[frogspawn]

The country was so beautiful as to be painful.

Used to go camping around those parts when I was a kid back in the '70s. So true. Lovely lovely country.

[John Minnerath]

What a great photograph they chose Pat.
I'm a westerner through and through, but it's nice to read about a place where pieces of the good living still exist.
We've lost too many of those out here.
Including real Barber shops, hardware stores, and butcher shops.

[B. D. Warbucks]

pl,

Don't leave us hanging . . .

What did you get and how did it taste?

[Fred]

One doesn't need to go to the Levant to find holy ground. Though I might venure to says any brats acquired are not quite like those from Schwais' in Fredonia, Wisconsin.

[Charles I]

Wow, that is painfully beautiful thanks for sharing what a treat a view like that is. On the way to the butcher?! Bon appetit.

[meffie]

So Carville has good taste in scenery and butchers?

[Patrick Lang]

B.D. Warbucks

Ten pounds of slab bacon in one pound packages, some Crabill's shop made hot bulk sausage, some Pennsylvania liverwurst and two pounds of Amish farm butter. It comes in roll form. pl

[William R. Cumming]

Shenandoha! Shenandoha!
My understanding is that I-81 was originally an Indian Trail, and perhaps it will be again a trail in the wilderness fastness of a formerly self-indulgent nation that lapsed by its errors into a more primitive paradise. Please vote today if at all possible! Each day truly brings a "NEW WORLD" for all of US. May we live our lives with respect for other
FREE men and women that vote for candidates which are not ours.

[Russ Wagenfeld]

Hi Pat,
The scenery couldn't compare but in the town we lived in when we were in Germany there was a butcher shop less than 100 feet from our house and a bakery within 100 yards. We were spoiled. Our son's favorite from the butcher shop there was blutwurst (which I never developed a taste for).
Russ

[steve]

Beautiful country there. It makes me miss Tennessee.

Nothing better than a good butcher shop. Here in the north Iowa/southern Minnesota area I'm blessed with an abundance--great locally raised pork bellies for homemade bacon and pancetta, fat hog jowls for making guanciale, freshly butchered pork shoulder for andouille and tasso--my goal over the next few weeks is to get a good fresh whole ham and begin the year long process of making prosciutto.

[Patrick Lang]

WRC

Shenandoah. Rte 11 and not I-81 is the road you are thinking of. Old Saying: "If you have slept in the Valley of Virginia, you will return." pl

[Leanderthal]

One of my sons went to W&L,which provided me many opportunities to take in the Blue Ridge area. Awesome!

Leanderthal, Cape Cod

[frank durkee]

I know the route and the season and have shared the Col.s. sentiments. It's also what brought me back to this small mining town in incredible scenery.
Some things are too important to be ignored.

[William R. Cumming]

PL you are correct. Route 11 is still a very interesting drive for its feel of the past.

[graywolf]

"The country was so beautiful as to be painful"

Sir:
Location of the photo?

[Patrick]

Do you know the egg-man? He delivers crabills out of his van...

[Patrick Lang]

graywolf

I meant the Virginia Piedmont, mountains and the Valley generally, but the picture is a view down into the Fort Valley from the top of the Massanutten Ridge on the east side. The main Shenandoah Valley can be seen beyond the other side of the Massanutten with the Alleghenies beyond that. The Fort Valley floor is about five hundred feet higher than that of the main Valley. I did not take that picture and do not know the exact geo-coordinates. pl

[optimax]

Virginia's Black Confederats by Walter Williams.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/williams-w/w-williams57.1.html

[Patrick Lang]

patrick

But I think not in Alexandria? pl

[abu riley]

I was born in the Shenandoah Valley, went to school there, and got married a few Autumns ago at a small overlook just off Rt. 211 (the New Market Gap). No place in the world is as beautiful.

[The Twisted Genius]

Beautiful country, indeed! I imagine the Fall foliage was at its peak, too. I returned home from the Saratoga, NY area this Saturday. It was close to sunset when I drove east from Winchester along the John Mosby Highway. The evening light against the wooded ridge to my front was perfect. Soon after crossing Ashby Gap and passing Paris, I looked to the West and saw the spectacular sunset colors above Sky Meadows Park. I consider myself quite a connoiseur of sunsets and this one was truly magnificient. I will always be a New Englander, but I have found a home in Virginia.

[Patrick Lang]

TTG

That's what Jedediah Hotchkiss thought. pl

[Basilisk]

Sunset across the Shenandoah Valley and Gene Crabill's. Doesn't get much better.

Thanks for that introduction. I'll try to pay you back, but I can't imagine how.

[Patrick]

Apologies for the delay in response.

I live by Krispy Kreme on Rt. 1. He delivers every Friday afternoon. I think he goes into Old Town also.

He also has great cheese.

Will send contact info through e-mail.