Monticello to Lexington

On the road to Monticello

 Monticello 9/29/10

At Waynesboro, where JoAnn was born, we headed East towards Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.   This was intresting to me not only because of his abilities as a self taught architect but also his personality as the earliest of America’s complete men.  that is complete in self discovery, artistic and intellectual and scientific pursuits.  As the 3rd president and the drafter of the Declaration of Independnce he embodied the American Modern man save for one snag.  He continud to own slaves until he died and was purported to have fathered children with a slave that grew into many generations that are living today.   How modern is that?  Not that I condoned it by my question but as ususal there was so much more.

We spent several hours at Monticello, it was raining of course, going through the museum, reading some of his papers and accounting books, watching videos and examining drawings of his buildings and models.  He was also an avid gardener and grew several vinyards for wine grapes.   Records of almost every letter, note, or written word is collected in 50 volumes of his papers.  Very prolific.  In addition to his contribution to the nation he did much for Virginia.  And then there was his sponsership of Lewis an Clark.  It was a morning well spent.

Driving back across the Appalachian Mountains to the city of Lexington a strange sight imprinted itself upon my eyes.  There were sections of beautiful hardwood forests that were completely taken over by the Kudzu vine.  It is difficult to describe the effect this has on one particularly on a gray overcast day.  It covered everything in the woods even on both sides of the road.  It was as if an alien concoction of dark green slime was poured upon the surrounding landscape.  Trees were no longer recognizable but were instead amorphous shapes of fantasy.  Not an original branch or trunk was seen.  All the shrubs, ground, stones, land forms were all humps.  Continuous humps of an alien landscape with dark shadows and recesses.   A viscous drape of living mass that cared not for what it covered, that did not need its host to live.  Whose only purpose was to grow, expand and cover everything in its path; buildings , vehicles ,tractors, road signs, and the once beautiful hardwood forests that lined the roadways.  it was a very unsettling sight.  I could not drive past these graveyards fast enough.  Apparently nothing can be done.  Much of Georgia and Florida have succomed.

We made it to Lexington and the facilities at the Virginia Horse Center.  They had a few spots mainly for those traveling and showing horses.  This place is huge!  Think of 15 Seattle Center Key Arenas in one place with horse barns holding hundreds of horses.  All kinds of shows and exhibits take place here.  The Virginian countryside  is full of huge emerald pastures with black or white fences that run for miles all for the raising and care of horses.  

After a too big dinner of stroganoff we walked down in the rainy dark with flashlights to one of the arenas to watch saddlebred horses perform.   Apparently we did not kow what we were looking at or what the criteria were for judging because the  horse and rider we thought was the most controlled, and had the best “seat” and whose horse performed elegantly came in last!  Time to head back up the hill to our steed and wagon.  

Hi ho silver!  

Lexington near Virginia Horse Center