Greetings All:
My name is Vitae. I live with my wife, Margot, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, about 100 miles southwest of Washington, DC and 20 miles north of the now mid-size city, Harrisonburg, VA - pop about 40,000, the home of James Madison University and Eastern Menonite University. So, there is plenty of culture within a short distance, but far enough away for us to stay sane and quiet whenever we wish, which is most of the time.
Live on 5 acres on the Shenandoah River, North Fork - yes, there are two Shenandoah Rivers. They converge at a famous place, Harper's Ferry, and from there flow into the Potomac and thence to Washington, DC.
My wife and I have lived in our ancient home these past 29 years. We came here from busy California. The house is made of brick that was produced on the property. Clay deposits line the river. The building was started right after the end of the Civil War and was completed in 1867. Two-foot thick brick walls - exterior and interior - from basement to attic, so actually four stories of fortress. When the wind blows you hardly hear it. There are two ways in and out of every room, every floor, with seven doors leading to the outside. in other words, one can never get trapped in this house. Must have something to do with the war experiences of the people who built and lived here for over 100 years. We are the third owners. The middle family stayed only 8 years. We hope to be here 100 years as well.
We face the river, our back to the road three hundred feet behind us, buffered by a forest of pines, locusts, walnuts, mulberry trees and other varieties most of whom we planted. We grow a large portion of what we eat, and supply a good deal of food to birds, deer, squirrels, groundhogs, racoons, snakes, worms, cats, mice - not to mention the huge family of insects. We all live together here in peace [for the most part]. Some years back we kept chickens and sheep, but not after the big flood of 1996 when the river came into our house three feet on the first floor.
Our district is called the Plains District. It's a small valley of about 6 miles running east and west set inside the long 500 mile Shenandoah Valley that runs north and south. The Plains was a buffalo hunting ground for the indiginous people, not owned by any one tribe. Remnants of temporary teepee dwellings can be found. A famous Civil War Battle took place three miles from our house outside of the town of New Market. We live three miles in either direction from small towns [roughly 3,000 souls each].
This is rural country steadily building up with new homes for newcomers leaving the big cities. But here on the river, we are still secluded, no new bulding here becasue of the flood plane. So, we feel we are living in an island of nature that is almost like the wilderness. I love it here. I write books, my wife does art. She is a world class artist. You can see some of her work at http://margotbergman.com and some of mine at http://vitaebergman.com
I haven't written anything about the sheer beauty of our surroundings. That is for another time.
Cheers to all...and joy be your inspiration for life.
Vitae