Fairy Stone

Maya and I spent a couple days and nights at Fairy Stone State Park. We went away by ourselves to hike and just to get away. Monday through Wednesday are days that Clay is mostly at home so it was the best time for me to be away in terms of animal coverage.

Nine of cabins and many of the other structures
in the park, as well as the trails and the dam that
formed the lake were built by the Civilian
Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The cabins now
have plumbing, heating, and air conditioning.

Maya was a little concerned because we left home Monday morning with Scarlett, left her off at a potential new home in Charlottesville, and then we went on by ourselves. I don't know if she thought I had run away, been thrown out, or had suddenly become homeless. She was a little concerned but she stuck by me and she certainly enjoyed all the hiking and the chance to sleep next to me at night.

We had a great time and hiked over 30 miles in two days in spite of somewhat rainy weather. I hope to do it again this summer, probably in another state park.

When I got home I checked in with Scarlett and they were getting along very well. I'll have her back on Friday when the woman goes out of town for a week, but then she will have a new home.

It was only two days but I couldn't have felt better if it had been two weeks. Besides, I don't think I could have handled many more 15 mile days or nights without television or internet.

A small waterfall on one of the many trails.

Maya is a great hiking companion.

We saw deer, turkeys, several
pileated woodpeckers, and this guy.

A panorama shot from the dam. No motorized boats are allowed on the small lake.
It has a large beach for swimming and they rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats in the summer.

A view of the lake from the dam.

A view of the lake from one of the high points on the trails. I had enough 3G reception to post
pictures and receive messages up here, but not in most of the park. I had internet withdrawal.

This is a display for fairy stones, which are
staurolite crystals formed in four different
shapes. I didn't find any.

For dinner each night I cooked a small dutch oven
full of beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Front view of the cabin in the evening.

Redbuds were in bloom and the deciduous trees
were leafing out.

An old iron ore mine.

Maya checking out one of the mine entrances.

Dogwood in the forest.

A bright green clump of moss.

Maya alerting on two deer barely
visible at the edge of the woods.
The girl has sharp eyes.

My only regret was that it was too warm to
use the fireplace in the cabin. There was a gideon
bible on the night stand as if it was a third rate
motel room waiting for a heroin-addicted hooker
about to hit rock bottom. Would have made a
good fire starter.

The mantle was a half sawn tree trunk supposed by
two stone slabs protuding from the rock chimney.
On the mantle were five journals going back several
years in which occupants of cabin # 7 had recorded
their thoughts and experiences. Cool idea, and yes,
I added a page of my own.



A hillside full of rhododendren and mountain laurel.
Imagine how pretty this will be in bloom.

Maya on the front porch of the cabin.



View from the front porch of our cabin.