Country ZEST & Style Fall 2026 Edition by Country Zest & Style

FALL 2026

MIDDLEBURG LIBRARY: READ ALL ABOUT IT Sarah Brissing, Kathryn Baran, Robert Carter, Dena Henchen ON THE INSIDE:

THE WAY WE WERE DOGS & CREPES GOLD CUP FAVORITE Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits

110 E. Washington St. | P.O. Box 1380 | Middleburg, VA 20118 | 540.687.5588 | sheridanmacmahon.com

THE TANNERY THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

Historic late-1700s country estate on 93 private acres | Original native fieldstone residence seamlessly joined with 1831 and 1850 hand-hewn log cabins | 5 bedrooms, 7 full baths, 2 half baths | 2 spacious primary suites | 7 fireplaces | Large covered rear porch overlooking spring-fed pond and rolling countryside | Pool and cabana | Mature specimen trees, stone walls, boxwood gardens, and lavender plantings | 6-stall stable with multiple fenced paddocks | Separate 4-bedroom, 2-bath log residence | Privacy and scenic views

$6,250,000 lynn Wiley 540.454.1527

REED STREET MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

$1,975,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

SNIDER LANE PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA

43.16 rolling acres in two recorded parcels, offering privacy with convenient access to Route 7 and the Potomac River | Parcels available separately: 19.2 acres for $500,000 and 23.9 acres for $550,000 | Elevated western-facing building site with mountain views | Close to Hillsboro

$950,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

BURNLEY VINEYARDS BARBOURSVILLE, VIRGINIA

One of Albemarle County’s oldest farm wineries | 35 acres on 3 parcels | 22 acres of producing vineyard | 3 residences w/mountain views: main house, guest house & manager’s residence | Winery building with tasting room, office, kitchen & event space | Production facility plus 40’ x 60’ warehouse | Turnkey operation w/potential for events & expansion

GERMANIA FARM ALDIE, VIRGINIA

$2,500,000

$2,400,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

MAPLE CREEK

HOPEWELL COTTAGES

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

Private 10.92-acre with Cobbler Mountain views | Well-maintained 4 BR /5.5 dBA home featuring high ceilings, maple floors, great room with stone fireplace, media room, & in-law apartment | Equestrian-ready with paddocks, barn, fencing, and run-in shed | Custom deck and screened porch

$1,325,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

11066 MORELAND ROAD DELAPLANE, VIRGINIA

THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

Two charming cottages on 10 acres | Two spring-fed ponds | Renovated main cottage with gourmet kitchen, fireplace, 1 bedroom & 2 full baths | Separate 2 bedroom cottage offers exceptional privacy for visitors or multigenerational living | Stone wall, terraced patios | Ideal weekend getaway, full-time residence, or family compound | Peaceful natural setting with abundant wildlife and timeless charm | Rare opportunity

$1,275,000 helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

204 E. FEDERAL STREET, SUITE B MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

$875,000

$700,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

The Army Closes The Deal on Middleburg Training Center

By Leonard Shapiro

his was the early morning at the Middleburg Training Center, a dozen hours after the U.S. Army had announced at a precisely choreographed town hall that it had closed that very same day on a contract to purchase the iconic facility to train caisson horses used in military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. The morning after, several tenants were still going about their business. A few sleek racehorses were galloping on the 7/8 mile track at the 149-acre facility; others were being bathed, groomed and fed. Two longtime MTC trainers were up very early and working at their respective barns, but also making plans to take their horses and their employees elsewhere by an Oct. 24 deadline. Chris Kolb has been training at the MTC since 1990 but said he’ll now move his operation to Gordonsdale Farm in The Plains. “It hasn’t really hit us yet and you feel like you’d like to blame somebody,” he said. “But I don’t blame the Army; they’re trying to do the right thing for their animals, and you can’t really say anything about Chuck Kuhn (the MTC seller). He did what he felt like he had to do. Basically, you have to say, ‘the store is closed and now we’re going to open another one.’” Middleburg trainer Neil Morris has been at MTC for eight years. Once he learned of the Army’s interest, he said he was certain a deal would be made, and prepared accordingly. He recently purchased a 220-acre farm in Delaplane and already has moved 20 of his 40 horses there. “I was sad originally,” he said. “But things change,

Photo by Tracy Meyer

Thoroughbred horses are out, caisson horses are in at the Middleburg Training Center and you have to move forward.” The sale closed on Thursday, August 6, the same day the Army had already scheduled the town hall meeting at the Middleburg Community Center. A standing room crowd of about 200 attended to hear what the Army and local residents had to say about the purchase of a facility originally built in 1956 by Upperville philanthropist and Thoroughbred breeder Paul Mellon. Sale terms were not disclosed. In negotiations for a possible sale to the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) earlier this year, Kuhn, a Purcellville resident and owner of JK Movers and a number of large Northern Virginia properties, was asking $9.5 million. VEA executive director Jeb Hannum was among a dozen audience members who directed questions to four uniformed Army representatives. Hannum said the VEA would still be interested in leasing three or four barns and the training track, which will not be used by the caisson horses. Hannum said in mid-

September he has been in touch with the Army but no decision has been made. Major General Antoinette Grant, Commander of the Join Task Force National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington, said further analysis will be necessary to determine if that might be possible. She indicated the Army was amenable to exploring that option. The town hall was not at all contentious. The same could not be said for some of the social media reaction. “Greed,” said one Facebook respondent. “Our taxpayer dollars do not need to purchase a $10m property for the Army horses. That is completely ridiculous.” Said another, “One report said Kuhn bought the property for $1.5m and the Army paid him $10m. If he had taken a few less million in profit, the MTC could have been saved…Place the blame where it originated.” And one more: “At least it’s not a data center.”

Fall 2026

of NOTE

BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of

Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits

for the hummingbird.

Distributed and mailed throughout the Virginia countryside and in Washington and at key Sporting Pursuits and Celebrations MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 PHONE: 410-570-8447 Editor: Leonard Shapiro badgerlen@aol.com Managing Editor: Vicky Moon Advertising Director Vicky Mashaw Art Director Meredith Hancock Hancock Media Contributing Photographers: Doug Gehlsen Crowell Hadden Sarah Huntington Douglas Lees Karen Monroe Tiffany Dillon Keen Donna Strama Official Fine Artist Linda Volrath

Contributing Writers: Khris Baxter Emma Boyce Bill Cauley Sean Clancy Denis Cotter Philip Dudley Mike du Pont Valerie Archibald Embrey Michele Husfelt Alissa Jones Laura Longley Hunt Lyman M.J. McAteer Jan Mercker Linda Millington Joe Motheral Jodi Nash Chris Patusky Kiernan Slater Patusky Tom Northrup Ali Patusky Melissa Phipps Linda Roberts John E. Ross Constance Chatfield-Taylor Stefan Schetselaar John Sherman Peyton Tochterman John Toler Leslie VanSant Jody Warfield Mike Wipfler Louisa Woodville

For advertising inquiries, contact: Vicky Mashaw at vickymashaw@icloud.com or 409-381-0441 Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447

ON THE COVER

Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo

It was a pleasure to have four-widely respected Middleburg Library folks in the studio for this fall issue, and no surprise they brought along lots of books! We used our standard, patented studio setup: a key light to the left and a fill light on the right. A white backdrop and a trusty Nikon Camera in hand. One thing is for sure: our subjects are always surprised by how quickly these studio sessions are completed, and they love being able to review the images on a computer screen almost instantly. Many thanks to Library Branch Manager Dena Henchen, Library Advisory Board co-presidents Sarah Brissing and Robert Carter and past president and board member Kathryn Baran.

/ Country Zest and Style

/ @countryzestandstyle

/ @countryzestand1

www.countryzestandstyle.com 2

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

He appears in two ads and the first two readers to find him (one each) will receive a gift from THE RED TRUCK Rural Bakery, with locations in Warrenton and Marshall. Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com

PSYCHIC INCOME

By Leonard Shapiro

t’s October, and finally the oppressive heat is mostly gone, along with the thunder, lightning and freakish pop-up driving rainstorms. In early September, one of those crashing cloudbursts did a number on a towering tree in front of our property that thankfully crashed down in the road rather than the opposite way on top of our house. Within minutes, a man with a chain saw miraculously appeared from a pick-up truck blocked and forced to stop in front of that fallen tree. A slice here, a buzz cut there and within a few more minutes the roadway was blanketed in sawdust but definitely open to traffic. A few other temporarily stopped drivers also had lifted some of the larger logs and debris out of the way and all was well once again on our lovely little road. As is often the case in this neighborly corner of the Commonwealth, it was just another example of really good people doing very good things for the good of the their neighbors, no compensation necessary. I came out in the light rain when I first heard the whine of the chain saw, then noticed the downed tree. I thanked every one I could, and didn’t know any of them. This much I do know. All around our area, people young and old are doing wonderful work that benefits one and all, and so-called “psychic income” is their only compensation. That would be a kind word from someone on the street, in the post office, on line at the bank, a verbal thank-you, phone call, note, text or e-mail. That’s the “pyschic income” as described by my old boss, the late great Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee. And it truly makes so many countless good deeds so worthwhile. Our cover story in our next-to-last issue of 2026 focuses on the some of the equally dedicated and selfless members of the Middleburg Library Advisory Board (MLAB)—including past president Kathryn Baran, current co-presidents Sarah Brissing and Robert Carter and Middleburg Library branch manager Dena Henchen. Our often lively library is truly a jewel, with an incredibly helpful staff. The MLAB is filled with local residents happily helping to raise funds for countless innovative library programs, physical facility improvements, college scholarships for area students, and a local author lecture series, among many other good works. We’ve got another story on an equally dedicated volunteer—Hill School and Foxcroft graduate Annie Bishop, who recently became the new head of Hill’s Board of Trustees. And the man she replaced, former American diplomat Michael Howland, has written a new book—Hidden Lines—about being a hostage for 444 days during the 1979 uprising in Iran. We’re running an excerpt, and highly recommend a truly inspiring piece of work. As always, there’s plenty more on a wide variety of intriguing subjects, including a mouth-watering story on an Aldie trailer that offers up crepes and a Marshall food truck that specializes in hot dogs. A little mustard and sauerkraut surely will definitely add some ZEST to your eating (and maybe even reading) pleasure, as well. Leonard Shapiro 410-570-8447 Badgerlen@aol.com

BAH BAH BROWN SHEEP Photos by Dillon Keen Photography

The word in latin is ovem…sheep. These charming ones are Gum Springs Merino Wool. You might need some very soon.

Trusted & Local Financial Planning Financial Optimization Investing | Education Creating a clear picture of where you are and where you want to go.

Located in Middleburg!

Lucy Zimmerman, CFP® CDFA® Personal Financial Planner | Buttonwood Wealth 110 West Washington Street Middleburg, VA 20117 (540) 662-5233 | bwlegacy.com

LOANS FOR:

Homes and land Construction Livestock Land improvements And much more!

Fall 2026

Middleburg Says Thanks To Lieutenant Mark Putnam

A Memo from the Mayor

Lieutenant Mark Putnam

By Bridge Littleton

t the end of September, the Town of Middleburg said farewell and thank you to Lieutenant Mark Putnam as he retired after more than 29 years of public safety and law enforcement service, including 13 years with the Middleburg Police Department. Mark began his career at Coffeewood Correctional Center in 1997 before joining the Orange County Sheriff ’s Office in 1999. He later served with the Culpeper County Sheriff ’s Office and the Town of Gordonsville Police Department before joining Middleburg as a police officer on July 2, 2013. Over the next 13 years, Mark became an important part of both the Police Department and the Middleburg community. He was promoted to Corporal in 2018 and Lieutenant in 2023. Along the way, he continued his professional development through the Institute for Leadership in Changing Times, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police New Chiefs/Deputy Chiefs School, and the Professional Executive Leadership School. But Mark’s service to Middleburg has always extended well beyond his rank or uniform. He has served as a field training officer, helping prepare other officers for service; as the department’s lead taser instructor; and

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

as a key member of the team responsible for keeping some of Middleburg’s largest events safe and successful, including Christmas in Middleburg. Perhaps one of Mark’s most visible contributions has been his leadership of Middleburg’s annual National Night Out. Town records specifically credit Mark with taking responsibility for the event and doing an “outstanding job,” helping Middleburg create an event that strengthened relationships between residents, families and their police officers. That commitment to community policing was recognized in 2025 when Mark was named the Middleburg Police Department Officer of the Year. In presenting the award, Chief Shaun Jones highlighted Mark’s dedication to special events, his work strengthening community relationships, and the professionalism and approachability that have earned him the respect of fellow officers and residents alike. For those of us who have had the privilege of knowing and working with Mark, those qualities come as no surprise. He has served Middleburg with professionalism, dependability, good humor and a genuine commitment to the people who call our town home. On behalf of the Town Council and the entire Middleburg community, we thank Lieutenant Mark Putnam for his extraordinary service and wish him a long, happy and well-earned retirement.

FALL IN LOVE WITH HORSE COUNTRY D VEE O PR RIC IM P

MILTON VALLEY

139 acres | $4,250,000 AFFIRMED PARK CT

Berryville – Elegant 4 BR, 3/1 BA stone manor c. 1782, w/ views of mountains and farmland. High ceilings, fireplaces w/ period mantels. 2 cottages, 4-car garage w/ apt, barns and several other outbuildings.

3+ acres | $2,745,000 SMALL SPRING

Middleburg – A move-in ready, 6,000+ sq. ft. French transitional masterpiece in exclusive Banbury Cross Reserve. $150k in upgrades including deck and extended clubroom; custom luxury without the wait.

27+ acres | $2,595,000

Upperville – Offering a variety of living arrangements. 2 cottages combined function as a single residence, or as separate but connected living spaces. 6-stall barn, ring, paddocks, and studio apt.

CHARTWELL

24+ acres | $2,199,000 ROCK LEDGE FARM 106+ acres | $2,135,000 PENDLETON STREET

Marshall – In Bellevue Farms, w/ 30+ miles of trails. Custom 7,700+ sq. ft. stone 5 BR, 5/1 BA house w/ great views. Guest house, horse barn w/ barn apt, ring, paddocks, and pond. In 2 parcels.

Flint Hill - Modern farmhouse with spectacular views. 3 BRs, 4/1 BAs w/ main level primary bedroom. 2-story Great Room, stone fireplace and hickory floors. Large back deck. LL walk-out w/ full bath (unfinished).

JACOB MANN HOUSE 0.48 acres | $1,950,000 MARSHALL STREET

TRIAN LIV

N G

Middleburg – Extensive improvements. 3 BR, 2 BA main home + separate guest suite. Artisan finishes, designer kitchen. Private, fenced, backyard oasis w/ pool and hot tub. 35 min. to Dulles. Subdividable.

26 O

RIT

20 E REA

$1,950,000

Middleburg – Commercial building in the heart of downtown. Over 5,500 sq. ft. of flexible space on 2 levels. Kitchen area, 3 half-baths, 2 parking spaces. Zoned C-2, mixed use opportunity!

0.28 acres | $929,000 RECTORS LANE

Middleburg - Move in ready 3 BRs, 3 BAs home on a quiet back street. Fully renovated in 2020 and meticulously cared for. Finished walk-up basement and a 1-car attached garage. Walk into town.

1+ acres | $915,000

Marshall – Renovated 3,000 sq ft home with 4 BRs, 3.5 BAs. Main floor primary bedroom, great entertainment spaces, wraparound deck and outdoor fireplace. 2-car detached garage.

Over Two Decades of Results in Virginia's Horse Country – Call Today

Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201 cricket@thomasandtalbot.com

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES 2 South Madison St. Middleburg, VA 20117 | Office: 540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com

Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

The Lovettsville Museum Displays a Rich History “It’s an old-fashioned museum with a lot of stuff in it.” — Edward W. Spannhaus, museum officer, board member and a volunteer docent These German-Americans were fiercely patriotic By Joe Motheral in the Revolutionary War, and also later during the n 1974, in anticipation of the upcoming Civil War. The Lovettsville area voted overwhelming Bicentennial celebration, the Lovettsville against secession (88 percent opposed) in 1861, and, Restoration Committee was appointed to along with Waterford (a Quaker community), raised restore and maintain the old Thomas Potterfield the only organized military unit from the present “meat store,” located on the property that had been state of Virginia which fought for the United States purchased for the construction of the new Town of America–the Independent Loudoun Virginia Hall. Rangers.

By the time of the Bicentennial “Septemberfest” in 1976, the building had been partially restored, and an exhibit was displayed in the large room. In September, 1979, the name was changed to the “Lovettsville Museum and Library,” and the building was opened to the public with both a library and historical exhibits. It is now under the purview of the Lovettsville Historical Society. “It’s an old-fashioned museum with a lot of stuff in it,” said Edward W. Spannhaus, a museum officer, board member and a volunteer docent. “Most of it is contributed by local residents. The board has to approve any contribution. It’s like an antique store, and unlike modern museums with push buttons and videos. Our main focus is the local community.” The museum is open to the public on Saturdays and Spannhaus said the board is considering opening on Sundays as well. Space is apparently at a premium. A new wing to the building is planned along with

Most sided with America during the Revolutionary War, and when it ended, a local resident named David Lovett split up his land into parcels that formed the town of Lovettsville.

The Lovettsville Museum looks back at a town with roots planted in the early 18th century. connecting to an adjacent building. The early settlers in the Lovettsville area were mostly German-Americans, whose families had come from Pennsylvania and New York through Western Maryland. Some continued on into the Shenandoah Valley, starting in about 1731, but many saw no reason to go any farther.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

The Town was laid out in 1820 by Lovett and served as a thriving commercial center for the surrounding farming areas for over one-hundred years. This function was eventually eclipsed during the post World War II period by other, larger communities in Loudoun County, Northern Virginia, and nearby Maryland, which is about three miles from the Town. For about two centuries, Lovettsville was a largely self-sufficient, rural community, one in which people worked in the vicinity of where they lived. Lovettsville was a working town with a vibrant commercial center serving farms in the surrounding area. Almost every building in the historic part of the town had a commercial purpose at one point or another.

These Days, it’s Hot Diggety Dog WEDDING & EVENT CENTER in Marshall Offering discounted community

By Leonard Shapiro

t’s a long way from the iconic Coney Island amusement park, but if you’re hankering for a classic hot dog with a touch of Brooklyn thrown in, you’d be wise to head over to the Exxon service station in Marshall where the House of Dogs food truck is parked at least four days a week. It’s a not-so-fancy old postal vehicle rebuilt, re-fitted and re-painted by owner Andrew Witham. He not only offers a classic $8 “Nathan’s Famous” 100 percent beef hot dog on an oversized steak bun with mustard and sauerkraut, but happily cooks up several other variations as well as a six-ounce beef Andrew Witham, the Hot Dog smashburger on a kaiser role or a fried Man in Marshall. bologna sandwich. Nathans original location was at Coney Island, on the same site as the popular annual July Fourth hot dog eating contest. The same delicious dogs are available at countless fast food locations across the country, not to mention in meat departments of grocery stores and supermarkets coast to coast. Witham gets his supply wholesale at the Restaurant Depot at Chantilly, along with everything else he cooks up. “I know about Coney Island but I’ve never been there,” said Witham, a Fairfax native who now lives in The Plains. “We use a quarter-pound hot dog and long Italian steak rolls because a hot dog bun would be too small for everything we add to them.” He does a popular chili dog for $10 and a Cuban hot dog at the same price with ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and a special sauce. There’s the $9 Jackapino dog that features jalapeño peppers and pepper jack cheese and a $10 Elote dog with spiced Mexican corn, cotija cheese and baja sauce. The smashburger goes for $10, and Witham also cooks up daily specials, including chicken sandwiches and home-made meatloaf. And why does he park his truck (with a license pate that reads “GOODDOG) off to the side of a gas station in small-town Marshall? A mechanic at nearby Marshall Automotive had helped Witham rebuild and convert his truck, a process that took 18 months. One day, he suggested Witham park it there for a day or two to see if there would be enough traffic to make it worthwhile. One customer ordered a chili dog and brought it over to Betty Owens, who owned the Exxon station. She loved it and soon contacted Witham to see if he’d like to locate his truck there permanently. It’s been 20 months since he moved to that location, and his business keeps growing, mostly as word of mouth rave reviews keep spreading around the area. He’s at the Exxon station Tuesday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and occasionally on Saturday if he’s not set up at a nearby farmer’s market or a local brewery that day. He’s also done the spring races at Glenwood Park the last two years, selling 200 hot dogs in 2025. Witham has plenty of experience in this sort of enterprise. He lived in Arizona and worked as a medical courier before moving back to his native Virginia in 2016. Out west, for 12 years he also had a trailer that specialized in barbecue. He said he switched to hot dogs in Marshall because “barbecue is very time consuming and the meat is expensive. Hot dogs are a lot less labor intensive and there’s a lot you can do with them. “And who doesn’t like a hot dog?”

pricing for local residents

UPPERVILLE, VA WWW.BUCHANANHALL.ORG Fall 2026

Hill’s New Board President:

A PERFECT FIT

Annie Bishop By Leonard Shapiro

the creative side of the operation.

iddleburg native Annie Bishop’s recent selection as President of The Hill School’s Board of Trustees seems, in many ways, like a natural fit.

Bishop and her husband, Rob Onda, lived in Alexandria but continued to spend considerable time in the Middleburg area. Like her late father, Wash Bishop, and her mother, Juliet Graham, both Olympic three-day event riders, Bishop competed in eventing and also enjoyed fox hunting.

Bishop is a Hill graduate, Class of 1994, who attended the school from Kindergarten through eighth grade. She later served as President of the Alumni Association Board and spent another decade as a member of the Board of Trustees before succeeding retiring Board President Mike Howland in June. But her connection to Hill goes well beyond her résumé. “The school had a tremendous impact on me,” Bishop said. “Many of my best friends today are classmates from Hill. I grew up understanding that you always try to give back, and when I was asked to join the Board, what a great way to do that for a school that meant so much to me. It just seemed like a natural fit.” Head of School Treavor Lord said Bishop brings precisely the perspective and commitment Hill needs as it begins its next century. “Annie brings an extraordinary combination of a deep love for Hill, a thoughtful and strategic perspective, and a genuine commitment to the people who make this community so special,” Lord said. “She understands what has made Hill special, and she is focused on where we need to go from here. I’m incredibly grateful for her leadership and excited to work closely with her.” After Hill, Bishop attended Foxcroft and graduated from Lynchburg College before joining The Glover Park Group, a Washington, D.C. based communications firm. She worked in the advertising division, eventually heading a team responsible for

Left to right, Max Tufts, Jeanne-Marie Tufts, Annie Bishop and Rob Onda.

In 2009, she and Onda began splitting their time between Middleburg and Alexandria before purchasing their farm in 2014. A year earlier, Bishop had left her Washington firm to start her own business with partner Linda Rafoss. Their company, Zebra NYC, works with brands, agencies and storytellers to develop creative projects across video, social media, print and experiential media. Bishop works from her home office, while Rafoss is based in New York. At Hill, Bishop said her role as Board President is primarily about governance, long-term planning and supporting Lord, the faculty and staff. “We try to think strategically, looking at how to make sure we’re here for another hundred years and beyond,” she said. That long-term perspective is particularly appropriate as Hill celebrates its Centennial year. Founded in 1926, the school is now looking ahead to what Bishop calls “Year 101.” “Coming into Year 101, we’ll be looking at how we can sustain it and make sure we’re able to preserve everything we love about Hill and what makes it so special,” she said. “We want to preserve and protect the core mission of the school and make sure it’s prepared for the coming years.” Bishop said Hill is entering that next century from a position of considerable strength. A recently completed $17 million fundraising effort, combined

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

with an endowment that she said “rivals schools much larger than we are,” has put the school “in a very good place financially.” The school also recently acquired a 30-acre parcel bordering its current campus along The Plains Road. Bishop said one of the Board’s priorities will be exploring additional faculty housing on that land. “It’s one of the things that attracts great educators to come to Hill and be part of this community,” she said. She also emphasized the Board’s commitment to maintaining a strong financial aid program. “That is incredibly important to everyone on the Board, as is the endowment,” she said. Bishop’s appreciation for Hill’s physical campus is rooted in her own experience as a student. When she attended the school, Hill had recently received a gift of land from the Stephen C. Clark, Jr. family that allowed the campus to grow to its current 170 acres. “The Board at the time did such a good job in thinking long term,” Bishop said. “This campus is so beautiful and peaceful and such a great place to learn. The kids can have some classes outside, at special buildings. That’s also the beauty of Hill.” Today, the Hill Board of Trustees has 19 members, including parents and grandparents of students, alumni, and representatives from the broader community. “It’s a really good mix,” she said. “And it’s a very cohesive Board that comes at things from all different directions but with the same goals in mind. We have to think from 30,000 feet, and this Board has done a great job of that.” For Bishop, that may be the essence of her new role: honoring what has made Hill special while helping ensure that it remains just as meaningful for generations to come. After all, she knows first hand what that can mean.

Learn more

Nic Fiddian Green (British, b. 1963), Trojan Head, cast 2018, bronze, #3 of edition of 3, 6 feet high, (excluding base), on loan from the artist Photo by Hugo Burnand

Experience the Exhibition Everyone is Raving About Nic Fiddian Green

Spiritus Equus

On view until February 21, 2027 in Middleburg, Virginia

“Gardens Are Good for the Soul”

GIrL PROUDLY, BOLDLY, CONFIDENTLY

Selected verses are excerpts from Allison B. Young’s poem, “Evening,” published this year in her chapbook, “A Posy Of Poems.”

“The smell of air dips down into cool colors” and

“Make it to morning and you too, will be kissed with dew on your cheeks and eyelashes just as the flowers.”

Allison B. Young

By Linda Roberts

ehind the quiet and unassuming front of Allison Young’s personality is a confident and talented writer and floral designer whose study of flowers, design and the arts brings a wealth of knowledge to her writing and a sense of wonder to the exquisite floral arrangements she creates. A major in art history and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Young later moved to the Chicago area to major in creative writing at the Art Institute of Chicago. There, her passion for both writing and floral design served her well.

CONTACT ADMISSIONS TODAY 540.687.4340 | admission@foxcroft.org

A boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12 & post-grad

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Still, her roots were in the Middleburg area where she grew up, and Young found her way back home in 2021 and continues the podcast she developed while living in Chicago. “Flowers are storytellers,” she wrote about her podcast on her website. “They are fraught with symbolism, a rich, intricate history, and their own language. (It’s) a podcast in which I meld my experiences as a floral designer with my writing. These art forms have set me out to navigate the ways in which they align and inform each other. Like a braid, words, flowers, and art play off each other, overlap, and diverge from each other. They have given me fertile ground to explore and to cultivate the stories here. I hope this can be a place to pass along those stories.”

HOME LOANS

Blooming Hill Workshop

WHEREVER HOME IS, WE'RE HERE TO HELP.

Oak Spring Workshop Jenn Pinneau, owner of specialty plant shop Nature Composed in Middleburg, knew of Young’s talents in floral design and brought her on as a part-time assistant. And recently Young’s skills in floral arranging took her in a different direction as a teacher and designer when she was asked to present a threehour demonstration on floral arranging at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, founded by the late Bunny Mellon and located off the Rokeby Road in Upperville. “Everyone should have access to flowers…they’re good for the soul,” Young said. “You can devote your life to working with flowers and still have more to learn…flowers teach patience and generosity.” Young’s love for flowers entangled itself with her first love of writing and she developed the website “https://www.gathered-storiedbotanicals.com.” It’s become the name under which her writings and design creations are stored. She’s curious and excited about her work to bring more flowers into peoples’ lives and she said her podcast is a way to marry her love of writing and floral design. When asked for her favorites for those new to gardening, Young suggested two plants. Hellebores are multi-colored and the first to bloom each spring, pushing their way up through the cold earth, often through the last of winter’s snow. Another is the hardy Castor Oil plant, with its burgundy-colored stems and leaves and orange and pink flowers. She’s finding out about new plants all the time, because she also knows full well that, “There are more learning opportunities than failures with flowers.” Details: Allison Young’s next workshop is open to the public and will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Blooming Hill Lavender Farm near Purcellville. To register, go to https://www.gathered-storiedbotanicals.com.

Our local mortgage experts provide personalized guidance for home purchases and refinances, offering trusted hometown service with the flexibility to assist clients both locally and nationwide.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE!

NOW OFFERING a $1,000 LENDER CREDIT towards closing costs or a permanent interest rate buy down.

*Loan programs are subject to change without notice and may not be available to all borrowers. This advertisement is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, underwriting guidelines, and program eligibility requirements. Offer valid on new interest rate locks between September 14th – December 31, 2026. Must provide promo code FALL2026. Excludes construction, bridge, and lot loans. Bank of Clarke NMLS #402313.

Fall 2026

GRACE CHURCH CONCERT SERIES 2026 | 2027

For tickets visit: gracetheplains.org

Friday, October 16, 2026; 7:00 PM VOCES8

Sunday, November 15, 2026; 5:00 PM Charm City Junction (Bluegrass)

Check The Heater Before The Big Chill

ne of the best times to find out whether your heating system is ready for winter is before cold weather arrives. Homeowners who have not had their heating system professionally checked within the past year should consider making it part of their fall routine. Preventive maintenance can help identify potential problems before the system is working its hardest. “Waiting until the first really cold Bill Dooly, Appleton Campbell’s night to find out your heating system HVAC service manager. has a problem is something every homeowner would rather avoid,” said Michael Appleton, CEO of Warrenton based Appleton Campbell. “Having it checked ahead of time gives you an opportunity to address concerns before you’re depending on the system every day.” Heating equipment should do more than keep a home warm — it should operate safely.

In memory of Malcolm Matheson, a devoted Angel sponsor whose generosity helped sustain the Grace Church Concert Series. This special performance by Charm City Junction celebrates his love of bluegrass.

Sunday, March 14, 2027; 5:00 PM Thomas Dreeze, baritone

An annual professional inspection provides an opportunity for a trained heating technician to thoroughly check the system and identify conditions that may affect safe operation. A properly maintained heating system can operate more efficiently than one that has been neglected. That becomes especially important during the winter, when a heating system may run for long periods to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Annual maintenance can help ensure the system is operating as efficiently as possible, conserving energy and help homeowners manage winter heating costs. A heating system can sometimes continue operating even when a component is beginning to wear or a smaller problem is developing. Routine maintenance gives a trained professional the opportunity to identify those issues early. Addressing a small problem during a scheduled maintenance visit may help prevent it from becoming a larger repair — or an unexpected loss of heat — later in the winter. “Preventive maintenance has always been about taking care of the equipment before a small concern becomes a bigger one,” Appleton said. “That advice was true when my great grandfather started the company in 1976, and it’s still true today.”

Sunday, April 11, 2027; 5:00 PM Katarina String Quartet

Replacing a heating system is a significant investment for most homeowners. Routine maintenance can help them get the most useful life possible from the equipment they already own. Keeping up with annual maintenance helps the system operate as intended and provides an opportunity to address wear and other issues over time rather than allowing them to go unnoticed. For homeowners, that can mean greater reliability, fewer surprises and potentially delaying the need for replacement. Appleton Campbell began serving local homeowners in 1976 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Date: To Be Announced Members of the Washington National Opera Orchestra

“Take care of your heating system, have it checked regularly and don’t ignore the little things,” Appleton said. “We’ve been serving homeowners in this area for 50 years, and we want to continue helping our neighbors keep their homes safe, comfortable and dependable for many years to come.” Details: visit appletoncampbell.com.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Reliving History at The Ashby Inn

By Linda Roberts

avid Saavedra, general manager of The Ashby Inn and Restaurant in the tiny village of Paris, Virginia, is quite skilled at multi-tasking, as witnessed one Monday morning when soon-to-be guests inquired about lodging by phone or internet, while others were checking in or out of their rooms with the promise to soon return. The present-day Ashby Inn needs little introduction within the surrounding Northern Virginia area and reports of its fine dining and scenic location have spread across a wide geographic area. Built in part circa 1829 as a home for the Ashby family, over the years the little inn has been enlarged and taken on various uses including as a general store, apothecary and school. In 1984, a well-known couple, Roma and John Sherman, purchased the property and begin renovations for an inn. Mission

accomplished and retirement loomed, so in 2006, the Shermans sold the inn to Jackie and Chuck Leopold, the current owners. Saavedra has lived around the world because his father was a diplomat. He’s quite skilled in his position as the inn’s present-day general manager. Polite and patient, he handles each conversation and phone inquiry as if that was his only task of the morning. “It’s the challenge of my job that makes me happy,” said Saavedra, adding that it’s the “many compliments from the inn’s guests that pay for my stress….It’s not about me, it’s about my team.” The former general manager of the Goodstone Inn near Middleburg, Saavedra said he fell in love with the hospitality field years ago. When he accepted the general manager position at The Ashby Inn in 2022, he reached out to long-time friends and associates Carlos Leon, who is the inn’s executive chef, and Stephen Elhafdi, the sommelier. A staff of 32 round

out the inn’s experienced employee base. Visiting Paris may be akin to a stroll through the history of this charming village flanked to the south by lovely views across Route 17 and north with a mountainous portion of Route 50. The Ashby Inn offers guests a printed walking tour that notes important landmarks in the two-street historic village. Situated just to the west of the inn is what was once a Gothic Revival-style former Methodist church. It’s now the property of the inn for staging weddings and large gatherings. In case history makes a guest hungry, The Ashby is glad to accommodate. From the inn’s chef ’s garden come fresh vegetables accompanying main courses that include crab cake benedict, pan seared salmon, prime filet and roast guinea hen. Diners also like to ask their server about the lean and tasty Wagyu beef entrée raised by the Inn’s neighboring farm “Ovoka.” Details: www.ashbyinn.com

2026 Roots & Legacies Honorees

Legacies You’re Invited

Philanthropists of the Year Mike and Teresa Wheeler Changemaker of the Year Al Van Huyck Nonprofit Achievement Award Loudoun Education Foundation

Friday, November 13, 2026 5:30 - 10:00 p.m. Gordon Springs Purcellville, VA

Tickets and Sponsorships Still Available!

An evening celebrating community, philanthropy, and lasting impact.

Fall 2026

An Election Day Baked Into Banneker’s History

By Sarah Brissing

or more than four decades, the Banneker Election Day Bake Sale has turned a trip to the school into something a little sweeter.

Betsy Crenshaw’s family arrived at Banneker Elementary in March, 1985, and even she can’t claim credit for starting the tradition. “I thought it was a great idea,” recalled Crenshaw, a long-time Trinity Church administrator. “Making everyone feel welcome and comfortable at that wonderful school and raising money for the PTO. Getting the community together to support our elections and Banneker School.” Crenshaw, a past Banneker’s PTO president, remembers the conversations almost as fondly as the baked goods. “What a warm and fuzzy fundraiser, tagged onto a serious endeavor like our democratic heritage,” she said. “Always wonderful conversations in the school hallways after everyone voted. Then down the hall to the bake sale.” That combination of school, neighbors, and community support is particularly fitting for Banneker, also a busy polling place on Election Day. The school opened in 1948 to serve Black children from Middleburg, St. Louis, and surrounding communities during segregation. From its earliest days, Banneker was supported not only by the families whose children attended the school, but by the community around it. Historical records show that the school’s classrooms initially contained used furnishings, while the PTA, with help from community supporters, equipped the kitchen and multipurpose room. The Banneker PTA was active by at least the 1955-56 school year, when Middleburg’s Curley

Banneker’s Bake Sale is an Election Day sweet treat.

Wanzer served as president.

simply raising funds.

That history makes today’s bake sale feel like part of a much longer Banneker story. When the school and its children need something, families and neighbors have traditionally stepped forward to help.

“One of my favorite parts has been meeting and getting to know members of our community and watching the children learn how to talk with adults about fundraising and where the money raised goes,” Bloom said.

Sandy Middour, a former Banneker PTO president, remembers the Election Day sale as one of the organization’s most important annual fundraisers.

“There is something so special about seeing the love and effort that families put into making and sharing their baked goods. Some families have a favorite go-to goodie they bring every year, while others enjoy trying new recipes and sharing something different.”

“It’s been a function as long as I can remember,” Middour said, adding that some years even brought a little friendly competition to the table. “One parent was a master at cake decorating, and we would raffle it.” Over the years, proceeds have helped the PTO provide the experiences and extras that become part of children’s memories of elementary school. For former Banneker parent David Polivka, whose sons Jeffrey and Alex attended the school, one memory involved a field trip. “The Banneker PTO bake sale has been, and continues to be, a highly anticipated Election Day tradition for us,” Polivka said. “It’s a fun and tasty way to mark the end of the election cycle: a treat on top of our civic duty.” Buying a treat also provides an opportunity to support an organization that has helped create lasting memories for generations of students and parents. “For me, the Mount Vernon field trip always springs to mind,” he said. For the past six years, Banneker parent Megan Bloom has helped organize the bake sale. She began when her daughter was in kindergarten and has watched the event become far more than

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Perhaps that’s part of why this old school bake sale has survived in an age of online fundraisers and digital donations. The Banneker sale requires people to show up. They bake. They volunteer. They pour coffee. Children talk with adults. Neighbors linger in hallways. People who may no longer have children at Banneker walk through its doors again because their polling place brings them back. For Bloom, those relationships have become the most meaningful part. “Over the years, the bake sale has become so much more than a fundraiser,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful way to bring families, children, volunteers, and our community together, and I feel very grateful to have been part of it.” This year’s Banneker Election Day Bake Sale will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6 a.m. to noon and again from 4-7 p.m. Undoubtedly, there will be plenty of delicious treats to choose from. But after all these years, what Banneker is selling may be the least important part of the day. The real recipe has remained consistent: a school, its families, its neighbors, and a community that continues to show up.

Join Us for Afternoon Tea Every Saturday afternoon at Harrimans Grill, delight in seasonal treats, ﬁne teas, and warm hospitality. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply embracing the art of slowing down, every sip is a moment worth savoring.

855.493.4152

2026

SALAMANDERRESORT.COM

Fall 2026

Bull Run Mountains Conservancy

It All Seems Natural MAPLE CINNAMON LATTE I

LEAVES LEAVES ARE ARE FALLING... FALLING... IT'S SWEATER WEATHER... IT'S SWEATE SWEATER R WE WEATHER... ATHER... your yo your ur favorite favorite mug mug is is calling... calling...

By Michael Kieffer

Middleburg Common Grounds

114 W. WASHINGTON STREET • MIDDLEBURG, VA • 540.687.7065

Charles Carroll IV, MD

Geraldine Carroll

Charles Carroll IV, MD Orthopedic Surgery, Hand, Upper Extremity Surgery and Rehabilitation 109 W, Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA 20117 540-326-8182 | Email: orthomd@ccarrollmd.com

ccarrollmd.com 16

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

n George Peterken’s 1996 book, “Natural Woodland,” the British naturalist contrasts original naturalness—“the state that existed before people became a significant ecological factor”—with present naturalness— “the state which would prevail now if people had not become a significant factor.” One must remember that forests are constantly shaped by storms and fire. If a forest is spared human disturbances, over hundreds of years it can become “present naturalness.” Fall foliage in the Bull Run Mountains. If people were removed completely and permanently, the forest enters its “future naturalness.” While not many have adopted this terminology, preferring “virgin” and “old growth” descriptors, Peterken’s terms provide a nice conceptual way of looking at our natural areas. Based on his terms, the Bull Run Mountains “original naturalness” was lost with the American Indians’ management of the mountains for game and berries through their use of fire. Since the American Indians first contact, the mountains have been logged, inhabited, quarried, farmed, and pastured. It has endured acid rain deposition, gypsy moth invasions, and countless plant introductions, many that have turned invasive and detrimental to its native flora. The mountains do not qualify for the term “present naturalness” and since people will not be removed completely or permanently, the forest will not in the foreseeable future enter into “future naturalness.” For that matter, there is no landscape on earth that can qualify for “original, present, or future naturalness” as the entire surface of earth is affected by anthropogenic disturbances. How do we work to perpetually sustain a landscape’s resources without a clear definition of what is natural? Maybe it’s the process of attempting to manage towards “naturalness” that leads to better understanding of ecological functions of forests, grasslands, freshwater systems etc. that are vital to our physical and mental health. We would have never realized the magnitude of the complexity of natural systems if it was not for our attempt to set aside landscapes specifically and above all else to preserve their naturalness. For BRMC’s part, we work to continue to learn what comprises the flora and fauna on the Bull Run Mountains. Thanks to members and donors generous contributions we have been able to fund a four-year moth study, a three-year beetle study, dragonfly/damselfly study, a bat study, and a stream survey of the mountain’s five perennial streams. BRMC staff has continued to monitor life in the mountain streams through our Chesapeake Watershed Workshop for 15- to -18-year-olds. We continue to utilize our nature camp program to document the species of salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, and snakes found on and around the mountains. The idea of original naturalness, present naturalness, and future naturalness may be beyond what humans will ever witness again, but the attempt to maintain landscapes with this primary purpose has never been more important. It’s imperative to add to and support conservation along with basic research to understand our natural landscapes more deeply. As time marches on, our preserves become the lighthouses in the fog of understanding naturalness at all. Michael Kieffer is executive director of the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy.

La Selva Crepes & Coffee Is Here to Stay

By Laura Longley

t was just a year ago in the parking lot of Aldie’s Mercer Tavern Antiques that Juliana Duncan, suffering a serious case of first-day jitters, lifted the front window of her La Selva Crepes & Coffee food trailer and found to her great relief a long line of customers eager to taste her Colombianinspired lattes and crepes. Today, many of those first-timers are joined Tuesday through Friday mornings by an evergrowing number of commuters coming from Winchester and the west. On weekends at the Ashbrook (Saturday) and Brambleton (Sunday) farmers markets, La Selva’s lines consist largely of families whose younger members can’t get enough of her Gimme S’More Crepe with Nutella, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate sauce, and the Teddy Bear, a scrumptious concoction of Biscoff butter, Biscoff bits, cinnamon, caramel, and banana. (Before their introduction on the menu, both crepes were subject to rigorous testing by Juliana’s 9and 11-year-old boys.) Weekdays, the lunchtime crowd includes firefighters from the Aldie station who enjoy such savory crepes as the Pink Dolphin (roast beef, pepper jack, spinach, pickled onions, and horseradish aioli). Cyclists go for the Orange Panela Cold Brew’s hefty dose of unrefined whole cane sugar, which is just the energy boost they need to keep pedaling to the Blue Ridge.

The La Selva food trailer creates crepes and coffee at its Aldie location. Many Middleburg residents are regulars who are sure to welcome the news that a brick-and-mortar La Selva location might be coming to town in the not-so-distant future. “We were thinking more of Ashburn because we live in Ashburn,” Duncan said. “Or Leesburg, because there’s more traffic. But we have done such an amazing business here. Most of our customers are from Middleburg, or people that drive through here. We are so grateful.” For now, Duncan and her partner, Pompilio Gutierrez, also of Colombian heritage, juggle the Aldie, Ashbrook, and Brambleton locations for food service plus a Leesburg commissary and kitchen. A typical weekday starts at 7 a.m. in Aldie and runs there until they pack up in the afternoon. Then it’s time

to go shopping at WalMart and begin food prep, which can take them up to 10 p.m. Most days go off without a hitch—except when the generator breaks down or the pipes to the espresso machine freeze. Tough as it can be, there are plenty of positives. “I love the creative part of the business, like thinking of new recipes, having new specials every week,” Duncan said. “What can I do that’s different? How can I bring flavors of Colombia into this coffee or crepe?” All crepes are made to order. “In the beginning people would stop, and they thought it was like a grab-and-go thing,” she adds. “We worried that even though it takes only three to five minutes to make your crepe –and you can order ahead online—people wouldn’t stop in the rain and snow. But there they were when it was below freezing, so we kept opening, and Pompilio would deliver their coffees and crepes to their cars.” With cold weather approaching, Juliana is creating special lattes featuring cinnamon, peppermint, and gingerbread with crepes heavy on the chocolate. It’s alway more than worth it to make a quick stop in Aldie where she’ll be happy to whip you up a “Manatee” crepe complete with Nutella, kataifi, pistachio bits, pistachio cream, and Dubai chocolate. Details: For hours and locations, visit https://www.laselvacoffeeco.com/

Antique Arms, Edged Weapons & Armor Since 1957

Dealers and Appraisers for Fine Antique Firearms, Edged Weapons & Armor

www.davidcondon.com Recipient of the United States Department of the Interior Citation for Public Service

(Visit our online catalog) We are always looking to buy vintage guns, daggers,

Purchasing and consigning quality antique arms ofmedals, all types swords, knives, bayonets, uniforms, flags, belts, since 1957. Appraisers and other collectable militaria.We to the Smithsonian, thebuckles National Park Service and also thepurchase National Firearms Museum. gun and military related books, gun related Recipient of the U.S. sporting Department of the Interior’s Citation for Public Service. tools, vintage ammunition, etc. If you have any antique or collectable you want Address: to Visit our shop!military or gun items thatMailing sell please contact us for more information our Box 7 109 E. Washington St (Rt. 50) Post on Office appraisal or outright sale.VA 20118 Middleburg, VA services, 20117 consignment ratesMiddleburg,

Free 1-800-364-8416 Te. 540-687-5642 • FaxToll 540-687-5649 • Email: info@davidcondon.com 109 E. Washington (Rt. 50) Post Office Hours:St.Tues.-Fri. 10-5:30 • Sat. 10-3Box 7 Middleburg, VA 20117 Middleburg, VA 20118 Tel. 540-687-5642 Fax 540-687-5649 Email: info@davidcondon.com www.davidcondon.com

Fall 2026

Your Garden Can Produce Year Round Eating Pleasure

s the season of bountiful produce winds down, gardeners may find themselves with more fruits and vegetables than they can keep up with. Fortunately, summertime yields can be savored beyond the season. From freezing to canning, there are myriad ways to extend the shelf life of garden harvests. But preserving produce for year-round use requires careful food safety practices. According to Virginia Cooperative Extension, improper preservation can lead to serious health risks, including illnesses such as botulism. It’s important to start with high-quality produce from a trusted source. Select young, tender vegetables or fully ripened fruits, and wash and inspect them thoroughly before preserving. The Extension also offers additional guidance

on safe home food preservation methods to help Virginians make the most of their harvests. The first involves freezing. A first step is to blanch, cool and dry vegetables before freezing them to preserve there texture. Use sugar syrup for fruits. And some fruits, like apples or peaches, should be dipped in ascorbic acid to prevent browning. Then you freeeze them in small even layers at zero degrees. For the best quality, it’s best to eat within eight to twelve months. Then there’s canning and it’s best to use only tested recipes from Virginia Cooperative Extension, the National Center for Home Food Preservation or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Avoid unverified recipes from blogs or social media because they may have insufficient ingredient ratios, which can lead to the survival of dangerous micro-organisms. You might even consider taking a

hands-on class through your local Extension office. As for pickling, use vinegar with at least five per cent acidity. It’s critically important not to taste any fermentation batch that has bad or off odors. In fact, just discard it. And follow trusted recipes closely, especially ratios of salt, vinegar and produce. Finally, dehydrating is another option for your garden produce. Blanch the vegetables before drying them to preserve the color and flavor. Because of the temperature and humidity in Virginia, use a dehydrator rather than air-drying. Pasteurize all air-dried foods to kill insect eggs and other contaminants. Heat your oven to 160 degrees and cook for 30 minutes, or place them in a freezer set to zero degrees for 48 hours. Then store them in sealed containers and shake daily for seven to 10 days to condition.

Community is at our

CORE.

We’re here for you – and we mean it .

With local loan approvals, real people here to answer your call, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve, we’re more than your financial services provider we’re your neighbors.

oakviewbank.com | 540.359.7100

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

MEMBER FDIC

Virginia Horse and Home Virginia Horse and Home at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty is a team of dedicated agents specializing in the luxury homes, historic estates, equestrian properties, and agricultural land that define Virginia’s most sought-after countryside. Led by Vice President and Global Real Estate Advisor Eric Diello, ranked among the nation’s top 1.5% producers, our Advisors bring deep regional knowledge and an unwavering commitment to client service to every transaction. Virginia Horse and Home’s reputation is built upon a depth of firsthand knowledge, tailored service and absolute integrity. Our Agents understand the market AND the dream! VirginiaHorseandHome.com Eric Diello ediello@ttrsir.com, +1 703 232 7265 The Plains Brokerage 6474 Main Street, +1 540 212 9993

© TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. TTR Sotheby’s International Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice.

Fall 2026

HOME IMPROVEMENT

The Trick to Making Big Rooms Feel Cozy

By Jeff Weeks

arge kitchens, family rooms, and openconcept living spaces offer plenty of room to gather, entertain, and spend time together. But as the days get shorter and cooler, all that openness can sometimes work against the warm, inviting atmosphere homeowners want at this time of year. Making a large room feel cozy does not mean filling every empty corner or sacrificing the sense of openness that makes the space appealing. Instead, it Jeff Weeks comes down to creating a more comfortable sense of scale through thoughtful space planning, lighting, and architectural details. One of the most effective ways to make a large room feel more inviting is to create smaller spaces within it, using furniture to establish boundaries. A common mistake is pushing furniture toward the perimeter of a large room, which leaves an expanse of empty space in the middle. Instead, pull seating inward and arrange sofas and chairs around the way people actually interact. In a family room, that might mean positioning two sofas opposite one another or adding swivel chairs that can turn toward the fireplace, television, or kitchen. Use a rug large enough for the primary furniture pieces to sit comfortably on it. Then look for opportunities beyond the main seating area: a pair of chairs and a small table near a window can turn unused square footage into a place for morning coffee or conversation. The goal is not more furniture. It is giving each part of the room a purpose. High ceilings and expansive walls can make a room feel open and airy, but without enough visual interest, the scale of the space can start to feel overwhelming. Start with the elements that command the most visual space. An oversized

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

pendant or chandelier can bring a tall ceiling down to a more comfortable level. Large-scale artwork can anchor an expansive wall far more effectively than a collection of smaller pieces. For a more substantial change, consider introducing architectural detail. Ceiling beams can visually lower the overhead plane, while built-in cabinetry can break up a long wall and give it dimension. Around a fireplace, extending stone, wood, or millwork vertically can create a focal point strong enough to hold its own within a large room. Lighting also influences how spacious a room feels, particularly in fall and winter when there is less natural daylight. Think of lighting in layers—overhead fixtures provide general illumination, while sconces, floor lamps, table lamps, and integrated lighting create warmer pockets around the places where people actually spend time. Pay particular attention to corners and transition areas. A floor lamp beside a reading chair or picture lights above built-ins can make previously dark or undefined areas feel intentional. Put lighting sources on separate controls and use dimmers wherever possible, so the entire room does not need to be brightly lit at once. The goal is not to make a large room feel smaller, but to make its size feel intentional. Thoughtful choices in layout, lighting, materials, and scale can help expansive spaces maintain the openness homeowners love while creating a warmer, more inviting atmosphere. As cooler weather brings more time indoors, these details become even more important. At BOWA, we design spaces around the way homeowners live, with thoughtful details that make large rooms feel comfortable for everyday routines, quiet evenings at home, and gatherings with family and friends. Jeff Weeks is a project leader at BOWA

A BETTER REMODEL B E G I N S W I T H B O WA

5 4 0 . 6 8 7 . 6 7 7 1 | B O WA . C O M

Fall 2026

Service Is A Cornerstone of Her Career

By Michele Husfelt

or much of Cassandra Madsen’s career, service meant military aircraft, emergency operations and even the White House. Today, as Cornerstone Christian Academy Assistant Head of School, service looks a little different to her. It might mean solving a transportation problem, overseeing campus security, helping plan a school event, or finding a way to turn an unlikely space into a classroom. For Cassandra, however, the mission behind it remains much the same. “I’ve had this internal drive to serve my whole life,” she said. “I want to serve my country. I want to serve the Lord.” Growing up in Fredonia, New York, she initially expected to attend college close to home. Instead, she felt drawn toward something bigger and attended SUNY Maritime College, earning her Merchant Marine license and a commission in the U.S. Navy. She went on to become a naval flight officer, deploying to the Middle East, South America and Europe. Her career eventually led to the White House Military Office, where she worked in the Emergency Operations Center and later served as chief operating officer. She also spent time with FEMA, working in emergency operations at Mount Weather. Looking back, Cassandra can see how those experiences prepared her for a place she never

Cassandra Madsen expected to be, helping build a Christian school from the ground up. By then a mother of five, she had been praying for a Christian education option for her children, one where faith was woven into everyday learning rather than “peppered in on Sunday.” When Pastor Gary Hamrick announced plans for Cornerstone Christian Academy located on the St. Louis Road several miles from the village of Middleburg, she sensed another change was coming. In 2022, Cassandra joined the small team preparing the school to open its doors the following year. Today, as assistant head of school, she focuses

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

primarily on operations and admissions, overseeing areas that include facilities, security, transportation, logistics, events and even the front office. “No two days look the same,” she said, also adding that suits her just fine. “I’m a puzzle person; I like looking at a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.” As Cornerstone has grown, problem-solving has become part of daily life. Existing buildings have been renovated for classrooms, including a former maintenance shed that now houses a building trades space and another building that now houses kindergarten students. The school has also added a family life skills room and a garden. The garden especially reflects Cornerstone’s desire to combine learning with service. Plans include sharing produce with local ministries and sending flowers grown by students to area nursing homes. Perhaps Cassandra’s favorite part of the job, however, is investing in students. Whether working with student government or encouraging a young woman considering military service or leadership, she sees an opportunity to help prepare the next generation. After years spent serving her country, she now sees Cornerstone as another calling, one that brings together her faith, family and lifelong desire to serve. “It’s not only my kids,” Cassandra said. “It’s their peers. It’s the future of the country and the world. It’s just the coolest mission you can possibly imagine.”

The trusted real estate resource in Loudoun County for nearly a century.

20275 WATER MARK PLACE

$1,825,000

Sterling, VA

34994 WILLIAMS GAP ROAD Round Hill, VA

5 Bedrooms | 3 Full + 1 Half Baths Jeremy Dalpiaz : 703.785.5721 | Ruth Franke : 703.598.8799 teamlegatogroup.com

4 Bedrooms | 3 Full + 1 Half Baths Will McCulloch : 540.326.5270 corcoranmce.com

1292 MOHAWK ROAD

9027 JOHN S MOSBY HIGHWAY

$1,050,000

Lynchburg, VA

6 Bedrooms | 5 Full Baths Kim Rupp : 540.656.8728 kimberlyrupp.com

9411 GREEN MEADOWS ROAD Warrenton, VA

5 Bedrooms | 3 Full + 1 Half Baths Kim Rupp : 540.656.8728 kimberlyrupp.com

$774,000

Upper ville, VA

$1,525,000

5221 MOUNTAIN VIEW DRIVE Broad Run, VA

3 Bedrooms | 2 Full + 1 Half Baths Kim Rupp : 540.656.8728 kimberlyrupp.com

$849,000

34141 SNICKERSVILLE TURNPIKE $775,000 Bluemont, VA

3 Bedrooms | 2 Full + 1 Half Baths Peter Pejacsevich : 540.270.3835 | Scott Buzzelli : 540.454.1399 Kevin Chung : 703.303.8199 | corcoranmce.com

3 Bedrooms | 2 Full Baths John Constant : 703.585.6278 bluemontproperty.com

7398 TERRANOVA DRIVE

510 HARRY HIETT LANE

Warrenton, VA

$1,199,000

$699,999

4 Bedrooms | 2 Full + 1 Half Baths Peter Pejacsevich : 540.270.3835 | Scott Buzzelli : 540.454.1399 Kevin Chung : 703.303.8199 | corcoranmce.com

Gore, VA

$649,900

4 Bedrooms | 3 Full Baths Amy Mullen : 410.430.6701 | Maddy Cockerill : 571.271.1154 harvestproperties.co

We are pleased to welcome

William McCulloch & Lou Williams-Walther to the Middleburg Office If you are thinking about making a move, contact William or Lou today.

d e n i o J e v ’ e W

will@corcoranmce.com | m. 540.326.5270 lou.walther@corcoranmce.com | m. 703.348.2125

Corcoran McEnearney, Middleburg Real Estate | 10 E Washington Street | Middleburg, VA 20117 | 540.687.6321 | corcoranmce.com ©2026 Corcoran Group LLC. All rights reserved. Corcoran® and the Corcoran Logo are registered service marks owned by Corcoran Group LLC. Corcoran Group LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.

Photos by Vicky Moon

t was a sellout at Slater Run Vineyards for the annual Crabfest to benefit the Churches of Upperville Outreach Program. Bushels of blue crabs accompanied by corn on the cob, cornbread and, of course, Slater’s finest wines were on the menu of the evening for 140 guests, with hot dogs for the kids and cookies and watermelon for all. There were a few occasional raindrops, but nothing could dampen the enthusiasm, or the appetites, of a very satisfied and not the least bit crabby crowd.

Middleburg native Porcha Dodson is always smiling

Chris and Kiernan Patusky, Slater Run Vineyards owners have hosted this admired fundraiser for ten years.

Carol Miller and Betsy Crenshaw

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Michele Husfelt and Priss Hurst

Sally Hosta helped to serve and Cyndi Ellis was co-chair of the event with husband Duane Ellis.

Middleburg Library Advisory Board Scholarships Total $19,000

t’s been a busy few months for the Middleburg Library Advisory Board (MLAB), with more to come, including its annual summer social event on August 13 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the library located on the appropriately named Reed St.

on the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, the beginning of the ultimate end of Nazi Germany. The weathermen and General Dwight Eisenhower did, obviously, and so did Ross, who entertained more than 60 attendees at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Parish House with his talk and question and answer session. The next local author lecture is tentatively scheduled for October, with a date and guest still to be determined.

In May, the MLAB announced the recipients of its annual scholarships for local students, both in high school and college. There were seven recipients of awards totaling $19,000. Madeline Gonzales of Loudoun Valley High School in Leesburg was awarded the Eura Lewis Scholarship for high school seniors and received a grant for $4,000. Winley Turner, a 2025 graduate of Foxcroft School and going into her second year at the University of Tennessee, received a $3,000 Lewis scholarship awarded to current college students. Five awardees were selected for the Charles Plante Book Scholarship. They included Amelia Haws of Loudoun Valley High ($3,000); Macklin Gaffney of Loudoun Valley High ($2,500); Catherine Merchant of Highland School ($2,500); AnnaRose Ramos of Loudoun Valley High ($2,500) and Hailey Hendershot of Loudoun Valley High ($2,500). The MLAB awards several scholarships each year to area students pursuing education at an accredited post-secondary institution. Scholarships are available to seniors in high school who will graduate in the spring or to past graduates who wish to resume their education. Applicants need not be graduating from

In 1983, a group of Middleburg citizens decided to create a non-profit corporation—The Regional Library of Middleburg. The goal was to have a small branch library rather than a bookmobile service Middleburg Library Advisory Board co-president Robert provided by Loudoun County. Carter, the principal at Banneker Elementary, presents Those citizens raised funds locally, purchased new Madeline Gonzalez of Loudoun Valley High School books and furniture, and renovated the Middleburg with her Eura Lewis $4,000 college scholarship. Health Center space donated by the Town of Middleburg to provide local library services. The high school in the current academic year. grand opening was in July, 1984. The recipients were presented their scholarships at In 1986, this library became a branch of Loudoun the library on July 29, and several of them also were County Public library and the former board for also honored at award events at their respective schools. the Regional Library of Middleburg became the The MLAB also continued its popular local author series in June when an appreciative audience heard a fascinating presentation by Middleburg author and Country ZEST contributor John Ross. His book, :The Forecast for D-Day: And the Weatherman behind Ike’s Greatest Gamble,” focused on the men who had to get the forecast right before the D-Day invasion

Middleburg Library Advisory Board.

Tax-deductible charitable contributions enable the MLAB to continue their efforts to enhance the library’s outreach and to make learning fun, rewarding, and accessible to all. Details: For more information go to Middleburgreads.com

CONTACT JOYCE GATES 540-771-7544 540-338-1350 OFFICE

Fall 2026

A Lifelong Runner Keeps Pushing to the End

By Peyton Tochterman

omewhere along the course of the Virginia Merikos 20-mile race last March, Christian Lyman found himself sitting in a truck. This was not part of the plan. The race included roughly 3,000 feet of elevation gain, the kind of course where runners learn quickly that distance on a map and distance beneath your feet are two very different things. Lyman had taken a wrong turn. By the time he was driven back to where he needed to be, he had been sitting for nearly 10 minutes. Now he had to start running again. Fourteen miles remained. His legs were tightening. His foot hurt badly, an injury, he later learned, brought on in part by increasing his mileage too quickly. For one of the rare times in his 26-year-old life, Lyman had to walk portions of the course. Everything in his body was giving him permission to quit. He didn’t. For people around Middleburg who know Lyman as the guy who seems to fly through local races, that determination might appear to be the product of natural athletic ability. But Lyman’s relationship with running began much more quietly, years ago, with a third grader who simply wanted to feel better. Running was a a family pursuit. His parents, Hunt and Sue Lyman, were both runners. But Christian had struggled with Lyme disease and several food intolerances when he was young. He also readily admitted he had developed a fondness for video games and junk food. Then a friend told him about a new after-school running club. Lyman joined. The group met twice a week and ran two or three miles. At first, what struck him wasn’t how fast he could go. It was how he felt afterward. He liked sweating. He liked his heart pounding. He liked discovering that something that had been difficult one week could become slightly easier the next. “I felt that I was becoming a new, better, and healthier person,” Lyman recalled. “And the older, lazier, less healthy version of me was fading away.” He also was playing basketball, baseball and golf, but those sports often frustrated him. Each required skills and mechanics: shooting form, pitching technique, the countless moving pieces of a golf swing. Running offered a beautifully simple alternative. Push harder. That made sense to him. His first glimpse of just how far running might take him came at the Hill School Mile in fourth grade. Lyman finished in seven minutes, eight seconds, a good time for a fourth grader. What intrigued him most was the possibility hidden inside it. He could go faster. His father introduced him to interval training. Improvement did not arrive immediately. Lyman remembers getting winded and discouraged. But he kept working. The summer before sixth grade, father and son joined a gym, and twice each week Lyman attacked interval workouts on the treadmill. By the end of sixth grade, that mile time had dropped nearly a minute to 6:15. He finished fifth in Hill’s cross-country meet. And people noticed.

Christian Lyman on the run. Classmates cheered him. Teachers encouraged him. Older students offered affirmation. For a young runner, it all mattered. By the time Lyman entered Highland School as a freshman, he was the fastest runner on the track team. And these days, Lyman, a personal trainer, also competes and often wins races ranging from five kilometers (3.1 miles) to half-marathons (13.1 miles) and occasionally longer events. His preparation involves far more than simply piling up miles. There are tempo runs and threshold runs, recovery days and speed work. There is strength training two or three times a week, along with stretching, balance work and massage. For longer races, nutrition and hydration become part of the equation. Yet Lyman has no particular ambition to become a professional runner. He runs because he needs what running gives him. It’s physical, certainly. But also emotional. Before races as a youngster, Lyman remembers being filled with anxiety and nervous energy. Running taught him that he could take those feelings and put them somewhere. Into the legs. Into the lungs. Into the next mile. Eventually, discomfort became something he no longer feared. On his best days, it gave way to that elusive sensation runners spend thousands of miles

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

chasing: the feeling that the body has become almost weightless. “Joyful, free, light and fast,” is how Lyman describes it. Sometimes, he said, running even feels like connecting with something greater than himself. That may be why his thoughts immediately before a race are surprisingly uncomplicated. “Go run fast and have fun.” And then: “Leave it all out on the course.” Which brings us back to those final miles of the Merikos race. Lyman was hurting. But other runners were hurting, too. So he kept moving. And he completed the 20-miler, a personal triumph in itself, finishing in fourth place. For all his speed, Lyman has never really been racing the person beside him. His competition is the clock and, more importantly, the runner he used to be. Run a little faster than last time. Handle the course a little better. Understand his body a little more. Then do it again. “There’s always room for growth,” Lyman said. Perhaps that’s the real reason Christian Lyman keeps running. The finish line tells him how far he has come. But somewhere beyond is the person he might become next.

Fall 2026

A Year Later, It’s Back to the Future By Jodi Nash

’ve been contemplating life, presumably at an age and stage when I should understand my role better—as a Baby Boomer, aging parent of four, grandmother of six, daughter (my mama is 91), sibling, friend, fitness instructor, creative agent, retired attorney and “active adult.”

And also as an orthopedic patient.

I’m a year out from a two-level spinal fusion of L3-L4, L4-L5, a 4.5 hour surgery resulting in two titanium rods and six screws embedded in my lower back. You can make it a big deal - or not. I have friends who have been through more, or are currently confronting bigger health challenges. It all depends on how you look at it…so this is how I choose to look at it. I’m lucky to live in a time where I have options. A hundred years ago I might be in wheelchair. Before that, it would be mechanical corrections, like being suspended by my arms or legs from a pulley or ropes to manually stretch the spinal column and take pressure off the nerves. I might be wearing orthopedic “corsets” made of iron or leather or even wood to immobilize my spine. Pain would be managed by opium or laudanum in endless addictive doses, and plasters or hot irons would be used to draw out “internal inflammation.” Then, there was always bloodletting or leeching to reduce inflammation near the spine, weakening the afflicted patient by causing a drastic drop in blood pressure, chronic anemia and on some occasions shock and death. Surgeries were almost never attempted for degenerative spinal conditions. Anesthesia didn’t really emerge until the 1840s, and surgeons didn’t understand antisepsis, germs or sterile environments. A surgical incision into the spine was a near-certain death sentence. So how is it going at a year out? My surgeon would say uneventful, in the sense the surgery went smoothly, free of crisis, with a “favorable outlook on recovery.” I went home after one night in the hospital, followed by intense rehab (and wound healing) and a lot of walking around the ‘hood. From there a measured return to light strength training, stretching and mobility work, balance and stability exercise, and eventually steady cardio work. After five months, I was back to my workouts and teaching fitness. I’m now officially released from care, my X-ray reflecting a solid fusion through the biological process of bone growth, as hoped for. It’s not just about the hardware in your back—that’s just a stabilizer, a temporary anchor. Real fusion occurs when the body heals and grows new bone across the spinal gap, locking the vertebrae into a single solid bone. “Eat protein” the doctor said, and so I did, as much as I could tolerate. Eggs, steak, legumes, nuts, and so much chicken I felt like going “cluck-cluck!” Before the surgery, I used to feel as if I was growing a giant dinosaur’s tail— dense, armored, scaled and ready to erupt spontaneously through the delicate skin of my lower back like an alien being. There was sinister, unrelenting pressure and a constant “pain companion,”, and hugely depleting. Remarkably, that pain has entirely vamoosed. As I explore my new range of motion, it’s predictably more limited. Now it feels like a brick in my lower back, in the sense I don’t “bend” the way I used to. It also feels like the rarest of all things at my age: a fresh start.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Jodi Nash and her daughter, Carsyn I’m inspired to make the most of this spinal reset—chasing my optimal health with the tools at my disposal. Admittedly I won’t give up every sinful delight to be the “last woman” standing. I continue to indulge in red wine, an occasional Five Guys burger and fries, carbs in reasonable amounts, and an infrequent sweet, treacly and doughy dessert. It is life, after all, and I intend to enjoy it. But I’ll also keep moving in all the ways I can, for as long as possible, both through disciplined exercise (for mobility and neuro-plasticity) and doing ordinary household chores. For me, it comes down to the number of years I live free of chronic disease and/or disability (degenerative or otherwise) and not so much on longevity (adding to my “chronological” lifespan), though they’re certainly not mutually exclusive goals. I’m now fit and functioning. That’s my one year post-game analysis—no critical incidents or major fallouts, just a safe slide across home plate. I am grateful.

Fall 2026

“20 Seconds” Could Be An Eternity on Broadway

By Leslie VanSant

f you Google “how to write a broadway musical,” pages of results are returned, from an initial idea to Tony-award winning success in five simple steps. Step 1 - Find your story Step 2 - Flesh out your characters Step 3 - Build your script Step 4 - Write your songs Step 5 - Find collaborators The reality is much more complicated, and it can take years. Thousands of shows are started every year, fewer than one percent ever make it to a commercial Broadway or West End London run. Tom Sweitzer had a story, his very own story of finding acceptance and personal strength and growth through music and song. As an educator and co-founder of the music therapy organization, A Place to Be, he saw similar stories unfold with clients and students trying to find themselves and overcome challenges. Kim Tapper, APTB co-founder, encouraged Tom to explore the idea of writing a play. Kyle Boardman, who first met Kim and Tom as a Kyle Boardman and Tom Sweitzer client, found his calling in music with their support, joined the staff at APTB and the team to build the show. In addition to creative vision, a show needs financial support. Benjamin H. Graham—known as Ben around town—had long believed in and supported the work of APTB. He quickly signed up as a financial backer of the developing

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

show and Tom said, “there would be no show if it wasn’t for my friend and lead producer Ben Graham, who has believed in the project from day one. “ Over time, “20 Seconds” came into focus. It’s the story of a boy, “Tommy,” struggling to fit in, his loving mother, a complicated father, and a teacher who encourages him to shine through music and find himself. With generous community support, the 90-minute, one-man biopic show came to life offBroadway during the fall of 2023. “I knew, two weeks into the show, that I wanted to make it a musical,” Tom said. “The audience response was so positive - they related to the story.” In the last performance, some well-known Broadway movers and shakers were in the audience. Throw in a little musical fairy dust, and the journey from oneman biopic to full-scale musical began. “Kyle has incredible musical talent ,” Tom said. “And we understand each other so deeply. I knew he could help me advance the show musically.” Jacqueline B. Mars and Frank Baltz joined Ben as co-producers. The Middleburg team was expanded by veteran Broadway musical director Josh Rhodes to begin workshopping the show in early 2024. Once the songs and script were drafted, the team began rehearsing with actors in New York. The rehearsal process allowed the creators to hear their work come to life, discovering which parts worked, which needed work and which wouldn’t make the cut. This process repeated several times to realize the final script and book for the musical. “The show is a massive puzzle, 50 percent music, 50 percent acting,” Kyle explained. “We wrote 35 songs, to get to the 20 that are now in the show. Every single note and word is intentional, to convey something specific, an emotion. The final hurdle to determine if the show will be one of the one percent of shows to become a commercial success will come in January, 2027. A group of actors and musicians will perform the musical in front of an audience at a rehearsal space in New York. And from this, a decision will be made. Stay tuned.

A Memorable Day on a Magical Golf Course Photos by Bridge Littleton By Bridge Littleton

or nearly 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of participating in a unique golf tradition, a tournament now nearly 100 years old played on a quirky course located on the tiny Isle of Iona in Scotland. And now, after almost a quarter century, I have something tangible to show for it. More on that later. On the second Friday of August, over a hundred participants gather to play in the so-called Iona Open. The course itself is laid out in the middle of sheep and cattle fields on small island located off the southwest coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Iona is three miles long by one mile wide. Iona cows form a fearsome threesome Although there are 18 holes, the at the fifth green. tournament is only contested on the first 11, with players taking the score of their best nine holes. As the day concludes, there is the ceremonial awarding of the Banter Claret Jug Trophy, considered by many of my fellow participants as the unofficial fifth major in golf. This year, somewhat uncharacteristically for Scotland, it was blue skies and sunshine when our group teed off. The first hole did not provide much hope for success after I made a double bogey. Fortunately, my luck improved with pars on the next two holes. Midway through my round, things were still going well, and the few sips of whiskey on the fifth hole—an Iona tradition—helped to steady my nerves. As we reached the 11th hole and I reviewed the scorecard, scratching the two double bogeys off my card and parring the last would settle me in at a score of 35, a possible contender for the Cup. Fortunately, making the 11th green in two and sinking a 25-foot birdie putt brought me in at 34 for my nine official holes. After play ended and all the scores were tallied, I won the iconic Banter Cup by one stroke. It was a great day to be sure, after so many years, and while I can’t bring the Cup home, I do have to pay to have my name engraved on it. I’ll be looking forward to the Iona Open again next August and holding on to the title. After all one championship may be a fluke, but two in a row is a streak.

2026/2027 ACADEMIC YEAR

MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

NOW AVAILABLE FOR RISING 9-12 GRADERS

www.highlandschool.org/admission or call Laura McCauley at 540-878-2741

The Banter Claret Jug country.zest.half.page.november.2025.indd 1

Fall 202611/5/25319:05 AM

THE WAY WE WERE

Jimmy Hatcher and The Harrimans

Photo by Liz Caller

Pamela Harrriman and Jimmy Hatcher The Middleburg Museum is doing oral history interviews with a number of long-time residents of the Middleburg area. All are available to read the full transcript on the museum website at themiddleburgmuseum. org. Starting with this issue, Country ZEST will run shorter, edited versions of those interviews conducted by Lydia Stroh. Long-time ZEST columnist Jimmy Hatcher, who passed away in 2024 at age 89, was interviewed for the project in 2020, and we think it is quite appropriate to begin here.

’m originally from Richmond and born in 1935. I first rode at the Upperville Horse Show in 1949 at age of 14. In 1951, I came up to Middleburg and rode in the Loudoun Junior Show at Glenwood Park and I was champion. Daddy and I stayed at the old Colonial Inn and I came back later that year and helped him at the Upperville show. We would go to the movies in the old Hollywood theater that was beside the Red Fox. I later roomed with Jim Wiley at Hampden-Sydney College from 1953 through ’57 and I came up to Middleburg a lot back then. In 1966, I moved here to run Spur Magazine, but that didn’t work out real well. So Phil Thomas, an old friend, said, “Why don’t you get your real estate license?” I had already rented my house in Richmond, so I stayed. I had my horse up here and I kept my horse with Mrs. Theodora Randolph at Salem Stable and hunted with Piedmont for two or three seasons.

There weren’t that many real estate agents back then. Phil Thomas had his liscense and I was the only other salesman. When I started it was just wonderful. Everybody had the same lawyer and you would show a piece of property and then the check would arrive. You would go to a settlement and you’d have to sign 20 things—you’re free of this, free of that, whatever. It was just maddening. And after I inherited a little money, I gave it up. Then I met Pamela and Averell Harriman (the former governor of New York, owner of the Union Pacific Railroad, a diplomat and philanthropist who owned the Willow Oaks estate in Middleburg). One day, I called Mrs. Harriman’s secretary and asked if Mrs. Harriman would like me to show her some of the riding trails out here. Mrs. Harriman just had two pleasure horses and the secretary said yes, that would be wonderful because she had recently gotten lost for three hours riding on the piece of land that she later bought, which is now Salamander. She was so lost she missed a luncheon she was giving and was really shaken up by it. The secretary told me Mrs. Harriman would love to have me show her the trails. She hadn’t really jumped fences or ridden much since 1938, but her father was a master of foxhounds, and back then, she had jumped a lot. She was raised an English country girl, and after she made her debut, World War II started in Europe. She had once married Winston Churchill’s son and produced young Winston. Anyway, I started to get her jumping again for the first time since ’38. She was even showing in hunter trials. And Mr. Harriman was really all for it.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

One time we rode over to Foxcroft and they were having a little jumper show and all the Three Day Event people were there and the place was jammed with horses. Mrs. Harriman had this little mare that was one quarter pony, three quarters Thoroughbred and had a nice stride on her. She was only 15 hands and there was a jumper class. Mrs. Harriman said, “That doesn’t look too difficult.” So she and the horse entered the class and they went clean. While Mrs. Harriman was riding in the ring, I was busy talking to some people and all of a sudden I heard a familiar number and I looked up and there she was, in the ring for the jump-off. She finished third and won a ribbon she carried on the ride back home. As we were going down one hill, she said, “Jimmy, I just wanted to tell you, I never thought I’d be doing this again.” That just meant so much to me because Averell, while he was wonderful to her, was also getting seriously old, hard of hearing and hated his hearing aids. At times, he could make life difficult. She took the hunt field a couple of times and even did a little bird hunting. We had a lot of fun over the ten years I spent around them. One time, their house caught on fire. The farm manager’s house was at the bottom of the hill and a long away, and there was a small log cabin playhouse right up next to the main house. She asked me if they fixed that log cabin up, would I come and live there so someone would be near the big house in case there was another emergency. And so they did it over for me, and I lived there for ten years, until I eventually moved back to my house in Upperville in 1985.

Fall 2026

NEWS & NOTES Moore Named Middleburg’s Interim Town Manager The Town of Middleburg has appointed Deputy Town Manager William M. “Will” Moore as Interim Town Manager effective Sept. 11. He succeeds Bryan Foster, a consultant with Baker Tilly Group, who had served as Interim Manager since former Town Manager Danny Davis departed in June. “Bryan was very instrumental in Will Moore seeing us through the last couple of months,” said Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton. “He picked up several ongoing projects that Danny was directly responsible for and shepherded them through without having to overload current staff with their other priorities.” Moore will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Town, direct and support Town departments, and ensure continued work on implementing the Town Council’s strategic initiatives. Meanwhile, Littleton and the Town Council continue their recruitment process for a permanent Town Manager. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) has announced that that Nic Fiddian Green: Spiritus Equus, the first-ever retrospective of the acclaimed British sculptor’s equine works, has been extended through February 21, 2027. Originally scheduled to close on Sept. 12, 2026, the exhibition will remain on view for several additional months due to popular demand, giving visitors an extended opportunity to experience this landmark presentation. Since 2012, Fiddian Green’s monumental sculpture Still Water (2011) has greeted visitors at the entrance to the NSLM’s Museum, becoming emblematic of the institution itself. Spiritus Equus brings together this full breadth of Fiddian Green’s career: five monumental works installed in prominent outdoor locations across the NSLM campus, four medium-scale sculptures complementing Still Water in the main firstfloor gallery, and 18 additional sculptures and seven drawings on view upstairs. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Red Truck Bakery owner Brian Noyes sold the business two years ago and retired to the town of (Little) Washington, Virginia, population about 100. Before long, his neighbors thought he’d be the prefect choice to resurrect their longshuttered café and local community hangout. It’s happening next spring. The town’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) recently unanimously approved new signage for the front of the space that will be known as Hayfields. The sign, to be installed later this year, features a 1930s-‘40s grocery store typeface and a logo in keeping with the Hayfields design theme saluting local rural farmers in the era of the Great Depression. The logo features a 1935 woodcut by Clare Leighton of a farmer and his scythe as he prepares to cut his field. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Byrne Gallery in Middleburg presents “Harvest: Celebrating Gatherings and Memories,” a new exhibition in October. Artist Sandra Iafrate will depict the beauty of the harvest season and the enduring connections between food, memory, family, and place. Iafrate’s use of collected materials and paint instills memories of gathering from seasons past. She produces richly layered still lifes and landscapes that resemble the fading nature of memory and time. The artists exhibition will be open through Sunday, November 1, along with a special reception with the artist on Saturday, October 17 from 4-7 p.m. that is open to the public. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Middleburg Museum has announced the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors: Jason Arwine of Upperville and Patty Callahan of Rectortown.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Create Your Own Holiday Middleburg Moment!

e l g Jin g r u B ’ e h t n i E Carriage Rides E Christmas Parade E Tree Lighting E Music E Performances E Hanukkah

Menorah Lighting and more…

For event information and updates:

www.visitmiddleburgva.com

Horses · History · Art · Shopping · Dining Relax and Enjoy Fall 2026

It’s More Than a Closet S

Tree of Life began in Western Loudoun County, where its first Clothing Closet opened in Purcellville in 2020. The Leesburg location opened in 2023 in the same building with SimplyBe Coffee, another ToL enterprise. In January 2026, ToL expanded again, opening its Piedmont region to serve portions of Clarke and Fauquier counties.

By Michele Husfelt

tep inside Tree of Life’s (ToL) new Clothing Closet in Middleburg and you might forget you’re in a thrift store.

The beautifully arranged shop at 15 East Federal St. offers quality clothing at great prices, with carefully selected items displayed much like a boutique. It’s a place where anyone can enjoy the thrill of finding something special while supporting an organization committed to serving the local community. Everyone is welcome to shop, and every purchase makes a difference. Proceeds from the thrift boutique go back to Tree of Life, helping fund programs and services throughout the community. But there’s another reason the Clothing Closet is special. For individuals and families who can’t afford clothing, the same welcoming shopping experience is available to them at no cost. “We partner with them to give them a hand up, not a handout,” said Melissa Barton, manager of the new ToL Clothing Closet. “They can shop all the same racks as everybody else and get exactly what they need and what fits their lifestyle, versus just getting a bag of clothes that may not work for them.” Individuals seeking assistance from ToL receive a clothing voucher and can browse the racks, select what they need, and try items on. They have choices,

Photo by Michele Husfelt]

Melissa Barton, manager of Middleburg’s new Tree of Life Clothing Closet. just like any other shopper, and that choice is an important part of the experience. For Barton, one of the most meaningful parts of the job is seeing the difference that approach makes. She remembers several children who came shopping with their mother during the summer. Initially embarrassed because they weren’t sure what to expect, the children soon discovered they could choose their own clothes and try them on. “They were doing little fashion shows for each other,” Barton recalled. “It just warmed my heart. To watch them walk out the door with their heads held high was incredible.”

The Clothing Closet partners with schools, parent liaisons, and other community organizations to help meet needs as they arise. Volunteers sort, tag, and steam donated clothing and prepare items for the racks. Clothing that doesn’t meet the store’s standards is passed along to other organizations, ensuring that donations continue to serve a purpose. And the impact extends far beyond clothing. ToL operates food pantries, hosts community dinners, provides family housing, and offers Still Waters, a support program for individuals with disabilities and their families. Last year, the Clothing Closets helped more than 400 people. For Barton, however, the shops are about more than a number. “It’s so much more,” she said. “We offer a shopping experience so people can shop with dignity.” The Clothing Closet in Middleburg is in great need of volunteers. Whether you have a few hours a week or a month, they can use your help. Contact them at tolministries.org/want-to-help.

WWW.DREYERSEXCAVATING.COM COMPLETE SITE DEVELOPMENT

REYER’S D . J EX

CAVATORS & SITE SERVICE

P.O. Box 389 Upperville, VA 20185

LICENSED & INSURED

CAVATORS EX

UPPERVILLE

S IT

Charles Carroll IV, MD

Geraldine Carroll

RLD CERTIFIED

338 2684

E S E R VI C E

LAND CLEARING • ROADWAYS • PONDS RIDING ARENAS • DEMOLITION • FOUNDATIONS

Charles Carroll IV, MD

DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS • LARGE PIPE & STREAMS CROSSINGS

Orthopedic Surgery, Hand, Upper Extremity Surgery and Rehabilitation

BOULDER PLACEMENT • UNDER DRAINS

109 W, Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA 20117 540-326-8182 | Email: orthomd@ccarrollmd.com

ccarrollmd.com 36

(540) 338-2684 Cell: (540) 295-5947 JDX1@rocketmail.com

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

STORM DAMAGE CLEANUP • LARGE STUMP REMOVAL LASER FINE GRADING • EARTH SCULPTING TOP SOIL • FILL DIRT • STONE HAULING FAST, RELIABLE, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SINCE 1981

The Craftsman at the Crossroads

Photo by Stefan Schetselaar

Isaac Aquino outside NoVa Builders office at Atoka.

By Stefan Schetselaar

ome conversations feel like doorways. You step into them and suddenly the person across from you is no longer just a business owner, but a man quietly shaping a life with his own two hands. Talking with Isaac Aquino feels like that. He sits in his small office just off Route 50, halfway between Middleburg and Upperville, the one with fresh paint, and new siding, and speaks about NOVA Builders with the calm certainty of someone who knows exactly why he is here. “I like to do things,” Isaac said. “I need to be doing something, otherwise I get bored.” That simple confession explains much of his story. Isaac arrived in the United States more than 20 years ago from Quintana Roo, Mexico, carrying little more than determination and a willingness to work. His first job was at a horse farm in Elkhart, feeding animals and learning the rhythm of a new home.

commercial building in Hagerstown, framing a home in Berryville, and tackling renovations across Fauquier County. And though the paperwork piles up, Isaac is rarely found behind his desk. “I like to go to the field,” he said. “Start hammering and banging there.” NOVA still keeps its original office in Winchester, but Isaac wanted a second location, something small, something close to the roads he used to drive when he was still finding his footing in America. That search led him to the intersection of Atoka Road and Rector’s Lane, beside the old Atoka Store. He remembered stopping there years ago for a cold drink or a slice of pizza. So, when he went looking for a modest office to rent, this place seemed perfect. Perfect, yes. Simple, no. The owner told him the property wasn’t for rent. It was for sale, store included. As Isaac recalled, “he said he couldn’t rent it unless I reopened the store.” So Isaac reopened the store.

Construction came later, not because it was easy, but because it was familiar. He had built homes in Mexico, block and concrete, sturdy and sun‑baked. Here, the materials were different, the methods new. So he learned again, piece by piece, spending ten years with another company before returning to school for his residential and commercial licenses.

The Atoka Store has stood on this corner for more than 150 years. Locals say it’s been everything: a general store, a post office, a gas station, a convenience shop. Then, for a stretch, it was nothing at all, dark windows, locked doors, a quiet vacancy in this rural bend of the county.

That was the beginning of NOVA Builders. Today, the company holds a Class A license in both Virginia and Maryland, a credential that opens the door to nearly any project. His crews are raising a

Now, the lights glow again. The pizza oven is gone, but what Isaac brought back is something closer to himself: the taste of Mexico, the dishes that remind him of the home and grandmother he left decades ago.

He doesn’t run the kitchen. He leaves that to people who know the business better. Seven employees so far, and the place hums from the first lunch rush to the last. Some days, finding a seat feels like its own small victory. “I think people were missing that store,” Isaac said. “I like to see people stopping by. I think the community is happy because it was needed here.” On the construction side, NOVA runs with eleven men, and a philosophy Isaac holds tightly. Customers rarely walk through the office door. They call, and he goes to them, to shake hands, to walk their property, to talk ideas where their dreams will rise. So why keep an office at all? “I think it’s a way people can trust the company,” he said. “They see that I’m here, working in their community. They can see that we are their neighbors.” Trust, Isaac believes, is the first foundation of any project. Long before the boards go up, before the concrete is poured, before the plans are finalized, people need to know who is building for them. A neighbor is easier to trust than a name on a truck. Ask him whether another storefront is in his future, and he shakes his head. “I don’t know if we can handle more businesses now,” he said. “Not until these little ones grow enough so we can take care of something else.” In the end, Isaac’s story is not just about construction or commerce. It’s about a man who came to a new country, learned its tools, revived a forgotten store, and built a place where people gather again. It is, in every sense, a story worth telling.

Fall 2026

The “House Vineyard” from above.

By Chris Patusky

his past week, we installed two solar arrays on barns at Slater Run Vineyards, completing a four-array rooftop system that makes the winery, the tasting room, two barns, and a house on the parcel, 100 percent net zero. That means the arrays produce more electricity than the buildings use, and make Slater Run one of only a few net zero wineries in Virginia. We installed a 30 kW array on our central winery building when completed in 2014, and then a 36 kW array in 2022 on the newly finished barrel room building. Finally, we installed a 64 kW array on a new “Solar Barn” and a 15 kW system on an old pole barn, both near the winery. The arrays produce roughly 175 kWh of electricity each year (the numbers don’t add up because the arrays produce more electricity than the solar kW size number), enough to power about twelve average sized Virginia homes. Our construction was powered by federal solar tax incentives that paid about 65 percent of the cost to install the commercial systems. At Slater Run, when you add it all up, including our annual sale of Solar Energy Renewable Credits to Pennsylvania, the investment pays for itself in six years. After that, the systems will produce free electricity for another twenty years until the arrays degrade. You might ask, why doesn’t everyone with a commercial operation and sufficient rooftop space do this? The Return on Investment (ROI) is about 12 percent rock solid, and that rate is increasing as the construction of new data centers drives up the cost of electricity in many places. One possible answer is that you have to come up with the upfront costs before you can make these returns either by investing the dollars or borrowing. And going forward, the reason will be that the federal government eliminated all solar tax incentives last year. So it turns out we had some luck, getting ours built under the expiration wire.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Two of the Four solar arrays at Slater Run Vineyards.

Photo by Capital Solar

Photo by Sep de Kruijf

Slater Run: 100% Net Zero With Solar Power

A shout also goes out to Jason Brennan, owner at Capital Solar, for making it happen on time and budget. As I sit here and think about the new arrays, I’m also looking out over the lower vineyard, which we call the “House Vineyard” because it is close to our home. I’m marveling at how it’s our largest and most valuable solar array. That large green canopy uses solar power to create sugar in the grapes that are then squeezed into juice, and then yeast ferments that juice into wine. As I’m pondering, I’m noting to myself that the 13 acres of green solar array on the farm produce about 30,000 bottles of wine, and I am focusing on a thought, which is that nature is showing us the way. Chris and Kieran Slater Patusky are founders and owners of Slater Run Vineyards.

Tasting Room Open Thursday-Monday

ROOTS THAT RUN THREE HUNDRED YEARS DEEP... A premier vineyard and winery nestled in the heart of Hunt Country, sustaining our family farming tradition by producing timeless wines that express Virginia.

1500 Crenshaw Rd, Upperville, VA 20184 info@slaterrun.com 540.878.1476 slaterrun.com @slaterrunvineyards

Fall 2026

Founder of Aldie, Virginia, Charles Fenton Mercer By Denis Cotter (This is the second installment of a two-part article.)

harles Fenton Mercer (1778-1858) is remembered in Loudoun County as the builder of Aldie Mill and the founder of the historic village of Aldie. In the far wider world, Mercer was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and a U.S. Congressman. He also was a life-long opponent of the African slave trade, a promoter of free public education, a supporter of infrastructure projects, a banker in Florida, and a land agent for the Republic of Texas. Born just two years after the birth of the nation, he was his parents’ fourth and final child. His birthplace—1300 Charles Street in Fredericksburg and built by his father James—is now a public museum. At 20 months old, his mother died. Mercer and his siblings were reared by enslaved Black women at their Irish grandfather’s 931-acre estate, Marlborough Plantation, 15 miles away. He fondly remembered his father, a Virginia judge, taking his youngest child everywhere with him. His father died when Mercer was 15. Mercer earned Bachelors and Masters degrees at Princeton and graduated first in his class both times. In 1799, at 21, he inherited under his father’s will “one moiety of my Bull Run land, containing about 300 acres.” He studied law with U.S. Supreme Court justice Bushrod Washington – George Washington’s favorite nephew and heir – and was admitted to the Virginia bar. After a grand tour of Europe, he set up a law practice in Leesburg and began constructing his residence “Aldie Manor” on his Bull Run property in 1804. It was named after the ancestral Mercer castle in Scotland, just like later homes built by Mercers— Aldie House in Bermuda (1880) and Aldie Mansion (1927) in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In 1804, Mercer also obtained permission to build a dam on the Little River for a water-powered grist mill. Construction of Aldie Mill and its ancillary buildings began in 1807. In 1810, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and also received the state charter for the Town of Aldie to be built on 30 acres near the mill. His seven-year stint as a Virginia delegate was interrupted by the War of 1812 when he served in multiple roles, including as brigadier general of the Second Virginia Brigade. In Richmond, Mercer helped pass legislation that established the Literary Fund, the state’s first dedicated source for public education that still exists today.

Charles Fenton Mercer He also sponsored funding for infrastructure: new and improved roads, canals, and river navigation systems. In 1816, he got the Virginia Assembly to ask the federal government to procure a suitable overseas territory—a colony—where freed Blacks could voluntarily resettle. Also in 1816, he was a founding member of the American Society for the Colonization of the Free People of Color of the United States, which had the same aim of resettlement. Among the distinguished co-founders of the ACS was the author of “The StarSpangled Banner,” Francis Scott Key. Mercer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1816. He would go on to be

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

re-elected eleven times, serving continuously for 23 years until his resignation in 1839 for financial reasons and changing political circumstances. In Congress, Mercer continued his advocacy for public education and infrastructure projects, including the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, of which he was president for five years. He also continued his work against the slave trade. He was an unlikely warrior in this cause—a conservative, White southerner who had inherited slaves from his father. Slaves built his Aldie house and mill. In the 1820 census, he owned ten slaves – eight men and two women. By 1830, there were no slaves in his Aldie

American Colonization Society Certificate household, but as late as 1838, he fell back into old ways and purchased a family of eight slaves, shortly before he left Congress. He also pressed to make the American Colonization Society a success. The U.S. established the colony of Liberia in 1822, with its capital Monrovia being named after Mercer’s close friend and neighbor in Aldie, President James Monroe. Mercer wrote and guided the passage of the AntiSlave Trade Act of 1819 and the Anti-Slave Trade Felony Act of 1820. Respectively, these authorized the U.S. Navy to intercept slave ships off the coast of Africa, and declared slave-trading to be piracy, punishable by death. In his cranky memoir published after he left politics—An Exposition of the Weakness and Inefficiency of the Government of the United States of North America (1845)—Mercer denounced slavery as “this horrid subject, this blackest of all blots, and foulest of all deformities”. He thought slavery eventually would take care of itself. Predicting the Civil War that broke out 16 years later, he noted that before slavery ended, “it will be a sure means of dissolving the Union, and breaking down this confederation.” In 1858, Mercer died at his grandniece’s house in Alexandria and was buried in Leesburg’s Union

Mercer Tavern Antiques Cemetery, where a historical marker commemorates him just outside the cemetery. There’s also a historical marker outside his old Aldie home at 39356 Little River Turnpike.

opened in 2002, was renamed Gum Spring Middle School in 2025 as part of a school board project changing facility names with historical ties to slavery and the Confederacy.

The Mercer Magisterial District in Loudoun was named after him in 1870 and remained so until 2002, when it became the Blue Ridge District. Mercer Park, east of Middleburg, is now Mickie Gordon Memorial Park. Mercer Middle School in Aldie,

One memorial that does remain is Mercer Tavern Antiques, an antique shop in Aldie, just beside Aldie Mill. It was established in 1992 and owned by Mary Ann Withers and her husband, Tucker Withers, the late, great unofficial mayor of Aldie.

Fall 2026

How Sweet It Is: A New Culinary Creator Comes to Middleburg

By Laticia Headings

hen Melissa Denmon designed her own wedding cake in 2014, she didn’t know the satisfying act of baking it would lead to a “sweet” business opportunity, one sparked by a lifelong passion. “I had always baked but I loved making my own so much that I started getting into making wedding cakes regularly,” she said. From a young age, Denmon found comfort and connection in the kitchen. She learned to cook from her mother, while her grandmother taught her the fundamentals of baking. “My mom had a chocolate business with her sister in the 80s, the kind with the old-fashioned chocolate shapes on sticks,” she said. “She gave me all of her molds, which I still have and use.” After high school, the Southern Californian native enrolled in the School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management at Santa Barbara City College and worked for four years at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel. In 1999, Denmon changed course away from hospitality and moved to Virginia for her then husband’s job, settling in Richmond. She started to dabble with baking cakes, saying, “I named myself the ‘cake fairy’ because I had two little kids and I could only bake at night.” By 2010, the newly single mom became an entrepreneur, starting a full-time business called Melissa's Simply Sweet, which was supported by her already loyal clientele. After getting remarried, she expanded her cake business to include an expansive array of desserts. “There’s really nothing I won’t make,” she said. “I’ll make it all—pastries, croissants, pies, wedding cakes, cookies. And if it’s not on the website, ask. I’ll make it. My favorite thing to make is decorated cookies but everything has to taste as good as it looks.” Denmon developed an artistic flair as a young girl, and being an artist remains a cornerstone of her business. “I can draw or hand-paint images or logos on to the

AVAILABLE SALES MARSHALL GRADED SALE

Drop off Thursday, the day before the sale – 7:00AM-3:00PM Friday, October 9th @ 10:30AM Friday, October 23rd @ 10:30AM 7404 John Marshall Highway Marshall, VA 20115 540-364-1566

MARSHALL POULTRY AND SMALL ANIMAL AUCTION

October 10th, 2026 @12:00PM Animal Take-in day of the sale from 8:00AM- 11:00AM Contact: The Office (540)-364-1566 No Puppies or Kittens No out of state birds All poultry to be in cages -25% commission on ALL ITEMS Held at the Fauquier Livestock Market

CULPEPER GRADED SALE

Drop off Thursday, the day before the sale – 7AM-3PM Friday, October 2nd @ 10:30AM Friday, November 6th @ 10:30AM Friday, December 4th @ 10:30 AM 10220 James Monroe Highway, Culpeper, VA 22701 See Culpeper Sale Barn Tab For More Information!

QUESTIONS? CONTACT OFFICE: (540) 631-3523 CALL NOW TO CONSIGN YOUR ITEMS!

PO BOX 247, Marshall, VA 20116 7404 John Marshall Hwy, Marshall, VA 20115 (540) 364-1566 FauquierLivestockExchange.com FauquierLivestock@yahoo.com

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Photos by Laticia Headings

Melissa Denmon has always been right at home in the kitchen.

Eat a flower taste a cookie.

cookies,” she said. “I also have an edible printer that prints directly on the icing.” Over the years, she’s refined her business to be a specialty company. “In 2019, I decided to change my whole bakery to be nut-free and allergyfriendly. My son is allergic to all nuts on contacts so I always had to be very safe,” said Denmon, whose daughter also suffers from select food allergies. “Because there was a demand for it, I also started doing dairy-free, and everything on the website can be made to be gluten-free.” In fact, she’s so passionate about her craft that she donates many of her products to worthy causes, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House in Richmond. “I always said, you will know if I won the lottery because everything about the business would stay the same, except I wouldn’t charge. I would do it for free, 100 percent.” Denmon and her husband, Eric, discovered Middleburg when they spent their first wedding anniversary at the Salamander Resort and Spa in 2015. Nine years later in 2024, they purchased Hidden Trail Farm along with her parents and turned it into a family compound. “We all fell in love with Middleburg,” she explained. “We stumbled upon this property, and it was a fit. We were able to have two separate homes and a place for my bakery.” The family remodeled the eight-stall barn, keeping the integrity and footprint of the original structure, and built an expansive 2,200-square foot commercial kitchen with plenty of counter space, cool storage, and several spacious rooms for well-organized baking accoutrements. “I love Middleburg,” she said. “Middleburg has been overly welcoming. We have just found it to be wonderful. The neighbors welcomed us immediately and it’s been a great experience.” She has since joined the Middleburg Business & Professional Association, Fauquier Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers at the Middleburg Community Center. She also teaches mahjong, a game she’s been playing for over 20 years, at Ono Brewery in Centerville twice a week. The busy baker is used to driving a lot. “I’ve found my D.C. wedding clientele doesn’t always want to drive to Middleburg for tastings, so I’ll meet them at a Panera Bread closer to the city,” she said. “I can also ship tastings, cookies and anything else one the same day it’s made.” Fall is her busiest time of year for Denmon who says wedding cakes are in high demand ahead of the winter holidays. “I’ve made wedding cakes that are fully gluten-free because the bride was celiac and nobody at the wedding knew,” she said, while also admitting “I didn’t think I’d be here when I started my business 15 years ago. I just love making food and I think it makes everyone comes around. You cannot be upset when you’re eating a piece of cake. You just really can’t. And sprinkles make everything better!” After a lifetime of creating in the kitchen, she stays inspired by new ideas and culinary challenges, whether they come from new clients or repeat customers, always striving to perfect the balance of quality, taste, and beauty. “I have so many customers that will say they don’t want to eat something because it’s so pretty,” she said with a smile. “And I say, ‘But that’s its purpose. Enjoy it. Take a picture and cut it.’”

2026 SCHEDULE

VIRGINIA HORSE RACING SHENANDOAH DOWNS HARNESS RACING

STEEPLECHASE RACING EARLY FALL

STEEPLECHASE RACING LATE FALL

FALL RACE MEET

SUNDAY OCTOBER 4 Foxfield Fall Races in Charlotteville SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg

SATURDAY OCTOBER 24 International Gold Cup in The Plains SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7 Montpelier Hunt Races in Montpelier Station

nationalsteeplechase.com

September 19 - November 1 in Woodstock, VA (racing Saturday & Sunday)

shenandoahdowns.com

VIRGINIAHORSERACING.COM

Fall 2026

A Scrap of Lead, A Life’s Work

Sculptor Nic Fiddian Green recently took museum patrons on a personal guided tour of his magnificent work.

Still Water graces the front lawn of the museum.

Photos by Stefan Schetsellar in Virginia horse country, that he’s gotten the warmest welcome of them all. “How did we get to where we are today?” he asked. “We had ideas, we had the thoughts, but here’s no lead dust here, no hammer we end up where we end up. And I suppose the marks on a bench, no marble chips on part where I’m privileged is being here.” the floor. Nothing but the National His retrospective exhibit opened May 1, the first Sporting Museum’s polished floors, comprehensive exhibit of Fiddian Green’s work and good lighting. ever mounted, and it was supposed to close at the Directly inside the entrance stands the nineend of September. Instead, the museum extended foot horse head Nic Fiddian Green created it through next February, 2027. called Still Water, bowed low as if drinking. It’s the largest gathering of his work ever Fiddian Green himself positions himself nearby, assembled: a run spanning from 1983 to today, and given two minutes of talking, you’d swear 18 sculptures and seven drawings inside, with five the acrid smell of hot metal was in the room. more pieces standing in the yard for anyone who That’s the thing with him. He spins a yarn the wanders past. Some of it has never been shown way he shapes lead, and before you know it, before. you’re standing in his shop in Sussex, England, “This work is small and intimate, and not a museum gallery at all. complicated, actually. Although maybe my view of “We all know about fast food,” he said, picking it is quite simple. ” He shrugged. “It’s an exploration up his very first creation, a much smaller and in different materials. And these are what we call rougher version of Still Water. “Things that the pieces that stand inside. ” aren’t made by a particular chef who’s standing Then, almost as an aside, he explained how it all there, who cares whether it’s good or not.” He set began. The first piece he ever made wasn’t grand. the piece down. “I stand for the opposite of that. Just scrap lead that happened to be sitting in a I don’t believe our hands will ever stop being wheelbarrow. necessary. Not for the things that matter.” “I haven’t told them that,” he said, laughing. For more than four decades, Fiddian Green’s “Don’t tell them either. That’s not the point anyway.” hands have worked lead, copper, gold, and silver So, what is the point? into hammered sheets. They’ve cast bronze into He took his time answering. “My search is to do shape, carved marble and semi-precious stone, something where I can express something of my and drawn charcoal across paper. But it is lead, humanity. There’s a desire in me to be still. To be hammered thin and pieced together with copper patient. Silent. ” He paused. “To be better, by not rivets, that made him famous. And it’s this saying anything else. ” piece, standing at the museum’s entrance since Then he laughed at himself, catching the 2012, that brought him to Middleburg. contradiction as it left his mouth. “I’ve That single obsession, the horse head, traces said far too much already, ” he said. “But you can back to a school assignment. Fiddian Green tell I enjoy talking. ” was born in Ireland, but as a student at Chelsea That’s the truth of Nic Fiddian Green. A man College, he was sent to the British Museum to chasing stillness with hands that won’t stop sketch selections from the Elgin Marbles. He The Roman Horse moving, describing silence in a room that, by the found himself standing in front of the Horse time he’s done talking, feels nothing like a museum of Selene, a battered fragment broken from the at all. pediment of the Parthenon. “What we could do is just gently filter through,” he said, gesturing toward the Something in its proportion and quiet dignity never let him go. He’s spent the galleries. “Anyone’s very welcome.” decades since chasing that same balance in every scale imaginable, from small It sounded like an invitation to see the work. It sounded like an invitation to slow studies you could hold in one hand to a Still Water in London’s Hyde Park that down too, in a world that rarely lets you. And upon taking him up on the offer, for a rises 33 feet into the air. little while, standing in front of that first scrap of lead pulled from a wheelbarrow, the His horses now stand in Russia, Kazakhstan, the Middle East, Australia, and room went quiet enough to hear exactly what he meant. the United States. But of all those places, he says, it’s here, in the small museum By Stefan Schetselaar

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

SAT., OCTOBER 10, 2026

GENERAL ADMISSION PASSES AVAILABLE Paul Desmond Brown (American, 1893-1958) Sketch from “Daubs” Sketchbook (page 37), 1944, watercolor, 7 1/2 x 9 3/4 inches National Sporting Library & Museum, Gift of Nancy Searles, the artist’s daughter, 2011, ©Paul Brown

Spend a day in the beautiful Middleburg countryside with plenty of open space for your enjoyment. Enjoy steeplechase racing at its best at Glenwood Park – the oldest continuous race course in Virginia. The Virginia Fall Races: Rich in tradition of the understated elegance and sportsmanship of jump racing.

Vendor Village • Food Truck • Kids Fun Fair / Petting Zoo Held for the Benefit of INOVA Loudoun Hospital Foundation and Glenwood Park

Contact the Secretary for updated information: secretary@vafallraces.com WWW.VAFALLRACES.COM

SCAN TO BUY GENERAL ADMISSION ONLINE

BLUE RIDGE WILDLIFE

Windows Can Be Hazardous to a Bird’s Health

It is still widely believed that window-strike birds are fine to recover in a box for an hour and then simply be released. While this used to be common advice, we now know that window-strike birds can fly off while still suffering from life-threatening injuries that can worsen over time.

By Annie Bradfeld

all migration has already begun.

This handsome male Hooded Warbler is one of the first reminders we’ve had this season that millions of birds are beginning an incredible journey south, and that migration comes with danger at nearly every turn.

If you find a bird who has struck a window, get that bird contained in a box somewhere warm, dark, and quiet. Then get them to a licensed rehabilitator right away.

Window collisions are one of the major humancaused threats facing wild birds. And unlike some of the enormous challenges birds face, such as habitat loss and climate change, this is one we can address at our own homes. So far this year, we’ve admitted 95 birds following witnessed window strikes. That number represents only the cases where a collision was actually observed. Many other patients arrive with injuries consistent with window strikes, but without a witness, we cannot definitively identify the cause. Window collisions are a top threat to birds, killing an estimated one billion in the United States each year. Why? You may be surprised to learn that neither people nor birds can detect glass. However, humans use visual cues to distinguish a window from an opening while birds are unable to tell the difference. To make matters worse, during the day, windows

Courtesy Blue Ridge Wildlife

A male hooded warbler. reflect the sky and vegetation outside, making a window look like open sky. Also, lights at night reflecting off windows can confuse birds into thinking they can fly into the reflected sky or trees they see, causing collisions. Reflected lights also create “traps” where birds can’t re-orient themselves out, exhausting birds often already relying on limited energy to make their long journey. So what to do if a bird strikes your window?

Welcome to a COMMUNITY that develops C H A R AC T E R and grows CONFIDENCE in all students

Over the next two months, billions of birds will make their way south. Many are tiny migrants like this Hooded Warbler, traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles while navigating storms, predators, dwindling habitat, and exhaustion. They have already survived against incredible odds. Don’t let their journey stop at your house. Take a look at your windows from the outside today. If you can see trees and sky reflected back at you, birds can see them too. A simple change could save the next migrating bird that passes through your yard. Veterinarian Annie Bradfield is executive director of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Millwood, the only licensed wildlife hospital in Northern Virginia. Learn more at blueridgewildlifectr.org.

The Hill School offers an education as unique as your child. Come visit our community to learn how our program of Total Education – strong academics and meaningful participation in art, music, sports, and theater – helps build character and confidence in our students and gets them started on the path to being happy, successful adults.

Voted Best Private School in Loudoun County for Seven Consecutive Years

thehillschool.org

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

A Final Cup of Coffee Marks the End of An Era By Alissa Jones

uppa Giddy Up, the welcoming coffee shop that had been nestled in the heart of downtown Middleburg for 25 years, closed its doors for good in July. “I turned 70 and felt it was time,” said owner Leslie Minko. “Many have commented how inviting the shop was and we like knowing that because that was truly the vibe we were sending out there. We’re happy and feel we’ve achieved our goal.” The shop had been welcoming coffee lovers since it first opened in 2001. The original owners, Clancy Alampi and her daughters, had the creative vision that brought the logo and sign to life, capturing the essence of the equestrian community. Nadena Barnett and Shaina Berry were employees at the 8 East Washington Street shop when their mom, Leslie Minko, decided to join the team of baristas. Eight months later, in February, 2005, Leslie and her daughters decided to purchase the enterprise. “We knew the business, we knew the customers and so it was just a given,” Leslie said. “Just one of those things that seemed right and we came to the decision of ‘let’s do this.’” Cuppa Giddy Up did not serve meals, but was always known for its locally sourced baked goods, bagels and, of course, great coffee. “We were small,” Leslie said, “but we tried to have the best coffee we could find, which we did and it was organic fair trade coffee.” A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Leslie moved with her family to the Northern Virginia area after her father, a militiary man, was promoted and transferred to the Pentagon to work for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Knowing I always wanted a horse, my father looked for and found a place and I worked hard all summer to raise the money to buy my horse,” said Minko, adding that her dad designed the barn and she and her two siblings pitched in to build it. Cuppa Giddy Up was known in the community for its delicious treats and coffee and fun gatherings. It also took great care to honor veterans like her father, who served in the military. Leslie also decided to say goodbye the new fashioned way, on Facebook. “Making this decision has not been easy,” a portion of the message read. “For a quarter of a century, our little shop has been more than just a place to enjoy a cup of coffee—it has been a place where friendships were formed, families gathered, celebrations were shared, and countless memories were made. Watching children grow up, welcoming familiar faces each morning, and becoming part of this incredible community has been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. “To every customer who walked through our doors, every family who made us part of your traditions, every visitor who stopped in while passing through, and every person who supported us over the years—thank you. Your kindness, loyalty, and encouragement have meant more than words can ever express.” To Leslie Minko and her family, many thanks, as well, but sadly, it’s no longer necessary to hold the cream and sugar.

Fall 2026

A Massage Message: It’s About Body and Mind

“You need to find somebody you like and feel safe with,” she said. “If you don’t have that safety, nothing therapeutically can happen.”

By Michele Husfelt

or Alisha Oberliesen, massage has never been simply about relaxation. It’s about connection, healing, and helping people feel more at home in the bodies they carry through everyday life.

Training matters too. Massage, she explained, is a broad term, while bodywork can include techniques such as myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, craniosacral work, and other specialized approaches. Even two therapists with similar training may work very differently.

Her interest began when she was just 15. After her father was injured in a car accident, her family became familiar with chiropractic care, massage, and other forms of bodywork. Then her mother gave her a gift certificate for a massage. That experience changed everything. “I remember lying on the table and thinking how I could feel every stress, every emotion,” she said. “It was like every piece of it had a different home in my body, and I could feel those things releasing.” She became fascinated by the connection between body and mind. Soon afterward, she began training in Reiki, and when she turned 18, she was old enough to begin formal massage training. Nearly three decades later, Alisha has built a career around helping others discover that massage can be far more than an occasional indulgence. Her longtime practice in Purcellville, Loudoun Massage and Bodywork, located on Main Street near the library, now includes seven massage therapists. Alisha still sees clients there, but she also works from her home in Paris, where she

“The speed, the depth, the cadence, where they go in the body, what they’re tuned into, all of those things matter,” she said, adding that one of her goals is to help people begin to think of massage and bodywork as more than just a luxury. “If it’s a feel-good experience, then it’s helping psychologically. It’s helping with stress and mood,” she said. “But beyond that, it can help greatly with physical things that nothing else seems to touch.”

Photo by Michele Husfelt

Alisha Oberliesen and a friend. offers a half-day retreat experience. The three-hour retreat includes a one-hour massage, along with time to enjoy a hot tub, cold plunge, sauna, massage chair, or simply rest. “I want people to have time to arrive and open up to being ready for the massage,” she said. “Then afterward, they can relax and really integrate it.” That sense of spaciousness reflects Alisha’s overall philosophy. She believes one of the most important parts of massage therapy is finding the right therapist.

For Alisha, the benefits go even deeper. “Everything in life is experienced through your body,” she said. “When your body feels good, everything else is better.” Whether in her peaceful corner of Paris or at her practice in Purcellville, she has created a place where people have something many rarely give themselves: permission to slow down. Details: To connect with Alisha, go to loudounmassageandbodywork.com.

R Y CHEE HOLIDA WIDE WORLD

You’ve WATCHED the race… This is what it’s like to WIN the race. It’s time to GET IN THE GAME…

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE

LONG BRANCH CHRISTMAS GALA PACK YOUR JOY AND JOIN US FOR A FESTIVE ADVENTURE SHOWCASING

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD d Icelan e Franc ny a Germ

Saturday December 5 6 - 11 pm ● Festive Cocktail Attire

COCKTAILS | FOOD | MUSIC | CHEER Steeplechase & Flat Racing Partnerships Racehorse Sales

Tickets $150

at visitlongbranch.org

RIVERDEE STABLE & CLANCY BLOODSTOOK

S e a n & An n e Cl a n c y

Sean 302-545-7713 | sean@ thisishorseracing.com Anne 917-446-2848 | akclancy@riverd.net www.riverdeestable.com

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Long Branch Historic House & Farm 830 Long Branch Lane | Boyce, Va. 22620

Ken Garrett and “The Stones are Speaking” By Leslie VanSant

Photo by Olive Talley

Kenneth Garrett photographing the ancient artifacts from the Gault site near Austin, Texas in 2021.

“S

Celebrating Our 50th Greer’ s Year!

Greer’s Antiques GREER’S CONSERVATION Antiques GREER’SANTIQUE ANTIQUE CONSERVATION Quality youcan cantrust trust Quality you

www.greersconservation.com Open House Holiday www.greersconservation.com

37627 Allder School Road Purcellville, VA 20132 540.338.6607

www.greersconservation.com

2nd Annual Holiday

November 8 & 9, 2014 10am-4pm

Join us for our

Join us for our 2nd Annual

Open House

Holiday

2nd Annual

Join us for our

n n

Greer’s Antiques

cience is not absolute. It moves, especially social sciences,” said renowned photographer Kenneth Garrett, sitting at his home in Broad Run in the middle of a recent summer downpour. Garrett has spent a career as a photojournalist for National Geographic. His assignments have literally taken him to the far corners of the globe, primarily exploring and documenting ancient civilizations. Most notably, they include his award-winning photos of the treasures from the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutenkamen and his work documenting the Journey Through Hallowed Ground landscape. Garrett is a natural storyteller, anthropologist and conservationist. Sitting down with him, surrounded by large versions of his well-known photos, carvings and masks collected across a career, he quickly leaps into a story that may well be as old as time: the peopling of the Americas. In the early part of the 20th century, an archeological discovery near Clovis, New Mexico, became the baseline for understanding earliest civilizations in the Americas, about 12,700 - 13,500 years Before Present (BP). The discovery supported the theory of migration of Asiatic peoples by foot across the Bering Land Bridge during the last ice age. This became the accepted standard, of course, until new archeological evidence was discovered. Garrett met Michael Collins in 2000 while the photographer was preparing a story for National Geographic. Collins is a Texas archeologist/professor/rancher whose excavation and documentation of artifacts at a site now known as Gault outside of Austin, challenged science to change the timeline. The artifacts unearthed at Gault pre-dated Clovis 13,000 to 20,000 years BP, and their sheer abundance suggested a sustained community had once lived there. The story of Collins’ work to further science and protect the rich archeological site at Gault captivated Garrett. The site literally changed the history of humans in the Americas. Additional sites, including Cactus Hill in Sussex County, Virginia, and Monteverde, Chile further pushed science to expand consideration of how the earliest Americans reached the continents to include crossing oceans in addition to land bridges. Fast forward to 2017 when Garrett was lecturing as an expert on a National Geographic trip to Antarctica. The interest of Olive Talley, an audience member, was piqued. “A native Texan and journalist in Texas for most of my career,” Talley said, “I wondered how such an important site that helped rewrite the story of some of the earliest people in the Americas could be lost on the public, particularly Texans, who love to brag about special places in our state.” From there, a professional partnership and a personal relationship with Garrett developed, to tell the story of the Gault site and Michael Collins. It resulted in the 2024 production of a 90-minute documentary, “The Stones Are Speaking.” The film shares the story of Collins, a soft-spoken thoughtful man, who realized the importance of the Gault site in defining history and the challenges he faced to excavate, document and ultimately protect it. Collins’ passion for the land and history is something that will resonate with anyone who has tried to preserve and protect the land or history. Talley also credited Garrett for inspiring the film, and he also provided the still photography for the documentary that can be streamed on Amazon, Apple or YouTube.

November 8 & 9, 2014 37627 Allder School Open House 37627 Allder School RoadRoad www.greersconservation.com 10am-4pm Purcellville, VA 20132 Purcellville, VA 20132 November 8 & 9,540.338.6607 2014 540.338.6607 37627 Allder School Road www.greersconservation.com 10am-4pm greersant@gmail.com greersant@gmail.com Purcellville, VA 20132 540.338.6607

n Weekends www.greersconservation.com greersant@gmail.com Open Monday 9-4&&Weekends by Appointment Open Monday-- Friday Friday 9-4 by Appointment Museum LevelConservation Conservation and Furniture for 44for years Museum Level andCustom Custom Furniture 50 years 37627 Allder School Road

20132 by Appointment Open Monday -Purcellville, Friday 9-4 &VA Weekends 540.338.6607 Museum Level Conservation and Custom Furniture for 44 years

37627 Allder School Road greersant@aol.com Purcellville, VA 20132 Regular hours are by 540.338.6607 appointment only greersant@aol.com

Fall 2026

What’s In a Name? Quite a Steeplechaser

By Bill Cauley

ix years ago, the late Gordon C. Keys had a hunch about a yearling who clearly had gone under the radar of some other racehorse owners. During the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic fall yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland, this young horse was the last to go on the auction block, and drew little interest. A “No Sale” was declared and the horse left the ring. Yet Keys, who passed away in 2023, sensed there was still some potential and bought the horse through consigner Gordy Keys Bill Reightler for $2,000. It ended up being one of Keys’ best decisions—and deals—as a long time racing owner. He named him Keys’ Discount, given the low sale price, an incredibly prescient purchase. “That’s a fun story in itself, how he got his name,” said Sam Cockburn, Keys’ grandson and a trainer himself. “Gordy got such a good deal, a discount if you will.” Now owned by Dolly Fisher and trained by her son, Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, the horse has made 18 career starts, with eight wins, two second-place finishes and one third, with career earnings of $246,966. “Gordy had a good eye for horses,” Cockburn said. “Somehow, he knew this particular horse had a chance to do something, be a winner.” Keys’ Discount can add to his sterling record again at the 89th running of the International Gold Cup is held at Great Meadow in The Plains, on Oct. 24. He’s already won two Virginia Gold Cup races in the spring and is defending champion in the fall International Gold Cup. The all time Great Meadow record holder is Saluter, with six Virginia Gold Cup wins and two more in the International Gold Cup. In the beginning, Keys’ Discount was thought to be a flat-track horse, “but he just wasn’t good at it,” Cockburn said. “So we tried hurdle racing.” That move wasn’t particularly successful either. “He had some problems handling those hurdles,” Cockburn said.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Then came the decision to try Keys’ Discount on a point-to-point fox hunt race also known as a steeplechase. Yes, there are some hurdles on a steeplechase course but they are not quite as challenging, compared to the more competitive hurdles in some equestrian events. When Keys made the purchase, he was aware that there was a slightly inflamed sesamoid bone in the horse’s ankle. A sesamoid is a small, rounded bone embedded within a tendon or muscle, designed to protect tendons and enhance mechanical efficiency. Photos by Douglas Les Unlike typical bones, sesamoids Keys Discount takes jockey Jamie develop in response to mechanical Bargary over a Virginia Gold Cup jump. stress or strain on the tendon. Nevertheless, Keys still believed in the horse and proceeded with the sale. “That’s not uncommon in yearlings,” Cockbburn said. “Some owners don’t want to take a chance on a horse like that, but Gordy was willing to go forward with the sale. Eventually, that inflammation went away.” Cockburn trained Keys’ Discount for a few years, watching him develop into a competitive race horse before Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher purchased him for his mother Dolly in the spring of 2024. “My mom was looking to add to her stable,” Fisher told The Paulick Report web site. “I watched him. He jumped well, did everything well, so I thought, what the hell. Same goes for timber horses: it’s about numbers. There are others I thought would be better. But Keys Discount just is.” “For sure, I miss Keys’ Discount,” Cockburn said. “He’s such a great horse.”

Fall 2026

Delivering personalized, high-quality dental care for the entire family.

Middleburg Smiles is a family-friendly dental office, offering a full range of services.

DR. KELLY LINCOLN

All care is provided by our dedicated dentist, Dr. Kelly Lincoln, who has been proudly serving patients in Loudoun County for over 15 years. SERVICES INCLUDE: Cosmetic restorations Invisalign® Whitening Tooth replacement options TMJ therapy Routine checkups

OFFICE HOURS:

204 EAST FEDERAL STREET

MONDAY THROUGH

MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

THURSDAY

(540) 687-6363

8:30AM - 5:00PM

MiddleburgSmiles.com FOLLOW US:

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

A Small School, A Huge Achievement By Katie Charnley

n the heart of Middleburg, a small public charter school is demonstrating what can happen when innovation, community, and a commitment to continuous improvement come together. Middleburg Community Charter School (MCCS), Northern Virginia’s first public charter school, earned Distinguished status under Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework—the Commonwealth’s highest performance category. The distinction places MCCS in select company: only 17 percent of Virginia’s elementary schools earned Distinguished status in the framework’s inaugural year. For MCCS, the recognition is about more than a rating. It reflects years of intentionally strengthening the systems surrounding students while preserving the innovative model that makes Middleburg unique. MCCS restructured its student support model to include a dedicated Math Interventionist and a full-time Reading Specialist/English Learner Teacher, providing opportunities for earlier intervention and targeted instruction. The school also invested in an Arts Integration Specialist, strengthening its commitment to connecting creativity and the arts with rigorous academic learning. Collaboration has been equally important. A school-wide common Collaborative Learning Team (CLT) brings classroom teachers and specialists together to analyze data, discuss individual students, plan interventions and enrichment, and share responsibility for student growth. Reading, math, special education, gifted education, arts integration, technology, and classroom instruction become part of one coordinated conversation about student success. Teachers are feeling those changes in the classroom. “Seeing the growth over my past four years at MCCS has been exciting,” said fourth-grade teacher Michaela Osborne. “Feeling supported by staff, having resources when I need them, and having the flexibility in how I teach the standards have been critical to our growth. Sure, we’re not traditional, but good teaching and best practices are just that—best practices. Having the freedom and support to use them makes a difference in student outcomes.” That commitment to strong systems extends beyond academic performance. At the end of the 2025–26 school year, an LCPS Special Education Compliance Review showed MCCS at 100 per cent compliance, reflecting the school’s continued focus on strong special education practices, accurate documentation, and individualized support for students with disabilities. Yet, growth at MCCS has not meant becoming more traditional. Its artsintegrated curriculum, Da Vincian approach to curiosity and inquiry, placebased learning, and deep partnerships throughout the Middleburg community remain at the heart of the school. The goal has been to pair the charter model’s flexibility and creativity with strong instruction and intentional student supports. And MCCS may just be getting started. While this year’s official ratings have not yet been released, an early look at student performance data suggests Middleburg may score even higher on its next state report card, released in October, continuing an upward trajectory built through intentional changes in instruction, intervention, and collaboration. For MCCS, Distinguished is worth celebrating, but it’s not the finish line. It shows what can happen when a small school combines innovative learning with strong academic systems, dedicated educators, supportive families, and an engaged community. Small school. Big achievement. Even bigger goals. Katie Charnley is Assistant Principal, Instructional Technology Facilitator and Gifted Resource Teacher at the Middleburg Community Charter School.

Early Learning in Fauquier County

By John T. Toler

ublic education in Virginia did not exist, at least on paper, before the ratification of a new state constitution in 1870. Before the Civil War, educational opportunities consisted of private schools, or at farm schools provided by estate owners for their children and relatives. The first private school in Warrenton was Hezekiah Balch’s Classical School, which opened in 1777and in 1788 became the Warren Academy. Capt. George Ball established a second classical academy for boys in the early 1800s. The first private school for girls in Warrenton was established in 1823 by Miss Mariah A. Kemper, followed by the school started by Miss Harriet Swift in the 1840s. These small schools closed after serving their purposes, and larger, non-coeducational private schools were established in the years that followed.

FFI students participated in the May,1923 Warrenton Day Parade. The school and its students were actively involved in the community. house, and was later sold to Mr. and Mrs. Vincent O. Jacobs, who converted the building to apartments. In 1972, the property was sold and the Leeds Square townhouse community built around the original schoolhouse, which was sold in 1985 and converted to a retirement home. Ownership passed again in 2006 to Warrenton businessman Malcolm Alls, who made extensive improvements and brought the building back as the Lee Street Mansion apartment building.

The Fauquier Female Institute on East Lee Street, Warrenton as it appeared in the 1880s. The Fauquier Female Institute In early 1857, William F. Phillipps sold a 7½-acre parcel on Warrenton’s East Lee Street to a group of investors interested in establishing a girls’ school on the site, to be called the Fauquier Seminary. Work started immediately on a large schoolhouse built by local contractor John R. Spilman. It opened in 1858. The school operated throughout the Civil War, and in 1871 was sold to Spilman and Dr. Robert Frazer in 1871. Basic terms per session were $200 for tuition and board. The basic fundamentals of education were taught there, and the girls were required to memorize poems. Language studies in French or Latin were offered, as were history and geography. The property was later acquired by Major Robert P. Barry (1839-1912), who leased the school to Professor George G. Butler, who with his wife, Adelaide, and daughters Nellie and Edith operated the school. Although enrollment at the school was at about 50 girls (about half were boarders), finances were tight. A few local boys paid to take classes there, and the Butlers took in summer boarders. Prof. Butler died in 1908. Nellie and Edith continued to operate the school until 1923, after which three teachers stayed on in an attempt to keep the school going. It closed in 1925, and Major Barry’s heirs sold the property to businessmen Herman and Joseph Ullman. The school building was remodeled as a boarding

Bethel Military Academy operated at the Fauquier Spring from 1896-1898 before returning to Bethel. The academy’s Glee Club was photographed on the verandah of the hotel during that time. Bethel Military Academy Bethel Military Academy, located northwest of Warrenton, operated from 1867 to 1911. Its founder was Major Albert Galatin Smith (18341892), who studied at local academies before earning a law degree from the University of Virginia. During the Civil War, he served as an officer in the 38th Virginia Regiment. Once the war was over, Major Smith turned his attention to education, and started his own school. In the spring of 1867, he began renovating an old log building near the Bethel Chapel. The Bethel Academy was open for the fall session, with 12 students. The following year, 35 students were enrolled, necessitating a large addition. In 1869, the nearby Evergreen Academy merged with Bethel, and the number of students increased again. Major Smith began building a larger staff, including Prof. James DeRuyter Blackwell (18281901), who brought many new ideas, including the adoption of a military school-approach to education. Bethel Military Academy soon came into being. The 1870s saw rapid growth at BMA, and a large

Bethel Military Academy cadets were served their meals at the Superintendent’s house, where Maj. McIntyre (at center) lived with his family. building program was started. Barracks in the form of seven four-room cottages were built, along with an assembly hall, recitation rooms, the armory, social hall, baths and toilets. Later improvements included a gymnasium with a skating pond and a 3,000-square foot pavilion, used for drills and student activities. Major Smith taught political science and law and other subjects included Latin, Greek and German, elocution, English, mathematics, natural sciences and bookkeeping. He also adopted a new school uniform, which was based on the uniform of the cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, made of “Charlottesville gray” cloth with black trim. Enrollment for the 1872-73 sessions reached the highest level, with 131 cadets. The faculty-to-student ratio was kept at 6-to-1, and with the numerous regulations and cadet military hierarchy, there was very little doubt about what was expected of each student. By 1890, Major Smith’s health began to fail, and in 1886 his son-in-law, Major Robert A. McIntyre (1862-1952), a graduate of BMA who had gone on to earn a law degree, was appointed Associate Principal and Commandant of Cadets. He began planning sweeping changes at the school. After Major Smith’s death in 1892, Major McIntyre planned to renovate the school buildings, but instead decided to move the school from Bethel to Fauquier White Sculpture Springs, southwest of Warrenton. In 1896, he signed a five-year contract to lease the property with an option to buy it. The five-story brick hotel had 120 guest rooms, numerous meeting rooms for classes, a modern steam laundry, bathhouse and the landmark pavilion. After the 1897-98 session, the school moved back to Bethel. But by then, new trends in education were taking place, with a movement away from private military academies. Returning to the old site, Maj. McIntyre started on the renovations needed to reopen the school. However, enrollment for the 1898-99 session dropped to 40 cadets, and at the end of the school year, Major McIntyre resigned to pursue a career as an attorney. He retained ownership of the property, and BMA was run by other superintendents. Dwindling enrollment continued to be a problem, and by the 1910-11 session, enrollment had dropped to 44 cadets. With the celebration of “Finals” on June 7, 1911, Bethel Military Academy passed into history.

Fall 2026

Middleburg Library Board Converts A Smooth Double Play

By Leonard Shapiro

athryn Baran very modestly describes her numerous accomplishments over her three-year tenure as president of the Middleburg Library Advisory Board (MLAB) as including a number of “small, but important things.” One of them, a refreshed new sign out in front of the building, gives her so much pleasure, “every time I pull up in my car, I just stop for a second and gaze at it.” Clearly, there was so much more for this multi-talented retired attorney and long-time local resident to be properly proud of, including one of her final decisions before passing the baton to the next in line earlier this year. It was a double-your-pleasure move—with Baran recommending that two board members, Middleburg native Sarah Brissing, a teacher and reading specialist at Banneker Elementary, and her colleague, Banneker Principal Robert Carter, be approved as the first co-presidents in MLAB history. A unanimous and popular decision among the 16-member board, it’s been a seamless transition right from the start, just as Baran, still on the board, had expected. “I thought it would be important to have someone a little younger than I was and in a different stage of life,” she said of the co-presidency concept. “They had to be energetic and also involved in the community and of course, had to love the library. Sarah and Robert fit each factor, but they were also hugely busy in their careers and in their lives with their families. I just thought having the opportunity to share the job would get them both to say yes.” For both Brissing and Carter, it was mostly a no-brainer.

MLAB co-president Sarah Brissing

MLAB co-president Robert Carter Photos by Doug Gehlsen, Middleburg Photo

“Kathryn was such a strong presence that imagining myself in that position felt a little surreal,” Brissing said. “But when she suggested the idea of co-presidents, it made perfect sense. Robert and I have worked together for ten years, and we’re both deeply devoted to the community and the children we serve. As a reading specialist, my work is about helping children not only learn to read, but learn to love reading. Connecting children and families with books, literature, and all the resources the library has to offer feels like a natural extension of that work.” Said Carter, “this just felt like it was adjacent to what we’re doing here at Banneker—promoting community literacy…Our library at school is large, but school isn’t open Saturday and Sunday or after school. With the Middleburg Library, they can get a library card, they can spend their summers reading. There are so many resources available through our library system. And it’s only a seven minute drive from (Banneker) to the library.” According to its website, the MLAB “is a charitable organization created (in 1986) to benefit the Middleburg Library and to promote a love of learning in the Middleburg Community.” Launched in 1983 by a group of local citizens, the library became part of the Loudoun County Public Library system in 1986 and has been at its current location on the appropriately named Reed Street since 1990. The board raises and administers funds to add additional support to the library’s resources. It has a college scholarship program organized by board member Travis Shaw that recently distributed $19,000 in financial aid to area students. It sponsors a popular local author lecture series. On Baran’s watch, the MLAB added its own web site overseen by board member Kiernan Slater and web designer Meredith Hancock, the better to communicate with library users and donors. The board also works extremely closely with the Middleburg Library’s innovative branch manager, Dena Henchen, who took the job in June, 2024 during Baran’s presidency. Henchen also has her own long list of accomplishments, particularly in the area of new programming, both for children and adults. “Kathryn has been instrumental in navigating the transition to Robert and Sarah,” Henchen said. “She made sure they got all the information they needed and that the three of us were connected. It’s been great so far, no stumbling blocks at all and they (Carter and Brissing) have a lot of great ideas. “I look at my role as being a bridge between the staff and the board and how the board can help support the library with staff needs, equipment needs. From the beginning, my goal has been to build relationships with the board by being as transparent as I can and sharing what we do…I’m a bridge on all sides.” Brissing, Carter and Baran all greatly appreciate Henchen’s enthusiasm, people skills, and innovative programs. “She understands how people engage with technology and how they view the role of the library,” Brissing added. “With book clubs and programs extending into places like Banneker and the Community Center, the library is meeting readers where they are while also encouraging them to discover everything the library itself has to offer.” “She is very creative,” Carter said. “And she is so unassuming, but her ideas are there and her programs are there. She’s been great to work with.” Said Baran, “she’s a gift. She transcends the job. And she loves her job. I can’t believe our luck.” Including presidents and co-presidents, past and present.

Tablet Time at Levis Hill House

paper. Now he’s started painting birds, flowers, and dogs with oils on canvas.

By John E. Ross

eld in a sky-blue frame, the window is small, maybe eight inches by six. Through it, residents of Levis Hill House at Windy Hill in Middleburg explore the world. They meet up with their grandkids, go to movies they’ve always wanted to see, join Al Jarreau as he renders his jazz greats, play games, and surf the internet to satisfy curiosity. During COVID, an anonymous donor provided 20 Amazon Fire HD80 tablet computers for residents of Levis Hill House—senior citizens and disabled individuals still capable of independent living. Last spring nine more tablets were passed out to residents who had expressed an interest in getting one. Recently, Mike and Tracy Grigsby and “Pooh” Wallace, neighbors living in what they laughingly call Levis Hill’s “penthouse suites,” talked about how they use their tablets. Mike said he enjoys downloading “a little bit of music,” especially contemporary jazz. Pooh is a country and western fan with a fondness for “If There’s A Phone in Heaven.” She and Tracy both like Kenny Rogers. And when it comes to games, Pooh spends “an hour and a half to two hours a day” playing solitaire and Candy Crush. Mike prefers working crossword puzzles. All use their tablets to stay in touch with family through texts, email, and

“In the first place,” he said, “I like colors.” While this trio also use their tablets to shop and pay bills, all are concerned about being scammed. Pooh recalled a site with little kids “offering to say a prayer for your daughters” if you’d just send them some money. All three are worried about “that AI stuff,” as Pooh said, referring to the burgeoning field of Artificial Intelligence. Photos by Douglas Les

Mike and Tracy Grigsby and Francis “Pooh” Wallace all work with the Amazon Firepower tablet. occasional video calls. Use of a personal computer was new to all three. “If it’s set up as a work computer, I can do it fine,” Tracy said. For a dozen years she managed the Sheetz station and store in Leesburg. There she used the computer for payroll, ordering gas, and changing prices. She recently started working at the Exxon station in Middleburg. When Mike mentioned he also liked to download art, Pooh and Tracy piped up. “Oh he’s the wildlife man! He’s an amazing artist.” Since his elementary school days, Mike’s been sketching with pencil on

“You never know what’s true and what’s false,” Mike added. Protecting personal information was among the major issues covered in a class put on by Residence Services Coordinator Madison Filson when the tablets were distributed to Levis Hill residents. The course began with basic how-to information: operating the tablet, signing into the internet, safely surfing the web, and staying in touch with family and friends. For seniors who want a computer, tablets are ideal, particularly for those with arthritis or are otherwise physically challenged, said Michelle Lacaze, Windy Hill’s director of resident services. More classes on the uses of the tablets are scheduled for the coming months. And there will be a few more tablets looking for homes with residents of Levis Hill House.

Cozy Season in Hunt Country

AS LEAVES TURN AND EVENINGS GROW CRISP, GOODSTONE INN INVITES OUR LOCAL NEIGHBORS TO REDISCOVER THE MAGIC NEARBY. NO NEED TO TRAVEL FAR THIS FALL FOR WARMTH, WONDER, AND A TABLE WORTH LINGERING AT. WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT GOODSTONE INN & RESATURANT THIS COZY SEASON.

MIDDLEBURG, VA | WWW.GOODSTONE.COM | 540-687-3333 Fall 2026

HUNT COUNTRY CHRONICLE

Presidents, Politics And Ponies

Brandy Greenwell

By Brandy Greenwell

n Middleburg, it’s often said the walls have ears. Apparently, sometimes they have hounds, too.

One of our newest residents—or at least the Middleburg property Vice President J.D. Vance rents—recently received an unplanned visit from a pack of local foxhounds, a Hunt Country version of the welcome wagon. I would have paid good money to witness the interaction between the Secret Service and hunt staff arriving to exercise Virginia’s right of retrieval. And yes, for those unfamiliar with the peculiarities of the Commonwealth, this is actually a thing. Virginia law specifically allows fox hunters, when a chase begins elsewhere, to follow their hounds onto otherwise prohibited private property. They can’t bring a weapon, continue hunting while they’re there or drive across the property without permission— but they can go get the hounds. There are probably very few places in America where a member of the U.S. Secret Service could find himself debating Virginia hunting law with someone in muddy boots over a pack of wayward foxhounds. But then again, Middleburg has been navigating the intersection of hounds and political power for a very long time. Long before black SUVs traveled our gravel roads, a teenage George Washington was riding on horseback through this countryside with surveying equipment. In 1748, at just 16, the future first president joined a surveying expedition into the Virginia frontier. This was before there was a presidency, a United States or even a Middleburg. The village wasn’t established until 1787, when

Revolutionary War veteran Leven Powell purchased land around what was then Chinn’s Crossroads. Located between Alexandria and Winchester, the new town became Middleburg. We were geographically in the middle. Politically, we were apparently destined to be right in the thick of it. By the Civil War, the horses passing through town weren’t carrying fox chasers. The countryside around Middleburg became an important stage for cavalry warfare, and no Civil War figure is more intertwined with local lore than John Singleton Mosby. Known as the “Gray Ghost,” Mosby and his Rangers knew these roads, farms, gaps and stone walls well enough to strike Union forces and seemingly disappear. The region became so closely associated with him it was known as “Mosby’s Confederacy.” Then history took one of its stranger turns. After the war, the former Confederate partisan became a Republican, befriended Ulysses S. Grant and eventually accepted a federal appointment. Politics has always made strange bedfellows. Apparently that was true in the 1860s, too. By the early 20th century, a different sort of invasion was underway. Money. Wealthy families from Washington, New York and Philadelphia began acquiring farms around Middleburg and Upperville. Fox hunting, racing, breeding and grand country estates transformed the landscape. Washington D.C. discovered Hunt Country. And Washington has been coming here to escape Washington ever since. No political family became more intertwined with Middleburg than the Kennedys. When John F. Kennedy entered the White House in 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy wanted something Washington

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

couldn’t give her. Horses. Middleburg understood the assignment. The Kennedys leased Glen-Ora outside town, where Jackie could ride and hunt and the family could enjoy some semblance of normal life. Of course, when your husband is president, “normal” involves motorcades, Secret Service and the White House press corps descending on a village of a few hundred people. Reporters even used the Red Fox Inn as a base while Kennedy was in town. Imagine today’s White House press corps arriving in Middleburg every weekend. Actually, don’t. Parking on Washington Street is difficult enough. Virginia Senator John Warner embodied the marriage between Washington and Hunt Country: senator, former Secretary of the Navy, horseman and Virginia gentleman farmer. His marriage to Elizabeth Taylor temporarily added Hollywood royalty to our already peculiar local cocktail of horses, politics, old money and people pretending not to notice famous people at the next table. Which brings us back to the hounds. Nearly three centuries after teenage George Washington rode through this countryside, the black SUVs are still coming west. Presidents and VPs have come. Senators have stayed. Wars have passed through. First ladies have galloped across the fields. And Middleburg remains Middleburg. We protect our countryside, complain about traffic, argue about development and generally pretend not to notice who’s sitting three tables away. Political power may impress Washington. It doesn’t particularly impress a foxhound.

Early’s

INSTAN T CREDIT AVAILAB LE!

Your Hometown Store

We do it all!

The Specialists

Family Owned & Operated

Mr. Louver Louver ~ Fuzzy ~ Mr. Woody ~ Shady Lady ~ Carrera

Your One-Stop Shop for Complete Home Decorating Services

Door Prize! No Purchase Necessary

Oriental by Nourison 100% Wool

5’6”x8’6” Beige with Herbal Green & Sienna

ComeServing Help Us Celebrate 60 Years Fauquier, Culpeper & Rappahannock Counties

Rug Bonanza Anniversary Specials $60 Area Jaunty - Nourison - Jaipur Retail Value $480

EACH

60 Rugs

Retail Value $876

Size 12’x9’ 1 Come Basis

Visit Store to Sign Up

Thank you for 60 Years-Pick-Up your Free Bound Rug with visit

Available sizes: 2’x4’ or 3’x5’

Ridicul Low Prously ices

Drawing Held on October 31st

40oz Pad to Fit Reg. $84 minus 25% = $63 each

Rugs by Karastan - Couristan Sphinx & Mayberry Size

NOW

Reg. Retail

2’x3’+ Up

Over 40 in stock

$6 Each

$118

5’x8’+ Up Under @$1000 $360 Each Under @$1500 $560 Each Over 40 in stock

8’x10’+ Up

Only 10 in stock

$660 Each

@$1800

RUNNERS IN STOCK

SALE

31” Wide - 3 Colors

HARDWOOD FLOORING

Ivory/Ivory - Red/Ivory - Blue Ivory

$24 Lin.Ft.

All Carpet & s nt Vinyl Remna 1/2 Price Visit Store and Bring your sizes!

SALE

26” Wide - 2 Colors Beige/Gray - Multi

$20 Lin.Ft. 4 Patterns

Double Dip on Discounts!

Anniversary Special

$0.50 Use our $0.50 OFF coupon /SQ.FT. REBATE

Beige-Multi - Ivory - Sage

ON YOUR MIRAGE FLOORS PURCHASE

$12 Lin.Ft.

Regular stairway takes 21 Lin.Ft. ~ Pad & Installation Extra

and stack it with the $0.50 rebate = $1.00 OFF per sq.ft.

THIS IS NOT A MISPRINT!

Home of the Cetrifuge Rug Cleaning Method

Bring us your soiled rug for cleaning! GET 10% OFF

CLEANING SPECIALS In-Home Carpet Cleaning

Free Installation OCTOBER ONY

Do 2 Rooms – Get 3rd one FREE Get it clean Duct Cleaning Dryer Vents

WAREHOUSE BLOWOUT

~SALE~

Laminates by Mannington and Mohawk

Assorted patterns & colors Over 6000 sq.ft. In Stock Reg. $5.50 sq.ft.

10% Off

Regular Price

$0.60 sq.ft.

Other Cleaning Services Ceramic – Hardwood – Tile Upholstery & Drapery Fabrics

LVT by Mannington and Mohawk

Assorted patterns & colors Over 5000 Sq.Ft. In Stock Reg. $6.50 sq.ft.

• Call for estimate! •

In Shop – Area Rugs

Pick up and Delivery Available Minimum charges apply – Free Quotes

$1.06 sq.ft.

Early’s

Highway Route 211 • Amissville, VA

We are only 13 miles from Warrenton. Take Rte. 211W toward Washington, VA past the stop light at 229 crossroads, proceed approx. 2 miles beyond Amissville sign, make U-turn across from Rte. 645. Early’s is on right (211E)

www.earlyscarpet.com • www.earlysshadesandshutters.com

So Much Under One Roof!

SHE 7020/10-26 Fauquier

Hardwood

35 ctns. Mirage 3/4”x4 1/4” 14 ctns. Bruce 3/4”x3 1/4” Red Oak - Nevada Cashmere 630 sq.ft. available Reg. $8.20 sq.ft.

Sale $1.60 sq.ft.

13 ctns. Mirage 3/4”x3 1/4”

24 ctns. Brazillian Cherry 3/4”x5 1/2”

Sale $3.60 sq.ft. Red Oak Rio 260 sq.ft. available Reg. $5.80 sq.ft.

Sale $2.60 sq.ft.

Wyoming - Hickory 308 sq.ft. available Reg. $9.50 sq.ft.

464 sq.ft. available Reg. $12.00 sq.ft.

Sale $1.60 sq.ft.

Trims and Installations Extra

First Come Basis On All Sale Merchandise. We Install & Warranty ONLY What We Sell! We Appreciate “Do It Yourself” Sales! Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm Saturday 9 am-2 pm

(540) 937-5500

Drive a little – Save a lot!

Fall 2026

HUMAN INTELLIGENCE

Grading Papers in the Age of AI

By Hunt Lyman

or a decade in the 1990s, I served as a reader and table leader for the Advanced Placement English Literature exam. Each summer, some 600 AP teachers gathered, each grading more than a thousand essays on a single topic. I participated to become a better teacher, and it helped. I took away two lessons: it’s remarkably difficult to get even experienced readers to agree on the merits of a piece of writing, and grading is time-consuming for all teachers, not just me.

Hunt Lyman To keep scores consistent, we spent most of the first day studying the passage or poem and rubric and practicing scoring, then recalibrated on sample essays each morning and after every break. Even after a week, these veterans rarely reached consensus. Give 200 readers an essay the table leaders had scored a 6 on a scale of 1 to 9, and most would agree, but a significant minority would say 5 or 7, and a few would assign a 4 or an 8. I also read no more slowly than my public school colleagues, though I had assumed I did, since they taught far more students and still managed the paper load. Simple math shows the burden: if thoughtfully reading and commenting on an essay takes ten minutes, a teacher with 120 students must find 20 extra hours every time she assigns one. No wonder many students get little writing practice, and many assignments, designed for rapid grading, reward formulaic writing. One tempting response is to let artificial intelligence grade student work. AI can apply a rubric more evenly than a tired teacher at eleven at night, though it is

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

not perfectly consistent either. It can also comment in detail on a composition’s strengths and weaknesses and respond to rough drafts. Done well, this could give students more practice and the kind of feedback that helps them grow as writers. The problem is that students can also use AI to write the papers, producing an absurd paradox, already a reality in some schools: students use AI to write essays, teachers use AI to grade them, and no one learns anything. A natural reply is that school exists for students to learn to write, not for teachers to learn to grade. Using AI to write a paper is like sending a robot to the gym; neither builds the muscle or the mind. Students should do their own work, the argument goes; teachers simply need help with the load. That ignores the student perspective. Middle and high schoolers have a keen sense of fairness. If students believe a teacher will not personally read their work, they’re unlikely to invest time in writing it. Writing and responding to writing are important ways students and teachers connect. That relationship is the foundation of learning. There’s no easy resolution. AI can help teachers manage a crushing paper load, but a teacher must still be able to understand and explain every grade and comment. And while students need to master writing fundamentals, AI can help them practice, organize, and edit, provided it does not do their thinking for them. Writing is a process with real value. The world does not need another paper on the river in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but the student writing one may discover genuine insights while developing organization and fluency. I’ve learned about writing instruction by thinking through this column, though I will use AI to edit it. As teachers adapt to the ubiquity of AI, they must remember that the central purpose of writing in school is to help students discover what, and how, they can think.

WHEN TREES TESTIFY

“A poignant and singular retelling of Black American history.” —Publishers Weekly

This stunning cultural and personal reclamation of Black history and Black botanical mastery offers up lessons from the natural world shared through the stories of long-lived trees

he histories of trees in America are also the histories of Black Americans. Pecan trees were domesticated by an enslaved African named Antoine; sycamore trees were both havens and signposts for people trying to escape enslavement; poplar trees are historically associated with lynching; and willow bark has offered the gift of medicine. These trees, and others, testify not only to the complexity of the Black American narrative but also to a heritage of Black botanical expertise that, like Native American traditions, predates the United States entirely. In When Trees Testify, award-winning plant biologist Beronda L. Montgomery explores the ways seven trees—as well as the cotton shrub—are intertwined with Black history and culture. She reveals how knowledge surrounding these trees has shaped America since the very beginning. As Montgomery shows, trees are material witnesses to the lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Combining the wisdom of science and history with stories from her own path to botany, Montgomery talks to majestic trees, and in this unique and compelling narrative, they answer. Published by Henry Holt Beronda L. Montgomery is an award-winning plant biologist and the author of the acclaimed Lessons from Plants (Harvard University Press, 2021). She has been named one of the journal Cell’s 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America, and was awarded the 2021 Cynthia Westcott Science Writing Award and 2022 Adolph E. Gude, Jr. Award for outstanding service to the science of plant biology. She was named a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University (2025-26), and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Plant Biologists, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Academy of Microbiology.

Fall 2026

Timeless Properties. Trusted Representation. Will Driskill (540) 454-7522 IM P PR RO IC VE E D

IM P PR RO IC VE E D

wdriskill@thomasandtalbot.com Social: @willdriskillthomasandtalbot

DIME BOX

Murder Bites Remains a Very Funny Mystery

SLATE HILL

12+ acres | $2,700,000

7+ acres | $2,575,000

Middleburg – 4 BR, 4/1 BA residence has been spectacularly reimagined with toptier upgrades, offering a flawless turn-key lifestyle for the discerning buyer.

Upperville – c.1700’s 4 BRs, 2/1 BAs house, renovated inside and out in 2021. 4 Stall center aisle barn, 120’ x 70’ EquiSand arena–suitable for all riding disciplines.

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES

2 S Madison St. Middleburg VA 20117 | 540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

McINTOSH & ELDREDGE Anne McIntosh 703-509-4499

Maria Eldredge 540-454-3829

Photo by ZEST

Mimi Montgomery and Mary Beth Morell

uthor Mimi Montgomery likes to describe her first novel, “Murder Bites,” as a cross between a former television favorite, “Desperate Housewives,” and the hysterically funny dog show film, “Best in Show.”

Recently released and a Random House Book Club selection, the book’s plot is characterized on the back cover as “a city transplant in a dogobsessed small town becomes the prime suspect when the local dog walker is murdered in this delightfully quirky and clever mystery.” The city transplant is Margot, and, according to the cover copy, in order to “clear hername and save her family from falling apart, she vows to find the real killer before they strike again—but she can’t do it alone.” Enter several other intriguing characters, including a “glamorous septuagenarian widow” and another member of the “Mommy Mafia who might not be as perfect as she seems.” Montgomery came to Middleburg recently without her own dog to talk about the book at the Castle Gallery on Federal Street. In a lively, well-attended session moderated by Mary Beth Morell, owner of Middleburg Books. Montgomery, a first-time author, a journalist by profession, said it took her four years and many rewrites to complete the project, including the nine months she was pregnant with her first child.

SERENITY

OLD CHAPEL ROAD

Boyce – 3 BR / 1.5 BA huntbox. Exterior paint and new roof. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, 2 working fireplaces. Bring your horses! Blue Ridge Mountain views.

Boyce – Small horse farm with 3 BR / 2.5 BA Cape Cod in Blue Ridge hunt country. Original floors, beamed ceilings. 4-stall center aisle barn. 1 hour from Dulles.

14+ acres | $945,000

10+ acres | $899,000

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Montgomery lives in Alexandria, is a North Carolina native and graduate of the University of Virginia, with a Masters degree from Georgetown. She’s written for The Washington Post, Axios, Garden & Gun and Outside magazine, and her work has been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Inside Edition and CNN, among other print and broadcast outlets. During her hour-long session at the Castle Gallery, she was also asked about her own favorite writers. Clearly at the top of her list was Carl Hiassen, the longtime former Miami Herald columnist with a number of best-selling hysterically satiric novels to his credit. “It was a pretty big learning curve,” Montgomery said of her transition from journalism to writing fiction, adding that, “it’s definitely very different.” Still, she’s already started on her second novel, all the while working as a reporter and a first-time mom. And clearly, she’s loving every minute of it. “It’s been wild,” she said a few days after “Murder Bites” was released in early August. “People I don’t know are actually reading it. That’s really a great feeling.”

MODERN FINANCE

Situational Unawareness T By Philip Dudley

his is a story of a brilliant mind who’s brilliance was reduced to ignorance by the leverage gods. Leopold Aschenbrenner was a young artificial Philip Dudley intelligence (AI) researcher who left OpenAI’s Superalignment team in 2024 after a security dispute. He then published a 165-page essay, “Situational Awareness: The Decade Ahead,” arguing that AI capabilities were compounding so fast that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could arrive around 2027 and in turn remake the global economy. His claim was physical models would not scale on software alone. They would need semiconductors, high- performance memory, data centers, networking, electricity, and cooling. If AI grew exponentially, the infrastructure behind it could become one of the defining investment themes of the century. In 2024 Leopold turned that thesis into Situational Awareness LP (SA), raising about $225 million. He had no Wall Street experience, but the essay’s reputation attracted prominent Silicon Valley capital and the cult

following was on. The fund did not simply buy AI stocks but rather tried to own the companies and industries that would benefit from the capital expenditure required to build the AI economy. The numbers became extraordinary in a very short period of time as assets under management (AUM) grew into the tens of billions. Through June, 2026 the fund was reportedly up about approximately 439 percent. The cycle of a compelling thesis, spectacular returns, and rising investor confidence reinforced one another in a circular positive loop. Leverage was the hidden risk factor because the fund used borrowed money and derivatives to enhance and boost exposure. An un-leveraged 20 percent decline can be painful but the same decline on a portfolio leveraged several times equity can erase most of the capital once margin clerks demand their money and the lenders are repaid. Concentrating your portfolio is one thing but doing it with leverage creates exponential risk as many of Leopold’s holdings were different in name but shared one economic factor: the AI investment boom. In a reversal they behaved like a single trade and leverage amplified the move. In July, 2026 AI-related and semiconductor stocks came under severe pressure and SA’s portfolio value fell, collateral shrank, lenders demanded more

margin, and the fund had to sell. This forced selling pushed prices lower and required still more selling— the classic de-leveraging spiral. After the first-half gain of roughly 439 percent, the fund lost about 67 percent in July and sold a large portion of its public-equity book to Ken Griffin’s Citadel. SA’s AI thesis was not disproved but due to leverage, the fund could not wait for it to play out. A long- term view dies if short-term financing fails and being right about 2030 does not help if a 2026 drawdown forces the sale. The lesson should not that AI investing is wrong but rather conviction must be matched by risk management. Markets do not only test whether an idea is right, they test whether you can survive long enough for it to become right. Right thesis plus excessive leverage is disaster. Right thesis plus wrong timing is disaster. Right thesis plus insufficient liquidity is disaster. Right thesis plus controlled risk and enough time is compounding. The objective is not to maximize what you make when you are right but rather to stay in the game when you are wrong. Survival should always come before compounding because time is always your friend.

Authentic A i h-Made Structure

Stables • Barns • Run-Ins • Arenas • S e s • Pergolas • an More!

We also sell op q ali indoor and o door f rni re t

u ty ut

Warrenton • Old Town Warrenton • Winchester • Madison • (540) 341-7883 • thisnthatamishoutlet.com Fall 2026

Hostage Mike Howland Lived a Nightmare, and Survived Editor’s Note: On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American hostages, a crisis that lasted for 444 days. Middleburg resident Mike Howland, then with the State Department and the embassy’s assistant regional security officer, was held as a prisoner over that span and was confined to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following is an excerpt from his recently released book, “Hidden Lines, The Secret Journal of a U.S. Hostage in Iran.”

By Mike Howland

eople often ask “what was a typical day like as a hostage?”I usually pause before answering. I suspect they expect something cinematic – – screaming guards, a dark cell, maybe me chained to a radiator. The truth was far less dramatic, and in some ways, harder. Yes, there were moments of fear and despair, but the real challenge was the monotony – – the slow, grinding passage of time. In a locked room with two other men, each of us pacing, staring, waiting for something, anything, to change. There was no “typical day.“ Captivity, by its nature, erases normalcy. Still, over time, a rhythm emerged – – not a routine exactly, but a pattern of survival. Like most stories of endurance, it’s easiest to start with the physical. Let’s talk about the food. It was, without fail, disappointing. We were held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formal reception wing – – the very rooms where, under the Shah, foreign dignitaries once dined on mountains of Iranian caviar, and made toast with vintage Dom Perignon. By the time we moved in, that elegance had long since vanished. The same tables were still there, but now they held the cold meat, limp bread, and tea that tasted like boiled cigarettes. The MFA kept a small staff to manage the reception area, which now included the unwelcome duty of feeding three Americans. There were six men and one woman on the team. Each day, one person—never the woman—stayed after the 2 p.m. shift to deliver our evening meal. The staff were working class Tehranis from the city’s southern districts – – devout Muslims, loyal to the revolution, and firm believers in its cause. To them, (The Ayatollah) Khomeini was a sacred figure—a living God. The “students” who had stormed the embassy

Iranian students storm the gates of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979. were national heroes, defenders of Islam. And we, of course, were the villains: American spies, agents of the Shah, enemies of the faithful. Still, despite the ideological gulf between us, I found a kind of an awkward rapport with some of them. My willingness to laugh at myself helped. They were mildly stunned—and oddly entertained—like when I asked for laundry soap to wash my clothes. But what really made an impression was when I asked for an iron to press my only shirt. Ironing was considered a woman’s work. No selfrespecting Iranian man would do such a thing. The request became a running joke, and somehow, it softened the air between us—just a little. In a place where silence and suspicion ruled, that shared joke became a flicker of almost something normal. As U.S. sanctions began to bite, a few of the staff quietly started to question whether holding onto the hostages was worth the cost. I made it a point to chat with the kitchen staff when I could—especially the more moderate ones. There were small moments of shared absurdity, and now and then, even laughter. But back to the food. There was no kitchen, and no cook. All our meals came from street stalls near the ministry. What we got depended on what was available, how much money the staff had been given, who was buying that day. Now and then, I heard whispers from the staff or guards that the students had ordered our meals reduced—fewer portions, worse quality.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

From my Journal, July 22, 1980 I have been giving some thought to what best characterizes being a hostage. Is it the lack of freedom – – or is it the waiting? I have concluded that waiting best describes it. It is the unending waiting for something to happen. At times, the waiting can be withering. The seasons are coming faster than our release – – fall, winter, and spring have passed. Take away the seasons, you are left with months, weeks, and days. And it is the days that are the greatest burden of time. Within the day, however, you have minutes. Minutes can do a lot of damage to the soul as they pile up. When one has to wait, nothing is worse than an endless supply of minutes. During those minutes, you think – – about how accident and history have involved you in something you never dreamed. Involvement, in a broad way, is impersonal. But the waiting is not. It is personal. It is painful. And at times, it seems endless.

Offering Health and Community Through Fresh Produce As August unfolded, Windy Hill’s Resident Services team continued its commitment to creating meaningful opportunities that promote health, nutrition, and community engagement among residents. This summer, Windy Hill was grateful to continue its longstanding partnership with Bainum Foundation Farm while also beginning a new partnership with the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), both of which helped provide fresh produce and vegetables to residents at no cost. These partnerships created a wonderful opportunity to increase access to nutritious foods while bringing together local farms, community partners, volunteers, and Resident Services staff to support the health and well-being of our residents. Throughout the summer harvest season, produce distributions took place weekly for more than 30 participating households across our communities in Middleburg, The Plains, and Marshall, Virginia. Fresh produce was received from our local farm partners and then separated into individual bags for each participating household. Windy Hill volunteers, along with volunteers from community partners such as Upperville United Methodist Church (UMC), generously gave their time to help sort and package the produce. The Resident Services team also provided recipes featuring the available produce, giving residents ideas for preparing healthy meals and making the most of the fresh produce they received. The program created a meaningful connection between local agriculture and our residents while showing the direct impact that community partnerships and volunteers can have on improving access to nutritious food. UMC community volunteers and WHF volunteer with Resident Services staff member Madison Filson during the weekly produce distribution.

For several years, Bainum Foundation Farm has been a valued partner in helping Windy Hill provide fresh produce to residents, and we are

incredibly grateful for the continued generosity and support they provide to our community. This summer, we were also excited to begin a new partnership with the Piedmont Environmental Council, whose work to protect Virginia’s farmland and build stronger, more sustainable communities aligns with Windy Hill’s commitment to supporting resident health and wellbeing. The impact of these partnerships was felt directly by residents. One resident from The Plains shared her appreciation by saying, “Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers! You are amazing!” A senior resident at our Washburn property in Marshall also expressed her gratitude for the program, saying, “Thank you so much for all the good and hard work you all do, it is so kind that farms have shared this amazing produce with us and you all should be recognized for how great it is!” Their kind words capture the appreciation residents have for the fresh food, care, and community support made possible through the program. Together, our partnerships with Bainum Foundation Farm and Piedmont Environmental Council highlight Windy Hill’s continued dedication to enhancing residents’ quality of life by creating opportunities for greater

PEC staff member Tonya Taylor and Resident Services Coordinator Madison Filson load fresh local produce for the weekly community distribution.

access to fresh, nutritious food. By bringing local farms, volunteers, community partners, and Resident Services together, the summer produce program provides more than 30 households with healthy food while strengthening the connections that make our communities thrive. A special thank you to Bainum Foundation Farm for their continued partnership and generosity, and to the Piedmont Environmental Council for helping us begin this new partnership and expand access to fresh produce for our residents. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to UMC and our Windy Hill Foundation volunteers who gave their time each week to help prepare the produce bags. Their support helped make the summer harvest season a meaningful success and a wonderful reminder of what can be accomplished when a community comes together to nourish and support one another.

Learn more about Windy Hill Foundation Scan the QR code to support Windy Hill’s mission to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing to low- and lowerincome individuals and families, including older adults, in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, while also encouraging selfimprovement and self-sufficiency among its residents. Windy Hill Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization and charitable contributions are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

windyhillfoundation.org

540-687-3997

info@windyhillfoundation.org

Fall 2025

Hunt Night Showcases Community Spirit

“I

her 8-year-old Reisling mare she acquired as a unbroken 2-year-old. She was enthusiastic about the judgement-free Warrenton Horse Show community that has given her the affirmation and courage to keep developing her horse to the fine mount she is today. The Warrenton Horse Show’s commitment to the community secured the coveted designation of USEF Heritage Competition—the highest honor currently held by any Federation horse show. It’s reserved for competitions that contribute to the community outside the gates of the horse show. A big part of the Virginia hunting community is the Virginia Thoroughbred Project, represented at Hunt Night by Sally Hamlin. She was enthusiastic about the new William Graves Memorial Thoroughbred Derby, which showcases one of the many different post-racing careers available for Thoroughbreds. The Thoroughbred Project – an all-volunteer organization—is dedicated to training racehorses for another productive and enjoyable life after the track. “No horse is useless,” Sally said. “The Thoroughbred Derby helps us find them their next career.” Hilary Gerhardt, co-chair of the Warrenton Horse Show, credits Sally’s organization and the Thoroughbred Derby for the record attendance and sold-out stalls at this year’s show. After braving a week of sweltering heat and a power outage that shut down one night’s events, Hilary looked ahead with a big smile to the late hours of Hunt Night (it ended at 3 a.m. this year) and a week of cleanup. “These people make it all worthwhile!”

By Jody Warfield

t is such a great community.” “The best part is the camaraderie.” “It is so much work, but these wonderful people make it so much fun.” Attendees at The Warrenton Horse Show’s Hunt Night on Sept. 6 were unanimous in their praise of the community spirit that continues to bring together multiple generations of the Virginia Piedmont’s equine community. For 127 years, the Warrenton Horse Show has attracted horses and people from Virginia and throughout the Eastern seaboard. Everyone, from the hard-working volunteer organizers to the owners, trainers and riders who compete, agrees this event showcases the supportive atmosphere of the region’s world-famous equestrian industry. Five days of competitions culiminate on Hunt Night. Always the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend, Hunt Night is the exciting finale of a full day of hunter classes open to professional hunt staff, members and juniors. Hunts compete for the highest point total and a number of coveted trophies, many of which honor people and families who are legends of the Virginia equine community. Hunt members who aren’t competing in the saddle strive to outdo each other in the evening’s Tailgate Competition – won this year by The Warrenton Hunt with their theme of “Bourbon in Hunt Country.” Now an established and highly-anticipated tradition, Warrenton’s Hunt Night began with a conversation between Tommy Lee Jones – then

Photo by Jody Warfield

Warrenton Master E. Sue Bopp riding on Hunt Night at the Warrenton Horse Show. and now the esteemed Show Manager – and former Board member Vicky Moon. Vicky had attended Hunt Night at the International Horse Show in Washington, D.C., saw how successful it was, and thought, “Why don’t we do that?” Today, Warrenton’s Hunt Night is thriving. Colleen Chaplin of the Rappahannock Hunt summed up the spirit of Hunt Night this way: “It’s the camaraderie I used to get in 4H when I was younger. You hear people cheering you all the way through. You don’t get that in a typical schooling show.” Colleen competed with Finer Than Wine,

2026 GREAT

MEADOW

VETERANS CUP P O L O

W I T H

P U R P O S E

A stadium polo charity tournament honoring service, celebratin g community, an d suppor tin g our h eroes.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8

VETERANS

GREAT MEADOW

STADIUM

GMVETERANSCUP.ORG

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

A Highland Priority: Youth Wellness

Happy runners hit the finish as the Move 5K in Warrenton.

n May, Old Town Warrenton was filled with energetic runners, walkers, and advocates for “The Move 5K,” a vibrant community event dedicated to mental health awareness. It was co-hosted by Highland School and The Mental Health Association of Fauquier County, alongside lead event partner, the Ashwell & Ashwell law firm. The run was far more than an athletic gathering—it was an intentional demonstration of Highland’s commitment to prioritizing emotional wellbeing, dismantling mental health stigma, and investing in our students, faculty, and community. The energy generated from that race didn’t end at the finish line. Thanks to the overwhelming support of participants, sponsors, and community members, money raised from The Move 5K are directly funding actionable, high-impact programming right here in our local community. This initiative is part of a broader, community-wide momentum around mental health awareness, bolstered by crucial advocacy and outreach work led by organizations like the Mental Health Association of Fauquier County (MHAFC). This growing momentum was recently underscored by MHAFC’s successful “Light the Way: A Community Walk for Hope” event held in September in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month. “Light the Way” highlighted a shared mission across local institutions: creating visible, supportive spaces where mental health can be discussed openly and without judgment. Together, these efforts demonstrate a collective commitment across our region to ensure families have access to the resources and support they need. Building directly on the proceeds and success of May’s 5K, Highland School will host the next major step in this educational journey on Thursday, Oct. 8. The community is invited to The Rice Theater at Highland School from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for an evening with Dr. Matt Bellace, a renowned psychologist, comedian, and author who offers a refreshingly engaging approach to mental health. Dr. Bellace’s presentation, “A Better Low: Helping Teens Reduce Their Stress (And Ours),” blends humor with clinical expertise to equip parents and educators with actionable skills. Navigating adolescent stress can feel daunting, but Dr. Bellace focuses on evidence-based strategies that families can put into practice immediately. Attendees will learn about relaxation training, meditation, and cognitive behavioral techniques such as reframing and writing therapy. Additionally, Dr. Bellace will explore the concept of “natural highs”—positive physical, creative, and emotional outlets—as powerful alternatives to substance use and abuse. The goal of the presentation is to improve the overall quality of life for both teens and their parents in an approachable, supportive setting. The presentation will conclude with a live Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with Dr. Bellace. By translating the energy of a springtime 5K into meaningful year-round programming, Highland School continues to strengthen its culture of wellness.

Fall 2026

Jarad Slipp, a Master Sommelier and So Much More

By Khris Baxter

oughly 720 people have been to space. Fewer than 30 have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony—the coveted EGOT. A little more than 500 have climbed the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent.

And then there’s Jarad Slipp, one of roughly 300 people in the world to earn the title Master Sommelier. The owner of Middleburg’s Knead Wine and the Tremolo Bar down the street and the operator of Hunters Head Tavern in Upperville, Slipp’s journey to Master Sommelier was not easy. Getting there can take a decade or more. Candidates progress through four levels of examinations administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers, culminating in tests of wine theory, restaurant service, and blind tasting—the ability to identify wines using only sight, smell and taste. Many accomplished wine professionals never pass. Slipp did. His wine education began at 16, when he was trying to impress a 24-year-old woman who didn’t know his age. At Aujourd’hui, the elegant restaurant at the Four Seasons in Boston, Slipp decided the best way to avoid suspicion was to order the most expensive wine on the list: a 1984 Château Haut-Brion Blanc.

Photo by Jody Warfield

Warrenton Master E. Sue Bopp riding on Hunt Night at the Warrenton Horse Show.

114 W. Washington Street Middleburg, VA 20117 703-867-2541 Respecting the Land. Preserving the Culture.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

“It was $275 a bottle back then,” he said. “Probably $4,000 now, if you can find it…I bought it for ulterior motives.”

But three things happened that night: Nobody carded him. Someone called him “Mr. Slipp” for the first time. And he tasted a truly great wine. “The wine was amazing,” he says. “I thought, Oh, now I get it.” Almost nothing about Slipp’s journey to Master Sommelier proceeded according to plan. As a teenager, he made a simple calculation about his future. “I realized that people have to eat and eventually people die,” he said. “And being a chef was way sexier than being a mortician.” So he chose food. At 16, Slipp enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), but dropped out after one day. He moved to Scotland with his girlfriend, where he worked in restaurants, built mountain bikes, and taught snowboarding. Then the Culinary Institute called and said if he could get back in six days, they would take him back. This time, he graduated. Italy came next, including a culinary program housed in a medieval castle. “They installed the wrong stoves,” Slipp says, “and the place burned to the ground.” He later returned to Italy, studied in Piedmont and landed an internship with Gianfranco Vissani, one of the country’s most celebrated—and notoriously demanding—chefs. Back in the U.S., student debt forced another turn. Slipp discovered he could make three times as much money working in the dining room as he could in the kitchen. At the Harraseeket Inn in Maine, he became

a captain, preparing old-school dishes table side. “They paid me money to light food on fire,” he said. Chateaubriand. Rack of lamb. Crêpes Suzette. Bananas Foster. “It was magic.” Then came the detour that changed everything. “That job somehow got me into wine.” Slipp earned his Master Sommelier designation in Paris in 2014. After years of training his palate, what does he notice in a glass that the rest of us miss? That, he says, is the wrong question. “There are so many nuances to a wine. It’s not about finding the thing others won’t find. It’s about finding the thing everyone will latch onto.” But for someone capable of dissecting a wine with extraordinary precision, Slipp is refreshingly suspicious of wine pretension. He tells young sommeliers to dispense with elaborate jargon. “It’s just wine,” he said. “We’re not curing cancer. We’re not saving the world.” He has tasted tens of thousands of wines, yet only four—three were Burgundy, and one was a 1786 Madeira—produced what he called “transcendental, out-of-body experiences.” These days, Slipp rarely subjects a glass to the rigorous deductive analysis that helped earn him the letters MS. “I stopped doing the process and the deductive tasting,” he said. “I only drink now because I enjoy it.” His desert-island choices? Red and White Burgundy, and Riesling. Then the Master Sommelier added one more. “And Miller Lite. I love Miller Lite.”

Slipp’s journey has taken him from the kitchen to the dining room to Master Sommelier and, through another series of unlikely turns, to restaurateur. He was once headed to Albuquerque to open a restaurant with a former Culinary Institute classmate when he stopped in Washington to visit a friend at Restaurant Nora, and ended up taking a job there. After Nora came London and Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant. Then Washington again, where Slipp opened Nectar. After stints in New York and nearly six years at CityZen, he thought he was finished with restaurants. He spent the next six years at RdV Vineyards in Delaplane. Then, in early 2020, Slipp left RdV to open what he imagined would be “this magic restaurant” in Middleburg. The timing could hardly have been worse. “It was March, 2020,” he said. “I had just quit RdV, self-immolated my new restaurant plans, and I didn’t know what I was going do next.” The answer came to him in a dream: pizza and wine. Knead Wine opened during the pandemic with an almost absurdly fortunate combination. “The only thing that was ahead of the game in the entire hospitality sector was takeout pizza,” Slipp said. “And the worse the world got, the more people drank. So we had a one-two punch.” It worked. Slipp followed Knead with Tremolo in 2022, a second Knead Wine in 2024, and Hunter’s Head in 2026. Jarad Slipp never made it to Albuquerque.

DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT SUMMER STORM

High winds and heavy rain can turn a weak tree into a serious hazard—fast.

5 WARNING SIGNS A TREE MAY BE UNSAFE:

• Dead branches in the canopy • Leaning trunk • Cracks in the bark • Mushrooms at the base • Soil lifting around roots

SCHEDULE A TREE SAFETY CHECK TODAY 540-551-7949 • TIMBERWORKSVA.COM LICENSED • FULLY INSURED • PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT

Timber Works Tree Care Specializes In: Large & Hazardous Tree Removal Crane-Assisted Tree Removal • Storm Damage Cleanup Precision Pruning for Mature Trees

Fall 2026

What’s Ahead for Oak Hill State Park?

Photo courtesy of the Conservation Fund

Oak Hill, home to President James Monroe, will be a magnificent state park. By Laura Longley If you escaped to the beach over this year’s long Fourth of July holiday, it’s possible you missed the biggest news to reach Northern Virginia in quite a while: the approval of Virginia’s purchase of President James Monroe’s Oak Hill mansion and its 1,240 acres as a state park. On June 30, Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved the Commonwealth of Virginia’s budget to which she added the acquisition of Oak Hill near Aldie. Twice in the past year, the state Senate Finance Committee had rejected the offer of what was essentially a gift of property owned and maintained by Loudoun’s DeLashmutt family since 1948. Their concern, largely addressed by the commitment of a $20 million endowment, had been annual costs. The push for a park began with the DeLashmutts, who wanted to ward off subdivision or data center development. With no luck on a national park concept, they approached The Conservation Fund (TCF) with the aim of permanently conserving the land and eventually allowing public access to Oak Hill’s 1820 home, designed by White House architect James Hoban. They couldn’t have found a better partner. The Conservation Fund is a national U.S. nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to protect natural land by using a ready pool of capital and expertise in structuring complex land deals. It’s proven pivotal to this deal’s success. CTF bought the DeLashmutt property for $22 million in November, 2025. “The Conservation Fund exists for projects of this magnitude and importance— to pursue the opportunities that others say are impossible,” explained Heather Richards TCF Mid-Atlantic vice president. This one did seem impossible, ultimately requiring

the collective commitments of Loudoun County ($27 million), U.S. Land and Water Conservation Fund ($6 million), and the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation ($2million) plus private funding to gain the governor’s signature for purchase and start-up costs. Richards is now shepherding the settlement between The Conservation Fund, the financial partners, and the Commonwealth, as well as putting in place the foundation for a $20 million endowment that is expected to generate $1 million annually to support Oak Hill State Park’s ongoing operations. Now the question becomes: What will Oak Hill State Park offer Virginians beside another president’s manor house to visit? Richards points to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which will manage the park and is currently tasked with developing a state park master plan. Every state park, like Sweet Run near Hillsboro, has a master plan that lays out its vision, mission, management, operations, budget, facilities, and the resources it will require over time. With its March, 2025 feasibility study in hand, DCR already has a road map to Oak Hill’s future. Does it include a swimming pool, perhaps? Tennis courts? Sports fields? A public golf course? No. And they are not likely to be added, especially when you consider that only 10 minutes away is Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park, a $100 million plus construction investment of Loudoun County with an annual operating budget of $1.4 million. At Hanson, which opened in 2022, you’ll find 10 multi-purpose soccer fields, four youth baseball/ softball fields, cricket pitches, four tennis/pickleball courts, two artificial turf fields, an outdoor basketball court, two playgrounds with rubberized surfaces, batting cages, a skate plaza, a disc golf course, five ponds, fishing piers, grandstands, picnic pavilions,

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

an amphitheater, nature center, lodge, off-leash areas for dogs, and paved and natural surface trails. So why duplicate what you already have at Hanson when, as DCR’s consultants pointed out, Oak Hill isn’t merely a president’s mansion plus a lawn awaiting recreation facilities. It’s a vast, intact Piedmont landscape of agricultural fields, woods, historic roads and lanes, Little River frontage, farm buildings, tenant houses, and archaeological resources. In their words, this open space is perhaps “the last greatest opportunity” of its kind in this region of Virginia. And, as a working farm, the park could preserve active agricultural uses that contribute to its income stream. Instead of cricket pitches then, count on trails— probably four to six miles of them to start, said Richards. They should be in place by fall of 2027, along with a parking lot. Biking trails like those at Mount Vernon and Monticello could come later. A dedicated horse trail? Maybe, if neighbors to the west make a strong enough case. Three million Virginians live within 30 miles of Oak Hill. They represent not only three million onetime visitors but also friends who bring friends and extended family to visit and engage in the legacy and ongoing life of the park. For students of all ages and historians everywhere, the Department of Conservation and Recreation planners see Oak Hill evolving into an invaluable resource for learning about America’s fifth president and the Monroe Doctrine, about the lives of his 77 enslaved people, about the Manahoac, Haudenosaunee, and Conoy Native American tribes who hunted here, and even about dinosaurs. Dinosaurs? Sure. Take a stroll around Oak Hill‘s garden patio, look down, and check out the tracks embedded in the paving stones.

Fall 2026

s ly’ VA g in n,

Mattingly’s

Mattingly’s Mattingly’s

aTttUHaSmmiltiolton! M oSVpIHSeaItront onof!fUHSa ilton! Amish Lawn Furniture h U S themToiSlwIT f Ham Amish Lawn Furniture T Premium Quality Polylumber I IS ifinnHthaeVI own o

Lawn Furniture Premium V own o in the T Amish EveryQuality day LPolylumber ow Prices Premium EveryQuality day LowPolylumber Prices

he T

Everyday Low Prices

Settle In For Sweater Season

Hand Crafted by select Western Pa. Old Order & Eastern Hand CraftedPa.byAmish selectCraftsman Western families Pa. Old Order

Family Owned & Operated Since 1973 families & Eastern Pa. Amish Craftsman Dealing in Amish Outdoor Furniture Located in Loudoun County Since 1973.

Family Owned & Operated Since 1973 540-338-2060 Dealing in Amish Outdoor Furniture Located in Loudoun County Since 1973. 55 E. Colonial Highway (Old Rt 7) Hamilton, VA 20158

540-338-2060 Parking in rear

55 E. Colonial Highway (Old Rt 7) Hamilton, VA 20158

in rear Hand Crafted by selectParking Western Pa. Old Order & Eastern Pa. Amish Craftsman families

Family Owned & Operated Since 1973 Dealing in Amish Outdoor Furniture Located in Loudoun County Since 1973.

540-338-2060

55 E. Colonial Highway (Old Rt 7) Hamilton, VA 20158 Parking in rear

FIREPLACE STORE SALES. INSTALLATION. SERVICE. REPAIR.

(540) 477-4450 Hours: Monday – Friday — 8am to 5pm

Stop by one of our Cylinder Fill Stations today!

3.750* Per Gallon Cylinder Fill

*Prices subject to change without notice.

ENFORCE PREMIUM DIESEL Best Performance Benefits For All Diesel Engines HOLTZMANCORP.COM

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Eat a Flower, Solve a Possible Problem

recent Virginia State University workshop explored ongoing research into edible flowers’ untapped powers—from emerging culinary uses to whole health benefits. “Flowers are food for the soul and tummy,” said Theresa Nartea, VSU professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension small farm marketing & agribusiness specialist at a workshop earlier this year at VSU’s Randolph Farm. Young farmers from across Virginia learned about innovative research about edible flowers as part of the 2026 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Winter Expo. Nartea, while handing out dried organic lavender bouquets, encouraged workshop participants to crush the buds in their hands and savor the soothing aroma. “I carry a few stems of dried lavender with me in my pocket so I can keep going, because if you crush just one bud between your fingers, the fragrance becomes even more beautiful,” she said. “Life’s trials are like this—you feel a crushing, but the beauty comes from those hard times in our life.” Nartea highlighted emerging studies on the impacts of lavender supplementation in reducing anxiety, depression and even cigarette cravings and growing scientific evidence of edible flowers’ healing properties. Citing a 2021 study by University of Pisa researchers, she highlighted a variety of scientifically proven nutraceuticals, including the anti-cancer properties of Indian chrysanthemums, anti-obesity properties of nasturtiums, visual health benefits of Aztec marigolds, anti-Alzheimer uses for roselles, and antioxidants found in almost all edible flowers. “There are little things we can do every day to help in our healing process,” Nartea said. Through her Nourishing Blooms Program at Randolph Farm, Nartea explores edible flowers, herbs and value-added products like therapeutic tea blends that promote wellness, mental health and community well-being. Since launching the program’s demonstration garden in 2024, Nartea has studied myriad culinary possibilities of plants suited for Virginia growers, including the hibiscus’ sour leaves long cherished in Jamaican cuisine; the kalelike leaves of the cut-leaf coneflower, a Cherokee superfood and traditional uses for African blue basil flowers. “You don’t have to ignore a whole plant,” she said. “There are things yet to be studied that indigenous cultures have been using for over millennia to feed themselves.” To explore the market potential of edible flowers, Nartea has hosted Extension field days inviting the community to pick their own flower bouquets on her halfacre demonstration field. Around 2,550 bouquets valued at $38,250 were picked in 2025. “There is definitely money to be had in this,” she emphasized. “People stayed even though we were done with the demonstration, because they found so much joy in cutting their own flowers.” Nartea cautioned against using pesticides if growing herbs and flowers for edible uses, and encouraged growers to use companion plantings and other alternative control methods. “That means some things won’t be as beautiful, you’ll have to pick things off and do things that are tedious,” Nartea continued. “But if it’s your passion, you make time for it.”

Land Trust of Virginia Focusing on Blue Ridge Mountains

By Danielle Lilly

or generations, the Blue Ridge Mountains have defined Virginia’s landscape. Their forested ridge lines provide a beautiful backdrop for many communities, while their streams, forests, and wildlife habitats support some of the Commonwealth’s most important natural resources. But beyond their beauty, the Blue Ridge Mountains play a vital role in the health of our environment. These ancient forested mountains help filter drinking water, prevent erosion, store carbon, and provide vital habitat and migration corridors for countless species. They also preserve scenic views, historic landscapes, and rural character that make Virginia unique. More than a decade ago, Land Trust of Virginia recognized that this extraordinary landscape faced increasing pressure from development, particularly in Northern Virginia. Rather than waiting for conservation opportunities to arise, LTV set out to answer a critical question: Which parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains are most important to protect, and how can we conserve them strategically? That question became the foundation of the Blue Ridge Conservation Initiative. Launched in 2013, the Blue Ridge Conservation Initiative (BRCI) focused on a 40-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains extending from the northern boundary of Shenandoah National Park to the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry. Spanning more than 200,000 acres across Loudoun, Fauquier, Clarke, and Warren counties, the

study area represented one of the largest unprotected landscapes flanking the Blue Ridge Mountains along the mountain chain’s entire 600-mile length. What LTV discovered was both remarkable and concerning. Although the Blue Ridge is often associated with protected lands, only about 30,000 acres—roughly 15 percent of the study area—had permanent protection through national parks, state lands, or conservation easements when this project began. The remaining landscape, much of it identified as vulnerable to future development, remained largely unprotected. The initiative brought together data from numerous state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and scientific sources to create one of the most comprehensive conservation analyses ever undertaken by LTV. Research focused on 21 different conservation values across the landscape, including wildlife diversity, wetlands, streams, forests, prime farmland soils, historic and archaeological resources, scenic viewsheds, floodplains, and ecological resilience. More than a decade after the initiative first

began, the work is entering a new chapter. In recent months, Conservation Associate Eliza Broughton has been updating the original research with current conservation data and modern mapping techniques. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a technology that combines mapping with environmental and land-use data, Eliza analyzed 484 unprotected parcels larger than 50 acres throughout the study area to evaluate each property’s conservation significance. The findings underscored the importance of the region. Analysis revealed 286 privately owned parcels totaling more than 41,000 acres, ranked among the highest priorities for future conservation. Many of these properties contained ten or more significant conservation values, making them exceptionally important from both local and regional perspectives. As the study progressed, LTV divided the landscape into four geographic focus areas centered around the communities of Hillsboro, Bluemont, Upperville, and Markham. This allowed conservation efforts to become more targeted and strategic, helping identify opportunities where permanent protection could have the greatest impact. The ultimate goal is to permanently protect the landscapes that define Virginia’s Blue Ridge. The initiative continues to provide a road map for conserving forests, farms, wildlife habitats, scenic vistas, and historical landscapes for many years to come. Danielle Lilly is the communications and marketing director for the Land Trust of Virginia.

Fall 2026

TIFFANY DILLON KEEN

riends and readers of ZEST are familiar with Tiffany Dillon Keen’s photos and now we share some of her gorgeous artwork. This grouping features racing in Virginia. For details: dkpsketches on Etsy.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

VIRGINIA PIEDMONT HERITAGE AREA

Area Ambulance Drivers Saved Countless Lives in WWI

By Travis Shaw

hen the First World War began in 1914, the United States government pursued a policy of neutrality. Official policy, however, did not prevent individual Americans from becoming involved in the conflict. Some served as soldiers, including Herbert Hordern of Fauquier County. A 1914 graduate of VMI, Hordern travelled to Britain and served as a Captain in the Irish Guards. William Grimes of Leesburg likewise volunteered for the British Army, serving in the Manchester Regiment and Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Others supported the war effort from home. One prominent local humanitarian was Edith Eustis of Oatlands. From the beginning of the war, she participated in relief efforts for displaced Belgian refugees. On November 14, 1914, an “entertainment” was held at Oatlands featuring “music and recitations by local talent, and war pictures, shown and described by Joseph B. Thomas of Middleburg.” The proceeds were used to purchase clothing for refugees facing their first winter of the war. Eustis soon found another outlet for her charitable work through the American Field Service (AFS). Founded at the beginning of the war, the AFS recruited American volunteers to serve with the French Army as ambulance drivers. Under the leadership of A. Piatt Andrew, a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, the organization eventually grew to more than 2,000 volunteers operating hundreds of motorized ambulances in Belgium, France, and the Balkans. Most drivers were well-educated young men recruited from prominent American universities. At least thirty had Virginia connections, including twenty graduates of the University of Virginia. They served alongside French troops during some of the war’s deadliest battles, sharing their dangers and hardships. By the end of the war, more than 100 AFS drivers had lost their lives. The AFS depended on volunteers and donations from the U.S. to supply its ambulances. Colleges, communities, and individuals organized fundraising campaigns, and Eustis quickly put her social connections and homes to work for the cause. In October, 1915, she opened the grounds at Oatlands for a “most remarkable pageant,” attended by Madame Jusserand, wife of the French ambassador, as well as members of Washington and Virginia high society.

A WWI Ambulance The pageant presented a sweeping history of America, with friends and neighbors portraying historical figures. It began with a Native American encampment and the arrival of Columbus before depicting the founding of the thirteen colonies. David Tennant portrayed George Washington receiving the American flag from Betsy Ross, played by local widow Mary Conrad. A caravan of frontier settlers, complete with wagons and livestock, was led by Bolling Haxall and Middleburg Hunt Master Daniel Sands, while Mrs. Henry Fairfax milked cows for the settlers. The dramatic highlight was a depiction of the Civil War. As period songs played, Col. E. B. White thundered onto the lawn at the head of a mounted troop of Confederate veterans, astonishing the crowd. The pageant concluded with a portrayal of the liberation of Cuba, represented by Foxcroft founder Catherine Noland, followed by the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. The event was a tremendous success, and its proceeds were divided between the AFS and a fund for construction of the Loudoun hospital. The money raised for the AFS was soon put to work. Donors could name the ambulances they sponsored, and Eustis chose “Loudoun County” in recognition of the community’s contribution. Numbered 213, the Loudoun County entered service in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France by the spring of 1916. It replaced an earlier ambulance

destroyed by German artillery and served with Section 3 of the AFS, known as the Harvard Section because of the large number of Harvard graduates among its drivers. News of the ambulance’s arrival reached Eustis through letters from AFS driver Preston Lockwood, whose mother, Anne Preston Davis, had formerly lived in Leesburg. At the time, the Loudoun County was being driven by University of Virginia graduate and Rhodes Scholar John Vickers Ray of West Virginia. No photograph of the Loudoun County ambulance has yet been identified, and the vehicle was ultimately destroyed during the war. Eustis’s involvement with the AFS, however, continued. She organized additional fundraisers at her Washington, D.C. home, inviting ambulance drivers to speak about their experiences, sell copies of their narratives, and show films highlighting the AFS’s work. Her persistent efforts raised thousands of dollars and helped equip additional ambulances for the front. By the end of the war, AFS drivers had evacuated an estimated 500,000 wounded soldiers. Their service represents one important aspect of American volunteerism during the First World War, but it also demonstrates the deep connections between the war and local communities. Travis Shaw is Director of Education for the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area

Fall 2026

CUP of COFFEE

SUMMER’S

END

PIEDMONT ROOFING Standing Seam Metal EST 1977

“Customer Service that Sets the Standard”

Northern VA 800-594-8180 Leesburg 703-777-5050 • Warrenton 540-364-6180 www.piedmontroofing.com TIME FOR A NEW ROOF? CONSIDER A METAL ROOF! METAL IS AN AFFORDABLE PERMANENT SOLUTION! CALL US FOR A NO COST, NO PRESSURE, FREE CONSULTATION. MULTIPLE REFERENCES AVAILABLE.

Benefits of Metal Roofing 4 Durable, long life expectancy 4 40 year paint finish warranties from manufacturer 4 Energy Efficiency - save money with reduced heating and cooling costs 4 Offering financing with EnerBank 4 Increased resale value of your home 4 Metal roof colors to complement your home

4 Increased protection from hurricanes and fire 4 Wind rated 100 mph 4 Reduces energy consumption, smog, and urban heat islands 4 Home Owners Insurance discounts possible 4 www.energystar.gov

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

By Sean Clancy

ome. Another summer camp at Saratoga complete. My 36th full season at the oval in the Adirondacks and 55th annual visit if you subtract one (Covid) and count all the early road trips with my family when it really was the August place to be. Now, it’s the June-July-August-September place to be. The longest meet comes to a necessary end. For better or for worse. Manny Franco won his first riding title, the humble, hard-working kid becoming a man. Last year’s champion Sovereignty erased a two-race losing streak and silenced all doubters in the Whitney. Leading Change threw another hat in the 3-year-old ring with an upset win in the Travers. We gave a few golf-cart tours to local friends, trying to show our world to another world (hey, Ted and Sarah, how did you enjoy Sovereignty’s morning work?). The Saratoga Special winds down another year, time to send some bills and survey the damage. We fold the tables, turn in the keys, hum Jackson Browne’s Load Out and wonder if we’ll be back again next year, the ever-increasing reality of knowing we’ve got more summers behind us than ahead of us. Now for re-entry. Beautiful morning here at 20117. Sixty-one degrees. Sunny. Light breeze. Quiet

house, at least for a bit. A new icemaker hums and hisses, I need to get used to that. British racing on the flat screen, the second race at Sandown goes to the post. A lit lamp to my left, a 15-year-old cat to my right. Remember the last one to escape the barn fire? Duchess is still here, curled up, sleeping, purring. She’s glad to see me, I guess, the clacking of the keyboard disturbing her. And another deadline, 700 words, an open page, a blank canvas. Just write something, anything. Like it’s easy, just turn the faucet, right? Some days, the words crash out, other times they spill and sometimes they limp. Post-Saratoga is certainly the latter. And so, it goes. Miles, my teenage son, has my car, a backpack on the floor, a baseball bag thrown in the back and a box of Upper Crust cookies on the front seat. Off to school, the tepid steps of September. The garden needs weeding after a summer of neglect, raspberries and tomatoes, the only survivors. The Oak Spring CSA eases into winter, a couple of more pickups. Farmer’s market, too. Senior KickOff Dinner and Program at Highland tonight (cookies are our contribution). Our first and last. Talk about ever-increasing reality. College applications are looming, college visits are being checked off – and added to – the list and we try to appreciate the final year of life as we know it. As my friend Al Stall said when he got back to Saratoga after dropping off his daughter for her freshman year at Tulane University, “It’s a life experience.” For better or for worse, right? The fall steeplechase season looms. Rosters and races, plans and promises. We turned out a few horses who ran hard all summer and are bringing back a few who had the summer off. Zabeel Champion, 2-for-2, and leader in the clubhouse returns. Foxfield and Far Hills, hopefully. A local win or two will due us just fine. One old friend will be missing. Potus, a winner at Virginia Fall last year, died from colic on Sept. 1. I look out the front door and watch Apse, 17, Kissin Conquest, 24, and Eagle Poise, 20, romp around the front field. How do some get so lucky, and others get so unlucky? A friend asked if I play fantasy sports. I play it every day, with real money and real consequences. Kind of like when they asked the old horse trainer, “How’s life?” He looked up and grumbled, “How’s life? How’s life? My life’s in the newspaper every day.” Back when newspapers listed daily entries and results for the local tracks. Rockingham Park, Suffolk Downs, Aksarben, Golden Gate, Hialeah…Marengo, Georgetown, Casanova, Orange County, Fairfax and oh so many others. “My life’s on the Internet every once in a while.” It doesn’t have the same ring. And so here we go. Another changing of the seasons. Summer to fall. Put away the surfboards and beach towels, find the bookbags and lunchboxes, and start keeping time again.

DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* * Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* * Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.*

* Board Certified Orthopedic ClinicalST. Specialist 204 E. FEDERAL American BoardP.O. of Physical Therapy BOX 893 Specialties

MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

MARY P.T., O.C.S.* 204 WILSON, E. FEDERAL ST.

P.O. BOX 893 MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

* Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties

204 E. FEDERAL ST. 540-687-6565 P.O. BOX 893

MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118 www.middleburg-pt.com

204 E. FEDERAL ST. 540-687-6565 P.O. BOX 893 WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* DEL www.middleburg-pt.com MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118 www.middleburg-pt.com

540-687-6565

MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.*

540-687-6565

Fall 2026

* Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist www.middleburg-pt.com American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties

THIS & THAT

Mayor Bridge Littleton and Town Councilman Chris Bernard enjoyed the National Night Out festivities held at the Middleburg Community Center field. Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo.

Middleburg Hunt Puppy Training Class: Anne Ma, Dorothy Beach, Marcus Venezia, Linda Taliaferro, Rosie Barwick and Mary McEachern. Rebecca Schaefer and Sally Godfrey at the Middleburg Library Advisory Board’s summer party held—where else—at the Middleburg Library.

Middleburg Business and Professional Association President Punkin Lee and volunteer Kerry Roziel placed balloons all around town to mark the location of summer Sidewalk Sale shops.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Photo by Vicky Moon

John Dowdy greeted Piedmont Environmental Council Gala guests at Glen-Ora, the historic retreat of President John Kennedy and his horse happy wife, Jacqueline. Later in the magical evening, Jacqueline Badger Mars was honored for her preservation commitment.

PROPERTY Writes

The view from the front of the main house.

A picturesque patio is ideal for entertaining.

Germania Farm Offers A Serene Setting

ermania Farm, offered for the first time since 1985, is a truly rare and distinguished offering set on 20.3 breathtaking acres along New Road in Aldie. Perfectly positioned just minutes from Creighton Farms, Middleburg, and Dulles International Airport, the property offers an exceptional blend of refined country living and effortless accessibility. A long, private approach reveals the elegant frame and brick contemporary residence, thoughtfully designed to capture natural light and sweeping views of the Bull Run Mountains and the property fronts on Bull Run Creek. Inside, soaring ceilings, expansive 24680 Germania Lane living spaces, and two fireplaces create an atmosphere of warmth and understated Aldie, Virginia 20105 sophistication. Price: $2.4 million The home offers five spacious bedrooms and four full baths and an elevator, ideal for both relaxed daily living and gracious Brian MacMahon entertaining. 703-609-1868 The grounds are equally impressive, bdmacmahon@gmail.com presenting a picturesque setting with open Paul MacMahon land and mature surroundings that ensure privacy and tranquility. 703-609-1905 Germania Farm is perfectly suited for a macmahonp@icloud.com premier equestrian estate, boutique country inn, or an extraordinary private residence. Equestrian and lifestyle amenities Sheridan-MacMahon, Ltd. include a well-appointed four-stall barn 110 East Washington Street with tack room, a substantial four-car P.O. Box 1380 garage, an additional storage building, and a serene in-ground pool that’s Middleburg, Virginia 20118 perfectly situated for enjoying the peaceful (540) 687-5588 landscape and nearby mountain vistas.

Germania Farm

The pool is only steps away.

The light-filled dining room opens up to the patio.

The living room is a great room.

The thoroughly upgraded modern kitchen.

Fall 2026

AS YOUR ONE-STOP SERVICE PROVIDER, VIRGINIA SEPTIC IS PLEASED TO OFFER: • Pumping of Residential and Commercial Septic Tanks and Grease Traps Operation & Maintenance (O&M) for Septic Systems • Real Estate Septic and Well Inspections Safe, Adequate, and Proper Inspections Septic System Repairs • Installation for Both New Construction or Replacement of Older Systems

Call to schedule your service today!

703-662-5398

8331 W Main St Marshall, VA 20115

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

A Spring Freeze Now Has A Chilling Effect

ranches that are usually laden with Gala apples stood nearly bare in mid- August at the Glaize Orchard located between Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains near Winchester. This illustrates the scale of spring freeze losses growers are facing statewide. During a tour of the Shenandoah County orchard followed by a roundtable discussion with growers, U.S. Rep. Ben Cline learned more about the widespread damage caused by late spring frost and freeze events that devastated Virginia fruit crops and vineyards. “Normally, we’d be pulling about 4,000 bushels of Gala apples off the trees every day,” orchard owner Phil Glaize Jr. said. “But this year, we’re not picking.” Among their five growing locations, only one is expected to produce about 10 percent of a normal crop. “And we have not stopped spending money,” Glaize added. The Virginia Cooperative Extension reported the state’s impacted growers may lose more than $100 million collectively. “We had two severe late freeze events that horrendously impacted fruits, produce and vineyards,” said Virginia Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Ben Rowe. “Some vineyard operators lost 100% of production in Central Virginia.” He said state leaders are exploring avenues to establish a Virginia agricultural disaster relief program to complement federal assistance programs. Scott Johnson, senior vice president of Shawnee Canning Co., said the apple shortage is affecting food processors who depend on Virginia fruit. The company is now looking as far away as Washington State for supplies. “We can’t not have apple butter next year,” he said. Stakeholder discussion continued at the Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Winemaker and industry leader Jennifer Breaux, president of Breaux Vineyards and the Virginia Wineries Association, said reduced production leads to employment disruption, plus declines in industry membership revenues supporting statewide programs. “The trickle-down effect is immense,” Breaux said. “But I think we’re all going to leave this crisis better educated on how to handle it in the future.” Fifth-generation peach grower Henry Chiles of Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet referenced this year’s bottlenecks that delayed the arrival of essential agricultural guest workers. “A bigger threat than a spring freeze is losing a sustainable, legal supply of labor to run these farms,” he said. “If labor is not consistent, we cannot operate any of the businesses represented here.” He urged Congressman Cline to support the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026—a bipartisan bill to reform and expand the H-2A agricultural guest worker program. Improvement to the H-2A process is a priority transcending partisan politics, Cline said. “We want to help make sure those are temporary setbacks,” he said. Growers thanked the congressman and Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration for their efforts to secure a federal freeze disaster declaration, which unlocked low-interest emergency loans. They asked Cline, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture Subcommittee, to also support ad hoc disaster funds. “Severe weather events are not partisan issues,” he said. “We’re working together as a team to support you in recovery and continuing forward.”

Fall 2026

Goose Creek: From Linden to Leesburg

By Rob Banner

’ve crossed Goose Creek countless times. Mostly, I’ve driven over numerous local bridges that cross it. I may have been on horseback while fox chasing with local hunts. Perhaps you’ve done the same, but have you ever been down the famous tributary in a canoe or kayak? I mean, right down the middle? I certainly had not and it was about time I did. Goose Creek has always impressed me with its picturesque beauty as well as the amazing history surrounding its banks. George Washington and Lord Fairfax often foxhunted across Goose Creek, occasionally for weeks at a time. In the early 1750s, Fairfax owned the five million acres from the Potomac to the Rappahannock Rivers. Young Washington was a surveyor and Fairfax was his first employer, hiring him to survey his significant holdings. No doubt, they rode across Goose Creek regularly. To envision that while I maneuver down the creek gives me chills. I can almost see their ghosts galloping across the same fords I’m crossing, cheering on their hounds with a blood-curdling scream that only someone hunting his hounds in full cry can summon. Yes, chills.

Photos by Leo Subleer, Goose Creek Association

It’s easy to understand how Goose Creek’s impact has transformed our region. More than sport and entertainment, it’s provided water, power, and beauty. So much so that The Goose Creek Association (GCA) was formed in 1970 to protect and preserve the environment and quality of life all along its 52mile length.

Civil War Bridge on Route 50.

GCA produced an exceptional documentary, “Goose Creek: Life’s Blood” available on their website, goosecreek.org. Still, nothing beats getting out on the water in a kayak and navigating the twists and turns first hand. At times, I felt like Teddy Roosevelt, or John Muir, seeing Yosemite for the first time. And it all must be protected. To raise awareness, I made the journey, taking photos all along the way, and learned some history, far more than I expected. This series will chronicle that journey from the source in Linden to Leesburg, where it empties into the Potomac. Goose Creek begins near Front Royal on Susan Leopold’s Linden property that was called Africa Mountain in the late 1860s. According to Leopold, it was all Free State country run by moonshiners. No one was encouraged to visit. Quite the opposite. You just didn’t go there unless you wanted to be shot. Later, it would become an apple orchard worked by German prisoners of war during World War II. Eventually, Leopold purchased the property and built a home at the top. There, up Trumbo Hollow, three springs pour from the ground, fuse and become Fiery Run. That quickly becomes Goose Creek as it crosses under I-66. Word to the wise, treat it like it was still the Free State. Leopold is a private person and doesn’t want curious strangers dropping in to “take a look.” She’s a

Along the Goose Creek.

The childhood home of John Marshall.

capable steward of the land and knows forestry well. Growing trees for ecological credits is my field and she was actually familiar with my work. I was honored when she invited me to come see where it all starts. The history and Leopold make it a terribly unique place.

1765. That land was donated by David and Mary Collins to Friends of The Hollow, a non-profit founded to preserve the property. It’s a simple structure. Only two rooms were built and offer only two thin windows on either side. Clearly, these were gun ports.

It also should be noted that the middle of the tributary is generally owned by the state of Virginia, but the land on the banks is private property and requires permission to access. That should never be taken for granted. Always research who owns the property and ask permission for access first. Most landowners are happy to allow it under specific conditions, but they also want to know who, when, and exactly where you’re planning to go. Respect their ownership and privacy as if it’s your own. It’s a privilege, not a right.

There was plenty of hostility in the area. The land was still being settled. Survival was something you earned and defended. According to Washington, the land belonged to those who could tame it. Here at The Hollow, Goose Creek provided a source of water where game thrived. It was also popular with various Indian tribes, and they were not happy with intruders. Think Free State but 100 years earlier.

A little farther downstream is The Hollow, Chief Justice John Marshall’s childhood home built in

Details: Rob Banner is senior project officer at ACRE Investment Management in The Plains.

www.countryzestandstyle.com| Fall 2026

Read more in future issues of Country ZEST and join me for the ride.

A Piece of Loudoun County History THE HISTORIC PHILOMONT GENERAL STORE 19725 Woodtrail Rd. Round Hill, VA 20141

The Philomont General Store is an iconic Loudoun County landmark that has traversed local and national history for 200 years. Located in the heart of Philomont, VA, amid Loudoun County's renowned horse country, this property is woven into the fabric of the local community. For generations, the General Store has served as a gathering place and a defining part of Philomont's story — far more than a commercial property, it is a piece of local heritage. The property offers multiple income streams: revenue from the U.S. Postal Service, three upper-level apartments, a rooftop telecom lease, and the operating general store — A blend of commercial and residential income ideal for an owneroperator, investor, or partnership seeking both historic character and diversified income potential. Its historic significance is formally recognized: the store sits within the Philomont Historic District as an NPS Contributing Resource, and is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. For an owner undertaking maintenance, repairs, or restoration, these incentives can potentially offset a portion of eligible project costs while preserving the property’s remarkable architectural and cultural legacy.

The Philomont General Store 36550 Philomont rd, Purcellville, VA 20132

Price: $1,199,999

Kristin Dillon-Johnson (703) 673-6920

kristin@thomasandtalbot.com | KDJRealEstate.com

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES 2 South Madison St. Middleburg, VA 20117 | Office: 540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com

Fall 2026

NE W

premiere listings in horse country

BOXWOOD GLEN Purcellville, VA

Main Home – 4 bedrooms, 5/2 baths. Salt Water Pool. 3 Season outdoor living area.

Move-in ready c.1870 home with tasteful modernization. 4 Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths, 1 Half Bath. Approx 2,560 sq ft. 12 stall barn, tack room and wash stall, 6 paddocks.

12+ acres | $4,000,000 | John Coles 540-270-0094

18+ acres | $3,200,000 | Emily Ristau 540-454-9083

IM P PR RO IC VE E D

FOALSFIELD The Plains, VA

LEEDS MANOR ROAD Delaplane, VA Gorgeous views! 7 Parcels: Main 144+ acres, 6 parcels 1+ up to 12+ acres. New: driveway, well, underground electric, 6 BR perc site.

Renovated 3 bedroom house on 47 acres in 3 parcels. Sweeping views. 6,000 Sq ft storage barn with 8 bays, workshop and bathroom.

47+ acres

$2,600,000

Snowden Clarke 540-229-1452 Emily Ristau 540-454-9083

IM P PR RO IC VE E D

187 acres | $2,995,000 | John Coles 540-270-0094

THISTLE RIDGE Paris, VA

AUSTIN GROVE Bluemont, VA

BLACK JACK FARM Marshall, VA

Comprised of woodlands & open fields. In the heart of the Piedmont Hunt Territory. Approved perc site, land in easement.

Handicap-accessible 4 bedroom, 2/1 bath farmette. Three-stall barn, arena, run-in shed, and chicken coop. New: roof, HVAC systems, and water heater – all within five years.

41+ acres | $895,000 | Jim McGowan 703-927-0233

5+ acres | $860,000 | Isabella Wolf 703-338-7452

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES

Opening The Door To Horse Country For Generations 2 S. Madison St. Middleburg VA 20117 | Office: 540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.