Let's Backtrack a Bit....

Remember last fall when I posted all of those pictures of the Mall in Washington DC? When my in-laws were visiting? Well, here are some more snaps from their visit that I never got to posting (the move kind of sucked all of the blogging energy out of me).

This is Gunston Hall, a Revolutionary- era home near Mount Vernon (maybe 10 miles at most down the Potomac). Don't ask me to recite allot of history about the place, but I did really enjoy our visit. Unlike Mount Vernon, there were few people there. It was quiet and peaceful, making our tour much more in-depth (no rushing to get everyone through-like cattle-in a timely manner) and interesting. It also made it much easier to truly imagine what living in a home like this may have been like....

The picture above was taken walking up to the house...photography was not allowed inside. Oh how I wish it had been! I would have loved showing you some of the most beautiful and intricate hand carved details that I have ever seen (and we visited quite a few "palaces" and "castles" while living in Europe). They were all tastefully done, no gold leafing or tacky baubles- just simple master craftsmanship shining through....

One of the side doors....

An outbuilding....I think this was the smokehouse ...all of the work buildings were built surrounding a courtyard with the water well. The next few pictures were taken inside these buildings....

This last photo is the roof of the water well.....loved the aged wooden shingles....I think I need to incorporate them into some of my painted houses....

This is actually the "back porch"....very similar to the front of the house....Everything about this house was perfectly balanced and symetrical....

A long view of the back...the gardens were to the left and right of these very old boxwood hedges, the Potomac to my back....

This guy called the above hedges home (allright, I took this one for my son but I thought he was kinda cute).....

The school house....try writing "I will not tell a lie" a hundred times on those slates...

Tour's over...heading back to the car and the modern world....

This little guy was there to send us off....well, maybe not. I think nuts were his priority, but he did let me snap this shot....

Hope you enjoyed our little tour...it was a very nice, relaxing morning....