Virginia’s Pony Herds

Darcy Cole takes off down a trail on Assateague Island in Virginia’s far northeastern corner. Here, she hunts horses.

And when she sees one? She starts shooting. Over and over. With a camera.

This photographer captures the famous Chincoteague Ponies in pictures and promotes these ponies with calendars, an identification book, baseball caps and T-shirts that showcase their beauty—and their beautiful surroundings in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island.

“I’m trying to do this as a business,” says Cole. “But I would do this anyway, because I just like to be out there and watch them.”

Cole likes seeing the babies. As many as 70 are born each year among this breed, she says.

But it takes work. Cole is gone for several hours a day—about 300 days a year—on treks that range from six to 16 miles, venturing to see the northern herd that chomp on grass and salt marsh in a seaside oasis just below the Maryland border.

“I describe it more as a passion,” Cole says. “I document the herd. I take lots of notes, so when a mare has a foal, I can look back at my notes last year and can tell who the probable sire is.”

However, the origin of the Chincoteague Ponies isn’t as well documented.

One story says the breed stems from a Spanish galleon that wrecked off the coast, and the ponies came galloping out of the sea onto the island. Still more say the ponies originated from early Virginians who let their horses graze on Assateague.

Cole subscribes to both theories, saying she feels the ponies must have come from a mixture.

“We know for sure that there was a shipwreck,” Cole says. “And we know that new ponies started showing up on the tax records after that shipwreck.”

While the Chincoteague Ponies are her passion (dating back to 2013), Cole has twice trekked to the other side of the state to search for Virginia’s other wild pony breed.
“They have a lot of lookalikes that look like ours,” Cole says of the Grayson Highlands Ponies. “Their ponies are smaller, and they have some colors that we don’t have. And the terrain is very different. So it’s a real contrast between the flat terrain and the mountain terrain.”

The Grayson Highlands Ponies are an increasingly famous breed in Grayson County, just above the North Carolina border in Southwest Virginia. These rock hopping horses live in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and adjacent Grayson Highlands State Park in what you might call an inverse environment compared to the marshy sea-level sands of Assateague.

Not much bigger than miniature horses, the Grayson Highlands Ponies stand about four feet tall and forage for food by nibbling grasses that grow between rocky outcrops at elevations nearly a mile in the sky.

These ponies arrived in 1974, thanks to horse breeder Bill Pugh, who put the horses on the mountain environment to help keep the bald areas open.

Those bald areas—crossed by the Appalachian Trail—were created when large-scale logging took place in this area about a century ago.

“But there’s not near as much grass on top of that mountain as there used to be,” says Wilburn Ridge Pony Association President Brother Moore. “There are hundreds of acres up there that used to have grass, and it’s gone.”

According to Moore, their ponies are scattered.

“And they just go wherever they want to. They can go from Elk Garden plum to Troutdale. There are no fences to stop them,” he says.

The Chincoteague Ponies have become a tourist attraction over time. However, this year, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale gatherings have been canceled, and that means there will be few if any spectators at the annual pony swim, held on the last Saturday of July, when “Saltwater Cowboys” of the Eastern Shore round up Chincoteague Ponies to swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island.

In turn, the annual pony auction is being held online (July 23-29), as a way to continue a tradition that began in 1924, says Denise Bowden, spokeswoman for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.

The auction thins out the herd and raises money for the fire department. But, due to the coronavirus, the annual carnival in Chincoteague will not be held, resulting in as much as a $500,000 loss for the fire department, Bowden says.

Each year, like the “Saltwater Cowboys” of Chincoteague’s fire department, members of the Wilburn Ridge Pony Association round up the youngest ponies and then put them up for auction.

Proceeds from the auction help pay for the remaining herd, as well as raise money for local fire departments at Troutdale and Rugby.

Unfortunately, the auctions of the past few years have been plagued by varmints: Coyotes are often to blame for the killing of young ponies—between their births in spring and when the auction arrives during the Grayson Highlands Fall Festival in late September.

“Coyotes get the best part of them,” Moore says. “They’ll just be disappearing a few at a time.”

Either breed—Chincoteague or Grayson Highlands—have about 150 in total; those numbers are kept in control by auctions.

On sale, a Chincoteague Pony might fetch $4,000. One pony sold for $25,000 in 2015.

Grayson Highlands Ponies sell for a few hundred bucks. And one has gone for as low as $35.

“We used to have a lot of dealers come there and buy a whole load,” Moore says. “And now it’s just individual people buying one.”

You don’t have to be in the market for a pony to take in the beauty of these mysterious animals. But there are some words of advice from locals.

The small ponies of the High Country are given dietary supplements during winter. But they are often also given treats by travelers on trails—what’s considered a no-no among officials at Grayson Highlands State Park.

“We recommend that you do not feed them anything at all,” says Theresa Tibbs, an office manager at Grayson Highlands State Park.

Healthy snacks such as carrots and apples can have dangerous chemicals, Tibbs says. “So we ask people to not feed them. It’s on signs and in brochures.”

Another thing: These shaggy creatures may appear playful. But be forewarned, Tibbs says. “Even though they come up to people, they really are wild. And people need to respect that.”

There are few things so satisfying as a cool, juicy peach, picked at the height of summer. That first bite, breaking through the tender orange skin and sinking into the sweet gold on the inside. For me, it’s an instant flashback to childhood, splashing along mountain creek beds in the heat of July, with peach juice running down my chin.

Though sometimes apples outshine them, peaches actually grow quite well in our region. There are several orchards that offer the option to pick-your-own, such as Gross’ Orchard in Bedford, which advertises its peach season from June 15 through September 10. (And if you wander into the nearby Mountain Fruit and Produce before they’re sold out, you can even treat yourself to Mrs. Joy’s famous peach ice cream or peach hand-pies, made from the orchard’s fruit.)

However, if you are so inclined to grow your own peaches, it can be done. With a little patience, home orchards can be incredibly rewarding, and fun to tend. Fruit trees, peaches in particular, can be a bit finicky. Thankfully, I didn’t have to look far for growing tips and tricks. My husband is a professional arborist, and owner of Meyer Arboriculture, and he is full of useful information. Here are Nick’s best practices for growing peaches.

Terms To Know
Cling: These are typically early season varieties. They are called “cling peaches” because the flesh of the peach is still clinging to the stone (pit) in the middle. There are also “semi-cling” varieties, where the flesh detaches more easily.

Freestone: The fruit of a freestone peach has completely detached from the stone (pit). They often have that bright red color in the very center surrounding the stone, and they typically fruit in late summer. These are generally preferred by consumers for snacking and preserving.

Dwarf & Standard: Most fruit trees come in both dwarf and standard sizes. Dwarf trees usually stay in the 10- to 15-foot range and are ideal for the home orchard. The fruit is easier to access, and they can produce prolifically, despite their smaller size. Standard trees can grow very big and tall, and also fruit very well, but may require a ladder for access.

Pick Your Variety
There are over a hundred varieties of peaches available to the home orchardist, and a plethora of things to consider when choosing the specific variety you would like to grow. Peaches can be grown in zones 4 through 9. Here in zone 7, we actually have a great climate for peaches, so your selection process can focus a bit more on flavor and less on hardiness. However, if you’re looking to plant in one of the more outlying zones, you’ll want to choose a variety engineered to withstand extreme heat or cold. We do have a few pests and diseases that target fruit trees, such as fireblight and leaf spot, so consider disease-resistant varieties. Some great choices for our area are Contender and White Lady.

Most peach varieties are self-fertilizing, meaning you only need one tree to produce fruit. However, planting more than one tree could improve the pollination, and production, of fruit. And of course, you’ll have more peaches.

Choose Your Location
Peaches like a lot of sun, and a fertile, well-drained soil.

The location of your trees will impact their productivity, as well as their vulnerability to disease. Choose a spot in your yard that gets full sun at least six hours a day. You’ll want to take space into consideration. Dwarf trees will need to be spaced about 12 to 15 feet apart, while standard size trees will need more room, about 15 to 20 feet.

Soil drainage is critical to growing healthy trees. Test your soil drainage by digging a 1×1 hole, filling it with water, and monitoring how long it takes for the hole to empty. Measure the depth of the water, wait 15 minutes, and measure it again. Then, multiply the difference by 4 (because 15×4=60, or 1 hour), and you’ll know how much the soil will drain in an hour. If it is less than an inch or so per hour, you may want to consider a new location, or take additional measures to improve soil drainage. Wet roots can cause rot and encourage bacterial growth.

Peaches also prefer a slightly higher pH, so consider testing your soil prior to planting. You can pick up an inexpensive test kit at any garden or home improvement store. You’ll want a pH of around 6.5 or 7. Once you determine the pH of your soil, you can raise it if necessary by adding garden lime or peat moss. There are products and tips available to lower pH as well.

Plant Your Tree
Once you’ve chosen your location, you’ll need to carefully plant the tree or trees. Planting is arguably the most important part of long-term tree health, and planting it correctly can save a lot of heartache down the road.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball or pot of your tree, and only about two-thirds as deep. Around the edges of the hole, use your shovel to loosen the soil. This will help the roots spread out into the compacted earth. Remove the peach tree from the pot and loosen the roots, spreading them away from the trunk. Any roots that appear to be circling the root ball or trunk can (and should) be clipped to avoid girdling (when a tree’s roots wrap around the trunk and ultimately choke it). Generally, all of the roots should be laid out to spread like fingers away from the tree.

At the cellular level, root wood and trunk wood are very different. If trunk wood is below the surface of the soil, your tree will be a magnet for disease and rot. For this reason, planting depth is critical. The root flare, or the spot on the base of the tree where the first root shoots off of the stem, should be planted two inches above the existing soil level. Remember why we dug our hole two-thirds the depth of our pot? This is why. You’ll want to plant the tree on a subtle mound. If needed, toss some loose soil into the hole in order to elevate the tree.

The graft union (where the rootstock meets the scion) should also remain above the soil when planting and growing fruit trees. As long as the above instructions are followed, this will occur naturally, as the graft union is several inches above the root flare. You can identify the union by looking for a bulge at the base of the tree with a visible line running through it.

Give your newly planted peach tree a nice soaking, and then make sure the tree gets water every day for the first week. After that, water a few times a week for the first month, then leave it to nature to handle the watering, unless you get a particularly dry spell.

Continued Care
When the peach trees start to bloom, it’s a good idea to thin the blossoms so that there is only one flower every six inches or so.

This will reduce the overall number of fruits, but will result in a yield of larger, healthier peaches with better flavor. Consider contacting a professional arborist to help with this part if you are unsure of the proper pruning technique.

In healthy soil, fertilization is really not necessary until your fruit trees are ready to produce fruit. This will be when they are about two or three years old. Ask your nursery about the age of the trees available. Usually, potted trees available for purchase are about a year old. You should also avoid fertilization until at least six weeks after your trees have been planted. If you do decide to fertilize, and give your trees a boost just before the fruiting season, apply a balanced, nitrogen-rich fertilizer in early spring.

Peach trees are very vulnerable to a number of pests and diseases. It is highly recommended to spray the trees a few times a year with fungicides and insecticides in order to prevent stunted growth, poor production, structural failure, and tree death. There are products available in most garden centers, but be sure to read the label carefully and completely. It never hurts to call a professional arborist, either.

As we bring you our 9th annual Lynchburg Restaurant Week, Aug. 1-8, 2020, we don’t want to ignore the elephant in the room—it hasn’t been a great year for restaurants. After COVID-19 restrictions shut down dining rooms in March, restaurants were able to gradually reopen in May and June. That means now, more than ever, these local businesses need your
support to finish the year strong.

We are thrilled to showcase 11 local restaurants for this year’s week-long Lynchburg Restaurant Week event. Each business has handcrafted a menu that showcases some of their best dishes—at a price you will really love. Flip through the following pages to see what’s cooking and start planning out your stops today.

How scooters have brought a unique group together in Lynchburg

Photos by Ashlee Glenn

What’s superior? Vespas or Lambrettas?
While that’s a conversation that could cause some bad blood in the scooter community, both types are welcome in the Vespa and Lambretta Club of Lynchburg. Though scooters may seem like a niche hobby, the group has drawn a diverse crowd from all over the city. It all began about seven years ago after founding member and former California resident Patrick Hubble created a page on Facebook.

“My wife, Bridget, and I were into the scooter scene in the ’80s,” Hubble said. “They were a large part of the ska and mod culture. I had no idea what to expect when creating the group.

I thought it sounded much better than just asking people to be my friend.”

To Hubble’s surprise, there was a whole subculture in Lynchburg waiting to be found as other enthusiasts like himself were excited to take part.

“Our ages in the group range from 21 to 75,” Hubble said. “We have people who grew up with scooters in Europe and then people like us who just love the appeal.”

Hubble explained the difference between Vespas and Lambrettas, comparing it to the Chevy vs. Ford debate. Both have a cult following.

The first Vespas, which means “wasp” in Italian, were manufactured in 1946. While a lot in the world has changed since then, the original design of the scooter has not for the most part. The scooter still retains its classic shape, curves, and “almost-futuristic” design, as Hubble describes it. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell to you, chances are you’ve seen a Vespa before either in a movie such as The Talented Mr. Ripley and American Graffiti or even in a photograph of the European countryside.

“Italy knocked it out of the park when designing the Vespa,” Hubble said.

Lambrettas were also manufactured in Italy, specifically in Milan, and named after the river that flowed near the factory. But in the 1960s when cars became more affordable across Europe, the need for a compact scooter declined and the factory eventually closed in 1972. The factory parts were purchased by the Indian government and began being manufactured there as India had a demand for affordable transportation. The Lambretta recently made a comeback with a new model in 2017.

When it comes to scooter preferences, the Lynchburg group is a mixed bag. While Vespa is the scooter of choice, there are about three to four Lambrettas in the group, according to Hubble.

Both options are considered an easy, and fun, way to get around town.

“You can easily go 45 to 50 miles per hour on one. It’s perfect to drive around town and you can even get on the Expressway when you’re in a pack,” he said. “It probably seems a little bizarre to see a bunch of us driving around, but we get a lot of smiles and waves. It seems to make people happy when they see us.”

The group also likes to meet at a local restaurant or bar where they chat about where they’ve found parts for their scooters, especially the vintage models. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they started meeting in large parking lots, so they have plenty of space to social distance.

But, most importantly, they ride. Sometimes it’s around town, or sometimes it’s an adventure.

“It’s a great way to see parts of Lynchburg you’ve never seen before,” Hubble said.

When Riverviews Artspace Executive Director Kim Soerensen began working downtown about three years ago, she looked into buying a Vespa for the commute. She grew up in Germany, where it was common for teenagers to drive Vespas, including herself.

“It’s the most economical thing because most of us couldn’t get our license before we turned 18,” Soerensen said. “I don’t live far from downtown so [I thought], why not? Maybe part of me was a little nostalgic for my youth.”

Soerensen chose a modern bright yellow Vespa, which she calls “perfect.” She even works to match her outfits to her scooter sometimes.

“I think I look like someone from Austin Powers,” she laughed.

Soerensen had no idea about the local club until she saw a post from Hubble on social media and decided to get involved.

“When we’re not riding, it’s very nerdy scooter talk,” Soerensen joked. “We talk about ’80s mod, scooter problems, but it’s very equal between the men and the women. Everyone brings something diverse to the group. A few of us are from Europe so there’s a lot of European influence, but we’re well-traveled and I think that’s what brings us together. It’s quite a group. [We have a] high school nurse, an undertaker, an arts director, a nuclear physicist.”

Peter Kerschbamer, like Soerensen, has European roots. Growing up in Northern Italy, Kerschbamer knew his way around a Vespa. But it had been years since he’d ridden one.
“I saw a Vespa on eBay and I had this nostalgia for it,” Kerschbamer said. “Now we have five of them. Even my wife and my daughter ride now.”

And according to Kerschbamer, riding a Vespa is like riding a bike.

“You don’t forget it,” he said. “You pick it right back up.”

While others found the scooter club on social media, Kerschbamer said he met Hubble while riding down Fort Avenue on his Vespa.

“We saw one another, and we waved,” he said. “I thought, ‘That’s neat that there’s someone else with a Vespa in Lynchburg.’ He ended up turning around and chasing me down. Then we started riding together.”

For Kerschbamer, the club is a great social circle. It’s a chance to have comradery, and it’s also a great conversation starter.

“People definitely notice a group of scooters outside of a restaurant,” he said. “People always come up to us and we tell them stories.”

Investing in a Vespa is hard work though, Kerschbamer explained, especially if you lean more into the vintage side of things.

“Something like a motorcycle is easier to buy,” he said. “But the appeal about a vintage scooter is that it’s about the personality and the style. Sometimes you go all over to find a certain part, but growing up, we’d work on our scooters together because everyone who had them was asking if you have this part or this part. Now more than 30 years later, that’s what I’m still doing. I love it.

I love seeing how it works.”

For Soerensen, the investment is worth it because riding her Vespa takes her back to being 15 years old again.

“It’s fun to feel the wind whip beneath you as you ride, kicking up dirt and gravel. You can’t help but smile,” she said. “In a weird way, you almost feel closer to nature and stylish as you ride. We all get to show our personalities when we ride.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the country, some of our daily routines started to change. Instead of washing our hands after a visit to the restroom or before preparing food, we were scrubbing them down in between almost every task. Face masks were recommended, then required in Virginia—and we all scrambled to either find a box of disposable ones or make our own cloth coverings.

We started protecting ourselves from germs—without possibly realizing the toll all of these precautions can take on the body’s largest organ: our skin. We asked Jason Givan, MD, a dermatologist at Ridgeview Dermatology, to address some of the most common pandemic-related skin complaints.

Face Mask Irritation
Wearing a mask across your face, either for a quick trip to the grocery store or even a full work day, can lead to different problems for different people. “Some people may experience extra dryness or irritation under a mask from friction,” says Dr. Givan. “Others who are more acne prone may find themselves with more breakouts than usual.”

To address dryness, Dr. Givan recommends moisturizing with a gentle emollient to soothe the skin. For acne breakouts, washing with an acne wash can help.

Healthcare workers are particularly prone to skin problems connected to face masks. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that more than one-third of healthcare workers complained of acne, facial itching and even dermatitis from wearing an N95 mask.

Dr. Givan added that healthcare or other frontline workers may even develop sores on their noses or behind their ears if their masks don’t fit properly. If these issues are a problem for any mask wearer, he suggests looking for a mask that ties behind the head instead of one that loops behind the ears.

In terms of the whether you should choose a cloth or disposable mask, Dr. Givan says how the mask fits is still the most important factor. Also keep in mind where you will be wearing your mask.

“A mask worn is a warm/hot and dusty environment will need to be cleaned more frequently than a mask worn in a cool and relatively clean environment,” he says.

Dryness from Frequent Handwashing
According to the NIH, two thirds of healthcare workers wash their hands more than 10 times a day. Due to the drying nature of hand soaps and hand sanitizers, repeatedly lathering up can lead to irritation. “Both can disrupt the skin barrier leading to dryness and in some cases inflammation with rash,” says Dr. Givan.

He recommends using a non-soap cleanser, such as Cetaphil or CeraVe, which can be gentler on the skin. Also, try alternating between washing your hands and using hand sanitizer. But most importantly, don’t forget to moisturize.

“Generally, thick moisturizing ointments or creams can be helpful in repairing the skin, especially when applied frequently and liberally,” he explains. “When significant inflammation or rash are present, patients may need to use topical steroid medication or see a dermatologist.”

Stress Breakouts or Flare Ups
When our bodies go into a state of panic, our skin usually lets the world know. “The mind and the body, especially the skin, are certainly tightly connected to one another and the interactions between them are incredibly complex,” Dr. Givan says. “Stress induces the body to release elevated amounts of cortisol and other hormones that can trigger downstream effects on the skin and other body systems.”

It’s not uncommon for common skin conditions— such as psoriasis, acne, and eczema—to worsen during times of stress, he says. The best advice for anyone experiencing a flare up is to stay in touch with your dermatologist to determine the right course of action. “There are many great treatment options available for skin condition flares,” says Dr. Givan. “I’d encourage someone in that situation to schedule an appointment so that we
can help.”

Dr. Givan also says while COVID-19 can cause some skin issues, such as toe inflammation or bumpy/blotchy rashes, these are still less common than other symptoms of the virus. So if you are experiencing skin-related issues, odds are you need to overhaul your hygiene habits and that should help reduce or eliminate any discomfort.

This year—as we focus on the health/safety of ourselves, our families and our communities more than ever before—there is no better time to celebrate the men and women who are working behind the scenes in the healthcare industry. These “Healthcare Heroes” can be found in a variety of roles but all have one thing in common: a true heart for service to others.

In our second annual Healthcare Heroes campaign, we chose eight individuals (doctors, MD and DO, are excluded). Each was either nominated or recommended to us by someone who has seen their impact firsthand.

We also want to note we recognize there are so many Healthcare Heroes who did not make this list. Space in a printed magazine is limited, but we salute everyone in the healthcare industry who sacrifices so much to improve the well-being of our community.

…and another room with a view, and another, and another…

Photography by Woody G. Watts

Bill and Marianne Pecoraro may not be full-time residents on Smith Mountain Lake, but for 35 years this community has been their home away from home. Listen carefully as you proceed up the unpaved road leading to the house, and the crunching gravel under the car tires creates a gentle drumroll of expectancy. Pulling up, the lake can be seen on either side of the modern structure like an embrace. And, when the majestic front doors open to welcome you in, the word “breathtaking” finds new definition. With stunning views of clear lake water and mountain peaks from nearly every room, it’s easy to miss the simple elegance of the home itself.

While living in Connecticut, Marianne’s family may not have discovered the gem of Smith Mountain Lake were it not for her brother. An avid fisherman, he had visited a few times for guided fishing excursions. Once her parents were able to vacation on the lake—all eight kids in tow—Marianne’s mom knew they had to own a piece of this little paradise. “Once they bought their Dixie Acres house in 1984, my parents moved to Charlottesville to be closer to the lake,” Marianne says. All the siblings (along with their various friends and significant others tagging along) visited frequently. “Because the house had only two bedrooms, we always fought for who got to sleep inside,” she recalls. “But even if you relegated to sleeping in a tent outside or on the garage floor, it was still a great time.”

It wasn’t long after Marianne’s parents purchased their cabin that her boyfriend Bill became one of its frequent visitors. College students at the time, but certain of a future together, the couple became more enamored with the area with each visit and talked of having their own place someday. Seventeen years later, in 2002, that youthful dream became reality. “We were able to find a house across the lake from Marianne’s parents,” Bill says, “so we got to enjoy the family fun, and we never had to sleep on the garage floor again!”

Bill and Marianne reside just outside of Richmond in Moseley. Bill has a veterinarian practice and Marianne is an occupational therapist. They are a vibrant, outgoing pair, and the 15 years of weekly summer trips to the lake with their three kids were filled with bustling lake activity and boisterous laughter. But through the years, as their boat glided away from their quiet cove to circle the lake, Bill’s eyes would stop on a nearby disheveled property that sat on a prominent point down the creek.

“There was this older red A-frame house,” Bill recalls, “and every year I watched it go into greater disrepair. But the view of the ‘V’—a well-known mountain feature—was phenomenal.”

After more than a decade of witnessing further decline and eventually thinking the owner may be overwhelmed by the property, the Pecoraros asked a local realtor friend to approach the owner about selling. At that time, however, he told her he wasn’t interested.

About three weeks later, they received a call from their realtor friend, saying, “You’ll never believe who just walked into the office and wants to sell.”

“We literally went in the house just once after we bought it in 2018—it was moldy and dilapidated,” Marianne says. “But you could still see how nice it was in its heyday—and, of course, the view was gorgeous. But we were so excited to build our own unique dream house.”

To design their vision, the couple hired resident architect Eric Buck. And when it was time to bring those plans to fruition, local builder Phil Floyd (Floyd Enterprises) was tasked with the project, which lasted a year and a half. According to Bill, “We thought carefully about making every space purposeful, knowing this would be our empty-nest haven, as well as a place for our kids to start their own traditions with our future grandchildren.”

The Craftsman-style home has four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. On the main level, a large combined great room and kitchen space visually open onto the lake, as the back-facing wall is almost completely glass. Upstairs, another bedroom over the garage with three full-size beds awaits friends and extended family. The couple created a spacious downstairs area with their adult kids in mind. “The large rec room and bar are perfect for our kids to hang out long after we go to bed,” Marianne says. “The most important thing for us was to have plenty of outdoor living space, because we’re typically outside from our morning cup of coffee to when we go to sleep.”

The home’s main level features a huge screened porch with a dining table, seating area, and fireplace, which serves as a three-season living area. Adjacent to the screened area and attached to the master bedroom, another covered porch makes for a picture-perfect area for the couple’s quiet morning coffee talk—rain or shine. Downstairs, a spacious patio for additional dining and lounging leads to a propane firepit to gather with friends and family. A hot tub is tucked against the house nearby, adding another water element to lake living.

Every room in the home is beautifully designed—clean and unpretentious, with thoughtfully placed lake-house décor for a laidback feel. “We were very intentional about the placement of every room and window,” Bill says, “because the whole house is really all about the views.”

Now empty nesters (their kids are 27, 22, and 18), Marianne and Bill are more often alone in their lakeside sanctuary than with their children, but they’re definitely enjoying this new season of life on Smith Mountain Lake.

Bill describes their love for this community. “After 35 years, this place continues to be my heaven on earth. Hearing the birds, watching the water change color and texture—it’s so peaceful.” Marianne adds that being at the lake grounds her. “We slow down here,” she says. “And, because we’ve been coming for so long, we have so many amazing memories.”

Now, with their new dream home complete and new memories to be made, they can start writing their next chapter of life on Smith Mountain Lake.

What the Curation of The Cocktail Party Could Mean for Anne Spencer’s Legacy
Photos by Ashlee Glen

Although she never set foot in New York City, Anne Spencer was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Spencer’s involvement in this hugely important cultural movement, which fostered and celebrated the intellectual and creative accomplishments of African Americans, began with a visit from James Weldon Johnson. In addition to being a renowned African-American writer, Johnson was also a civil rights activist and field secretary for the NAACP.

When he came to Lynchburg, he—along with Spencer and other activists—established a Lynchburg chapter of the NAACP. Johnson became fast friends with both Anne and Edward Spencer, and he discovered early on that Anne was a talented writer whose poems demanded exposure and deserved acclaim. Before long, Spencer had a poem published in The Crisis, an NAACP-published magazine, and another poem published in The New Negro: An Interpretation, a groundbreaking anthology of African-American work edited by Alain Locke, who is often referred to as the father of the Harlem Renaissance. Anne and Edward’s Pierce Street home quickly became a hub for African-American artists, writers, and intellectuals passing through the South.

Despite her increasing popularity and friendships with such prominent people as Johnson, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Langston Hughes, Spencer valued her privacy and enjoyed spending time working alone in her garden. Additionally, only about 30 of her poems were ever published even though she likely wrote at least a thousand during her lifetime.

“Anne’s poetry has activism in it, but it’s not in-your-face activism,” says Shaun Spencer-Hester, one of Anne’s granddaughters and the executive director and curator of the Anne Spencer House & Garden Museum. “She kind of used nature and incorporated it with activism to address things that she didn’t think were always fair or equal.”

Spencer’s simultaneous compulsion to write (and disinterest in seeking fame for her writing) led to the existence of a painting in the Spencer House with a fascinating backstory.
When it came to writing, no surface was off-limits for Spencer—including her own bedroom wall. Spencer would wake up in the middle of the night and write any number of things—poems, ideas, grocery lists—on the wall of the bedroom she shared with Edward. At one point, he suggested they have a painting done on the wall. Anne agreed.

“My grandfather was trying to protect my grandmother,” Spencer-Hester says.

“My grandfather had a pool table in the attic, and in order to get to the attic, you had to walk through my grandparents’ bedroom.

The community of people who knew of her knew she was a person who often wrote for privacy, so they could have said that the writing on the wall meant that she didn’t want to be bothered with people. They also could have said, ‘What about that Anne Spencer? She’s just too much!’

My grandmother wasn’t afraid to step out, but that wasn’t the kind of thing women did during that time period.”

Ultimately, Dolly Allen Mason, a friend of the Spencers, painted The Cocktail Party on a canvas that was pasted directly onto the Spencers’ bedroom wall in 1944. The painting depicts a large gathering of smiling, well-dressed men and women, along with two large disembodied grins in the background.

In a 2018 C-Span interview, Spencer-Hester mentioned that her grandmother said the painting was “about having to go to a party and put on a phony smile.” Spencer-Hester notes that this statement refers to her grandmother’s aversion to disingenuity rather than an aversion to social gatherings in general.

“She was definitely not an introvert, but she also didn’t need to have people tell her who she was,” Spencer-Hester says. “There was nothing phony about her and she would tell you exactly what she thought but was never cruel with her words. I think she was just saying that people don’t always act genuine at parties. When you go to a party, you’re in the moment, feeling out the room, and maybe you’re not really being you.”

There is another intriguing layer to The Cocktail Party: who it potentially depicts. Spencer-Hester speculates that some of Spencer’s famous friends may be portrayed in the painting.

“In my 12 years of involvement with the museum, I have gotten to know these people by reading my grandmother’s papers,” she says.

“They have really become familiar to me. I pass this painting daily, and one day I looked at the gentleman in the bottom righthand corner, at his profile, and I’m like, ‘That’s James Weldon Johnson with his big forehead! And that’s his wife Grace! And that could be W.E.B. Du Bois in the bottom lefthand corner with two of his smart women that he liked to travel with!’”

Spencer-Hester believes that Spencer herself might be depicted in the painting as well.

“My grandmother used to talk about, and has written about, her and her friend Mary Rice putting on their best red dresses or red hats, and that meant that they meant business,” Spencer-Hester says. “When they wore red, that meant they were going out into the community to do some shaking up!

In the painting, you can see two women with red on, so maybe that’s them.”

Regardless of the particular figures portrayed in the painting, its historical and cultural significance are undeniable. In January, The Cocktail Party was selected from more than 40 applicants as one of the Virginia Association of Museum’s “Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts.” Although the top two prizes ultimately went to other artifacts at other museums, the Anne Spencer House & Garden Museum received an award of $500 to put towards the painting’s restoration.

Mark Wittl, conservator and owner of Virginia Art Conservation and Restoration, LLC, recently met with Spencer-Hester to look at the painting. “It is a well-executed, whimsical painting of social interaction in happier times,” Wittl says.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting project and hope the joy I personally feel when I complete a restoration can be shared by all who view it in the future.”
Following a May visit to inspect the painting, Wittl returned to the Spencer House in June to remove the oil-on-canvas artwork from the wall—a necessary part of the restoration process since portions of the wall are experiencing internal failures, he explained.

The removal was successful, but intense—it took Wittl about four hours to extract the canvas inch by inch. He transported the painting to his studio in Roanoke for restoration, which includes cleaning, mounting it to a suitable substrate, touching-up and framing. Wittl believes the entire process will take eight to 12 weeks.

After it’s restored, the original painting will be framed; a copy will be printed and rehung inside the museum where the original used to be located. Spencer-Hester also says they are making some limited edition copies available for purchase, with proceeds going toward the restoration of The Cocktail Party.

Once the painting came off the wall, Spencer-Hester was thrilled to unearth another surprise: more art. The Cocktail Party was covering up three smaller paper paintings. “One of the three paintings is intact. The other two adhered to The Cocktail Party,” she said.

As The Cocktail Party is restored, Spencer-Hester is excited to investigate these new pieces of her grandmother’s past—and hopefully unearth more secrets of her legacy as well.
“There is another layer to remove as we get down to the plaster. Dranny’s scribbling on the wall has yet to be seen,” said Spencer-Hester. “How exciting to find the artwork. It adds another layer to the story. Oh, if these walls could talk…”

Disc golf is a refreshing, challenging activity for all fitness levels

Photos by D.W. Moore

One of the fastest growing sports in the Lynchburg area isn’t played on a court or field. It’s free and you can play it on your lunch break. If you haven’t tried disc golf yet, you might want to give it a shot. “I think there’s something for all ages when it comes to disc golf,” says Trevor Freitas, Athletics and Aquatics Supervisor with Lynchburg Parks and Recreation.

How to Play
Disc golf is a lot like regular golf, played on a nine-hole or 18-hole course. Except instead of using clubs and balls, you use discs (heavier and smaller Frisbees). The goal is to get your discs from the tee to the basket in as few throws as possible. You can throw the disc any way you want: overhand, underhand, sidearm—or anything else you can come up with. It usually takes about an hour to play an 18-hole round.

Like golf, you will have to navigate around obstacles: trees, tough hills, even ponds and creeks. Finding your way around the course is fairly intuitive, but if you are unsure where to go look at the diagram located at each hole: there’s an arrow that shows you where to go next.

The game is free to play, but you have to provide your own discs. Freitas recommends getting at least a “driver” disc and a “putter” disc. You would use a driver for longer distance shots and a putter around the baskets. Locally, he says Play It Again Sports is a great place for beginners to buy inexpensive discs. Make sure you bring a good pair of walking shoes as well.

Where to Go
Lynchburg Parks and Recreation runs two 18-hole courses, at Peaks View Park and Sandusky Park. The course at Peaks View offers two sets of baskets on each hole, to suit people of different skill levels. Freitas describes the Peaks View course as being moderate in difficulty, and Sandusky as moderate to high. Both courses feature holes in the woods, so you will have to navigate around some trees.

One great thing about disc golf is that you can play it year-round. The parks are open from dawn to dusk every day. Freitas says he’s seen plenty of people out playing in January and February on nice days.

A sign at the newer Sandusky course offers thanks to the Peaks and Creeks Disc Golf Club and the Liberty University Disc Golf Team for putting in countless volunteer hours to make that course a reality. LU Disc Golf Coach Steve Bowman helped design the course as well.

There are also disc golf courses located at LU, the University of Lynchburg and Randolph College that are open to the public.

Why It’s Exercise
You might not think of disc golf as a great way to exercise, but you will get more health benefits than you realize.

“You’re doing something to take your mind off the actual exercise part of it,” says Freitas.

Playing a round means about an hour to 90 minutes of fresh air—and it also gets you moving. You’d be surprised how many steps you will clock in 18 holes, going up and down hills.
Freitas says you should expect to burn about 200 calories just from walking around the course.

Some people take it to the next level. “I’ve seen people out there that are looking for more of a cardio workout.

They’ll pick up their disc, throw it, they’ll run or jog to where the disc landed,” says Freitas. “There are people who go out of their way to make it a workout. But most people walk it.

It’s very low impact on the joints.”

Learn more about the Peaks View and Sandusky Park disc golf courses at www.lynchburgparksandrec.com.