Greenville Farm Family Campground

W: We’re back in Virginia – smack in the middle of a working farm – about 20 miles south of Leesburg and 30 miles due west of D.C. This farm – with a corner set up as a campground – appears to be mostly cattle (confirmed by last night’s aroma) with some crops. The area, however, is pretty much dedicated to the equine field: riding stables, equine doctors and science, polo, and fox hunting.

We had dinner last night with Kathy and Gary, our friends from childhood. Kathy and Gary visited us in Fernandina Beach last month. They live in Leesburg.

The drive down yesterday was uneventful with the bonus of reasonably smooth roads. We had been concerned about wasting a lot of time searching for a propane source, but luck was with us – the third exit after getting on I-78 was home to a rather large RV dealer. So after some difficulties get getting them into action, we drove on with 30 gallons of propane – exactly the size of the tank!

M. Before saying farewell to the rolling fields of central PA, we stopped a meat market down the road which offered an amazing display of fresh meats from beef to wild fowl, from pork to sausages, sweet breads to tripe to rocky mountain oysters, lamb to goat to veal, etc. Event inch of the hog was smoked/ cured/etc. from snout to spiral tail.

A table displayed smoked products ranging from the entire hog’s head to a football-shaped bologna to scale with cross stitching on the hide. The kids could play with lunch, and then eat it – and the samples were delicious. One could buy pheasant, capon, quail, duck, hens (even chicken feet), goose, and the everyday market eggs, chicken, bacons, turkey, etc. Nothing was wasted, and what was considered inedible, was available as dog treats.

The two photos, while similar, show the variety of products available. (double-click on the photo for a larger view)

More than you wanted to know? Yeah, well. That morning we had stopped for breakfast, as Wayne said earlier, and the specials of the day read: shepherd’s pie, chicken and dumplings, and pig stomach. My favorite soup of childhood was peppery pot, which I loved until I found out what was in it (diced tripe).

There were racks of pickled vegetables, salads, eggs, unknown things, and horseradish -- all home processed. A jar of pickled beets, of course, for me and a slice of shoo fly pie which was fresh and delicious! We cooked out our last evening in PA, the meat we had bought, vegetables wrapped in foil (as we had no gas), wine, and shoo fly pie under a pink and gold sunset. It was a fitting end to PA.

And Wayne just figured out how to swivel the front seats! Looks like a living room. It’s only been two years in the unit!

W: In addition to the aromatic morning, there was the sound of jets heading west out of Dulles airport.