Ginny and Friends

Miss Ginger tucked us in, and my Pooh from GinnyLinda slept with us. She says that in the South we say, "Tomorrow's another day". (Y-a-a-w-n-n-n)

We rested up yesterday while Margaret Ann went to work. Farm Ginny gave me a toy piglet-but I pretend he's real!

Today, we went with Margaret Ann to see Amy, her hairdresser. We met GinnyAmy there-she must be related, she looks like Vivacious Ginny's twin! Margaret Ann, GinnyMargo, California Ginny, and Vivacious Ginny all have red hair.....maybe Amy could make my hair red, too? There's a little hairdye left in the bottle, just enough for a little girl....

Just kiddin'...

We've spent the past few days just playing in the creek, chasing the kitten in the chicken house (the only chickens are made of plaster-Margaret Ann says they're much easier to take care of!), and playing games with all the farm Ginnys. Today, we have company! First, Aunt Mary from South Carolina and her Ginny and Gina arrived in their red Mustang. Traveling with them was Aunt Ginny from Akron, New York and her Ginny and Jimmy. What fun we are going to have this weekend.

Wait....there's more! Aunt Geri and Granma Ruth from Bridgeville, Pennsylvania (another one of those tongue-twisters-these folks must like strange names) arrived next. Aunt Geri brought her b-i-i-g cat named Jasper, and Granma Ruth brought her pet turtle and Ginny and Sparky, too. Aunt Geri's delicate Virginia arrived last (she's really a Ginny like we are, but she is delicate porcelain and we have to be s-o-o-o careful not to hurt her).

Here we are tryin' to go to sleep. Stuart Little is still awake (don' tell him he's a mouse-he thinks he's just like us!).
Tomorrow's another day...

We're going touring today! Rockbridge County where Margaret Ann lives is a place where lots of people come just to see all the sights. We won't have enough time to see everything, but we will have a good time.

First, we went to see Lee Chapel. This is a beautiful church on the grounds of Washington & Lee University in Lexington. The church was built when Robert E. Lee was President of the College, and he and his family are buried in the vault below the chapel. We all toured the museum, but could not take any pictures. Everything was so beautiful-there were huge pictures of George Washington and his family, and Robert E. Lee and his family. There was also a gift shop, where Margaret Ann bought me a postcard of Lee Chapel, and also a Confederate flag.

Diary, this flag doesn't look like the battle flag you see on car bumpers and places like that. This flag is called the "Daughters flag", because it is the symbol of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It was the first national flag of the Confederacy, not a battle flag.

Margaret Ann is President of a United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter, and they raise money to help support Lee Chapel. They also raise money to help our veterans in the veterans hospitals. Here is a picture of us at Traveller's grave outside the Chapel. Traveller was Robert E. Lee's horse, and he was buried here not too long ago. Margaret Ann says that when she was a little girl, they could visit Traveller at Lee Chapel because he was stuffed and put on display after he passed away. She said he was so-o-o big! Now, people bring flowers and apples to his grave to honor him, as he was a loyal faithful companion to Robert E. Lee.

Margaret Ann made the red checked Southern Belle dress for Ginny Shirley, and she made the beautiful green Southern Belle dress for me! It has a hoop skirt and pantaloons to match, and I get to take it with me!

You'll never guess where we are now! This is Cedar Creek, which flows down the mountainside to the Natural Bridge. There are 137 steps down to the bottom, so we stopped along the way to rest. California Ginny and I are dressed in our Indian costumes, and SC Ginny and Gina are in their touring outfits. As you can see, playin' in the water is so much fun!


We finally reached the bottom of the 137 stairs and saw all the pretty pansies lining the walkway to the Natural Bridge. GinnyRuth and California Ginny are enjoying the flowers, too. Lots of tourists came up to us and told us that they had little Ginnys when they were young (they all looked very old, so there must have been Ginnys a really long time ago).	Here it is!! California Ginny and I are in front of the Natural Bridge. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Margaret Ann says it is "Higher than Niagara and Older than the Dawn". We didn't know it was a stone bridge, and there is a highway for cars across the top! She says there is an Indian legend about the Natural Bridge: the Monacan Indians were fleeing from their enemies when they came to a cliff. There was no way down and their enemies were coming closer. They prayed and when they opened their eyes, there was a stone bridge to the other side. They ran across the bridge and were able to get away safely. It might be just a story, but it is a good story....

We walked under the Natural Bridge and found these beautiful Virginia wildflowers on the pathway. Aunt Geri says they only bloom for one week each year and they are blooming just for us! Margaret Ann made this Indian maiden dress and necklace for me! Farm Ginny loaned me her sandals to wear with it. It feels just like suede, but it isn't and there are pretty beads all around it. California Ginny is wearing her Indian brave costume that matches mine. Wait 'til you see what is coming next!	Guess what! There's an Indian Village just past the Natural Bridge, and we got to visit with the Indians!!! Here we are with Birdie. She is making a basket. She said that she dyes the reeds with tea for a brown basket, and uses juice from gourds to make colored baskets. Birdie let us sit on soft furs that she uses for blankets when it is cold.