A Very Exciting Day

Saturday my friends Susan and Howell spent the day with me. We went to the Autumnfest in Woodstock for the BBQ competition and Wine Tasting and then to Cedar Creek Battlefield for the reenactment of the Second Battle of Winchester.

Shenandoah Autumnfest had a lot to see & do. There were Chainsaw Carvings, a BBQ Tasting/Competition and a Wine Tasting.  The chainsaw carving was really interesting to watch. The intricacy of the carving that these artist were able to do was fabulous. I would never have thought that a chainsaw could create such beautiful art.

The Wine Tasting was great. There were seven vineyards there for tasting.
North Mountain Vineyard located in Maurertown, Va offered seven different wines for tasting. The ones I liked best were Oktoberfest, Tom's Brook Red, Sweet Caroline's Blush, Apple Wine and Spiced Holiday Wine. Shenandoah Vineyards from Edinburg, VA provided seven wines to taste and I liked the 2012 Chardonnay, 2012 Johannisberg Riesling and Fiesta. The Riesling was my favorite. Savory-Lee Winery from Huddleston, VA had six wines and the ones I liked best were the Blush and the Savory-Lee Sangria. The Sangria was my all time favorite. I ended up getting a pitcher of that to take home and enjoy. Scenic Vino 211 was present and provided five or six wines for tasting. The two I liked the best was Frisk Prickly and the Pink Moscato. Notaviva Vineyards from Purcellville, Va brought six wines to taste and the favorite for me there was "Ya'll Make Me Blush". The name is cute and the wine was good. Cave Ridge from Mt. Jackson had six wines and the Mount Jackson Rouge was good. The last vineyard was Bluestone Vineyard located in Bridgewater, Va and I found the Crooked and Weedy to be the best. We didn't stay for the BBQ tasting because it didn't start until 2pm and we wanted to get to the Cedar Creek Battlefield for the reenactment. 

The reenactment was exciting. The Second Battle of Winchester was a battle that the Confederacy won. As the battle went on the smoke from the cannons firing and the guns shooting made the air smell of smoke.  At times the smoke was so dense it was difficult to see the action.  The reenactments don't use the same ammunition and gunpowder that was utilized in the civil war but even so the sound that the cannons made was deafening. Each time a cannon fired the ground shook. Imagine being there on the day of the actual battle.  The smell of smoke, the cries of the injured, the sight of the carnage caused by the battle and knowing that at any minute that you too could become one of the injured or dead. To stand facing the opposing army with nothing between their bullets and you. 

The men and women who fought in this war, no matter which side, were brave. To stand up for what they believed in, what they felt was right, to put their lives on the line is a gift everyone today should appreciate and honor.  The men and women who have given their lives for our country and those who are currently putting their lives on the line for us at home, deserve our respect and undying gratitude. Without those in the past and those in the present, we as a country would not have the freedom we enjoy today. 
 
While the battle was a definite adrenalin rush, the fashion show that came afterwards was calming. The ladies were dressed in their civil war era finery and all were "belles of the ball". There were many who attended the reenactment that were in costume.

   
 After the fashion show we walked around the battlefield to see how the soldiers "lived". To have history brought to life makes me want to learn more. To know how the men lived while they were fighting. What they ate, what did they do for entertainment to keep their spirits up, what did they wear, how did the wives of those who followed their husbands into battle handle the situation, etc.Then there is the home front. How did the ones that were left behind keep going, manage to keep their livestock from being confiscated from which ever army that was passing by, keep their spirits going when worried about their loved ones on the field of battle?   This is what interests me. The personal aspects of history. Hearing the personal accounts from soldiers and civilians during this terrible time in our country's history is what makes everything come alive.

I did learn something that I found really interesting. As we were walking through the camp many of the women were preparing dinner over campfires. Most had the campfire with a metal grate over it to cook. As I passed a camp I saw a pan heating water and in the pan was mason jars fill with vegetables. I asked the ladies about this and it turns out that women of that time would cook the vegetables that were canned this way. They would loosen the top of the jar lid then put the mason jar into a pot of hot water. What a way to save time and fewer dishes to wash. 

The day was enjoyable but exhausting. I love every minute of it. I went home, propped my feet up and enjoyed a glass of the fabulous sangria I got from Savory-Lee Vineyards and contemplated all that I had seen and heard through the day.