Day 56-Lexington, VA
Remember when we were in Saint Augustine, and I had such a wonderful day, meeting lots of people and getting lots of petting and adoration? Well, today was just as good, maybe better! We got another sort of early start, and went into downtown Lexington. It was a clear, sunny, beautiful day, and there were lots of people downtown because the local merchants were all having sidewalk sales. I was constantly being spoken to, petted, and complimented by grownups and children both, sometimes three or four people petting me at the same time! They were all very nice and loving, and I really appreciated it. Don told me I was being a good boy for putting up with all of this. Phoo, what does he know. Then we walked over to the campus of Washington and Lee University, which is very beautiful and has lots of great grass. Geri let me off leash, and I got in some really great rolling. We walked over to the Lee Chapel, where Robert E. Lee, the Confederate General, was buried, along with his wife and the rest of his family. His horse was even buried next to the Chapel! There was a museum in the Chapel, and I couldn’t go in, but Geri and Don took turns staying with me and visiting the museum. There were a lot of people walking by, and many of them stopped to talk to me and pet me. While Don was with me, one lady petted and hugged me for at least ten minutes, and told me she wanted to take me home. Personally, I don’t think she would have minded if Don came along. We went up some steps to the entrance to the Chapel, and Geri went in to take a look. She got involved in a personally escorted tour of the Chapel with a woman who worked there, and was gone a long time. Meanwhile, Don and I were outside meeting people who were going into the Chapel and talking to them while they petted me. The woman showing Geri the Chapel soon had quite a few people who were interested in hearing her, and Geri saw a chance to leave, saying that if she didn’t get back to her dog, he would probably bite her. The people who had just come in started saying, “You mean DeeBee? That beautiful Golden Retriever outside? Oh, he’d never bite you, he’s such a nice dog!” They were all telling her how wonderful I was, and how lucky she was to have such a good-natured and polite pet. I had a real fan club. Meanwhile, I was out rolling in the grass again, and loving it. We walked back downtown, and Geri and Don had lunch in the patio of a little bakery, where I could sit with them.
We went back to the truck then, and I was glad to have the chance to lay down and take a nap. We went for a ride out Highway 64, toward West Virginia, and then turned south on a smaller road, where we saw the place where the James River begins. We went further south to a little town called Fincastle, which is the county seat of Boutetort County. Don told Geri and I a story about this little town that is hard to believe. When the Louisiana Purchase was made, and our country bought about a quarter of what is now the USA, there was no immediate system set up for administering the new territory. The Government in Washington decided to make this new land a part of Boutetort County, making Fincastle the Capitol of Louisiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, and what would be a whole bunch of other states. You couldn’t tell that by looking at it now. Don was hoping the Fincastle Historical Society Museum would be open, but it wasn’t. Don says a lot of his early relatives were born, married, had children and died in Boutetort County, but that isn’t so surprising, because it was so big.
We continued south, and got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a very beautiful road. I have a little problem with this kind of road though; every time I lay down for a nap, within a few minutes we’re pulling into another view point, and I have to get up and look out my window to see what they’re looking at. This can happen every two or three minutes. I don’t get much napping done. We finally got off the Parkway and headed for home. I got my dinner, and Geri and Don went down the road to the Pink Cadillac Diner to eat; they said it was great. Long day, lots of fun, very tired. Nighty nite!