Away to Skylark Farm

I'm in the back row, third from the right

    This weekend, twenty five of us treated ("retreated", that is) ourselves to a getaway at Skylark Farm near Steeles Tavern, Virginia. This beautiful cluster of buildings is perched atop a mountain with a 360° view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It turned out to be a bitterly cold weekend with snow squalls (!), but that didn't mar the views nor keep some of us from exploring the beautiful outdoors.
     A committee of six women planned the event and every detail. The rest of us simply needed to show up. They prepared excellent meals, provided beautiful music, hosted hysterical games, left time for painting on old pieces of barn wood, and shared thoughtful studies on Psalm 23 and Matthew 11. Although I have known many of these women for over eleven years and some only a few months, this coming away together fosters a special camaraderie among us all.
     I can't say enough about the beauty of this property. It sits directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway  with breathtaking views. I imagine it would be a fun gathering place for a family reunion with it's walking trails, pond with canoe, tennis court and picnic shelter. The buildings are surrounded by stone walls and split rail fences with all the charm of an old garden. Four of us braved the blustery, cold wind and walked to the pond and explored a bit of the property. During the sections where we descended into hollows, the wind was blocked and I could pull off my hood to feel the sun's weak rays. The farm also sells Christmas trees in the winter and those plots sit on the hillside looking every bit like quilt squares. On the return up, Sara and I parted from the road and climbed the grassy hillside thinking it might prove to be shortcut or at least offer a different and spectacular view. If it was a shortcut, we will never know, but it certainly did give us a good workout.
     I'll end with a new song we learned while away. It's Psalm 62 set to a pretty melody. The sound of our twenty-five voices was very sweet, indeed.