There is a place near and dear to my heart. It's off the beaten path, a tiny town on the banks of the Rappahanock River overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Locals call it "The Rivah." This place also happens to be the inspiration for my current work in progress, a contemporary romance novel set in Deltaville, Virginia.
I grew up visiting "The Rivah" every summer as my grandparents owned a cottage set back a hundred feet from the white, sandy beach and deep blue waters. It was my second home. It's where I learned to water ski, fish, catch frogs, find tadpoles, roast marshmallows, and count constellations.
It is the place that houses warm memories for myself as a child, and now for my children as they learn and explore at the cottage. Here are some of their favorite activities:
- Find soft shell crabs and put in the crab pots to catch the regular hard shell.
- Kayak out to the fishing nets to see the stingrays.
- Go tubing behind granddaddy's boat and try to stay on while he swerves the boat and makes them go over the wake.
- Swim out to the sandbar to play in the knee-deep water and try to avoid getting stung by jelly fish.
- Ride the double-bike down Snake Road.
- Go jumping down the sandy, clay cliffs, not caring how dirty they get.
- Roast marshmallows around the roaring bonfire.
- Watch for porpoises from the sun porch.
There's truly no other place like it on earth....And it's mine, all mine, I tell you!! *insert evil laugh*
On a side note, this week is our Spring Break, and since I'll be spending the week with my family, I may not have the opportunity to visit blogs and make comments as much as I'd like. But, I will try to visit you soon!
Do you have a place near and dear to your heart?
